The May 2013 Buzzer is now on the system

It’s the second Friday of the month, so that means the latest issue of the Buzzer newsletter is available on buses, SkyTrain, SeaBus and West Coast Express! If you can’t wait to get your hands on the issue, you can always download it.

So what’s in the issue? The main theme is a focus on our roads and bridges work. It’s a theme we’ll be exploring more of in the month of May and the beginning of June on the blog. On the topic of roads and bridges, Peggy Gibbs, TransLink roads engineer, was the first installment of our Ask TransLink series on the blog. This latest issue of the Buzzer includes a wrap up of series, primarily the second installment with Brian Revel.

Bike to Work and School Week starts on May 27th this year and we wrote a little about how great of an initiative it is!

This issue also has info on Victoria Day service. In short, all transit will run on a Sunday schedule. You’ll want to read this for all of the specifics.

Info about GradPass and the time and date for TransLink’s Annual General Meeting can also be read this month. Mark May 29, 2013 from 9:30-10:30am if you’re interested in attending our AGM.

And what would a Buzzer newsletter be without coming events, contest corner and back issue? The answer: it wouldn’t be much of an issue!

We hope you enjoy this month’s issue. As always, let us know what you think of it!

Buzzer illustrator interview: Gracelle Mesina

Gracelle and her illustration!

If you haven’t picked up the April issue of the Buzzer, you really should! Not only does it have wonderful content (I’m biased of course), it has some original artwork from Gracelle Mesina. Check out some of her other work! Here’s some more about her:

Tell us about yourself and your art!

Hi! I’m a full-time, fourth-year design student at SFU in the Interactive Arts + Technology program, a creative explorer and a visual storyteller. My art tends to be limitless and experimental in terms of colour, pattern, and materials/medium. I love trying new things with art and design.

What inspires you as an artist.

Situations that give me time to think, like hot showers, taking a walk and long transit rides.

Do you take transit? If so, what’s your preferred mode of transportation?
Yep! It’s how I get around Metro Vancouver. I’m always going downtown from Surrey. Skytrains are a godsend.

What can we expect from you in the future?
Better work in my portfolio! And a “Design Intern for Hire” sign around my neck :)

Anything you’d like to add?
Yay Transit! Thank you for making it easier for us to explore our beautiful cities!

The April 2013 Buzzer is now on the system

Whoop, whoop! The latest issue of the Buzzer newsletter is now on the system.

The theme this month is, Ask TransLink. Starting next week on the blog and extending until May 10 we’ll be on our Facebook page and Reddit asking riders to join us to ask a TransLink staff member questions. We’ll be showcasing a roads engineer, a bus operator, a transit planner and members of our Twitter team. It’s going to be fun and informative, so, make sure you get your questions answered direct from the horses mouth!

This being April, much of the issue was devoted to April service changes. Make sure you check out translink.ca/servicechanges for a comprehensive list of all the changes.

We also included info from our 2012 Year-end Financial and Performance Report in the issue. We’re extremely happy to say that we set a record breaking overall customer service rating for 2012 was 7.7 out of 10! Also of note is that we came under budget by $45 million, we increased our ridership by two per cent over 2011 by providing 363 million rides in 2012, and that crime against people on the transit system was 8.75 per cent lower in 2012 than the previous five-year average!

The usual suspects included Contest Corner, Back Issues and Coming Events are also in the issue.

So, make sure you pick one up on buses, SkyTrain, SeaBus or  West Coast Express or download it. Enjoy your read!

Life on transit: talk Buzzer history in a Google Hangout today, March 27, 2013!

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

Update: our Google Hangout has wrapped and here’s the video above!

As we mentioned last week: today we’re talking about The Buzzer, our 96 year old transit newsletter!

Join us for a Google Hangout today for a video chat. The details:

• Date and time: Wednesday, March 27, 2013 – noon to 1pm!
• Where: Online! The Hangout can be viewed on our Google+ profile page. You don’t need a Google+ account to watch the stream!
• Who: Jhenifer Pabillano and Robert Willis, Buzzer editors!
• What: All about the history of the Buzzer, plus answers to any questions you might have.
• Be aware that this is our first Hangout, so it won’t be perfect, though we’ll do our best!

