Behind the scenes with Trolley Overhead

A Trolley Overhead crew: Miles (driver), Doug, and Al (chargehand). Photo by Charlotte Boychuk.

Yes, the Olympics are over, but I still have a couple of articles left to share about our work! This is another article is by Charlotte Boychuk from CMBC’s employee communications team, and it recognizes the great work of our trolley overhead division — the folks who make sure the wires for the trolleys work!

A Trolley Overhead crew repairs lines at Homer and Hastings on Friday, February 19.

Trolley lines stay in good shape thanks to Trolley Overhead crews checking and repairing as needed all the line switches, as part of a regular 6-month inspection just prior to the Olympics.

To ensure the system stays energized during the Olympics, Trolley Overhead also had coverage in the downtown core from 7 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. every day, plus, an additional floater crew standing by to handle trouble calls outside of the downtown core.

David, the Trolley Overhead Manager said his team is working hard to keep the system live in the Olympic zone, and despite road closures in many areas, they can still respond to an incident within 15 minutes, even less on Wednesdays and Thursdays when two crews provide extra coverage in the downtown core.

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Maintaining our extra Olympic buses during the Games

One of our extra Olympic buses out at Oakridge Transit Centre. Photo by Charlotte Boychuk.

Yes, the Olympics are over, but I still have a couple of articles left to share about our work! This article is by Charlotte Boychuk from CMBC’s employee communications team, and it recognizes the great work of our bus maintenance staff. And for a bit of context, part of our old Vancouver bus depot, Oakridge Transit Centre (OTC), was reactivated in order to store and maintain the extra 160 buses we used for the Olympic period. (Normally, OTC houses just CMBC’s trolley overhead department and some of our Community Shuttle fleet.)

Behind the Scenes with Maintenance at OTC ‘Olympic Central’

Jack helping oversee the Olympic fleet. Photo by Charlotte Boychuk.

If you want to track down Jack, Burnaby Transit Centre (BTC) Maintenance Manager, he can be found at night and well into the morning during the Olympic period assisting Alan at Oakridge Transit Centre (OTC), who manages the garage on a day-to-day basis.

Jack and Alan oversee the Olympic fleet, consisting of 129 conventional and 20 community shuttle buses, currently used to augment our fleet of ‘Specials’ serving the various Olympic venues.

Together they work with the Special Work Team (SWT) and OTC Mechanics to help maintain the fleet.

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Another round of links about the Games and transportation

Look at all those Games buses at UBC! Taken Monday, Feb 22 -- click for a larger version.

I keep finding links! So here’s some more stuff for you.

• Time magazine does an article about the epic drinking done at our Olympics, in which they also refer to our public transit system as “scarily efficient”. I think they mean it in a good way :)
• The Vancouver Sun talks about how the Vancouver police and our Transit Police have come away with a good reputation after the Games.
• Post-Games outlook: what does it mean for us going forward? Keith Baldrey comments on the benefits of the Games. Vaughn Palmer talks about how Vancouver’s mayor Gregor Robertson and councillor Geoff Meggs are making a pitch to enhance transit post-Games (and here’s a Globe article on the same).
• Post-Games analysis continued…. The Richmond News talks about wanting public transit and more free events. Metro talks about enhancing transit. The Vancouver Courier looks at lessons learned from the Games, and so does the Vancouver Observer. From the planning side, Jarrett Walker talks about Olympic transit payoffs. Frances Bula asks what can we really learn from the Games?
• The Big Picture photo blog takes a look at Vancouver 2010: here’s part 1 and part 2.
• Looking back: Beyond Robson asks how will Vancouver 2010 be remembered? They also point out that the Vancouver Archives is collecting stuff to do with the development of our 2010 Games (and is looking for your contributions!) Here’s a CTV article on the Archives’ 2010 project.
• From the planning side: Brent Toderian, the director of planning at the City of Vancouver, shares his thoughts on Vancouver after the Games. (And here’s his thoughts on Vancouver before the Games.) Plus, here’s Jarrett Walker on the Great Broadway Debate! And the Boston Globe asks “What’s Vancouver got that we don’t?”
• Christie Blatchford seemed to really like the Games.
• Did you know that Vancouver 2010 has an eBay store filled with memorabilia and stuff? The Olympic GM fleet vehicles are being sold off too.
• True story: Bob K from Vancouver is Awesome had a travelsmart plan for the Olympics! Make sure you check out all of the Vancouver is Awesome Olympic coverage too.
• And here’s the 2010 Games coverage from Slate magazine, which I really enjoyed.

