The April 2011 Buzzer is now out!

The April 2011 Buzzer is now on board all buses, SeaBus, SkyTrain, and West Coast Express!

The whole Buzzer is devoted to the bus service changes happening on April 18, 2011: there are in fact so many that I had to push out the community events and the history item :(

But it’s for a good cause: many bus services have been adjusted in order to increase efficiency, boosting service on high-demand routes and reducing service where demand is low. (You can see all the changes online here). It’s part of the service optimization project that we talked about last year, and I’ll have a blog interview with one of our planners up next week to talk more about it.

And for the eagle eyed transit fans, you might be pleased to note that the #14 trolley route will be returning on April 18! The 14 was an iconic trolley route that ran on Hastings from 1955 to 1997, and in its new form, it will be taking over parts of the 10 and 17 routes to run from Hastings to UBC. I will have more on the 14 in a blog interview next week with another of our planners.

Again, I am quite proud to have a cover from a local illustrator: this time it’s the lovely Andrea Wan. Thanks Andrea!

And I’m also proud to give QR codes a try on the Buzzer—get a QR code app for your smartphone, snap the codes in the Buzzer and you’ll reach various links on the TransLink website! Thanks to reader Sean Turvey for suggesting QR codes in the first place :)

If you can’t get the Buzzer on the system, you can always read it in PDF form on our website. Visit our Buzzer PDF archives, or grab this direct link to the PDF.

Remember to enter the FareCard contest too! You can win a free FareCard in every issue of the Buzzer: read the issue, then email in your info and the answer to the trivia question by Wednesday, April 20 at 9 a.m.. We’ll pick a winner from all the correct answers, and that person will be notified by phone shortly after the draw.

Enjoy the latest Buzzer as always! Comments are welcome below.

Patrick Wong: Buzzer illustrator interview!

Patrick Wong and his March 2011 Buzzer cover illustration!

Again, we continue the tradition of interviewing our Buzzer cover illustrator! Here’s Patrick Wong, who drew the illustration on the cover of the March 4, 2011 Buzzer.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your art!

I’m a digital illustrator here in Vancouver and my background is actually from graphic design where my experience was in print production and printing. I do stock and assignment work which focuses much with lifestyle – fashion imagery influenced by postwar magazine illustration from the 50′s and 60′s.

How did you come up with the Buzzer cover? Can you talk a bit about the other concepts?

There wasn’t an editorial this month so the theme only needed to be centered around Vancouver and the TransLink system. Concepts where created for bus, skytrain, and seabus separately all conveying the notion of positivity while traveling to work or school.

What kind of work are you doing lately, and where can we see it?

I’m currently working on a series of health and wellness images which should be completed by the end of the year and examples of my work can be found at www.patrick-wong.com.

Do you have a regular transit route that you take? And do you have favourite seat to sit in on the bus or SkyTrain?

I regularly take the Canada Line and the #17 – with no favourites for sitting.

Check out more of our past illustrator interviews here:

• Stephanie Wiriahardja – February 2011
• Allison Koberstein – January 2011
• Tobias Ottahal – April 2010
• Jesse Williams – March 2010
• Chloe Lan – February 2010
• Justin Chen – November 2009
• Michael Gilbert – October 2009
• Jane Koo – September 2009

Reminder: apply for my job! Posting closes March 8, 2011

Me, continuing to cycle towards a sparkling future!

Just a reminder that I’m starting maternity leave at the end of April! If you’re interested in taking over Buzzer duties and TransLink social media work, apply soon, as the posting closes tomorrow, March 8, 2011.

Check out the job posting (it’s the one that says “Online Communications Advisor”) and get your application in.

And here’s the original post where I announced the job posting, in case you’re interested in revisiting it.

The March 2011 Buzzer is now out!

The March 2011 Buzzer is now on board all buses, SeaBus, SkyTrain, and West Coast Express!

This issue doesn’t really have a theme—it’s just a bit of an update on new and interesting things happening around the system.

For example, we have a nice big list of discounts you can get on Vancouver attractions if you show your transit pass or ticket, which you can also find here!

There’s also a note about our TransLink Twitter service being made permanent, and an update on the bus reroutes for CelticFest and its associated St. Patrick’s Day Parade, during the period of March 16-20, 2011.

There are also a few more photos to share from the 25th anniversary of SkyTrain, which we’ve of course been celebrating on the blog since December 11! (See past posts here!) Photos kindly shared by Alan M, Rob Chew, and David Allen have all wound their way into the Buzzer newsletter.

And for fun, I put in some of the fun poll results that we’ve had over the last couple of months here on the blog, as many print readers have probably never seen them! Make sure to take a look at my fancy graphs :)

Again, we are proud to have a cover from a local illustrator: this time it’s Patrick Wong. Thanks Patrick!