We’ll post the Hangout here as it happens! Check back at noon or later today and you can see exactly how it all went down :)

Life on transit: let’s talk about the Buzzer in a Google Hangout, Mar 27, 2013!

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

Buzzer logos through the years!

Well, there’s no mainstay of transit life like The Buzzer, our 96 year old transit newsletter!

So we’d like to offer a chance to learn more about our dear Buzzer with its current editors in a modern way: a Google Hangout!

A Google Hangout is a live video chat run through the Google+ social network. We’ve never done a hangout before, and we’d love to see if it’s a great way to chat with you guys!

So if you’d like to join us, here are the details:

• Date and time: Wednesday, March 27, 2013 – noon to 1pm!
• Where: Online! Here’s the Google Hangout event listing. The Hangout can also be seen on our Google+ profile page.
• Who: Jhenifer Pabillano and Robert Willis, Buzzer editors!
• What: All about the history of the Buzzer, plus answers to any questions you might have.

As well, if you’re interested in participating live in the Hangout via video, send us a note!

Be aware that this is our first Hangout, so it won’t be perfect, though we’ll do our best. And if we don’t see there’s very much interest in the Hangout for next week, we’ll cancel the event and let you know :)

Buzzer illustrator interview: Kim Ridgewell!

The March 2013 Buzzer illustration and its creator, Kim Ridgewell!

We are happy to have the work of local illustrator Kim Ridgewell on the Buzzer for March 2013!

A graduate from Capilano University’s IDEA program in 2007, Kim now works with ideas agency Rethink Canada. Here’s a bit more about her in our traditional Buzzer illustrator interview!

Tell us about yourself and your art!
I am a busy person… I am a happy Vancouverite, and love all things west coast – yoga, running, snowboarding, hiking, surfing and fair-weather biking. When not in the bush or sea, I am designing, drawing, crafting and Instagramming.

Tell us who or what inspires you as an artist.
I am inspired by people who make the effort to be creative in a meaningful way, despite what medium they might work in. I also really love public art – I believe that art and design should be accessible for all!

Do you take transit? If so, where do you like to sit on the bus (or train)?
I have been taking transit for about 15 years, as my primary source of transportation. As for where I like to sit on the bus, it really depends on what bus I take. I like to sit at the back on the trolleys, and the front on the express buses!

What can we expect from you in the future?
I plan on continuing to illustrate, design and be as creative as possible.

Anything you’d like to add?
I think that transit is a great place to get to contribute to your community – share a smile with people you make eye contact with; offer a seat up to people, even if they don’t look like they need it; help someone with their bags, or stroller… practice kindness!

Thanks so much Kim!

The March 2013 Buzzer is now on the system

Look out: the March 2013 Buzzer is now on the system!

As we mentioned, we’re doing monthly themes in the print Buzzer and the blog, and the theme for March is Life on Transit!

For this series, we’re exploring habits, observations, and thoughts from the experience of riding transit. In the issue, we talk about secret friends, where you like to sit, and more.

And if you’ve got ideas, send them to thebuzzer@translink.ca and we might share them in the newsletter and online!

The cover illustration was drawn by local artist Kim Ridgewell! We’ll have an interview with her up very soon.

And of course, there’s always the usual favourites included the Contest Corner, Back Issues and Coming Events.

Now all you have to do is pick one up or download it. Good reading to you all!

The February 2013 Buzzer and illustrator interview

Tobias' illustration and his rendition of himself

Besides the Family Day service changes, the issue also includes important information about the temporary (although two years in length) route change for the #10 Downtown/Granville bus. In short, “In order to accommodate construction of the Marine Gateway Project, the #10 bus will now terminate at Marpole Loop, rather than Marine Drive Station, beginning Monday, February 4.”

Also in the issue is info about this year’s CUTA Youth Summit called Leading the Way Youth Summit on Sustainable Transportation. The summit is being held in Calgary this year and sounds like a fun and educational experience.

