The April Buzzer is out!
The April Buzzer is out!
The April 2009 Buzzer is now on all our buses, SeaBus, SkyTrain, and West Coast Express!
The issue provides the details of the April service adjustments, with changes to reflect the end of the post-secondary school year, and special seasonal service for the summer months. There’s also increased service on the 502 Aldergrove/Surrey and the 640 route serving Tilbury Industrial Park — you can see the full list of changes at the main TransLink website.
There’s also Easter holiday service, Sun Run service and bus reroute info, a nod to TransLink’s 10 year birthday, and a terrific Back Issues segment from 1954 about Vancouver’s very first Meat Fair.
And as usual, we’re pleased to feature a cover from another Canadian illustrator, Mr. Josh Holinaty.
As always, 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, which stretch back to the heady days of June 2006. (Here’s the direct link to the April issue PDF.)
Don’t forget to enter the FareCard contest too: you can win a free FareCard in every issue of the Buzzer. Read the issue, then answer the question right by Monday, May 4 at 9 a.m. to win!
Enjoy the latest Buzzer everyone: comments are welcome below!
Hi, I was wondering if you could pass on my idea to have the 502 Aldergrove route modified during the summer months to go down 264th street to the Greater Vancouver Zoo. I would think that doing this would benefit both Translink and the Zoo. Thanks.
Sure, Andrew.
I really like the idea of transit to the Greater Vancouver Zoo. I have suggested that Translink before, but received no response. I’m wondering why the 125 was discontinued? From earlier reports, it sounded like the run was doing quite well. Translink should know that a bus needs to operate for at least a year before they can say whether the system is working or not. This bus only ran for 3.5 months. That’s hardly what I’d call a fair trial.
Corey: The 125 is a BCIT-focused route, and since BCIT’s school year finishes up in April, the service is being adjusted to reflect that. The 125 was brought in to relieve pressure at the Metrotown bus loop, which is just packed full of buses with hardly room for any more, and the route is definitely considered a success — check out this blog post talking about some of the early results. I think there’s a good chance it will be back in September.
Actually, let me get back to you on that one. I don’t know if “discontinued” means dropped entirely or just on hold.
If the 125 is being discontinued just for the summer, then the Buzzer needs to indicate that. To me, “discontinued” means it’s gone for good, or at least until further notice. Perhaps somebody could get clarification from Translink as to exactly what the future is for the 125.
Just confirmed: it’s being discontinued for the summer only! So it’ll be back in fall and it is indeed a great success.
The “direct link” posted on the Translink Website for a PDF version of the April Buzzer is a dead link (404 File Not Found). Could Translink provide a FUNCTIONAL way for customers to read the good old Buzzer on line?
DB: The new TransLink website launched yesterday, which broke a bunch of links on the site. I’ll upload a copy of the PDF to the Buzzer blog so you can download it from here instead. Check out the main post again — I’ve fixed the link so that it provides the PDF.
hello, what is the question for the may one?
You’ll have to wait for the May issue to come out :)
I was disappointed to hear that the 125 was being cancelled. That’s great news that it’s coming back in September.
However, I question the need to cancel it for the summer. Just like before the #125, it is again impossible to get anywhere on the #130 northbound between 7:30 and 9:00am. The bus operators refuse to stop anywhere between Metrotown and BCIT.
Can bus drivers leave Metrotown at a slightly less-than-packed capacity so bus stops between Metrotown and BCIT are not completely useless? Also, some bus drivers seem to need to be re-educated on what exactly constitutes a full bus.
Hi Marcel,
Got an answer back from CMBC planning about this. Here it is: