Life on transit poll: what are your best tips, tricks, and tools for transit?

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

What are your best tips and tools for transit? Do you have a great mobile app that helps you get around?

When you ride transit a lot, you just start figuring out ways to make your ride better. Maybe you begin aiming for a certain seat on the bus, or you use a certain transit app to buzz you when your bus is almost there. Or you start to rely on a great podcast to help pass the time!

And this is where we ask you to SPILL THE BEANS! If you’ve got any tips, tricks, or tools that help you have a better transit ride — do your fellow transit riders a solid and let us know!

I’ll go first: for me, apps on my mobile phone are a lifesaver. To wit:

• I use TransLink’s mobile site to help me quickly see where the next bus is. And sometimes, I’ll use it for a list of a route’s bus stops when I’m not sure which stop I need to exit at.
• I zoom into Google Maps to figure out the best walking route to the nearest bus stop in an unfamiliar part of town.
• I use the Kindle app to read books on longer journeys!

I also take the 99 a lot, and I always board in the back: faster rider flow!

Now it’s your turn! Take the poll and tell us in the comments: what helps you out on transit?

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!

Good Friday and Easter Monday transit service for 2013

The West Coast Express will not be running on Friday, March 29, but will be back on Monday April 1, 2013.

Just a reminder that for Good Friday, March 29, 2013, all transit will be on a Sunday schedule, and West Coast Express and AirCare Inspection Centres will not be in operation.

But on Easter Monday, April 1, 2013, we’re back to (mostly) regular service and fares. Please note West Coast Express will only run trains 1, 3 and 5, while TrainBus will operate its regular weekday schedule.

Remember, on Sundays and holidays, you can pay a single-zone fare to travel in all zones all day! As well, those with an adult FareCard, West Coast Express 28-Day Pass, or Annual Employer Transit Pass can take five children, or one adult and four children, on transit with them for free.

For transit service info, feel free to reach out to our call centre on Twitter (twitter.com/translink) or at 604-953-3333!

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!

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 :)

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!

Life on transit: 70% have a secret friend on transit

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

We asked you last week if you had a secret friend on transit—someone who you see all the time on transit, but have never spoken to.

And after 119 votes, 70 per cent of our poll takers say they do have a secret friend!

There was also a little bit of discussion on the subject. Wendy shared the story of her morning commute:

I take the first 345 every day. My stop has several regulars. There’s myself, the older white woman, the older aboriginal woman, the two male construction workers and myself. We don’t spend a lot of time on the bus as it’s only 10-15 minutes but we do spend a lot of time waiting for the bus together. The first to arrive is always myself or he older white woman. We are always at the stop by 5:10-5:20. I do not know a thing about her. I often wonder what she does as I can only assume that’s she’s going to work that early on a regular basis. She looks so statuesque and never says a word. The other woman looks like she does labour based on her workboots. The two men know each other and talk to each other. Other than that we make a silent group. When he bus is running late we all keep checking by leaning out into the street but we never say “I see it” or “hey, did we miss it?” We get on the bus in our order (my only words being “good morning” to our bus driver) and even if we sit next to each other we don’t say a word. These are my transit friends.

We posted this over on Facebook too, where Spencer noted:

I always enjoy the “missed connections” in the Straight right around the start of every new school year. Dozens of “I saw you on the 99, you looked at me for 1 second” posts.

Anyway, thanks so much to everyone who took the poll! Hopefully it helped you notice something new about your transit ride :)

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!

Evergreen Line extension station names announced

Have you been wondering what the new station names along the Evergreen Line extension project are going to be called? Well, we’re excited to tell you the names were just released this weekend and they are:

• Lougheed Town Centre Station
• Burquitlam Station
• Moody Centre Station
• Inlet Centre Station
• Coquitlam Central Station
• Lincoln Station
• Lafarge Lake-Douglas Station

The line will provide a valuable transit link for Metro Vancouver residents when it opens in summer 2016. As TransLink’s CEO, Ian Jarvis said, “The Evergreen Line SkyTrain extension is a much needed link in the region’s transportation network and will be part of our communities for generations.”

To find out more, including a construction schedule for the next twelve months, check out the full news release, the Province’s Evergreen Line site or TransLink’s Evergreen Line page. There’s also a photo gallery from the announcement on Facebook!

Funding for the project is a partnership between the Government of Canada, the government of British Columbia and TransLink. TransLink will be responsible for operation and asset management of the Evergreen extension when it opens.

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!

Life on Transit: Young people choosing public transit over a driver’s license

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

What choices have you made when it comes to transit?