We also included info about our latest Twitter contest, #TL30K. Now that we’re approaching 30, 000 followers of @TransLink, we’re looking to reward a couple of lucky people with FareCards. All you have to do is either be the 30,000th follower or if you already follow us, write a tweet to our account about why you follow @TransLink with the hashtag #TL30K and we’ll randomly draw a winner after we reach 30, 000 followers. Currently, we’re at over 29, 600 followers. So, you’ll want to follow us and tweet soon!

This month we had a return illustrator to the Buzzer, Tobias Ottahal. Tobias drew the April 2010 Buzzer. We liked his work so much, we asked him to illustrate again. As usual, we interview Tobias, but this time around, we asked him a few different questions than we did last time.

What’s changed since we last interview you?

Hooo! A lot. Went to Pakistan, got a new job, moved in with my lady, and now I’m ‘gasp’ 30!

How did you come up with your illustration?

As with any good artist, the idea was delivered to me by two
jade monkeys riding the four-headed incarnation of Grefil,
god of late-night procrastination.

You’re from Sweden. How is transit similar/different compared to Metro Vancouver?

I’m from Gothenburg – the “Vancouver of Sweden” if you will (west coast, one of the larger cities, rainy).
The public transportation there is definitely decent. I commuted every day for five years when I lived there.
The only thing I miss in Vancouver is light rail! Gothenburg is well-known in Sweden for having
hung on to its trams, and now they’re an inseparable – and environmentally friendly – part of the city.

What can we expect from you in the future?

I’d love to be helping solar-energy companies with their communication and branding strategy.

Thanks Tobias! We’re always looking for great artists to spruce up the Buzzer. So, if you know of any, please email us their info at thebuzzer@translink.ca! If you haven’t picked up this issue on the SkyTrain, SeaBuses, West Coast Express or buses, you can download it here.

Mary Karaplis (Mei K): January Buzzer illustrator interview

Mary and her illustration of a "school" of SeaBuses

It’s always great to find a fantastic illustrator for the Buzzer newsletter. Not only does the art reference the topics found inside, it gives the publication life!

We were introduced to Mary Karaplis (A.K.A. Mei K) through the illustrator of the December 2012 Buzzer, Jessse Davidge. Mary obviously had fun with the illustration and we thank her for her superb work. Now, a few words from the illustrator herself:

Tell us about yourself and your art:

I’m Vancouver born and bred and I’ve been drawing since I was old enough to grab a crayon. I’m self taught and specialize in creating simple, powerful images. I exhibit at conventions in Canada and the U.S. and my work has been featured in the D.C. based Bash Magazine and the Toronto based The Broken City Magazine. I also recently had 10 pieces in an exhibition at the Ayden Gallery. I currently work in the animation industry and coordinate T.V. cartoon shows.

Take a peek at my website tiny-vices.com to check out more illustrations.

How did you come up with your illustration?

I’m a big fan of the SeaBus! I used to work on the North Shore and take it regularly. I love the idea of a people bus going across the sea and thought it would be neat to have a school of them riding across the waves.

Do you take transit? If so, what is your favourite mode of public transportation?

I do indeed. My favourite is the SeaBus because I love the view during the crossing.

What can we expect from you in the future?

I will be debuting a brand new mini comic in May at a wonderful local Comic Convention called VanCAF!

Drop by and say hello!

Do let us know what you think of Mary’s illustration and the Buzzer newsletter illustrations in general. Oh, and if you haven’t yet, please take a few minutes and fill out the Buzzer survey!

The January 2013 Buzzer is on the system

Email us your finished survey!

It’s 2013 and time for our first issue of the Buzzer newsletter! If you’re a regular reader, you’ll want to make note that new Buzzers will be on buses, SkyTrain, SeaBus and West Coast Express on the second Friday of each month (with the odd exception). We switched from the first Friday of each month for administrative reasons.

We’re kicking off this new year by asking our readers their thoughts on our humble newsletter. The questions range from how you rate certain aspects of the Buzzer to “What does the Buzzer mean to you?”. The results of the survey will be used to help us guide the publication into the future.

There’s only eight questions and if you send us your survey no later than February 28, 2013, you’ll be entered into a random draw to with a free FareCard!