The morning after: a bit of downtown and the airport

Whoa, where did all the people go?

It’s the morning after the Games, and all the people have disappeared!

I took a quick look at Waterfront this morning, after heading to YVR to see the crowds (more on that later in this post.)

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Photos from transit on the last day of the Games

Well, what better way to start this post than with a video of O Canada sung on transit? Many people have reported others singing our national anthem on transit during the Games, and I’m sure it happened all over the city on Sunday. My video was captured on the Canada Line shortly after the hockey game, and the singers were just a random group of happy people riding into downtown.

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A few reflections as we come to the end of the Games

Busy crowds at Richmond-Brighouse Station on Friday, February 19.

This is mildly off-topic (or is it?), but I wanted to share a few personal reflections as the Games come to an end today.

I think I speak for myself and all the folks at TransLink and its family of companies, when I say that these 17 days have been an extraordinary time for our public transit system.

John, a transit host at Main Street-Science World Station, brought in transit pins of his own to hand out to kids on transit. How wonderful!

Working here, I’ve always seen how much my colleagues care about providing good service for all of you. It’s truly wonderful that we were able to demonstrate this so vividly during the Games, and that so many of you have been so public with your recognition and commendations.

And while the immense work of our staff, led by the prescient planning work of our Olympic transportation team, has helped us move an unprecedented number of riders on our system—I know it could not have worked without the help of you, our transit riders for the Olympic period.

You have been cheerful, positive, and endlessly patient on busy trains and buses. And you have been generous in reducing vehicle traffic for the Games, working to help everyone get where they need to be.

Speaking with staff, I have heard over and over again that it has been a pleasure to serve you on the transit system, and I know it will continue to be a pleasure for us to help you get around the region well.

So I’d like to say thanks to you all, staff and riders alike, for a wonderful Olympic transit experience. Here’s to a beautiful friendship after the Games period, through the Paralympics, and onward into the future!

Heads up: big crowds headed to YVR on Monday, March 1

Just a reminder that Monday March 1 will continue to be a very busy day even though the Olympics are over.

Travelling into downtown Vancouver or to Vancouver International Airport (YVR) Mon, March 1—the first day after the Games end—will be extremely busy.

The airport is preparing for record crowds as over 35,000 Olympians, officials, media, visitors and other passengers catch flights home. Passengers are advised to arrive at the airport up to four hours in advance of their flight. Most Games-time road closures will remain in place so commuters should continue to travel smart.

Remember, we will be running special service on the Canada Line to YVR, with the trains continuing overnight from February 28 to March 1 to help with the rush. See this post for the full details. Also, check out YVR’s tips for passengers flying out on March 1.

Downtown bus routes start getting back on track next week

With the Games over this Sunday, many downtown buses will go back to their regular routes (or as close as they can get) as road closures are lifted.

However, just so you know, if the road closure schedule is revised, this may affect our bus reroutes — I will keep you updated if there’s any changes.

Please have a look at the info below so you know if your bus route is affected!

Monday, March 1

The #5 Robson/Downtown and N6 Downtown will return to their initial detour route from just before the Games, NOT their regular route. (That’s scheduled to happen on Thu Mar 4.)

That means the #5 will resume service in both directions using Denman, Robson, Burrard and Pender, and since the Robson Square zip line will be open till March 21, the #5 will stay on this route until March 1–3 March 21.

The N6 Downtown will use the same detour routing as the #5 Downtown.

#6 Davie/Downtown will return to its regular route using Davie and either Seymour northbound or Richards southbound.

C21 and C23 Community Shuttles will resume service between Yaletown-Roundhouse Station and Main Street – Science World Station, but via a temporary alternate route. (Regular routing between those stations is scheduled to resume March 14.)

Note: North Shore routes #240, #241, #242, #246 and #247 will continue to use a temporary downtown terminus on Georgia through March 21. (They were originally scheduled to revert to regular terminus on March 1.)

Tuesday, March 2

The #17 Oak/UBC/Downtown is now back to its regular route.

Wednesday, March 3

#50 False Creek South/Waterfront Station is scheduled to return to regular routing along the south part of Granville Mall.

Thursday, March 4

#15 Cambie/Downtown and NightBus services N6 Downtown, N8 Fraser and N15 Cambie/Downtown are scheduled to return to their regular routes.

