Did you know the chair of our board is a transit host?
Did you know the chair of our board is a transit host?
If you’ve been down to Aberdeen Station during the Games, you just might have been helped by Dale Parker, the chair of the TransLink Board!
Dale is working as a transit host at Aberdeen Station, although you may see him at other Richmond stations when more staff is needed.
It was an easy decision to be a host. “I just can’t imagine having this opportunity and not taking advantage of it,” he said. “It’s a wonderful experience, it really is. You only get to do it once and you meet people all over the world.”
As well, for Dale, this has been an opportunity to reconnect with old friends visiting from outside B.C. “Without exception I receive compliments on our public transit – many expressing the wish that theirs back home was comparable. My response is always the same – it’s the people that make the difference.”
So everyone from TransLink and its family of companies, if you’re listening, Dale sends enormous thanks to you. “The service is just above and beyond,” he said. “It’s beyond what we could have ever expected and it’s because of such great people with such a passion for making this a success.”
By the way, Dale’s not the only transit host from the board, either: board members Bob Garnett and Cindy Chan Piper are too!
And one more thing. I just have to share this great story I heard from Sany, the other TransLink transit host working with Dale at Aberdeen Station yesterday.
“The funniest story today was that six girls showed up here thinking they were at Metrotown,” said Sany. “They said, ‘Where’s Metrotown?’ and I showed them where Metrotown was on the map, and they went ‘Ahhhhh!’ They were really lost, really lost.”
Poor girls! And thanks so much for helping out, Dale, Sany, Bob, and Cindy!
That story about the girls thinking they were at Metrotown is funny. Wonder if a transit host got them on the wrong train from downtown? or they got in the wrong line at Waterfront? I think it is great that board members are actually involved in their transit system. In the various cities I lived in before, I know that many of the transit board members don’t even use transit!Indeed, it is the people that makes transit here wonderful. That’s why I love Vancouver! :)
There wasn’t a mention of another transit host directing them, so it may certainly be that they just got in the wrong lineup!
Also, I think we are all very proud that our board members are on the front-lines during the Games :)
Slightly off topic, I noticed today that a transit host blocked off the Hastings/Granville entrance to Waterfront Station (Canada Line). What’s the point of having the massive blue “T” signage installed at that entrance if it’s only being used as an exit?
Mike:
When transit volumes are high, queue management procedures have to be put in place to ensure Waterfront’s platforms and stations stay orderly despite the crowds who want to get in. That means the only entrance to Canada Line via Waterfront will be at the side entrance at the upper plaza, and all other entrances are used as exits. (Here’s the queue management strategy for Waterfront described in detail.)
However, since the current transit volumes have far exceeded our anticipated ridership for the Games, it has meant the queue management strategy has been in place for much longer periods throughout the day.
Before, we were expecting to have lower volumes during the day that did not crowd the station too much, and passengers could just supposed to free flow in and out of the various station entrances, making the T signage meaningful. But we’re really just not seeing those lower volumes so much these days, which is sort of a good problem to have, I think :)