I Love Transit 2019: 3 Reasons Why

It’s I Love Transit week, October 7–11, and we’re bringing you stories about our customers, staff, transit enthusiasts and all things we love about transit. 

TransLink’s a team of nearly 8,000 employees. We’re all united in support of our customers — all 500,000 of you — who depend on us to get to and from work, visit an old friend and everything else in between. We asked another employee, Mariee Devereux, to share why she loves transit. 

Mariee on the left!

By Mariee Devereux, Transportation Demand Management Officer at TransLink

When I first heard about, I Love Transit week, I thought it was a joke. I didn’t think anyone could LOVE taking transit. I was mistaken! In the past eight years, I’ve fallen in love with transit too (and it’s not just because I work for TransLink). Here are the top three reasons that I love transit:

Secret Exercise

Every transit trip starts with a walk or a bike ride. In a world where sitting has become the new smoking, taking transit helps me get 10,000 steps in a day and I always feel better for it.

More ‘Me’ Time

Taking transit means that I’ve got more time to read, to text my friends, or to just relax and get things sorted without having to worry about the ‘car-stipation’ situation’ on congested roadways.

Climate Champion

You don’t need to own an electric car to enjoy a zero-emissions trip. My commute is already zero-emission in that it combines a trolley bus trip with SkyTrain. It feels good to get where I need to go in a climate friendly way. Did you know that over half of TransLink’s fleet are already powered by clean and renewable energy sources? By 2050, the entire fleet is set to be zero-carbon.

Those are three reasons that I love transit, what are some of yours? Share your stories with us via email at thebuzzer@translink.ca with the subject “I Love Transit Stories” or share using the hashtag #ILoveTransit for a chance to have your story featured in the Buzzer blog!

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Wordless Wednesday: #MyTransLink – October 9

It’s that time again for all things #MyTransLink!

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I Love Transit 2019: 40 years behind the wheel

It’s I Love Transit week, October 7–11, and we’re bringing you stories about our customers, staff, transit enthusiasts and all things we love about transit. 

TransLink’s a team of nearly 8,000 employees. We’re all united in support of our customers — all 500,000 of you — who depend on us to get to and from work, visit an old friend and everything else in between.

Some people come to TransLink for a job, and others come for a life-long career. Angus McIntyre is the latter, retiring from Coast Mountain Bus Company after nearly 41 years of service.

Angus began his bus operator training in August of 1969, back when buses had no right side mirrors and part of the job was to sell tokens to passengers and provide change as needed.

Through nearly 41 years of employment, Angus steered his way through four different employers, three unions and four major labour disputes.

Driving trolleybuses almost exclusively, Angus was a night owl working the evening shift most days. Even 41 years ago, a career as a bus operator provided ample flexibility with shift trades and holiday work taking Angus and his diesel buses to Richmond, Surrey and White Rock. Read more »

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I Love Transit 2019: Mapping it all out for the customer

It’s I Love Transit week, October 7–11, and we’re bringing you stories about our customers, staff, transit enthusiasts and all things we love about transit. 

TransLink’s a team of nearly 8,000 employees. We’re all united in support of our customers — all 500,000 of you — who depend on us to get to and from work, visit an old friend and everything else in between.

We asked one of our employees, Jada Stevens from our wayfinding department, to share why she loves transit and what she loves most about serving you, our customers. Wayfinding designs the maps and directional signage you find at transit stations. 

Jada Stevens, Wayfinding Planner at TransLink

By Jada Stevens, Wayfinding Planner at TransLink

What I find fascinating about working in wayfinding is that this field encompasses three of my personal interests: graphic design, urban design and using transit to get around the city.

I am a lifelong transit user who has made the decision to use transit as my primary form of transportation. As a child, taking transit was my first introduction to independence in the city, and as an adult I see transit as being an affordable and environmentally sustainable alternative to car use.

From a young age, I have been curious about cities and how people use shared spaces and public amenities like parks, streets, and transit. I like to observe changes happening in the city and I try to understand how urban planners, elected officials, and community groups are transforming our cities to better serve the people who live in it.

This same curiosity extends into my profession. I’m fascinated in learning how our customers use and experience the transit network – where are they going, what transit services are they connecting to and what information they need to make that connection. Read more »

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I Love Transit 2019: Enter to win a Monthly Pass!

These students from SFU’s School of Contemporary Arts love transit because it gets them to dance.

I Love Transit is here and we love that you love transit! That’s why we want to give you the chance to enter to win a Monthly Pass on your Compass Card. Read more »

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This is how teachers can win a TransLink field trip for their class

I Love Transit Week is back this year, October 7-11, and our theme is A Greater Vancouver — the future of transportation in Metro Vancouver. Teachers, unleash your inner explorer and take learning beyond the classroom! We have two exciting contests for you and free bus travel for your students:

Win a Field Trip (Grades 3–12)

We call it I Love Transit Camp! It’s a unique opportunity for kids (along with their teacher and chaperones!), grades 3 through 12, to get a behind-the-scenes field trip to TransLink where they’ll learn how transit works and have some fun at the same time.

One winning class will get the opportunity to attend I Love Transit Camp in early November (exact date will be determined with the winning teacher). Watch the video above, and check out all the fun that was had in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.

We’ll pick up the winning class from their school in a transit bus, equipped with snacks to fuel your day, around 9 a.m. We’ll visit a bus depot — the place where our buses sleep at night — and SkyTrain Control, which is the heart of our automated SkyTrain network, before returning you back to your school by 4 p.m.