You can find the full details on all Games-related reroutes on the main TransLink website. Or feel free to call TransLink Customer Information for help at 604-953-3333.

The night shift on the SkyTrain guideway

Speeder Crew repairs loose LIM cap bolts at Main Street SkyTrain Station. File photo.

This article is by Dave Miller, guideway supervisor for the British Columbia Rapid Transit Company (that’s our subsidiary in charge of WCE and Expo & Millennium Line!) As you’ll soon see, it’s all about working on the SkyTrain guideway late at night.

Michael Chernyh, Guideway Serviceperson and Carson Schmidt, Guideway Technician have signed up for the Guideway Olympic Response coverage at Waterfront SkyTrain Station this week. It is 4 p.m. and it’s time to get ready for work.

Pack the lunch bucket, fill the thermos and hit the road because this is an extended shift and Carson and Michael need to relieve the day shift crew at Waterfront Station in a seamless turnover. Plus, the day shift guys are eager to get home to catch the day’s Olympic highlights on the tube. They’d heard the roar of cheering Canadian fans echoing through high-rises in downtown Vancouver every time Canada potted a goal in the 7-3 win over Russia in Men’s Hockey.

Back on the guideway, two other Response Crews are covering the system, one at Commercial-Broadway Station and another at SkyTrain’s Operations and Maintenance Centre (OMC) for points east. These crews are ready to respond to any problem in the guideway within minutes. They are equipped with spare parts, several specialized cleanup and repair kits and linear induction motor (LIM) tapping sticks.

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A visit to the Richmond stations and King Edward, Saturday February 27

Crowds using the ticket machines at Bridgeport Station.

I’ve spent a lot of time looking at the downtown Vancouver stations lately, so I thought I’d take a visit to King Edward and the Richmond Stations in the afternoon today.

I tried to head out at a time where there would be crowds or lineups to photograph, but oddly enough, I didn’t really have any luck. Rainier weather this week has helped calm the crowd numbers down, and everything seemed to be flowing smoothly on transit. (And it’s not that I or TransLink wants a lineup or crowd, mind you — it’s just that they can make for more exciting photos! Oh well.)

Anyway, as you can see in the photo of Bridgeport Station above, the only lineups I could find at Bridgeport Station were at the ticket machines. There weren’t any lineups for the train and the bus loop at the bottom wasn’t crazy busy.

Hosts Shinder and Ron, plus transit supervisor Saeed at Bridgeport Station.

And when I spoke to Shinder and Ron, two of the transit hosts at Bridgeport Station, Ron said, “Oh, you should have been here in the morning. 1100 people came out of the 620 from the ferry! I’ve never seen so many people here.” So I guess my timing was just off.

Also, in case you’re wondering, Ron and Shinder seemed to be doing quite fine. Popular questions they were asked by people getting off at Bridgeport Station in the morning were “Where do you get the bus to the ferry?” (it’s the 620, right nearby) and “Where do you catch the 351?” All easily solved.

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A ride-along with HandyDART: taking folks with mobility issues to the Games

Dave the HandyDART driver at Metrotown bus loop!

I did a ride-along on Wednesday, February 24 to see how our HandyDART service has been helping out for the Games period!

If you don’t know, HandyDART is our door-to-door, shared-ride service for passengers with physical or cognitive disabilities, using specially-equipped vehicles to meet their needs. Passengers register with the service, then can book their trips with HandyDART, who coordinates drivers to pick them up and drop them off as needed, sort of like a taxi service. (The service is delivered by a local contractor, MVT Canadian Bus, through an operating contract with TransLink.)

For the Games, HandyDART registered 70 visitors who required their assistance. But overall, a little over 1,000 bookings were made for Olympic venues in February, which includes both these visitors and locals. (Before the Games, visitors with mobility issues were informed about the service, and they could register for trips through a special Olympic Visitor’s HandyDART application.)

The loads are similar to what HandyDART would normally carry during non-Olympic periods, but the trips have required extra work, as they require more-than-normal coordination with VANOC and the HandyDART drivers, as they are affected by the impromptu happenings in the downtown core.

So let’s take a look at what a HandyDART trip to a venue is like, and learn a bit more about our visitors and the service itself.

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Heads up: closing ceremonies and end of Games celebrations, Sunday February 28

It’s going to be busy around town today, but here’s another reminder that Sunday February 28 will be especially busy in downtown Vancouver, due to the closing ceremonies at B.C. Place that evening and related end-of-Games celebrations.

