Construction starting at Newton Exchange

If you catch the bus at Newton Exchange, you’ll likely notice some construction activity going on there over the next few months.

TransLink is making improvements to the exchange, partly to accommodate the new B-Line bus service from King George SkyTrain Station to White Rock from Newton Exchange to Guildford via King George Boulevard and 104th avenue which will begin in the fall. The upgrades will also:

• Enhance passenger safety, security and access
• Enhance the aesthetic quality of both the exchange and the surrounding areas
• Optimize operational efficiency

We’ll be adding better lighting, seating and wayfinding singage, and accessible features at bus stop to aid people with disabilities.

What does this mean for you?

Your bus stop at Newton Exchange will move, but not far at all! (Check out the map below for details). And don’t worry, we’ll have lots of signs up so you’ll be able to find your way there easily.

We expect all the construction to be wrapped up sometime this summer, all ready for the new B-Line!

Life on transit: Today is Bus Driver Appreciation Day!

For March/April 2013, we’re spotlighting Life on Transit—that is, observing and illuminating the quirks and habits of daily transit rides around our region!

Have you had a great bus operator experience recently? Well, today is the day to celebrate them, because it’s Bus Driver Appreciation Day! What’s that? Well, Jhen wrote about the history of the day a couple of years ago.

We regularly hear about great experiences on our buses. Sometimes we hear about them via our feedback form, our social media properties, or in the case of bus operator Tim Chaput, they win awards for their great service! Here’s more about Tim from the March issue of the Buzzer newsletter:

Three cheers for Tim!

Tim Chaput, winner of a Vancouver Tourism Award, we salute you!

Hurrah for transit operator Tim Chaput, who just won a Vancouver Tourism Award!

Tim was nominated by a customer, who had this to say:

This driver greeted me on this dark rainy morning with a big smile and cheery “Good morning”. Then, an elderly Asian lady got on the bus and was greeted with a friendly “Nihao”!

… Then on my normally quiet, boring ride I was again impressed when instead of the normal computer announcement for each upcoming stop, I heard the driver announce not only each stop, but the hotels and points of interest in the area as well as primary bus transfer locations.

WOW!!! This kind of service is beyond what I have come to expect in the morning and I believe this gentleman needs to be recognized. This is a true ambassador of our city and reminded all of us on the bus this morning to make that little extra effort in our day.
For his part, Tim said he was hugely pleased with the award.

“I’m really proud to get this, and I’m really accepting this on behalf of everybody at CMBC,” he said. “We have a lot of exceptional people on the front line and in our support positions. I’ve been in this business a long time, and winning this was really nice—just like winning an Academy Award!”

Way to go Tim, and thanks for making each day special for our customers!

Now it’s your turn to appreciate a driver/operator. You can do so with a simple in-person thanks, sharing your story in the comments section of this post, our feedback form, Facebook, Twitter or any other way you can think of!

TransLink 101: Where do our transit vehicles sleep at night?

For February 2013, we’re going back to basics with TransLink 101—explaining TransLink and its work!

You ride our buses and trains during the day, but what happens when they go home at night?

Well, just like the rest of us, our vehicles need some downtime and TLC at the end of a long day of work. Each night, our SkyTrains, buses, SeaBuses and West Coast Express trains retire to their own resting places for a well-deserved break. Read on to find out just what happens!

SkyTrain

For most of our SkyTrains, the end of the day means heading over to our Maintenance and Storage Facility near Edmonds SkyTrain station (15 stay on the line overnight, some along the Millennium Line and near King George Station).

George Booth, vehicle supervisor, says trains start coming off the line in the evening reduced service times so cleaning can start at 7:30 p.m. and finish by 4 a.m. Crews work through the night cleaning, changing light bulbs, replacing seat covers and doing other maintenance as needed.

And, depending on the temperatures outside, some of the SkyTrains might even head over to our automated train wash (how fun is that?!?). It’s just like a car wash, but for SkyTrains!