And if you can’t get the Buzzer on the system, you can always read it in PDF form on our website. Visit our Buzzer PDF archives, or grab this direct link to the PDF.

Remember to enter the FareCard contest too! You can win a free FareCard in every issue of the Buzzer: read the issue, then email in your info and the answer to the trivia question by Thursday, March 24 at 9 a.m.. We’ll pick a winner from all the correct answers, and that person will be notified by phone shortly after the draw.

Enjoy the latest Buzzer as always! Comments are welcome below.

Apply to be the Buzzer editor & blogger: I’m on maternity leave as of April 29, 2011!

Me, cycling towards a sparkling future!

A pretty big announcement for me today: I’m going on maternity leave starting April 29, 2011!

Yes, I’m expecting a baby in late May, so I’ll be temporarily away from my post as Buzzer editor and blogger for a year.

But that means, of course, we’ll need a replacement to take over the print and online Buzzer work, plus the other online communications advisory work I do for TransLink!

So: if you love the Buzzer, transportation issues, public transit, and you care about the future of our region—and you have extensive experience working in communications, print production and social media—please do apply!

Quite honestly, I think this is an incredible job, and I’d love to see someone take on this opportunity and build the Buzzer and TransLink’s social media work into something even grander than it is today.

Check out the job posting (it’s the one that says “Online Communications Advisor”) and get your application in. The posting closes on March 8, 2011, so make sure you do it soon!

Whoever will be hired will start earlier than April 29 and work with me for a while to get up to speed and learn how things work. And I’ll keep you all posted as we fill the job and move to a new Buzzer editor for 2011-2012 :)

Edit: Someone has mentioned having problems uploading their resume to the website. The web team has told me this is a known issue. Two things to try:
1. Check out the careers page System Requirements and FAQ to see if another browser etc might help.
2. And then if nothing works, email jobs@translink.ca – this is in the last FAQ.

Stephanie Wiriahardja: Buzzer illustrator interview!

The February 2011 Buzzer cover illustration and its creator, Stephanie Wiriahardja!

And so we continue the fine tradition of interviewing our Buzzer cover illustrator :) Here’s Stephanie Wiriahardja, who drew the illustration on the cover of the February 4, 2011 Buzzer this year!

Tell us about yourself and your art!

I’ve always been a design and idea enthusiast and I’m currently in my final year of study (hopefully!) in Interactive Arts at SFU. I love embedding meanings and I aim to reflect my whimsical flair to all of my designs and photography works.

How did you come up with the Buzzer cover?

Hhm, I just started drawing some of my signature characters on Illustrator and modifying them. Then, I added some things I would like to see happening in the neighbourhood, such as people waving to each other and saying hi as they stroll, bike, bus through the area.

Read more »

Donated: a 1943 Buzzer!

A 1943 Buzzer, kindly donated by Mike Conroy.

Another quick post to point out another Buzzer that arrived in the mail a while back! This one is from 1943 and was sent in by Mike Conroy. The issue has a goofy article about a recent snowfall, which they’ve dubbed “stuff” instead of snow, and there’s assorted other great stories about riding transit in the Lower Mainland—including that big cartoon urging riders to move to the back! Download the full PDF here.

I asked Mike where he found this Buzzer and here’s his story: “I found them tucked into an old library book in UBC storage. Unfortunately, I can’t remember the title but it was a textbook from the early 1930s.”

Thanks so much Mike! Again, if anyone else happens to find an old Buzzer in their holdings and you don’t know what do with it, please do send it in to TransLink: just write to the attention of the Buzzer editor, 1600 – 4720 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC V5H 4N2. We love collecting this sort of thing in our archives!

The February 2011 Buzzer is now out!

The February 2011 Buzzer is now on board all buses, SeaBus, SkyTrain, and West Coast Express!

This issue talks about the launch of our new TravelSmart program, which will be starting up on February 11, 2011. Through TravelSmart, we’ll be trying to help people make smart travel choices for getting around our region! We’re launching a new website on Feb. 11 at travelsmart.ca to help you travel more efficiently through ride-sharing, teleworking, cycling, walking, and other options. I’ll have updates on the blog to let you know when the site is up!

We’ve also got more items from the 25th anniversary of SkyTrain, which we’ve been celebrating on the blog since December 11! (See the past posts!) We have a story from Ven Rao that you’ve also seen on the blog before—he’s a SkyTrain attendant who was on duty when Princess Diana rode the system in 1986.

Our history tidbit is from wayyyy back when the streetcars rolled through forests, not roadways—read it for some great historical atmosphere.

And YES, there is a transit crossword in this issue! Ha ha ha ha :) I believe I got ALL the answers right this time, too. If you have any ideas for puzzles (or want to contribute your own) just let me know!

And again, we are happy to have a cover from a local illustrator: this time it’s Stephanie Wiriahardja. Thanks Stephanie!

And if you can’t get the Buzzer on the system, you can always read it in PDF form on our website. Visit our Buzzer PDF archives, or grab this direct link to the PDF.

Remember to enter the FareCard contest too! You can win a free FareCard in every issue of the Buzzer: read the issue, then email in your info and the answer to the trivia question by Thursday, February 24 at 9 a.m.. We’ll pick a winner from all the correct answers, and that person will be notified by phone shortly after the draw.

Enjoy the latest Buzzer as always! Comments are welcome below.

Allison Koberstein: Buzzer illustrator interview!

Allison Koberstein with her lovely cover illustration for the January 2011 Buzzer!

Ack: I kind of fell off the wagon with interviewing our Buzzer illustrators last year, but for 2011, I’m restarting the tradition!

Here is an interview with Allison Koberstein, who drew the lovely illustration on the cover of the January 14, 2011 Buzzer this year.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your art!

I’ve been drawing pretty much forever. I love it. My illustrations tend to be stylized, lighthearted and whimsical and I take a lot of my inspiration from pop culture. If you peek into my sketchbook, you’ll mainly see girls, animals and monsters – in various styles and combinations.

As for me, I’m into personal development, vegan baking and the Internet, and I’m currently studying Interactive Arts and Technology over at SFU. Pleased to meet you!

How did you come up with the Buzzer cover? Can you talk a bit about the other concepts?

To come up with the concept for the cover, I brainstormed different images that came to mind when I thought of “birthdays”, since it was the SkyTrain’s 25th birthday. Confetti, presents, parties, little cone shaped hats, candles, cake, banners.

I ended up sketching many variations on the cake theme (like a SkyTrain on top of a cake, a SkyTrain MADE of cake… mmmmm). I did try drawing SkyTrain-shaped candles, but it just looked like the SkyTrain was on fire. (It’s kind of a faux pas to draw your client’s system in flames. Oops.)

I eventually settled on the cupcake design because the shapes were easy to recognise at a glance. And who doesn’t like cupcakes?

Read more »

The January 2011 Buzzer is now out!

The January 2011 Buzzer is now on board all buses, SeaBus, SkyTrain, and West Coast Express!

This issue talks about the 25th anniversary of SkyTrain, which we’ve been celebrating on the blog since December 11! There’s a short article about the opening, historic SkyTrain photos and memorabilia, a small set of trivia puzzles, and an updated list of SkyTrain “astronomical facts”!

(Btw: YES, I mixed up the answers to questions 1 and 3 in the trivia section. But luckily the answers are so distinct that you can figure out which is which!)

We’re also urging our customers to vote on the smart card naming contest, and to apply to attend the BC Youth Summit on Sustainable Transportation.

Plus our history tidbit is the InfoBuses that rolled around before the SkyTrain launched, dispensing info about the new integrated train-bus-SeaBus system!

Again, we are happy to have a cover from a local illustrator: this time it’s Allison Koberstein. Nice work, Allison!

And if you can’t get the Buzzer on the system, you can always read it in PDF form on our website. Visit our Buzzer PDF archives, or grab this direct link to the January issue PDF.

Remember to enter the FareCard contest too! You can win a free FareCard in every issue of the Buzzer: read the issue, then email in your info and the answer to the trivia question by Wednesday, January 27 at 9 a.m.. We’ll pick a winner from all the correct answers, and that person will be notified by phone shortly after the draw.

Enjoy the latest Buzzer as always! Comments are welcome below.

The December 2010 Buzzer is now out!

The December 2010 Buzzer is now on board all buses, SeaBus, SkyTrain, and West Coast Express!

This issue talks about our winter service changes, which roll over on Monday, December 13. Make sure you have a look to see if your regular routes are affected!

You can also find out some tips for travelling in winter conditions, much as we’ve talked about on the blog before. And there’s a notice about our Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve (free rides after 5pm!) and New Year’s Day service.

Plus our history tidbit is about our ticket vending machines, and there’s a special appearance from a cheerful bus with a holiday greeting!

Again, we are happy to have a cover from a local illustrator: this time it’s Seiko Karakama. Great job, Seiko!

And if you can’t get the Buzzer on the system, you can always read it in PDF form on our website. Visit our Buzzer PDF archives, or grab this direct link to the December issue PDF.

Remember to enter the FareCard contest too! You can win a free FareCard in every issue of the Buzzer: read the issue, then email in your info and the answer to the trivia question by Tuesday, January 4 at 9 a.m.. We’ll pick a winner from all the correct answers, and he or she will be notified by phone shortly after the draw.

Enjoy the latest Buzzer as always! Comments are welcome below.

The November 2010 Buzzer is now out!

