Hi Metro Vancouver,

I hope you’re all enjoying summer and getting out to explore by transit, walking, and cycling. Through our summer Ride and Shine campaign, we are encouraging Metro Vancouverites to get out of their cars and experience the best of their neighbourhoods on transit. There are many great offers to local attractions just by showing your Compass Card!

After launching our Customer Experience Action Plan in March, I’m excited to share some updates with you on the great progress TransLink has made this past quarter to enhance the experience across the system.

Bike Bus Summer Program

With the goal of better serving the changing needs of our customers and after hearing extensive feedback, we launched an hourly summer Bike Bus service. This specialty pilot bus serves Bridgeport Station to and from the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal to better connect cyclists with summer ferry sailings – one of the most popular routes for our cycling customers.

The Bike Bus is retrofitted with seven interior bicycle racks, bringing the total bike capacity aboard to nine, from the standard of two. The Bike Bus runs on Fridays, weekends, and holidays from July 1 (Canada Day) to Sept 5 (Labour Day), 2022 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. As a person who loves to get out and explore with my family, it’s exciting to be able to launch this kind of initiative. It’s also important for TransLink to continue looking at innovative ways to serve our diverse range of customers.

If you get out this summer and board the Bike Bus, we would love to hear what you think. Please email cxideas@translink.ca or leave your feedback by scanning the QR code on the inside of the Bike Bus.

Transit Volunteers

Just over a month ago, we launched a call for our new Community Volunteer Program to help customers connect with communities and have the best possible experience using the transit system. In just a week of launching the call, we saw over 170 applications submitted, far outpacing our initial expectations.

Trained volunteers will be stationed outside Fare Paid Zones at key transit hubs in their own communities. Look for the volunteers on the system beginning July 23. Transit volunteers will help enhance our customer experience by adding a welcoming presence to the transit system, answering questions, and helping direct riders during busy community events.

Thank you to all our volunteers! Seeing the amount of transit riders who have volunteered their time to make the transit experience better for others is incredibly heartwarming.

If you’re interested in getting involved, it isn’t too late to apply! Head to the Community Transit Volunteers page and submit your application today.

Art Moves

In mid-May, we launched a new performance residency program called Art Moves to bring more art and culture to our system while creating a safer and more pleasant system to travel on. This new program features 26 local musicians and artists performing at five different transit hubs across the region throughout the summer:

• Waterfront SkyTrain Station
• Londsdale Quay SeaBus Terminal
• Surrey Central SkyTrain Station
• Coquitlam Centre SkyTrain Station
• Bridgeport Bus Exchange

Our resident performer for the month of July is Della Kit and friends. She is a singer/songwriter and DJ who offers playful melodies over energetic rhythms with a magnetic presence. Head to the Art Moves page to find more information on the resident artists and performance schedule.

Transit Alerts Enhancements

In response to customer feedback, we’ve been working on enhancements to our transit alert subscription center. Within the next few weeks, we’ll be launching the ability to sign up for station alerts including elevator, escalator and walkway disruptions and outages. This will greatly benefit customers who rely on timely communication of alerts for trip planning and accessing transit stations. We’ll also be launching a new user interface design allowing customers to set delivery time and preferences, providing a more personalized and relevant experience for alert subscribers.

It’s been a busy few months for us at TransLink, but we couldn’t be more excited to continue enhancing the experience for our customers. As I mentioned in my last quarterly customer update, we are committed to measuring the impact of our investments and want to hear from you so we can ensure that your feedback continues to help guide every decision we make. After all, you’re at the heart of everything we do, and you’re the reason we continue to find ways to serve you better. Please email cxideas@translink.ca with any feedback or suggestions you may have on how we can make your experience as a customer even better.

All the best,
Kevin Quinn