Read more »

Bus Driver Appreciation Day 2012 at Vancouver Technical School

Here’s a pleasant way to spend a morning: hanging out with a big group of enthusiastic high-school students handing out good cheer to our bus operators! Today Vancouver Technical Secondary School students held their fifteenth annual Bus Driver Appreciation Day (here’s some background about the event). The school is located on Broadway and is served by the #9 bus route. Many of the students get to and from school by bus, so they hold this event each year to say thanks to our operators. Some of the students have been participating in this event since they started at the school. Read more »

The top 5 local transit photos of 2012

We’re continuing our look back of some of the highlights of 2012 with our five favourite local transit-related photos from the year (check out our top five videos and wacky transit stories). We love the gorgeous photo above by Chelle Patterson, capturing a double rainbow behind the SeaBus. Sigh…love this one.

 

It was a cold, dark morning, but we were bursting with excitement when the new 555 bus started service on December 1. The new route takes riders from Langley to New West in just over 20 minutes. Also love: a rider on took his bike along, too.

 

It was a milestone day when the first faregate was installed at Marine Station and we were there to capture the moment. Since then, faregates have been popping up across the system in preparation for Compass.

 

‘Tis the season and our popular reindeer bus has been busy making the rounds. This photo by Chris Cassidy of BusShots Canada really captures the spirit of the bus well (I can almost hear the people laughing and chatting on the bus). Thanks, Chris!

 

And, of course, we’d like to thank you–our readers and fans. This shot was taken at the 2012 I Love Transit Night (our biggest one yet!) and I love how happy everyone looks. The event is one of the highlights of our years and we always look forward to meeting so many of you in person. It’s so fantastic to know so many people are so passionate about transit. Thank you!

New public art on Main Street including the #3 bus route

Did you notice something different on the #3 today? Three articulated trolley buses have been included in an art installation called Memento by artist Gisele Amantea.

Memento comprises a permanent public sculpture and a suite of temporary artworks conceived to reflect the historic and the evolving material culture of Main Street.

Untitled (Poodle), is a 7-foot cast aluminum representation of a porcelain poodle figurine perched on a platform atop a 25-foot steel pole. It’s located on the west side of Main Street in Vancouver in the block between 17th and 18th avenues. The suite of temporary artworks, on display until the Spring of 2013.

Want to know more? Check out this .pdf. Enjoy!

 

2012 Santa Claus Parade Transit Services, Dec 2, 2012

Clear your calendar this Sunday and get out your Santa hats! The Annual Rogers Santa Claus Parade is coming to town for its ninth year this Sunday December 2. The parade begins at 1 p.m. at West Georgia and Broughton, continues east along West Georgia, turns south on Howe, then finishes at Davie. Keep your eyes peeled for the Reindeer bus and conventional shuttle too! Plan your transit trip ahead of time and come early to score a good seat – Christmas Square festivities begin at 10:30 a.m. in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Some transit services will be affected from 10:30 a.m. until 3 p.m., and they include:

002 Downtown

002 Macdonald 16 Ave

005 Robson

005 Downtown

006 Davie

006 Downtown

022 McDonald

022 Knight

135 Burrard Stn

240/246 Vancouver

240 15 St/246 Highland

C23 Main St Stn

C23 Davie

Check out the Alerts & Advisories page for Dec 2, 2012 for full details. The parade is sure to be a Christmas tree’t!

Phase 2 of consultation on Langley City and Langley Township Bus Exchanges starts November 27, 2012

Everyone knows that Metro Vancouver is constantly growing. This is certainly true of both the City of Langley and the Township of Langley. In fact, the City of Langley is growing faster than the national average (6.2% vs. 5.9%), while the Township of Langley is growing even faster (11.2% vs. 5.9%).

Knowing that the demand for transit in these two areas South of the Fraser is only going to increase, we’ve been working with our partners, the City and the Township, and other stakeholders since January of this year regarding two proposed bus exchanges aimed at serving this increased transit need.

Update: Here are a couple of comments about the consultation process thus far:

“Partnering with TransLink on this project is important for bringing the future transit services outlined in the South of Fraser Area Transit Plan to our community. The project is also an opportunity for us to start thinking about how the Willowbrook neighbourhood can evolve as part of the Langley Regional City Centre.” – Mayor Froese, Township of Langley.