Just like the opening ceremonies, there will be downtown Vancouver traffic restrictions in effect. Look out for some road closures, crowds of spectators heading to B.C. Place, and lots of loading in and out on a few streets. It is not recommended that you drive downtown!

Make sure to read this post for details on Sunday’s road closures, transit reroutes, and travelsmart tips!

The host command centre: supporting our transit hosts out on the street

The host command centre at Commercial-Broadway Station

The door to the host command centre in Commercial-Broadway Station.

Tucked away in a tiny room at Commercial-Broadway Station is our host command centre!

The host command centre is our central support system for our 200 transit hosts. They are the brain trust that organizes shifts and keeps everyone informed about key issues happening during the day.

From the other end, our transit hosts can also call the centre if they need help with anything—whether that’s information or to get in touch with the authorities or more. And they also keep the host command centre informed about what they’re seeing on the street.

I visited them this week to see how things were going, and learn a bit more about what they do!

Read more »

Even more links and tidbits about the Olympics and transportation

The West Coast Express drops 3,000 passengers into Waterfront Station on Saturday, Feb. 20. Photo by Carol Evans.

Time for some more links and tidbits on the Games and transportation.

• The Edmonton Journal lauds our transit systemin the middle of this article. Reuters news service says our transit system wins gold during the Games. The Seattle Times raves about the Canada Line. Torontoist likes the Canada Line too. And the Vancouver Public Space Network ruminates on how the Canada Line can encourage urban etiquette.
• Reporters from The Province rode Games transit to see how crowded things could get. (They seemed to have a good experience!)
• A bit more on the record crowds expected at YVR on Monday
• The Vancouver Sun writes about the busy Olympic ferry traffic from the Island. Jack Knox from the Victoria Times Colonist also talks about the long commute from the Island to the Games.
• Paul Hillsdon has a very nice post saying the Games have proved what TransLink is capable of. CityCaucus.com also talks about how traffic congestion has disappeared as people hop on transit.
• How to get from Bellingham WA to Vancouver BC solely by public transit.
• Post-Games transport rumblings: Vancouver’s mayor is calling for more investment in transit. There’s talk of extending the streetcar’s run. Vancouver city councillor Geoff Meggs talks about removing the viaducts. Jeff Nagel at the Surrey Leader looks at Olympic transit and what’s next.
• Observed on transit: rider catechism finds something left on SkyTrain. A dragon is spotted not once, but twice! A rider documents Vancouver City Centre crowds on Fri Feb 19.
• Not Olympics-related, but still awesome: a pigeon rides the Toronto subway like a human.
• Just for fun: Brian Williams (CTV) meets Brian Williams (NBC)! Also, this is a pretty great travel article comparing Vancouver’s Olympics to Beijing.
• From the planning perspective! Jarrett Walker at Human Transit talks about why Vancouver has an almost perfect transit grid. VIA Architecture also did a presentation about our SkyTrain system. Gordon Price has some snapshots of the Games in Vancouver, and some great ruminations on the Olympic torch. Frances Bula talks about the Granville Street as the city’s #1 party spot. Also, a neat Globe and Mail article about Surrey’s development as a city.
• Also, if you’re curious about what our past CEO is up to, this article says Tom Prendergast is working to improve New York’s subway stations!

The medal for hockey at the 1948 Winter Olympics

The front of the 1948 gold medal for hockey at the Winter Olympics.

Well, this is a bit off-topic but still neat. My colleague Drew Snider from the TransLink media relations team sent along two photos and this story:

So I’m just finishing an interview with Ron Bencze of Global and this guy comes over and says, “Wanna see a gold medal?”. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a little presentation box and inside – there it is. The medal for hockey at the 1948 Winter Olympics in St Moritz, Switzerland. His dad was Reg Schroeter, and he was playing for a commercial league team in Ottawa when it was announced that Canada would not be sending a team to the Games that year (which would have been the first Games since 1936, because of The War). The Prime Minister’s office was flooded with letters from outraged Canadians (imagine: Canadians getting passionate about hockey!) and when the PMO said there was nothing that could be done, a doctor with the RCAF stepped up and said, “I can put a team together.”. Which is what he did, pulling players like Reg from local teams. And they won the gold medal. And there it is.

The back of the 1948 medal.