So, if you have a few minutes, fill it out! There’s a couple of ways to get it to us:

• fill in this handy online survey form
• grab the physical Buzzer or its PDF and and send it to us via surface mail or email (scan or photograph it).

The cover illustration of the issue speaks to the second replacement SeaBus which is scheduled to be in service in the Fall of 2014. However, there are not five SeaBuses, but there may be four for a very short time until the Burrard Otter is retired in 2014/2015.

This issue also touches on fare evasion stats for 2012, 2013 fare increases, and the 2012 Bus Driver Appreciation Day.

Of course, there’s always the usual favourites included the Contest Corner, Back Issues and Coming Events.

Now all you have to do is pick one up or download it. Good reading to you all!

Jesse Davidge: December Buzzer illustrator interview

Jesse and his illustration

The art work for the December 2012 Print Buzzer is one of our favourites yet! We first saw Jesse’s work when Jason Vanderhill (the man behind Illustrated Vancouver) suggested to us that he’d be great for the Buzzer. We agreed and I think the latest Buzzer is testament to that decision. Here’s a little more about Jesse:

Tell us about yourself and your art.

I’m originally from the NWT and moved to Vancouver when I was 10. After high school I attended Vancouver Film School and graduated from the 2D and 3D Character animation programs in 2002. Since then I’ve worked for animation companies around Vancouver on projects ranging from movies, TV shows, and video games. In 2009 I started, “Blatant Studios” where I handle Producing and Directing animated Commercials and Music Videos.

I’ve also worked on my art through comic books. I co-created a graphic novel with my cousin, James Davidge, called “Mathemagick & Mystiphysics” and am currently working on the second volume. You can check out my art on my blog at www.jessedavidge.com to check out what I’m up to.

How did you come up with your illustration?

One of the things I do at comic conventions is offer people the chance to have me draw anything they can think of for five bucks! On one occasion, a person asked for me to draw a “skytrain with wings”, so I spent the next 20 minutes doing it. Apparently this drawing made its way to TransLink HQ and they liked it so much I was asked to do the next cover of the “Buzzer”, which I was very excited about.

Do you take transit? If so, what’s your favourite mode of public transportation?

I take the bus quite a bit, it gives me time to catch up on music or some reading.

What can we expect from you in the future?

My next goal is to attend the next Vancouver Comic Arts Festival with 2 new comics. I’ve finished one and am half-way through the other, so look for it next May!

The December 2012 Buzzer is on the system

Tis’ that time of the season for our annual holiday edition of the print Buzzer! What makes this issue special? Well, it’s chock full of holiday info to help you on your merry way throughout Metro Vancouver.

Many of you already know about the December Service changes which started on December 3. For those who haven’t noticed the changes yet, we’ve printed them in this issue. A couple of changes of note are the new #555 Port Mann ExpressBus and the return of the #5 and N6 NightBus to their previous routes.

Mention is also made of holiday transit service, which includes altered service on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day as well as info about free service on New Year’s Eve (Sorry, you’ll have to check the issue or the blog or TransLink website later this month for specifics).

The holiday season just wouldn’t feel right without the West Coast Express Santa Train. The first ride starts tomorrow, December 8, 2012. Make sure you have your toy to donate and your best holiday clothes on for your photo with Santa!

Also, helping to spread the holiday cheer again this year are the Reindeer Bus and Reindeer Shuttle. We’ve already received photos of the bus in action on the blog and on our Facebook page.

This issue includes info about where you can catch the bus or shuttle and snap your photos and possibly even meet Santa, Mrs. Clause and a Christmas bus operating elf! If you’re a shutter bug, you’ll want to check the blog later today to find out how you could win a Monthly FareCard for snapping a picture of either the bus or shuttle and sending it to us!

Speaking of contests, we announced the winner of our Halloween Photo Contest! The winning photo was of this Jolly Green Giant on the bus!

The Jolly Green won this Halloween!

This issue also includes a list of the fares which will increase starting January 2013. You’ll want to read our post on this if you missed it.

Rounding out the Buzzer are the usual suspects: the contest corner, back issues and coming events.