“This project is key to realizing the City’s vision for the neighbourhood as an outstanding, vibrant neighbourhood as outlined in our Downtown Langley Master Plan. Bringing the transit exchange close to our Downtown’s heart will support the neighbourhood and create a convenient, comfortable transit experience for residents.” – Mayor Fassbender, City of Langley

Now we’re ready for Phase 2, the stakeholder/public consultation phase. This phase is to present the latest design options and get feedback to inform further design as well as get feedback on the criteria for how they will be evaluated. It’s important to note that these options are in their very early stages. They will very likely change as a result of this and future consultation as well as more technical work and design to happen in the future.

Downtown Langley Exchange & Area Plan + Willowbrook Exchange & Area Plan

In keeping with the City of Langley’s Downtown Master Plan and their vision for Downtown Langley, we’re looking at providing an exchange that supports redevelopment of the neighbourhood while providing a comfortable environment for transit passengers. There will be a handful of options for the new Downtown Langley Exchange, which we’ll post here on November 27. Each of these options will include recommendations for land use, urban design and new street connections that will integrate the exchange with the neighbourhood. We’ll also post info about the Willowbrook Exchange & Area Plan in the Township of Langley on November 27.

Like the Downtown Exchange, the Willowbrook Exchange will also take into consideration land use, urban design and the street network  to support transit, walking and cycling in the neighbourhood.The consultation for both exchanges runs from November 27 to December 7, 2012. The following two open houses are part of this latest phase of consultation:

November 27, 2012 – 5 p.m. -8 p.m. – Township of Langley Civic Facility - 20338 – 65 Avenue, Langley

November 29, 2012 - 5 p.m. -8 p.m. – Langley City Hall/Library - 20399 Douglas Crescent, Langley

We really encourage all who’re interested in attending the open houses and/or fill out the questionnaire on the exchanges and area plans that will be available November 27 to December 7, 2012.

 

Parenting pet peeves on transit

Transit pet peeves are a subject we know well on the blog and on Facebook. We’ve also talked about talked about the challenges of taking your stroller on the bus and the ins and outs of just how you should navigate transit with your little one. But the two subjects haven’t really crossed paths, until we saw this Georgia Straight blog post called, Seven transit peeves from a new parent in Vancouver.

I encourage you to read the blog post yourself to get the author’s explanation of each peeve. Here’s the list of the seven peeves minus the explanations:

1. Able-bodied, babyless people hogging the courtesy seats

2. Bus riders who give parents dirty looks when their baby cries

3. Smokers lighting up at bus stops

4. People who rush to beat parents with strollers onto the bus

5. Aisle-blockers who seem to think a stroller can magically pass through them

6. Transit riders who think my kid’s stroller is a handrail

7. Bus drivers and passengers offering unsolicited child-rearing advice

As a parent and transit user, I can honestly say that I’ve only experienced one of these peeves. I’m not saying this author is wrong or that these other peeves don’t happen, they just haven’t happened to me as a parent who’s traveled on transit with my kid for the past two years. Considering some of the comments to the blog post, there just may are people who aren’t fond of some parents, kids and/or strollers on buses which could obviously lead to some of the peeves this post and author are referencing to.

I generally find that most riders are very accommodating of my stroller, my child and myself on transit. In fact, I’ve had some downright great experiences of people playing peek-a-boo with my kid, helping me situate my stroller and reminding me to put the breaks on my stroller wheels.

The peeve I can identify with is the third one about smoking at bus stops – well, half of it. I do see people smoking near bus shelters in Vancouver. However, when myself and my child show up at the stop they often move away from the shelter to finish their smoke, especially if I make eye contact with them.

I think it’s safe to say that most Buzzer blog readers are dedicated and frequent users of the system. Therefore, I see you all as experts in daily public transit use in Metro Vancouver. So, I’m wondering what you’re experience is, whether your a parent or not, with strollers, parents, children and riders on buses is. Do these peeves ring true for you? Are there other peeves you have as a parent or a rider who’s comes in contact with parents and strollers on the bus, or are you like me and find the experience of taking your kid on the bus a generally pleasurable one?

