Metro Vancouver Transit Discussion

[Express691]

Originally Posted by Dave2

>2018 set 449-452 entered service this evening, bringing the total of mk3 sets entering this year to 6 sets, 24 cars.

I was on 452 yesterday, around 4 PM. Boarded at Metrotown outbound, interestingly its destination was VCC-Clark

There was a track issue in Burnaby around that time. Probably explains the VCC Clark destination.

[ilikeredheads]

Originally Posted by Firebrand

I wonder if the HK deckers have another staircase for the upper deck? You could add another staircase to reduce the dwell time for passengers entering/leaving the upper deck, but it reduce the seating capacity of the bus, which defeats the purpose of a high-capacity express bus with limited stops. In NA they're only allowed one staircase, so it doesn't matter anyway.

all only have a single staircase. There's zero chance KMB, NWFB, Citybus, or MTR would order buses with 2 staircases considering how high the demand is.

[Axe]

Does anyone have any pictures ( or info) of the Skytrain OMC upgrade in Coquitlam or Richmond ? I can't find any info on it...
thanks

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by Axe

Does anyone have any pictures ( or info) of the Skytrain OMC upgrade in Coquitlam or Richmond ? I can't find any info on it...
thanks

New Canada Line cars arrive in Metro Vancouver

Along with fleet expansion, the Operations and Maintenance Centre (OMC) has been upgraded. We’ve added four new tracks, a new gate/driveway, automatic train controls, and power and communications to help store and maintain all Canada Line trains. This work began in 2018 and is expected to complete this summer.

Also according to a TransLink Board Open Meeting reports document (pdf) they're doing some work on all three OMCs. "Work on an expanded Vehicle Storage Facility (OMC 3A) in Coquitlam is underway with a target for completion in early 2020."

[jollyburger]

Kind of interesting if you read the report on the 24/7 service they show where all the trains are stables on the mainline

https://www.translink.ca/-/media/Documen.../2019/2019-Late-Night-Service-Report.pdf

[Axe]

Thank you, does anyone have pictures of the work so far?

Originally Posted by Sheba

New Canada Line cars arrive in Metro Vancouver


Also according to a TransLink Board Open Meeting reports document (pdf) they're doing some work on all three OMCs. "Work on an expanded Vehicle Storage Facility (OMC 3A) in Coquitlam is underway with a target for completion in early 2020."

[Xerx]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Kind of interesting if you read the report on the 24/7 service they show where all the trains are stables on the mainline

https://www.translink.ca/-/media/Documen.../2019/2019-Late-Night-Service-Report.pdf

I'm surprised they didn't use Copenhagen as a comparison despite the fact that it's probably the best comparison to use for the Skytrain with it being also fully automated and having 24/7 service.

[rxp]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Kind of interesting if you read the report on the 24/7 service they show where all the trains are stables on the mainline

https://www.translink.ca/-/media/Documen.../2019/2019-Late-Night-Service-Report.pdf

what page?

[officedweller]

Page 19 of the first Appendix.
(Section 3.5)

[Tvisforme]

Originally Posted by Express691

246/249:

I can't see the logic in this. The 246 has been following the same basic route for decades using one route number. The only time this seemed to become an issue is when Translink started listing the Vancouver-Glencanyon and Glencanyon-Lonsdale Quay segments separately in the timetables and online. Having two different numbers for the same route makes no sense.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by Tvisforme

I can't see the logic in this. The 246 has been following the same basic route for decades using one route number. The only time this seemed to become an issue is when Translink started listing the Vancouver-Glencanyon and Glencanyon-Lonsdale Quay segments separately in the timetables and online. Having two different numbers for the same route makes no sense.

No different than the 50 Granville Island/Waterfront that turns into the 15 Olympic Village/Cambie. Or the 5/6 Robson & Davie.

[Dengler Avenue]

229 used to do the same thing too: 229 LONSDALE QUAY/WESTLYNN/PHIBBS EXCH, until Translink split the route into 229 and 227.

Then there was also 129 PATTERSON STN/HOLDOM STN/EDMONDS STN where the segment between Holdom and Edmonds was renumbered 133.

It makes sense to renumber these routes that go north then south again (or east then west again). In the long run, Translink should actually split the routes because the longer the route the less reliable, particularly in the case of 246. A crash on Lions Gate Bridge can potentially make people on Westview Drive wait for hours.

[jollyburger]

They're still laying down new track at the Richmond OMC.

[Tvisforme]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

No different than the 50 Granville Island/Waterfront that turns into the 15 Olympic Village/Cambie. Or the 5/6 Robson & Davie.

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

229 used to do the same thing too: 229 LONSDALE QUAY/WESTLYNN/PHIBBS EXCH, until Translink split the route into 229 and 227.

Then there was also 129 PATTERSON STN/HOLDOM STN/EDMONDS STN where the segment between Holdom and Edmonds was renumbered 133.

It makes sense to renumber these routes that go north then south again (or east then west again). In the long run, Translink should actually split the routes because the longer the route the less reliable, particularly in the case of 246. A crash on Lions Gate Bridge can potentially make people on Westview Drive wait for hours.

With respect to the 229 and the 246, the issue isn't the destination names. It's that the route number will now change mid-route, which doesn't make sense given that the same route has functioned with one number - and without confusion - for over 40 years. As for splitting the route, that certainly wouldn't work at Montroyal and Glencanyon as there's nowhere to turn a bus in that area without going well off the main road through narrow side streets. I agree that congestion on the Lions Gate Bridge can severely affect the 246, but renumbering/splitting the route won't help. A better solution might be to go back to a previous change wherein the 246's western terminus was moved to Park Royal instead of downtown Vancouver.

