Another round of links about the Games and transportation
March 2, 2010
Another round of links about the Games and transportation
March 2, 2010
I keep finding links! So here’s some more stuff for you.
- Time magazine does an article about the epic drinking done at our Olympics, in which they also refer to our public transit system as “scarily efficient”. I think they mean it in a good way :)
- The Vancouver Sun talks about how the Vancouver police and our Transit Police have come away with a good reputation after the Games.
- Post-Games outlook: what does it mean for us going forward? Keith Baldrey comments on the benefits of the Games. Vaughn Palmer talks about how Vancouver’s mayor Gregor Robertson and councillor Geoff Meggs are making a pitch to enhance transit post-Games (and here’s a Globe article on the same).
- Post-Games analysis continued…. The Richmond News talks about wanting public transit and more free events. Metro talks about enhancing transit. The Vancouver Courier looks at lessons learned from the Games, and so does the Vancouver Observer. From the planning side, Jarrett Walker talks about Olympic transit payoffs. Frances Bula asks what can we really learn from the Games?
- The Big Picture photo blog takes a look at Vancouver 2010: here’s part 1 and part 2.
- Looking back: Beyond Robson asks how will Vancouver 2010 be remembered? They also point out that the Vancouver Archives is collecting stuff to do with the development of our 2010 Games (and is looking for your contributions!) Here’s a CTV article on the Archives’ 2010 project.
- From the planning side: Brent Toderian, the director of planning at the City of Vancouver, shares his thoughts on Vancouver after the Games. (And here’s his thoughts on Vancouver before the Games.) Plus, here’s Jarrett Walker on the Great Broadway Debate! And the Boston Globe asks “What’s Vancouver got that we don’t?”
- Christie Blatchford seemed to really like the Games.
- Did you know that Vancouver 2010 has an eBay store filled with memorabilia and stuff? The Olympic GM fleet vehicles are being sold off too.
- True story: Bob K from Vancouver is Awesome had a travelsmart plan for the Olympics! Make sure you check out all of the Vancouver is Awesome Olympic coverage too.
- And here’s the 2010 Games coverage from Slate magazine, which I really enjoyed.
One gem I got from one of those links:
“Is there any way to replicate some of that? Free transit for the day that is incorporated into the price of various kinds of event tickets — a kind of temporary U-Pass? A well-advertised promise of that level of service to the kinds of events that typically draw car-drivers? Removal of parking outside of large venues?”
That has got to be the single best idea I’ve ever heard – tack an extra $5 on to every event ticket that takes place at BC Place, GM Place, etc and the ticket becomes your transit pass for the evening. A new revenue source for TransLink, and at the same time a huge boon to Vancouver in terms of reducing traffic in and out of the downtown core post-game. How quickly can we make this happen??!!
Your very last link—to Slate’s series on the games—led me to a series of articles that just started on “wayfinding” (signage), here: http://www.slate.com/id/2245644/ (Part 1) and http://www.slate.com/id/2246104 (Part 2).
The next article in the series is supposed to be on recent wayfinding efforts in London which, as I recall, was overseen by the same folks who are working on the TransLink project now.
Stefan: neat! I will add that to the links repository for another post.
Bryn: I’m asking about your question!
Bryn, here’s the answer to your question from our manager of customer services and marketing.
Why we we able to use olympic tickets as transit passes then on the day of the event?
Because VANOC partnered with us to include the price of transit in the ticket price. I guess the above answer should really say “except VANOC” — they definitely partnered with us for transit during the Games.
I ask you one more question in the “The Morning After: a bit of downtown and the airport” post in regards to the answers for the questions I had. Could you answer them for me?
Ric: Please be patient! I am definitely seeing all your comments come in and am working on getting the answers for you.
Hey Jhen, Thanks for letting me know that you are seeing all my comments come in and that you are working on getting me the answers.
I’m with bryn in regard to the idea of free transit for ticket holders to events being part of the ticket. That had to be one the single greatest things VANOC and Translink came up with.
I would not like having $5.00 tacked onto my ticket price…. because I already buy a monthly pass!
@Dave2
They could have so that if you show your monthly pass when purchasing or when picking up your ticket (in cases where you paid online) That the $5 would not be charged.
Of course if you tried to cheat the system and paid online and said you had a pass. And then went to pickup the ticket. If you don’t have your monthly pass on you. You would of course be charged the extra money.
And I do have a monthly pass myself. So I understand what your saying.
I thought UBC will build an underground bus loop near the Student Union Building/Bookstore? What happened to that plan?
Wow Ivan. I don’t think so given that building an “underground” bus loop in the UBC area would cost in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
There are 3 ways to get an “underground” loop.
#1) bulldoze everything, dig a big hole, pour the concrete and make a new surface (cut and cover effectively) and then build on top.
#2) Plan from the beginning and put a building overtop of the bus look (the typical way most “indoor” bus loops are done, eg: lonsdale quay)
#3) Dig it out under and existing area using digging equipment. Very expensive, time consuming, and nothing with a heavy weight can be above during this time until the reinforcement is complete. Typically this is only done if you are trying to preserve a nature area or need to make it in the side of a mountain.
http://planning.ubc.smallboxsoftware.net/news_events/whats_new/articles242
It looks like Translink has no money for that underground loop.
Ivan & RoundTop:
There was indeed a plan for an underground bus loop at UBC, but it has been cancelled owing to lack of funding. Here’s a Vancouver Courier story with more detail.
i hear they also cancel bringing the bline busses to surrey and not doing some like a bline from guildford and along king george
@Paul, one wrinkle is that concert tickets are sold several months in advance…. You may not have a pass in the month you buy the tickets, or vice versa….
In the absence of a specific thread about transit memories during the games I’ll post it here. My MMM was arriving at VCC-Clark at about 3:50 PM on a weekday, and not being able to get a seat on a 4 car [white, 200 series] MK-II train as it was already full! Wow!
@Dave2
Well instead of charging for transit on a concert ticket. Why don’t they just ban parking around events LOL.
So for those that want to drive make them walk.
I’m only joking and realize this has as much chance as the tree in front of my house growing money.
MMM for me on the Thursday before the start of the Olympics. I always catch the 2:25 #22 at 41st going NB. So I get on and there is a group of young adults (early 20s) in the back. One guy has a guitar and is singing songs. So I go and I find a seat amongst them. As they are talking I notice they have an non english accent. I most of them being blond (as in really blond) I figured they had to be from one of the Scandinavian countries thinking Sweden to myself. So I eventually asked one of them and found out they where from finland. It was weird as I just never expect a bunch of tourist to be riding a bus in East Vancouver. LOL.
But it was quite fun listening to them sing. That is when I my happy mood really kicked in.
keith: Yes, that’s true — we had planned for a 399 B-Line service in Surrey, but owing to funding constraints, we can’t put it in place this year.
Dave 2 & Paul (and anyone else who is reading): would you guys like an Olympic transit memories thread? I am more than happy to put one up.