Base plan and ‘Moving Forward’ supplemental plan – webinar wrapup

Last night’s webinar on the 2012 Base Plan and Supplemental Plan was chock-full of useful information and questions on the maintenance and improvements to our region’s transportation network. I’ve posted the webinar for you to watch above, but the best way to watch the webinar is via our provider’s web page, which not only has the above video but also the accompanying slides that the presenters reference throughout the webinar. After a slight false start at the beginnning, TransLink CEO, Ian Jarvis; Program Manager, Geoff Cross; and Manager of Corporate Communications, Erin McConnell, launched into a quick video followed by a presentation on the Base Plan. Ian and Geoff took questions on the plan before getting into specifics on the ‘Moving Forward’ Supplemental Plan.

One interesting question that followed the Base Plan presentation was about the option of accepting outside funding for improvements to SkyTrain stations and bus service (private sector, developers, etc.). Ian answered that TransLink has done this for the Gateway SkyTrain Station on the Expo Line and the future Canada Line station known as the Capstan Way Station.

The presentation on the ‘Moving Forward’ Supplemental Plan focused on the additional revenues needed for upgrades and expansion of the transportation system. In 30 years, there will some significant changes to the region. This includes an approximate increase in population of a million more people, an aging population, as well as higher fuel prices and changes to travel patters. For more info on the plan, you can read up on Transport 2040 (where the goals for the Supplemental Plan) or get more specifics on the Supplemental Plan itself.

We had a few questions asking why everyone should pay for transit if not everyone uses transit. Ian’s answer in a nutshell is that everyone benefits from a good transportation system (TransLink looks after the Major Road Network, buses, SkyTrain and cycling routes, remember). There was also a question about the impact that the Evergreen Line would have on the West Coast Express. Geoff answered that the two lines serve different purposes. People who want to go directly to downtown will continue to take the West Coast Express, while those who wish to connect to the system could jump on the Evergreen Line. The last question we received last night, was regarding what would happen if the Supplemental Plan is not approved. Ian informed the listeners that TransLink does have stable funding to maintain the existing service through the money allotted to TransLink in the Base Plan, but with an increasing population and other future challenges, there would be a cost in terms of service provided if the Supplemental Plan is not approved.

For the big picture on all of this, do take a bit of time to watch or listen to the webinar. I am collecting you questions that you’ve posted on my last blog post, and with your patience, I will try my best to get some answers.

Keep your eyes peeled for president & general manager of BCRTC Fred Cummings on SkyTrain – July 6, 2011

BCRTC president & general manager

If you’re on the system Wednesday morning, come talk with BCRTC president & general manager, Fred Cummings! That’s right. Fred will be talking and answering questions and asking for feedback.

This is another installment of a newish project we’ve been running where we send our executives out into the system in an official capacity. Fred, like our other executives, rides and knows the system, but Wednesday is about proactively talking to customers.

Fred will be on the Expo and Millennium Lines just after 9 a.m., stopping at the Commercial-Broadway and Lougheed Town Centre Stations along the way. You’re invited to submit questions in advance via the blog here! (Edit: You can also leave a comment on our Facebook page.)

On Wednesday, you can follow Fred on his trip via our Twitter feed. Erin McConnell, our manager of corporate communications, will be tweeting about Fred’s ride periodically. During his trip, you can send in questions to our TransLink Twitter feed.

As before, feel free to offer your feedback on this initiative as it unfolds. We want to hear your thoughts on this project and how we can make it better.

TransLink Events Calendar

In our discussions regarding our new mobile site a reoccurring comment is to make it simple to use. Many of us lead busy lives, and we can use any help we can get to streamline them. Our hope with this blog is to provide you with an easily digestible, informative and fun way to learn about all things transit in Metro Vancouver (and beyond sometimes).

Keeping in the spirit of simplicity and making sure the public is informed of TransLink activities, the TransLink Events Calendar was created. The idea is to put all TransLink-related events like meetings, promotions, schedule changes, transit training, public consultation and community outreach in one place. Not a bad idea, huh!

Moving forward, there will be more events added to the calendar including I Love Transit Night, which will be added to the calendar this week! This is something new for TransLink, so I’ll be passing on your feedback on the content, layout or anything else about this calendar you think could make it better!

Look here for important TransLink events!

Brad Jacobsen, BC Paraplegic Assoc., talks about what accessible transit means to him

Brad Jacobsen is with the BC Paraplegic Association's Peer Program

Access Awareness Day was last Saturday, but TransLink has been focusing on accessible transit all last week and into this week with public events like the one at Metrotown tomorrow, June 8 at 10a.m. – 2p.m., and the Seniors Transit Program on June 9 and 16 from 9a.m. to 3p.m.

As part of our accessibility focus, I wanted to chat with someone who uses a wheelchair and knows our transportation system intimately. Brad Jacobsen is with the BC Paraplegic Association’s Peer Program. He’s also the creator of the Bus Stop Hop, an annual event that teams up able-bodied people with people who use mobility aids to partake in an Amazing Race-style competition on public transit.

It’s a pretty cool race with an aim to help people in need of accessible transit overcome their fear of it and for able-bodied people to better understand what accessible transit is all about.

Here is an excerpt from our conversation:

Brad, tell me about your injury and what happened afterwards.

I broke my neck on the May Long Weekend in 1994 in a diving accident. I dove into a glacier river in Pemberton trying to get a Frisbee. I was instantly paralyzed and left floating in the spring run off. I was able to hold my breath until a friend got me. My life took a different direction after that. I was 24 and was just accepted into BCIT’s broadcast journalism program and was thinking of becoming a teacher one day.

You know, when I finally realized what had happened, I faced my challenge head on. I thought I could overcome my disability. So I just pushed myself and did as much as I could as fast as I could. I moved out as soon as I finished rehabilitation, I got my own place and I got a job with BC Ferries.

Tell me about the challenges you face with mobility.

Working at BC Ferries, I worked eight days on/four days off without the use of the HandyDart system. At the time, it was difficult to get across boundaries, so I had to use accessible transit, which back in 1994 was still new. Not all the buses were accessible. Often, I had to wait for long periods of time when buses were full or broken down. I was often the first in line, but I wouldn’t be able to get on when the able bodied people behind me could. My eight-hour days at work were 11 hours if there weren’t any problems. Managing all the things you have to do as a quadriplegic with a spinal cord injury and being at work… was challenging but worth it.

What’s the Bus Stop Hop all about?

One of the main challenges with trying to have events was people [with physical challenges] saying that they can’t get there. There was always the excuse of no transportation, yet right under our noises was this amazing transportation system.

We were always trying to do creative things, trying to make people learn and gain confidence in a fun way. That was about the time when the Amazing Race was popular on TV, so we created an event that took the mystique out of the transit system. We got people in wheelchairs paired with a peer in a wheelchair, along with people from TransLink and a friend or family member to make teams of four. They race around the city in four different modes of transportation. Three modes are directly related to TransLink, the SeaBus, SkyTrain, and the bus system. We also incorporated the Aquabus in False Creek. We created this fun scavenger hunt/race around Metro Vancouver including Burnaby, Metrotown, and UBC. We’re going to have 15 teams this year. All the trolley buses have been accessible since 2008, so that makes the race even bigger [than earlier years]. Now, we also incorporate the Canada Line.

In this 10th year, we want to invite more executives and community partners. In the past, we have had a lot of participation from upper management at TransLink.

When is it this year?

This year it will be on August 7th, 2011. We’ll have some people who competed last year and some new people. We’ll have some people who are very competitive and some that just want to overcome their fears and just get on a bus. Having someone get on a bus on a crowded weekend along with able-bodied people can illustrates the difficulties people with physical challenges have when using transit.

Thanks for taking the time to speak with me, Brad!

Brad told me that the teams for this year’s Bus Stop Hop have not yet been finalized, so do check out the Bus Stop Hop page on the BC Paraplegic Association website. And remember that if you’d like to try out getting on a bus in a wheelchair or using a bike rack, come on down to Metrotown tomorrow, June 8, 2011, for the accessible bus trail between 10AM and 2PM. See you there!

Access Awareness Day and TravelSmart for Seniors

Seniors and young kids often have special needs when it comes to transit

Access Awareness Day Saturday, June 4th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This Saturday, June 4, 2011, is Access Awareness Day. If you haven’t heard of it before, it’s a comprehensive provincial campaign led by SPARC BC to raise awareness about disabilities, accessibility barriers and social inclusion. TransLink and Coast Mountain Bus Company will be promoting accessibility through various. For the public,

TransLink will be hosting an accessible bus trial at Metrotown on June 8, 2011, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This bus will provide wheelchairs for interested persons to try boarding a bus in a wheelchair. Both TransLink staff and the community are welcome to try out the accessible boarding features on a conventional bus as well as using the bike rack. For more information, please call the Access Transit Office at 604-453-4619.

TravelSmart For Seniors pilot program

Transit can be a challenge for the elderly. That’s why TransLink’s Access Transit Secretariat has partnered with the Burnaby Fall Prevention Society and Voices of Burnaby Seniors to launch TravelSmart for Seniors: a pilot project in which seniors train other seniors to use the public transportation system. The sessions cover fare zones; using ticket vending machines; security features on SkyTrain, buses and SeaBus; how to use the TransLink Trip Planner and the responsibilities of front-line customer service staff.Participants will also go on a transit field trip, which provides a hands-on opportunity to explore many facets of public transportation.

To help develop the training, members of Voices of Burnaby Seniors went on five different transit field trips, going from Burnaby to locations such as Lonsdale Quay and the Vancouver International Airport.

The first of four TravelSmart for Seniors sessions was held today at Confederation 55+ Centre in Burnaby. If you didn’t get a chance to attend today, you have three other opportunities:

TravelSmart for Seniors sessions will be held:

• Thurs, June 2, 2011
  Edmonds 55+ Centre
  7282 Kingsway
  Burnaby BC

• Thurs, June 9, 2011
  Cameron Complex
  9523 Cameron St.
  Burnaby BC

• Thurs, June 16, 2011
  Bonsor 55+ Centre
  6550 Bonsor Ave.
  Burnaby BC

*All sessions will run from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.To register, please call or email Julie Rogal at 604-453-4587 or julie.rogal@translink.ca

TransLink Annual General Meeting for 2010 – a recap

It was a wet and rainy one today, but the public, TransLink staff and the Board of Directors braved the elements and filled the gymnasium at Creekside Community Centre for TransLink’s Annual General Meeting for 2010 this morning. 2010 was an exciting and challenging year for TransLink, and the public asked questions about funding, student cards and transit routes among other topics. The meeting was live on the Internet as a webcast. Thanks to everyone who participated online and in person! Please follow this link If you’d like to see a recording of the AGM along with the corresponding slideshow (you’ll have to register to see everything if you didn’t already do so for the live webinar). If you’d just like to watch the video of the event without the slides,  you can do so below:

You’ll find documentation on the Annual General Meeting here.

Come to our Annual General Meeting – at Creekside Community Centre – Fri May 27

It's that time of year again!

The legacy of the Olympics has provided a beautiful building we thought would be a great place to have our AGM this year. Please join us at Creekside Community Centre – Friday, May 27. Here’s the official invite:

2010 saw TransLink “Move the World,” improve our efficiency and effectiveness and deliver the best service possible within our funding framework, while achieving all our service, operating, financial and safety key performance indicators.”
Please join us for our 2010 Annual General Meeting to hear about our accomplishments and financial highlights from the past year. A question and answer period will follow the presentation.
Friday, May 27
, 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
 at Creekside Community Centre, Olympic Village
 1 Athletes Way, Vancouver

See an overview of our 2010 operations. For further details, visit Translink.ca or call 604-453-3096.
Unable to attend in person? Join us for a live webinar.

I’ll be manning the webinar desk and taking a few photos. Feel free to say hi!

The location of our Annual AGM this year!

Wrapup note from TransLink CEO Ian Jarvis’s ride on the system, Apr 4, 2011

As mentioned, last week TransLink CEO Ian Jarvis spent a morning on the system talking to customers and staff, just like our our COO, Doug Kelsey, did in March.

The idea behind the project is to bring our senior leaders and our customers together on the system, so that they can have face-to-face discussions about TransLink and the service we provide across the enterprise to our customers.

And as promised, here’s a wrapup note from his visit, drawn from the notes my colleagues provided about the trip!

Ian Jarvis, TransLink CEO, with two of our SkyTrain attendants!

Ian’s trip began with chatting with transit riders at Metrotown Station at 9:30 a.m. before heading out to Surrey Central Station where he transferred to a 321 to Newton Exchange. From Newton he travelled on the C75 to Scottsdale and then back to Scott Road on the 312, where he boarded the train and was back in the office for 11:30.

He was joined by Erin McConnell, manager of corporate communications, who tweeted about his progress, and Drew Snider, Public Information Officer, who passed out TravelSmart maps and Compass card goodies.

While on transit, Ian spoke to both passengers and operators – it was an opportunity to connect with and thank the frontline staff that help our customers every day. It was also a chance to surprise and delight customers, who aren’t expecting to chat with the CEO on their way to work or school.

Feedback from customers ranged from light rail rapid transit (both south of the Fraser and the UBC Line) to stroller challenges (like competing for the space with wheelchair and scooter users) and elevators. Questions were asked about the location of the Lost & Found office, frequency of service on various routes and fare evasion. Our customers sounded very happy with our transit service, and very appreciative of the handouts.