Data from our most recent Trip Diary Survey was included in a recent Vancouver Sun article. In short, the article is about how many young people in the region are choosing transit over a driver’s license.

The article includes some of our findings about travel mode preferences in the region, as well as some interesting insights from a young woman from Surrey who says, “It’s just easier and faster for me to take transit.” As Maria Su, senior manager of research analytics with TransLink, points out,

“It used to be when people got out of school, the first thing they did was get a used car because it was a sign of freedom… Now you can meet up with a friend without a car.”

We’ve known for a while that transit ridership numbers are up. The most recent figures show that, transit ridership in Metro Vancouver has increased by 57 per cent over the past decade. While the Vancouver Sun article points towards shifts in the preferred modes of transport for younger populations in Metro Vancouver, others are looking at wider shift across all ages.

The Price Tag blog has also been weighing in on a shift towards increased use of public transit. This post by Gordon Price points to the change in vehicle miles traveled in the U.S. starting in 1987 to today and into the near future.

Personally, I know people of different ages who only use transit, others who only use private vehicles and those who use both in varying degrees and for various reasons.

Have you made the choice for transit like the woman quoted in the Vancouver Sun article, or is your experience and those you know different? We’d love to know!

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!

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 :)

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!

Construction starting at Newton Exchange

If you catch the bus at Newton Exchange, you’ll likely notice some construction activity going on there over the next few months.

TransLink is making improvements to the exchange, partly to accommodate the new B-Line bus service from King George SkyTrain Station to White Rock from Newton Exchange to Guildford via King George Boulevard and 104th avenue which will begin in the fall. The upgrades will also:

• Enhance passenger safety, security and access
• Enhance the aesthetic quality of both the exchange and the surrounding areas
• Optimize operational efficiency

We’ll be adding better lighting, seating and wayfinding singage, and accessible features at bus stop to aid people with disabilities.

What does this mean for you?

Your bus stop at Newton Exchange will move, but not far at all! (Check out the map below for details). And don’t worry, we’ll have lots of signs up so you’ll be able to find your way there easily.

We expect all the construction to be wrapped up sometime this summer, all ready for the new B-Line!

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!

Life on transit: do you have a secret friend on transit?

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

Are any of these people secret friends on transit?

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

Life on transit is all about sharing your ride, which means you’re rubbing elbows with a lot of different people throughout your day.

But as we talked about in the print Buzzer this month, amid the crowds you can sometimes find a secret friend—that is, someone you regularly see on transit, but you’ve never talked to before!

In 2010, we ran a blog poll asking readers if they had secret friends on transit, and 73 per cent said they did. And we heard some amazing stories, like the one from Dan B. below:

I see two guys on the bus — one gets on one stop after mine, another two stops after mine. We ride the same bus and train every day and we work at the same company, yet we’ve never spoken to each other nor do we know each other’s names. We spend a total of 45 minutes of travel time using the bus and SkyTrain — even the elevator sometimes! — yet we never feel this urge to even say “hi.” I like to call those people my “secret transit co-workers.”

But it’s 2013 now, and high time to check in again—do people still have secret friends on transit? Cast your vote now!

Yes or no, feel free to share your stories in the comments. We’ll report back with our findings on Monday, March 25, 2013!

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!

Life on transit: Today is Bus Driver Appreciation Day!

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

Have you had a great bus operator experience recently? Well, today is the day to celebrate them, because it’s Bus Driver Appreciation Day! What’s that? Well, Jhen wrote about the history of the day a couple of years ago.

We regularly hear about great experiences on our buses. Sometimes we hear about them via our feedback form, our social media properties, or in the case of bus operator Tim Chaput, they win awards for their great service! Here’s more about Tim from the March issue of the Buzzer newsletter:

Three cheers for Tim!

Tim Chaput, winner of a Vancouver Tourism Award, we salute you!

Hurrah for transit operator Tim Chaput, who just won a Vancouver Tourism Award!

Tim was nominated by a customer, who had this to say:

This driver greeted me on this dark rainy morning with a big smile and cheery “Good morning”. Then, an elderly Asian lady got on the bus and was greeted with a friendly “Nihao”!

… Then on my normally quiet, boring ride I was again impressed when instead of the normal computer announcement for each upcoming stop, I heard the driver announce not only each stop, but the hotels and points of interest in the area as well as primary bus transfer locations.

WOW!!! This kind of service is beyond what I have come to expect in the morning and I believe this gentleman needs to be recognized. This is a true ambassador of our city and reminded all of us on the bus this morning to make that little extra effort in our day.
For his part, Tim said he was hugely pleased with the award.