Exhibit of Angus McIntyre’s historical transit photos starts on September 16, 2012

Friend of the blog and well known transit figure Angus McIntyre is exhibiting his photos from the late-night shift in East Vancouver.

The photos in Nite Owl were taken between the years of 1973-1976. They capture the time period before the streetcar tracks were removed as well as depict a Vancouver many are forgetting and some never knew.

Check out the Baron Gallery website for more info. Oh, and we’ve written a bunch of posts on Angus, many of which feature his photos. There’s also an interesting podcast Jhen did with Angus exactly 40 years after his first day of work with BC Hydro as a transit operator.

Vancouver Sun article: on TransLink providing quality transit today and looking to the future

The Vancouver Sun published an article today on the present state of TransLink’s operations and future financial challenges.

Our Executive Vice President of Customer and Public Engagement, Bob Paddon and TransLink Board Chair, Nancy Olewiler sat down with The Vancouver Sun’s editorial board and talked with them about  the lack of short and long term funding, halting of any transit expansion (except The Evergreen Line), the possibility of some reduced service, possible reduction of extra buses and recovery time for bus operators, some reduction in SkyTrain requency and the selling off of property in order to “live within our means.”

Our proposed fare increase not being approved by TransLink’s Regional Transportation Commissioner, a resolution by the Mayor’s Council that the  two-year property tax TransLink was going to start to receive in 2013 is no longer available and less gas tax revenue than projected have put TransLink in a challenging position funding wise.

We know that more people are taking public transit in Metro Vancouver than ever before. We also know that many people in Metro Vancouver want quality transit that keeps up with the demand.

We’re interested in what readers think of TransLink’s current funding challenges and how we are planning to deliver what we believe is the best possible service with the funding provided to us.

This is an important subject about an important time for public transit in Metro Vancouver, and something we’ll definitely be talking about more in the near future. We look forward to your thoughts!

 

 

 

How do you find out if your regular transit route changes?

I don’t want to believe it, but September is quickly approaching. Every fall we makes changes to our transit service. And every summer, we at TransLink talk amongst ourselves about how best to communicate those changes.

Regular readers of the blog and Buzzer newsletter know that we post and print these changes. However, we know that not everyone reads the blog or the newsletter (it’s shocking, we know).

In anticipation of this year’s September service changes, we’d love to know how you get your service change information. More specifically, how do you find out about changes to the transit route(s) you regularly use?

We’d also like your suggestions on how we can better inform riders of service changes. Take the poll and leave a comment with your thoughts. Let’s get more people in the know, so, come September, there are fewer surprises!

 

 

 

 

 

Heads up: bus service changes coming June 25, 2012

Bus riders, take note! Our regular seasonal bus service changes are coming up on Monday, June 25, 2012.

The major changes include:

• improvements for the 97 and 99 B-Line routes,
• a temporary summer detour for the 5/N6 off Robson Square,
• plus seasonal closing of Granville Mall to traffic on weekends and holidays resulting in detours for some downtown buses.

But there are many more smaller changes too! So make sure you know if your bus route is affected. Again, check out the full list of changes in the Transit Service Changes section of our website, or in the June 2012 Buzzer.

If you have any questions about your particular trips, feel free to contact our Customer Information line at 604-953-3333.

And of course, I’m happy to handle larger questions about planning and such in the comments below. Happy riding!

Snaps from our tour of Vancouver Transit Centre

After our annual general meeting, we took interested folks out on a tour of the Vancouver Transit Centre!

Vancouver Transit Centre is one of our seven transit depots across the Lower Mainland. It’s the facility that hosts all the buses serving the City of Vancouver—that’s 450 buses, and includes our entire trolley bus fleet—and it also houses our training centre, a maintenance centre, administration, and more. Roughly 1,200 people work there!

The tour was an hour, so we got to see the main highlights of the centre. Keep on reading for some photos and facts about the facility.

Read more »

Riding the 531 to Willowbrook

This morning marked the launch of the new #531 White Rock/Willowbrook bus route, connecting Langley with White Rock. To mark the occasion and experience the trip themselves, three TransLink planners headed out for an early-morning ride along the full route, joining a few transit riders and commuters eager to try out the new route. Read more »