It’s the first Friday of the month and that means a new issue of the Buzzer is out! The main feature of this issue is the official launch of m.translink.ca. If you’re a regular Buzzer blog reader and have a smartphone, you may have already used the new service. If you haven’t, it can tell you where your bus is in real time! As in the past, we’re always looking for recommendations to improve the website, so please do continue to send your feedback to the mobile team.

Another important item included in this issue is the TransLink annual general meeting which will be held on May 30. This year, we’re going to have the AGM at the Vancouver Transit Centre! This is particularily significant because we’ll be offering tours of the facility after the meeting. If you’re like me and haven’t toured VTC before, you won’t want to miss out on the opportunity! The AGM and tours are open to everyone, but space is limited. Make sure to come early so you’re not disappointed. I’ll be updating you all on more details on the AGM and tour in the weeks to come.

Victoria Day is on Monday, May 21 this year. Info on transit schedules for the day can be found in this issue or on the alerts and advisories page on the TransLink website.

Bike to Work Week runs from May 28 to June 3rd. Yours truly will be participating and blogging about it. If you haven’t dusted off the old two wheeler this year, there’s nothing like finding inspiration through your work colleagues to motivate you. There will be prizes and wonderful resources for the week which can be found at the Bike to Work Week 2012 website or HUB (formerly the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition).

The illustrator this month is Ed Appleby. He was a lot of fun to work with and did a very playful illustration. He was nice enough to answer a few questions about his craft.

Tell us about yourself and your art.

I’m a full time cartoonist, humorist and semi-pro pirate. I went to Vancouver Collage of Art and Design for design and my illustration style is self taught. It’s a combination of different styles inspired by comic strips of the late 80’s, comic books from France and Japan, with a healthy dose of Art Deco thrown in.

How did you come up with your illustration?

We all have those moments where we’re not sure about the bus. Is it coming soon? Is it being held up somewhere? Did it go by while I was grabbing my nonfat cappuccino? I wanted to relate this problem to the simple solution that m.translink.ca can solve, and then joy that comes from knowing.

Have you used m.translink.ca yet?

Yes, It’s amazing. It let’s me know if I have to run to the bus stop or if I can just saunter.

What’s your favourite mode of transportation?

Skytrain. It’s fast, efficient, and a great source of interesting characters to sketch.