“I’m really proud to get this, and I’m really accepting this on behalf of everybody at CMBC,” he said. “We have a lot of exceptional people on the front line and in our support positions. I’ve been in this business a long time, and winning this was really nice—just like winning an Academy Award!”

Way to go Tim, and thanks for making each day special for our customers!

Now it’s your turn to appreciate a driver/operator. You can do so with a simple in-person thanks, sharing your story in the comments section of this post, our feedback form, Facebook, Twitter or any other way you can think of!

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!

Life on Transit: welcome to our March special post series!

Each month during 2013, we’re exploring a special topic in the Buzzer newsletter and blog!

Last month we wrote about TransLink 101—and for March/April, we’ll be focusing on Life on Transit! (And don’t worry, we’ll still post about other content too!)

What’s Life on Transit about?

With Life on Transit, we’re hoping to spotlight the experience of riding transit—that is, observing and illuminating the quirks and habits of daily transit rides around our region.

We’ll be doing polls, open threads, interviews and more around the following topics:

• Here’s a poll about having a secret friend on transit—people who you see at your stop, but haven’t talked to?
• We spotlight an operator for Bus Driver Appreciation Day!
• A Google Hangout about the history of the 96 year-old Buzzer newsletter!
• Tools, tips, and tricks for a smooth transit trip
• An interview with TransLink planner Ian Fisher about life on transit elsewhere
• An interview with the authors behind the TransLinked tumblr
• Pet peeves: etiquette on transit
• … and more!

Longtime Buzzer blog readers might remember some of these topics from polls we ran in the first few years of this blog :) Well, they’re so nice we’re covering them twice!

Talk to us about your transit experiences

Well, as always, we’d love your feedback to help inform our series!

Write to us in the comments about your experiences, or feel free to write to thebuzzer@translink.ca. We’re excited to showcase great submissions to spur more conversations!

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!

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!

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!

TransLink 101: Where does TransLink get its funding… and how do we spend it?

For February 2013, we’re going back to basics with TransLink 101—explaining TransLink and its work!

One of the questions we often hear is, “How are TransLink and the transportation network funded?”

People usually think first of transit fares as one source of revenue, but fares make up just one piece of the revenue pie. So, as part of our TransLink 101 series, we’re looking at TransLink’s existing revenue sources, and where our revenues are spent. Let’s go!

What are TransLink’s existing revenue sources?

TransLink’s available revenue sources as of 2013

Our revenue sources are broad and diverse, which is a benefit because it makes us better able to weather a changing economy, and gives us the capacity to deliver stable and predictable transportation services.

It also comes out loud and clear in our credit ratings – TransLink has maintained an “AA” credit rating even in the face of the financial pressures we’ve faced recently. This means investors, who take into account our revenue sources along with our governance structure and management, rate our organization well and consider our organization stable and well-managed.

There are two main “streams” of revenue that fund TransLink’s services: taxation revenue and user revenue.

Read more »

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!

TransLink 101: keeping our system in a state of good repair

For February 2013, we’re going back to basics with TransLink 101—explaining TransLink and its work!

SkyTrain, by Michelle Lee

As you travel around on the transportation network, have you ever thought about just what’s needed to keep the system running safely, efficiently and reliably — also known as a “state of good repair“?

Right now, TransLink has an estimated $10.2 billion worth of assets and infrastructure – from buses and trains to radio towers across the region that support the communication systems on our buses. And because they form the backbone of  a transportation system used by hundreds of thousands of people very day, keeping them in a state of good repair is crucial.

So while people often talk about transportation expansion to meet the growing needs of the region, we also have to make sure we keep our existing assets in a state of good repair so we can extend the life of the system already in place today.

In 2012 we conducted an in-depth asset inventory and analysis to understand what’s needed to keep our transportation assets in a state of good repair, today and over the next few decades.

To help us better understand the process, why we did it, and why it’s so important, I sat down with Dave Beckley, TransLink’s Vice President of Engineering and Implementation.

Read more »

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!

TransLink 101: Why can’t SkyTrain run 24 hours?

For February 2013, we’re going back to basics with TransLink 101—explaining TransLink and its work!

SkyTrain at night. Photo by kennymatic from Flickr. (Click the image to go to the original!)

As we’re nearing the end of the TransLink 101 series, we thought we’d talk about something that we get asked quite often: why can’t SkyTrain run 24/7?

We often get this question as SkyTrain is an automated, driverless, light rapid transit system, which provides a lot of flexibility in how we can run our trains.

But even without drivers, there are other key factors that affect how long SkyTrain can run every day. Here’s a quick FAQ!

Read more »

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!