We also note a very interesting art installation on Main street including the #3 bus. You’ll want also want to check the blog later today for more on this!

If you haven’t picked up the issue yet, you can download as it a .pdf. Happy holidays everyone!

Luke Ramsey: November Buzzer illustrator interview

The November print Buzzer image and Luke at work

Have you checked out the latest print Buzzer yet? If you have, you’ll notice the fantastic cover image by Luke Ramsey. Here’s a little more about the man behind the image:

Tell us about yourself and your art.

I’ve been living on Pender Island for the past seven years, traveling the globe with my art when I can. I balance my practice between illustration, murals and drawings I exhibit.  My art is generally about organized chaos, or conveying a positive message whether it be ugly or cute.

How did you come up with your illustration?

Making a drawing for Translink is important to me, because public transport brings together different people regardless of race, disabilities, religion, style, gender and age.
I wanted to include all these varieties in the image.

Do you take transit? If so, what’s your favourite mode of public
transportation?

There’s no public transit where we live, but when I do leave the island I use public transport often. I do enjoy catching Translink’s Canada Line, that’s why I included it in my drawing.

What can we expect from you in the future?

I hope to do more public art projects in the future and publish a sci-fi book.

We were very happy that Luke fit us into his busy schedule. And we’re super glad that he provided us with this very cute (not ugly) cover for the Buzzer!

The November 2012 Buzzer is on the system

The November issue of the Buzzer!

In case you haven’t noticed it yet, the November issue of the Buzzer can now be found on the bus, SkyTrain, SeaBus and West Coast Express. You can also download it as a .pdf.

There are a number of different topics in this month’s issue. November 18 is an important date if you’re planning on taking the SkyTrain to Surrey. SkyBridge will be closed from the morning until the afternoon to replace two bearings. You’ll want to read this issue to find out the engineering feat that will make this happen! We’ll be running extra buses during this time to make up for the lack of SkyTrain service, however; please plan for an additional 10 to 15 minute wait during this time.

Bus optimization consultation starts on November 10 and runs until December 12. The locations of the open houses were accurate as of last Friday. Please do check the service optimization page before you attend in case there have been changes.

The issue also includes a couple of items we’ve covered on the blog. As an added bonus, my trip to the Lost Property Office has some additional contacts for lost property on other parts of our system that weren’t mentioned in my blog post.

We’re continuing to get some great Halloween costume pictures tweeted or posted on our Facebook page. We hope including the Halloween costume contest in the print Buzzer will generate some emails with pictures of transit inspired costumes or pictures of costumes on transit!

Pick up a copy or download the issue and let us know what you think!

Oliver McTavish-Wisden: October Buzzer illustrator interview

Oliver and his illustration for the October 2012 Buzzer!

As promised when we wrote about the October 2012 buzzer last week, you can now download the latest newsletter in .pdf form! That is of course if you haven’t already picked up an issue on the system yet. This month’s artist, Oliver McTavish-Wisden (or Oliver Mac for short), is making a name for himself as a comic artist and illustrator. We really like what he did for the Buzzer this month! Here’s a bit more about Oliver.

Tell us about yourself and your art.

I am a local comic artist operating within The Cloudscape Comics Society in Vancouver. My comics range from tales of science fiction to heroic legends and stories about real people. My goal as a cartoonist is to create compelling characters within idea-driven stories. I also spend my time illustrating for The Other Press newspaper and playing in a band called Sleuth.

How did you come up with your illustration?

I wanted to highlight both the new school year and the shuttle bus’ anniversary, and since my running comic series The Scout features children as main characters, I’m quite adept at illustrating them. I decided it was a good chance to use my style to celebrate these two yearly events. It was also a chance to try out a new colouring style, so I went with one that reflected youth and excitement.

Do you take transit? If so, what’s your favourite mode of public transportation?

I often take transit to Vancouver. My favourite mode of transport is the SkyTrain, for it rarely disappoints me time-wise and it spares me the stressful drive on a highway under constant construction.

What can we expect from you in the future?

You can most definitely expect more comics online and in print later this year. You can also expect to see me teaching some youngsters about drawing comics at Cloudscape’s new studio space soon.