As well, about 47 tweets were received about Ian’s ridealong: many were retweets or comments about the ridealong, and there were also questions about the 502, the Compass card, and the next phase of the Surrey Rapid Transit consultation.

The next ridealong is planned for May with another of our executives — stay tuned!

Watch for TransLink CEO Ian Jarvis on the system next Mon Apr 4, 2011

Ian Jarvis, TransLink CEO

On Monday, April 4, 2011, look out for Ian Jarvis, TransLink’s chief executive officer, out riding the system!

Again, this is a little project we’re trying out this year: sending our executives out to talk to customers, ask for feedback, and answer questions. (In March, our COO Doug Kelsey went out: here’s what he heard.)

(Edit: To clarify, Ian usually rides the system fairly regularly, but this specific outing is about proactively talking to customers, rather than just being a fellow rider.)

Ian will be out at about 9:30 a.m., focusing on the Surrey region: he’s planning for stops at Surrey Central, Newton Exchange, Scottsdale Exchange, and Scott Road. You’re invited to submit your questions in advance via the blog here.

And on the day of Ian’s trip, you can follow his progress via our Twitter feed: Erin McConnell, our manager of corporate communications, will be tweeting about Ian’s ride periodically. At that time, you can also send in questions to our TransLink Twitter feed.

We’ll have a wrap-up note here on the blog: ETA still to be determined as I’m away next week.

And as always, feel free to offer your feedback on this initiative as it unfolds. We want to hear your thoughts on this project and how we can make it better!

UBC Line updates: the alternatives are now online, and the first consultation is tonight, Wed Mar 30, 2011

A lineup for the 99 B-Line at Commercial-Broadway Station.

Two updates for the UBC Line phase two consultation!

All the alternatives are now online

A screenshot of one of the alternatives now posted on the UBC Line phase 2 consultation website: this one shows Bus Rapid Transit.

Check the main UBC Line phase 2 consultation website: all consultation materials are now up, and our questionnaire is open!

This means you can view details of all seven UBC Line alternatives plotted out a map, and learn about the potential routes, station locations and more.

But make sure you find out all the other info too:

• how the alternatives may integrate into streets,
• how each alternative ranked in the preliminary evaluation, and
• what feedback we are looking for,
• plus for more info on the design considerations and trade-offs that guided the project team through all the designs, check out page 21-24 of the design guide, which is also linked at the top right of each individual alternative page.

And THEN, don’t forget to fill in our questionnaire with your feedback!

We really want to emphasize that all these items are super important to look at, so you understand where the alternative designs came from, how we’re evaluating them, and what helpful feedback you can provide (we’re not picking a favourite at this time, though we know you may have one!)

First consultation session is at the Vancouver Masonic Centre tonight, Wed Mar 30, 2011

A reminder that the first UBC Line phase two consultation session is tonight, Wednesday March 30, 2011!

Wednesday, March 30, 2011, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Vancouver Masonic Centre, Jewel Ballroom, 1495 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver (Google map)

And the next one will be tomorrow:

Thursday, March 31, 2011, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m
Ponderosa Centre, 2071 West Mall, UBC (UBC map)

After that, there’s two more in-person sessions and one online webinar upcoming: see the UBC Line Phase 2 Community Consultation Workshops page for all the details. Or visit TransLink’s Facebook page and click the “Events” tab to add the events to your Facebook calendar (or share them with your friends!)

On removing freeways and reforming buses: an interview with Dr Kee Yeon Hwang, president of the Korea Transport Institute

Dr. Kee Yeon Hwang, president of the Korea Transport Institute, at the Hotel Vancouver on March 28, 2011.

I got a chance to speak with Dr. Kee Yeon Hwang, president of the Korea Transport Institute this Monday!

As you may know, he’s giving two talks this week about his work in Seoul: one on removing a major freeway to restore a downtown stream, and one on reforming Seoul’s bus system. (See this post for the talk details!)

Dr. Hwang talked with me about those projects and how they came about, plus what he’s up to now, which includes high-speed rail plans and elevated bike freeways in Korea. Read on for more!

Read more »

SFU presents two free talks with Dr Kee Yeon Hwang, Korea Transport Institute president, Mar 29 and 31, 2011

Dr Kee Yeon Hwang, president of the Korea Transport Institute

Heads up for transit and planning enthusiasts: Dr Kee Yeon Hwang, president of Seoul’s Korea Transport Institute, will be giving two free talks at SFU on Tuesday March 29 and Thursday March 31, 2011!

Talk 1: on how Seoul replaced a downtown freeway with a stream

The Cheonggye Stream Revitalization Project: An Urban Transport Revolution in Seoul
Tuesday, March 29, 2011, 7 p.m.
Room 1400, Harbour Centre, SFU Vancouver
515 W. Hastings Street, Vancouver
Reserve your seat at www.sfu.ca/reserve

Dr Hwang’s first talk focuses on how Seoul replaced an urban expressway with a stream in the city centre, and the impacts to traffic and the urban paradigm. Restoring the stream has brought a new urban paradigm to Seoul that places more emphasis on sustainability and the pedestrian environment than on economic growth through vehicular movement.

Check out the poster for more detail! Of note: Vancouver councillor Geoff Meggs promoted this talk back in February, as it presents an interesting perspective on what might be possible with Vancouver’s existing viaducts.

Talk 2: on improving Seoul’s bus service by reforming operating practice

The Sustainability Dividend of Building a Better Bus System: Evidence from Seoul’s Public Transit Reform
Thursday, March 31, 2011, 7 p.m.
Room 2600, SFU Surrey
13450 – 102 Avenue, Surrey (just south of the Surrey Central SkyTrain station)
Reserve your seat at www.sfu.ca/reserve

Dr Hwang’s second talk explores how Seoul took its metropolitan bus service to a new level starting in July 2004, by reforming operating practices that greatly enhanced performance and service quality. This acclaimed reorganization of policy demonstrates the capacity of local government leadership to positively impact the economic efficiency of public transit, the consumer welfare of transit users, and the sustainability of urban mobility. Check out the poster for more detail!

As well…

I’ve got an opportunity to talk with Dr Hwang for a few minutes on the morning of Monday, March 28, 2011, so if you have any questions I should bring up, just let me know!

You can also find out more info on Dr Hwang’s talks at the SFU Urban Studies public talks page, which also includes recordings of past lectures from earlier Visiting Fellows like Ellen Dunham-Jones, Dr Andrew Thornley, Hank Dittmar, and James Kunstler.

Notes from the first Sapperton/United Boulevard workshop, Sat Mar 12, 2011

Here’s a quick update via our public consultation team, about the first Sapperton/United Boulevard workshop, held on Saturday, March 12, 2011.

More than 60 people attended, including many residents from the Sapperton area. As we talked about before, Gary Andrishak from IBI Group facilitated the session and started it off with a brief presentation (see the presentation here).

People then separated into small groups to discuss their community values and transportation concerns. (The groups were kept small to give everyone a chance to have a say!) They rolled up their sleeves and got down to business, describing on maps the things that mean the most to them in their communities, and what they would like to see fixed.

Here’s a summary of the key things we heard (full details are in the meeting minutes, which will be available soon are available here):

• A sense of community pride and livability
• Emphasis on connectivity, walkability, cycle-friendliness and crossings over Brunette
• Need for river trails and traffic calming were expressed time after time
• Need to reduce air pollution, congestion, noise, rat running and other issues associated with traffic.

We also heard questions about why the United Boulevard Extension is needed in the first place.

And from the feedback, most people rated the session pretty high and that is very important for working together through this process.

In preparation for the next workshop on Wednesday March 16, 2011, 6:30 p.m. at the Pensioners Hall, participants were asked to get out and take a walk around your community—you can do this too, even if you didn’t attend the first workshop!

You can submit your pictures and ideas via Flickr (flickr.com/groups/Sapperton2011), showing what you think should be done to address the transportation issues in your community, or simply bring your ideas along to the meeting on Wednesday, and we’ll help to display them.

Thanks to everyone who came out on Saturday to take part in the first workshop!

Friday fun poll: super great days on transit

These guys are having a great time on transit :)

Sometimes, you hop out the door to start your transit trip and everything seems to just line up. You grab your bus, get a seat, the bus driver is super friendly — and then you make your connection without a hitch and get to your destination early! Certainly, it’s not every day, but from experience, I do know it happens from time to time. So how often does it happen to you?

Feel free to declare your best ever transit day in the comments, too :)

More about the Sapperton/United Boulevard workshops: a Q&A with Gary Andrishak, workshop facilitator

We’ve got two Sapperton community/United Boulevard workshops coming up soon, so to give us a bit of background, I talked to Gary Andrishak, who works with IBI Group and will be facilitating these workshops.

Gary and IBI Group have been hired to facilitate these workshops to give some independence to the proceedings, aiming to ensure residents and businesses in New Westminster and Coquitlam are heard in the process of coming up with solutions.

In this interview, Gary talks a bit about his background, the goals for the workshops, and what people can expect when they attend. Read on for the full Q&A!

Read more »