As the saying goes, if it ain't broke...

[nname]

Originally Posted by Tvisforme

I can't see the logic in this. The 246 has been following the same basic route for decades using one route number. The only time this seemed to become an issue is when Translink started listing the Vancouver-Glencanyon and Glencanyon-Lonsdale Quay segments separately in the timetables and online. Having two different numbers for the same route makes no sense.

Seems like TransLink don't like routes that do these
1. Change destination sign mid-route
2. Loopback onto itself
3. Inbound trip have different route number from the outbound trip
4. Same route number and same destination
5. Same route number appears on nearby parallel streets
6. The destination is at a different direction from where most riders is going

The old 246 route satisfy most of the above condition. In fact, I think 246 is probably one of the more confusing one unless you're familiar with the route. Let's assume someone who is unfamiliar but remembers taking the "246 Highland" to reach his destination... Is it safe to assume that when he sees a "246 Highland" next time, would it still lead to his destination, or the bus just went the completely opposite direction?

I've seem too many of these when the transit in Poco was a mess with C37 and C38...

[Tvisforme]

Originally Posted by nname

Seems like TransLink don't like routes that do these
1. Change destination sign mid-route

It would seem that many routes do this, ever since they changed from route names to route destinations years ago.

Originally Posted by nname

2. Loopback onto itself

This doesn't happen; the route goes from west to east, then east to west, but it does not cover the same ground twice on a west-east or east-west run. If you mean that the west-east and east-west runs should have different numbers, then every route in North and West Vancouver would need to be revised.

Originally Posted by nname

3. Inbound trip have different route number from the outbound trip

With the 246, this didn't happen; with the 246/249 split, it now does for some commutes.

Originally Posted by nname

4. Same route number and same destination

I can see this, since it was eastbound Highlands/Lonsdale Quay and westbound Highlands/Vancouver. The 246 is now "Highlands" and the 249 is now "Delbrook", although they could have made the exact same name change without changing the number eg. eastbound 246 Highlands/Lonsdale Quay and westbound 246 Delbrook/Vancouver.

Originally Posted by nname

5. Same route number appears on nearby parallel streets

This is a suburban route along winding mountainside roads. The only remotely parallel roads - Delbrook and Highlands - are over a kilometre apart and there are only two roads that connect them, since there's a river in the middle. (North Vancouver - many north-south roads, only a few east-west connectors.)

This is a minor issue, of course, but the reason I commented on it to begin with is because it seems to be change for the sake of change instead of change that actually benefits the local users. Thanks to this switch, there is now a new option when looking at eastbound routes on Google Maps along parts of Montroyal Boulevard. You can catch the 246 - which of course becomes the 249 a few stops later - or you can walk several stops and catch the 249.[/QUOTE]

[Sheba]

From hyperloops to hailing rides: North America's biggest transportation conference hits Vancouver

Not a day goes by in Vancouver where people aren't talking about the interaction between transit and real estate development — but that conversation is going to get awfully loud this week.

Rail~Volution is North America's largest conference, which has a self-declared aim of "building livable communities with transit."

Its 25th anniversary is taking place this week in Vancouver, with over 1,300 delegates sharing best practices by taking in a variety of forums and panels.

And its CEO says Vancouver is an ideal place to host the conference, for somewhat conflicting reasons.

Dan Bartholomay, Rail~Volution's CEO., said Metro Vancouver has done a good job of doing regional planning around sustainability. It's also developed a "robust" transit system, including bus, rail and biking.

"So there's a lot of lessons to learn about planning and design," Bartholomay said.

On the other hand, he noted that it's also a place experiencing challenges around affordability.

Metro Vancouver's successes and struggles with development this century have been well documented.

While transit ridership is at a record high — with billions of dollars committed for more projects — municipalities across the region have faced pressure to keep land around transit-oriented developments affordable for those that need transit most.

"Vancouver is certainly one of the places with what I would call 'unintended consequences,'" said Bartholomay.

"Great planning and development has brought more people into the city, more development, and in some cases left some people behind."

...

[Express691]

I've heard rumors through a grapevine (and a brief mention at RailVolution) that R2 North Shore line is delayed again until April 2020

I can say that Phibbs hasn't even gotten started on construction with a lengthened bay.

[SpongeG]

TransLink CEO longs for U.S.-style reliability for funding capital projects

Upcoming Canadian federal election contains “risk” that capital funding for public-transit infrastructure could drop
By Glen Korstrom | September 10, 2019

Among the changes that could take place if a new Canadian government is elected on October 21 is an alteration in how much money is provided to fund public-transportation capital projects.

TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond told Business in Vancouver September 9 that he would like Canada to have a stable funding model that is similar to that in the U.S.

...

https://biv.com/article/2019/09/translink-ceo-longs-us-style-reliability-funding-capital-projects

[SpongeG]

Fed-up Metro Vancouver residents petition TransLink to stop the ‘screeching’
Burnaby Now

By Chris Campbell -September 7, 2019

Sedi Minachi is fed up with the noise. So are his neighbours.

The South Burnaby resident understands there is going to be noise when you live near the SkyTrain line, but the situation, he says, is out of control.

So he and his neighbours have signed a petition and sent to TransLink to deal with the “screeching noise” in the areas between Dunblane and Marlborough, just west of Royal Oak station.

“This noise started a few months ago and TransLink needs to fix the track in this particular area,” Minachi said.

In a letter to TransLink, Minachi wrote: “People between these two particular blocks have been suffering in the past few months and it’s an urgent matter for your organization to conduct an investigation as soon as possible.”

Since then, TransLink has written back to Minachi.

...

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/2019/09/07/metro-vancouver-petition-skytrain-screeching/