Metro Vancouver Transit Discussion

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by Sheba

Buzzer Blog - Bus fare collection set to resume June 1

Great news!

[Mac Write]

By June 1 (when I assume more cuts will happen) what will remain of our transit system (if any at all).

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

i heard it took 3yrs to recover after the transit strike back in the early 2000s. i wonder what will happen here.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Mac Write

By June 1 (when I assume more cuts will happen) what will remain of our transit system (if any at all).

Yep, in a month. What efficiency.

[Mac Write]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Yep, in a month. What efficiency.

Don't go there.

Transit is costing to much make it more efficient, not enough transit add more transit

rinse and repeat.

[logicbomb]

nvm

[Sheba]

TransLink rescinds layoffs, suspends service reductions

TransLink has put a hold on huge service cuts planned for May 18, saying the cuts would have coincided with the province’s first stage of restarting closed businesses and services and that it is making progress in talks with government for financial help.

Metro Vancouver’s transit agency announced on Friday that it is rescinding the layoff notices it handed out to almost 1,500 employees last month and suspending plans to cut bus routes.

...

TransLink had been working with the province to its system to near normal by September, but that changed when the province announced this week its plan to start lifting pandemic restrictions.

The agency said it’s working with the province on a “comprehensive solution” to address the financial losses, but did not provide details.

Jonathan Coté, who chairs TransLink’s Mayors’ Council, said the province’s commitment to help TransLink is a first step to returning the agency to financial health.

“I look forward to working with Minister (Selina) Robinson and her team through the summer to address the pandemic’s impacts on TransLink finances so that TransLink is equipped to help rebuild our region’s sustainable, innovative economy,” Coté said.

TransLink is planning to review its service levels to make sure it is balancing the need to move people in the region with the need to maintain safety for staff and transit users.

The province and TransLink have also been lobbying the federal government for aid similar to what has been offered to transit agencies in the United States and other countries.

Robinson, who is responsible for TransLink, said that they will continue to call on the federal government for support.

...

[officedweller]

Good to hear.
Everything is in flux, so all that seems to be heading in a good direction.

[libtard]

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/the-car-is-staging-a-comeback-spurring-oil-s-recovery-1.1434155

Translink never saw this coming.

[Dengler Avenue]

No wonder the gas price near me (in GTA) has rebounded from 75 to 90 (cents per liter).

[logicbomb]

Originally Posted by libtard

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/the-car-is-staging-a-comeback-spurring-oil-s-recovery-1.1434155

Translink never saw this coming.

Transit ridership is going to see a decline over the next few years. People will be scared to take transit and companies in core areas will opt to allow their workforce to work from home more. Universities and schools will also move towards more distance ed courses. Translink will have to permanently scale back service which is going to force many people back into cars.

It's a shame because my best friend is a new transit operator and he knows he will likely have to find a new job.

[Xerx]

Originally Posted by libtard

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/the-car-is-staging-a-comeback-spurring-oil-s-recovery-1.1434155

Translink never saw this coming.

Scenario 2 or 4

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

i think that this will be a positive thing overall.

it is about time we start looking more at online courses and working online from home. the technology has been there for years and this is the kick in the pants we need.

TransLink will be forced to optimize based on demand, which is not a bad thing.

[Tvisforme]

Originally Posted by logicbomb

Universities and schools will also move towards more distance ed courses.

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

it is about time we start looking more at online courses and working online from home. the technology has been there for years and this is the kick in the pants we need.

Other than as a stop-gap measure for pandemic flare-ups, I don't know if there will be a great demand for online education, at least for the elementary and high school programs. The students miss out on a lot of learning and growing that comes from hands-on and in-person learning. My spouse is a teacher and finds that the online lessons really impact the ability to assess how students are receiving the information. There are a lot of subtle signs - facial reactions, body posture and the like - that give the teacher a sense of whether the students are learning or not.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Don't forget recess, phys ed and clubs, which at last check the faculty/school board/PAC moms are still super keen on.

WRT post-secondary, there's also hands-on classes (e.g. engineering, trades), researchers and support staff, let alone students that want in-class learning. The idea that we can digitize education enough to make transit irrelevant sounds disturbingly Condon-y.

[libtard]

I think a lot of people on this forum are trying to convince themselves and others that public transit levels are going to return to normal and there won’t be a fundamental shift any the public AWAY from public transit when they facts are staring them right in the face.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by libtard

I think a lot of people on this forum are trying to convince themselves and others that public transit levels are going to return to normal and there won’t be a fundamental shift any the public AWAY from public transit when they facts are staring them right in the face.

And you could just as easily be wrong as well. That's a fact.

[Xerx]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Don't forget recess, phys ed and clubs, which at last check the faculty/school board/PAC moms are still super keen on.

WRT post-secondary, there's also hands-on classes (e.g. engineering, trades), researchers and support staff, let alone students that want in-class learning. The idea that we can digitize education enough to make transit irrelevant sounds disturbingly Condon-y.

Anecdotally, lot of post-secondary students seem to think online classes are a poor substitute for in-class learning(and overpriced for what you get). I wouldn't be surprised that there's a high demand from the students to get back to normal as soon as possible.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Don't forget recess, phys ed and clubs, which at last check the faculty/school board/PAC moms are still super keen on.

WRT post-secondary, there's also hands-on classes (e.g. engineering, trades), researchers and support staff, let alone students that want in-class learning. The idea that we can digitize education enough to make transit irrelevant sounds disturbingly Condon-y.

not every class needs to be online. but some can be online. there is no reason some cant end up online.


none of this address the fact that so many jobs can be done remotely with things like VPNs, teleconferencing, etc. it is working out quite well right now. a lot of jobs that can be done remotely have people using transit. even if school goes back to the old days, companies will like the idea of saving on office space.

i do think there will be a shift. even if nothing changes, studies and surveys are finding people will be using cars even when the virus is over. so there will at least be a short term shift. though i expect there will be a long term, ~5yr shift realistically.

time shall tell though.

[chowhou]

People have short memories. Remember how in 2002 no one was ever going to live in a skyscraper again after 9/11?

"It's pretty clear that in America especially, plans to build super-tall buildings - iconic buildings - will be on hold for a long time," says Jeffrey Heller, an architect at Heller Manus in San Francisco.

https://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0312/p03s01-ussc.html

Meanwhile, 3 skyscrapers in NYC taller than the twin towers will be completed this year.

I expect that, assuming there isn't a significant second wave, we'll be back to the status quo by this time next year.