Service optimization consultation starts November 19, 2012
Service optimization consultation starts November 19, 2012
If you picked up the November issue of the Buzzer, you’ll already know that we’re going to start consulting with the public about service optimization in mid-November–November 19 to be specific.
What’s service optimization? In short, it’s part of our ongoing program of managing the transit network by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the network and reallocating services from unproductive routes to where there is more demand. But don’t take my word for it, check out this video of Peter Klitz, a senior planner in TransLink’s Service Planning group. For a more detailed and thorough description of what service optimization is, read our interview with Brian Mills, TransLink’s director of service and infrastructure planning.
There will be two ways you can learn more about our proposed plans for service in 2013 and provide your input: A questionnaire will be available on November 19 until 4pm on December 13, 2012. There will also be these 10 open houses:
November 20 – 4pm – 7:30pm – Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre, Room B, 181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver
November 21 – 4pm – 7:30pm – Evergreen Cultural Centre, Studio Theatre, 1205 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam
November 22 – 4pm – 7:30pm – Royal City Centre, Community Room, 610 6th Street New Westminster
November 28 – 4pm – 7:30pm – Surrey City Central Library, Meeting Room 120, 10350 University Drive, Surrey
November 29 – 4pm – 7:30pm – Mollie Nye House, 940 Lynn Valley Road, North Vancouver
December 4 – 5pm – 7:30pm – Aldergrove Community Secondary School, Small gym, 26850 29th Avenue, Aldergrove
December 5 – 4pm – 7:30pm – Pitt Meadows Family Recreation Centre, Lobby, 12027 Harris Road, Pitt Meadows
December 6 – 4pm – 7:30pm – The ACT Arts Centre & Theatre, 11944 Haney Place, Maple Ridge
December 11 – 4pm – 7:30pm – West Vancouver Memorial Library, Welsh Hall, 1950 Marine Dr West Vancouver
December 12 – 5pm – 7:30 – Gilmore Community School Gym, 50 South Gilmore Avenue, Burnaby
The service changes resulting from this consultation are expected to happen in mid-to late-2013. And remember, there will still be the usual quarterly service changes happening this December, which are not part of this consultation.
So, mark the date of your local event in your calendar, and visit the service optimization page to let TransLink know what you think of the proposed changes for next year!
Consolidating the 177 and the 159? Which would mean the 177 between Coquitlam Centre and Mary Hill Bypass would be cancelled.
Here are a list of the ways residents in this area have lost service.
1. Direct service to Vancouver lost when the Millennium Line opened.
2. 156 PM peak hour frequency reduced from 15 minutes to 30 minutes.
3. 152 Diverted away from Cape Horn area.
4. Lougheed at Coleman bus stop screw up.
5. And now discontinuation of the 177.
I am now convinced that TransLink is determined to ensure bus service in south Coquitlam is unusable and unsustainable.
There were a number of ways that improved service could be provided to this area at minimal cost and the fact that planners can’t figure this out astounds me.
I won’t be attending the consultation. This is a farce and a bad joke.
As long as the South Coquitlam bus network is designed around a connection at Coquitlam Rec Centre, it will remain useless to nearly everybody. Coquitlam Rec Centre is an out-of-the-way secondary-at-best destination. Imagine if the entire Vancouver bus network was centred around Hillcrest Centre at Ontario and 29th. The network would be useless. Buses would loop around all over the place, duplicating each other, making the network incomprehensible and slow. Yet, this is exactly what Translink does in South Coquitlam. Why?
Does Translink have any plans to make the transit network in Coquitlam useful for the opening of the Evergreen line?
Translink’s produced a nice website explaining how to manage the transit network. It runs a transit network that does not follow from the principles it lays out there. Its response is to make little changes here and there that don’t really amount to anything even if they’re in the right direction. You know what to do, so start doing it! For all the effort you’ve put into it, this set of changes is underwhelming.
I thought this would explode with comments – maybe it was just posted too early.
On a somewhat related note, I just found this: http://www.theatlanticcities.com/jobs-and-economy/2012/10/what-really-happens-when-city-makes-its-transit-system-free/3708/
Just a few years ago, there were so much riders for the C35 that they have to convert it back to conventional bus and create the 177. Now there are so few riders that they want to completely cancel it? People from Coquitlam who want to go to, say the casino on United Blvd, now require a transfer at Maillardville or Port Coquitlam or even Pitt Meadows. Now I have to wonder what’s the eventual fate of the 337, which was also convert back from community shuttle but is now doing much much worse than the 177 according to TransLink’s own performance review (carries 60% as much weekday riders with the same service hour). Can’t they at least keep a shuttle service?
And now regarding to the C48 and C49.. There’s so little service to these bi-hourly shuttle routes to begin with, and they still gets the cut. Yet there’s no change to many of the half-hourly or hourly shuttle routes in Ladner, Tsawwassen, Langley that carry less than half of the daily riders compared to the C48 and C49. Maybe TransLink just cutting service from regions that doesn’t complain much, and when a region complain more, they’ll be spared from the cut?
@Cliff
Obviously, improve service at “minimal cost” is too much for TransLink. If you look at the performance summary, the 177 currently provides 15k annual service hours and the 159 provides 14k. By adding a slight detour to the 159 and cancel the 177 completely, they’re essentially removing half of the service hours.
If I show up at, say, the Vancouver open house, can I discuss the proposals for the other areas while I’m there?
Eric B: no, of course not! Just kidding — yes, you can come discuss any proposal at any of the open houses. The only thing to note is that each open house will be predominantly showcasing details on possible service changes in that specific area (ie: the Vancouver open house will have display boards for the Vancouver-specific routes). There will be some handouts showing all the changes, but just to make sure you feel fully briefed, make sure to check out all the changes at our Service Optimization site when they are posted on Nov 19.
Also Cliff, mike0123, SS: I’ve passed along your comments to our planning staff so they’re aware of your concerns. And I’m sure there will be more discussion when the actual proposed changes are released!
[…] As mentioned two weeks ago, we’ve also scheduled a series of open houses around the region where you can come talk optimization in person. Here’s the details for this week’s events: Nov. 20, 2012 – Vancouver Affected Routes: 2, 22, C21, C23 Time: 4 – 7:30 p.m. Venue: Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre – Room B Address: 181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver, V6Z 2W3 […]