The day will include snacks, a pizza lunch, prizes, t-shirts and a chance meet some of the key people (and the Transit Police dog!) that help TransLink move close to a half-a-million people a day and plan for the future. Read more »

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Wordless Wednesday: #MyTransLink – October 2

Today marks a pretty exciting occasion for #MyTransLink! We’ve hit 9,000 tags! For just under two years, #MyTransLink has been your one-stop-shop for all things transit photography. Sharing your candid, and not so candid shots in and around transit in our region.

This week, we’ve moved to a new day where our series will morph into Wordless Wednesday a day dedicated to the beauty captured through your lens.

So scroll on down to see all that was in this edition of #MyTransLink.

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Take it slooooooow, says the sloth!

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We got places to go and people to see. Whether that’s to and from work, a visit with an old friend, or a hockey game at Rogers Arena, TransLink will get you there!

While you’re riding with us, we want you to have a safe and pleasant journey. That means following transit etiquette and holding on because safety is fundamental — and it starts with you. Scroll through the slideshow above to see what the tips are.

We’re also excited to launch a new experiential marketing campaign on transit — featuring octopuses, monkeys and sloths — reminding everyone to be safe! You’ll see wrapped buses, as well as decals in interesting places such as the ceilings, poles and straps of buses, on windows, and staircases at SkyTrain stations.

Here’s a sneak peak! Want to spot ’em? The fleet numbers are #2510, 2511, 2110, 8150 and 16001.

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Data enthusiasts! Check out the 2017 Trip Diary results

The results are in for Trip Diary!

What’s that? Think of it as the census, but for transportation!

It’s a study we do every five years to understand the travel habits of Metro Vancouver residents. Where people go? How do they get there? Is it through walking, cycling, driving, carpooling, taking transit, or a combination of these modes?

We randomly invited households across the region to participate in the Regional Trip Diary in 2017 to ensure that we obtain an unbiased and statistically representative sample. We heard from 28,000 households, equating to approximately 56,000 people and 230,000 trips!

The numbers have been crunched and — for the first time ever — the data is available to the public online via the data visualization tool Tableau! Check it out.

Trip Diary is conducted approximately every five years and is the most comprehensive source of information on overall travel patterns in the Metro Vancouver region. It’s used by all public and private sector planning organizations, and it informs the many decisions involved in delivering a better transportation system. It’s especially important and relevant now as we develop a new shared regional transportation strategy, Transport 2050.

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#MyTransLink – September 24

Fall’s fickle weather shows in this edition of #MyTransLink. Sun, rain and fog graced the lenses of our dedicated photographer’s shots, resulting in yet another week of stunning #MyTransLink photos.

So get your scroll on and check out the week that was in this edition of #MyTransLink!

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I Love Transit 2019: K–12 students ride the bus for free, Oct. 7–11

Every day is a great day to take transit, but there’s no better week to hop on a bus than I Love Transit week! From October 7–11, 2019, students in kindergarten through Grade 12 ride the bus for free! Read more »

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#Transport2050: UBC’s AnnaLisa Meyboom on apps, autonomous vehicles, and reimagined roads

By: AnnaLisa Meyboom, Assistant Professor, UBC Clean Energy Research Centre and author, Driverless Urban Futures

We’ve asked thought leaders to share their vision for the future of transportation. What do you see? Shape the future of how we move and live. Visit transport2050.ca

By: AnnaLisa Meyboom, Assistant Professor, UBC Clean Energy Research Centre and author, Driverless Urban Futures

Transportation is key to accessing jobs, services and to increasing general productivity – less time wasted getting places. New technologies have the potential to get everyone where they need to go more conveniently. The term “everyone” is also important – our societal goal should be to provide access and ease of transportation to all ages, abilities and incomes. This will strengthen our social fabric as well as our economy.

What technologies are coming that could enable this?

Read more »

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Attend TransLink’s Open Board Meeting – September 25, 2019

TransLink’s quarterly board meetings are open to the public and you’re invited to attend the first meeting of the year taking place next week.

If you have an interest in getting to know the ins and outs of how TransLink works, this is the meeting for you! Get a behind-the-scenes look at TransLink’s mandate, responsibilities, budget and more! Read more »

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#MyTransLink – September 17

Here we are again with another week of awe-inspiring photos of the beautiful region so many of us are fortunate to work, live and play in. #MyTransLink is your one-stop-shop for the very best in transit photos shot by you — our dedicated and tremendously talented photographers.

So get your scroll on and check out the week that was in this edition of #MyTransLink!

Read more »

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Get active and choose active travel to and from school

I Love Transit week is coming!

From October 7–11, we pay a little extra attention to all the things we love about transit, including the role TransLink can play in helping children choose active travel to and from school.

Active kids are healthy kids!

Did you know: from October 7–11 kids ride the bus for free? That’s right, a free week of bus only travel for kindergarten to grade 12 students!

Did you also know: The Canadian 24 hour movement guidelines recommends that youth ages 5 -17 participate in 60 “sweat” minutes daily? Walking, biking, skateboarding, or taking public transit to and from school is a great way to get some fresh air, exercise, and a feeling of independence!

FUN FACT: The entire TransLink fleet of buses are equipped with bike racks (size dependent) to help encourage multi-modal transit!

A Walking school bus allows children to walk to school together accompanied by adult volunteers and is a great way for children to foster friendships and create better understanding of their local areas.

Is driving to school inevitable? Try parking just a few blocks away (5 minutes) and walk with your kids. You’ll free up space in the school zone, get some fresh air, and have a chance to hear about your child’s day! Taking transit? Consider hopping off one stop early and get those steps in while enjoying some quality time.

For more tips and resources visit the Schools tab at: translink.ca/travelsmart

Author: Sarah Kertcher

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