Tina will be helping out with the blog for a short while. Welcome Tina!

I’d like to introduce you to Tina Robinson. She’ll be helping out with content on the blog in December. I will be away until the end of the month, but I leave you in good hands. Please give her a very warm welcome!

Hello Buzzer readers! I’m looking forward to helping Robert out with the blog this month and hopefully having some conversations with you.

I grew up here in the Lower Mainland (Burnaby, if you must know), and have been a long-time transit rider. I have fond memories of getting on the SkyTrain during Expo ’86 and looking down at the sea of people waiting to get on what was then a new and exciting technology for the region. 25 years later and you’ll still often find me riding the buses and SkyTrain to get around the city (and I also use my bike as part of my commuting repertoire).

Growing up riding public transit in Vancouver and Burnaby, I became a long-time reader – and fan – of the print Buzzer (Anyone else remember the random and silly quotes sprinkled through the old issues from the 80s? Maybe you read them while listening to a Rick Astley cassette tape on your Walkman?). As you can imagine, I’m excited to have the opportunity to contribute to the Buzzer blog, and look forward to hearing your comments and ideas over the next few weeks.

Three candles for the Buzzer blog!

Yup, October 6, 2008, was when the very first Buzzer blog post was published. The ambition was to give the most up-to-date information on transit issues and to create a forum for two-way conversation between TransLink and its customers. Over the years, the blog has grown in followers, look and content. This past year, the blog has documented transit history, the naming of our new smart card,  Burnaby Mountain Gondola – phase 2, Surrey Rapid Transit – Phase 2, the new mobile site, I Love Transit Week, and the 25th Anniversary of SkyTrain to name just a few. We also surpassed 13 000 comments just the other day!

My stint as editor is nearly halfway through (Jhenifer is currently away on maternity leave), and there’s still a lot I have planned as editor. These past six months have been a great learning experience about the many things in which TransLink is involved. I now feel I can start introducing some new ideas on top of the great regular features like Friday Fun Polls, Links & Tidbits, etc. One of the new items I have planned is a transit etiquette campaign I’m hoping I can share soon.

Thanks to all of you for your patience in waiting for replies to your comments. Besides the blog and Buzzer newsletter, I also contribute to our Facebook Page, Twitter handle, Foursquare Account (just starting to reinvigorate that one) as well as webinars and all sorts of online communications work for TransLink. So, suffice it to say that I’m busy but loving the gig! Finding the right person to answer your questions may take a little time, but I wanna make sure I get you the right answer.

On this third birthday, I’d like to give thanks to all the Buzzer readers who contribute their time and insighful thought to the conversation. This is truly a mature and nurturing community, and I’m thankful to be a part of it.

Here’s to another great three years of the Buzzer blog!

Here’s some handy links in case you need info/help while I’m off:

• Follow the TransLink Twitter account for key service updates, plus breaking news
• Sign up for e-mail or text message alerts for your bus routes and train trips here
• Our transit alerts can also be found at the TransLink alerts page
• Complaints, commendations, lost property questions, and other inquiries can be directed to TransLink’s customer information area
• You can also reach our transit information line at 604-953-3333
• Talk to you soon!

Hello world!

Hi everyone — Jhen here with a quick non-transit update from my maternity leave :)

Since some of you asked to be kept in the loop, I’m happy to announce my lovely daughter Linna was born about a week ago. She is healthy and happy and just delightful, and I suspect we’ll be having a lot of fun together this year.

Again, if you’re interested, you can feel free to visit Pabillano.com for assorted personal posts while I’m on leave. I hope you’re all having fun with Robert here on the Buzzer blog while I’m away!

Last week, I checked out the annual personal blogging and social media conference known as Northern Voice. The volunteer-run event at UBC is all about expanding the blogging and social networking community and learning from your peers. Most people who attended were from Metro Vancouver, but there were a few from other parts of the province, other areas of Canada, and even some from the U.S.

Besides the interesting and educational seminars with titles like Courting Controversy: Dancing with the Devil, Your Blog is Boring and Your Photos Suck, and Awesome-izing Your Podcast (where I learned things I hope to use in future podcasts for the Buzzer), I met a bunch of the people I follow (and don’t) on Twitter and the blogosphere.

Having all these interesting stars of social media captive in one place, I thought I’d take the opportunity to do my first video post using my iPhone. This was a spur-of-the-moment descision, so please bear with me on this one. Next time, I’ll make sure to find a nice flat surface and quite place to shoot my video! Regardless, I think this gives some good snap shots of how local social media and bloggers view public transporation in our corner of the world.

Me, riding into the shiny future. (Yes, this is an older photo :)

Well, as you may have heard, there’s a major event happening today — it’s my last day on the blog :)

Yes, as announced in February, I am on maternity leave as of the end of day on Friday, April 29, 2011, returning in May 2012. In my absence, the delightful Robert Willis will be handling the print and online Buzzer properties, and I’m certain he’ll take care of everything very well.

But before I go, I just wanted to offer my thanks and appreciation to all of you who have been my companions on the blog since its launch in October 2008. It’s been a sincere privilege to bring you stories about TransLink, and it’s been fantastic that so many of you have chosen to make the Buzzer blog a key destination in your online travels.

I’ll be mostly off the blog for the next year, but I’ll keep you posted as any key events come along for me :) And if you really need to reach me, you can find my personal site over at pabillano.com.

Take care, keep reading the Buzzer, and have a great year!

What it may look like as a Buzzer reader diligently fills in our survey.

One last time: please take the 2011 Buzzer blog reader survey, if you haven’t already!

Yes, I’m going to beat this topic to death, but it’s for a good cause: we here at the Buzzer (all two of us) are dying to know more about you and what you think of the blog so far—plus where you think we could improve for the future.

It’s only 12 questions long and we’d like as many of you to fill it out as possible, so we really get a sense of who our readership is and what you’re thinking!

Even if you’re just a casual reader, please do take a few minutes and fill out the survey, and tell all your friends to as well :) The survey will close on Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at noon (that’s tomorrow!)

Important note: I’m running this survey using SurveyMonkey, which is a US-based survey tool. So please take note that by clicking on the following survey link, you give your consent that any information you provide may be stored on servers outside of Canada. (PS: none of the questions ask for emails or personally identifying info, just general age/gender stuff and readership notes.)