The November 2010 Buzzer is now on board all buses, SeaBus, SkyTrain, and West Coast Express!

This issue talks about Bike to Work Week, which was on this week from November 1-7! We’ve also got an item about the 15th anniversary of West Coast Express, a reminder to enter the electronic fare card naming contest by Monday, November 8, and a note about our award-winning public consultation game!

You can also find out about car sharing through services like ZipCar and the Cooperative Auto Network—there’s a handy map of car share locations near SkyTrain stations. And there’s a bit about the CUTA 2010 Fall Conference, which we will be hosting in November!

Again, we are happy to have a cover from a local illustrator: this time it’s Katrina Espeveidt. Thanks Katrina!

And if you can’t get the Buzzer on the system, you can always read it in PDF form on our website. Visit our Buzzer PDF archives, or grab this direct link to the November issue PDF.

Remember to enter the FareCard contest too! You can win a free FareCard in every issue of the Buzzer: read the issue, then email in your info and the answer to the trivia question by Monday, November 29 at 9 a.m. (sorry: the issue incorrectly says Oct 29!). We’ll pick a winner from all the correct answers, and he or she will be notified by phone shortly after the draw.

Enjoy the latest Buzzer as always! Comments are welcome below.

The October 2010 Buzzer is now out!

The October 2010 Buzzer is now on board all buses, SeaBus, SkyTrain, and West Coast Express!

This issue is super exciting—it focuses on the electronic fare card naming contest that we’ll be launching on Monday, October 12!

Read the Buzzer to find out how to enter, plus more details on the future electronic fare card. (You can also find out more through our electronic fare card project page, which includes detailed FAQs!)

You can also find out about our upcoming transportation fairs, and workshops for the Surrey Rapid Transit public consultation in October.

There’s also a short story about who won the Bus Stop Hop, and we’ve put in the wonderful story about Satveer, who helped save a HandyDART caller’s life!

Again, we are happy to have a cover from a local illustrator: this time it’s Mouki Butt. Good job Mouki!

And if you can’t get the Buzzer on the system, you can always read it in PDF form on our website. Visit our Buzzer PDF archives, or grab this direct link to the October issue PDF.

Remember to enter the FareCard contest too! You can win a free FareCard in every issue of the Buzzer: read the issue, then email in your info and the answer to the trivia question by Friday, October 29 at 9 a.m. — we’ll pick a winner from all the correct answers, and he or she will be notified by phone shortly after the draw.

Enjoy the latest Buzzer as always! Comments are welcome below.

The September 2010 Buzzer is now out!

The September 2010 Buzzer is now on board all buses, SeaBus, SkyTrain, and West Coast Express!

This issue focuses on the fall service changes that start September 6. Trolley bus service is back on Granville Street, and we’ve managed to get the whole map of changes into the issue, on top of the entire list of service changes.

There’s also back-to-school info about the U-Pass BC program and Go Card photo sessions.

There’s also a couple of photos from the cupcake celebration on Canada Line’s first anniversary! Also, there’s a quick reminder about our partnership with the Vancouver Aquarium: $2 off admission with a valid transit ticket!

Again, we are happy to have a cover from a local illustrator: this time it’s Joan Gurney. Great work, Joan!

And if you can’t get the Buzzer on the system, you can always read it in PDF form on our website. Visit our Buzzer PDF archives. (Here’s the direct link to the September issue PDF!)

Remember to enter the FareCard contest too! You can win a free FareCard in every issue of the Buzzer: read the issue, then email in your info and the answer to the trivia question by Friday, September 24 at 9 a.m. — we’ll pick a winner from all the correct answers.

Enjoy the latest Buzzer as always! Comments are welcome below.

The August 2010 Buzzer is now out!

The August 2010 Buzzer is now on all buses, SeaBus, SkyTrain, and West Coast Express!

This issue focuses on the I Love Transit Week! As many stories as possible from I Love Transit Week were crammed into the newsletter, including the haiku and a summary of I Love Transit Night.

There’s also a lovely story from Linda Lund, sharing her stories of friendship found on the 159. And check out the story of Amrit Bains, who’s in our staff spotlight — he’s a singer with two Punjabi albums out in India!

Again, we are happy to have a cover from a local illustrator: this time it’s Cecilia Daude. Many thanks Cecilia!

If you can’t get the Buzzer on the system, you can always read it in PDF form on our website. Visit our Buzzer PDF archives. (Here’s the direct link to the August issue PDF.)

Remember to enter the FareCard contest too! You can win a free FareCard in every issue of the Buzzer: read the issue, then email in your info and the answer to the trivia question by Monday, August 23 at 9 a.m. — we’ll pick a winner from all the correct answers.

Enjoy the latest Buzzer as always! Comments are welcome below.