Brian Gibney, 55, has used a wheelchair since he was 18, after an accident left him paralyzed. Even from a young age, he has always been eager to try new experiences. Although he lost his ability to walk, his sense for adventure and desire for exciting experiences never faded.

Today, you’ll find him at several local events. A rock concert? He’s there. Hockey and football games, theatrical plays, and community events like Khatsahlano Day are also on his calendar. But for decades, outside forces dictated when his nights out ended.

“I can’t imagine the amount of times I’d be at a concert, I’m pulling out my phone to check the time,” says Brian.

Many of the events he wants to attend run late, and so he constantly gambles on his ride home. Wheelchair-accessible ways to get home are often scarce late at night, leaving Brian with a stressful choice: leave early and only get part of the experience he paid for, or risk being stranded.

Now though, HandyDART customers have more freedom at night, with the extension of HandyDART service hours from midnight to 2 a.m. and keeping dispatch available until 2 a.m. as well. The change aligns HandyDART’s late-night reach with SkyTrain and is the first action being implemented under the 19-item HandyDART Customer-First Plan, aimed at making trips more convenient, reliable, and flexible for people who rely on accessible transportation.

Brian began using HandyDART in 1990, and it has since been his ride to the gym, doctor’s appointments, concerts, plays, and the airport.

Back then, HandyDART operators would use a Citizens Band (CB) radio to connect with the dispatch line. It’s the same two-way communication technology still used by truckers today where cell service is unreliable. Operators also navigated by memorizing routes and building mental maps.

“There were no big screens [on vehicles] and everything was on a clipboard with a pen and paper,” Brian recalls. “Now they’ve got GPS.”

Back then, you booked trips over a landline – not the convenient mobile phones we use today.

Soon, another advancement will enhance Brian’s experience. TransLink has partnered with Spare, a Vancouver-based tech company, to develop a software that will allow 24-hour online booking through a smartphone app or website. The software will also show HandyDART vehicle locations in real time, eliminating the need to wait on hold with dispatch during peak hours.

The software is being worked on and is expected to launch in 2027.

With the extended late-night service and incoming improved booking technology, HandyDART users like Brian will have more freedom and flexibility.

For Brian, that means no longer watching the clock at concerts. Staying past 11 p.m. won’t be an exception, but a norm. His HandyDART ride at 1 a.m. could be booked days in advance so he won’t have to leave early to get a ride home.

Brian also loves travelling the world and is fond of riding the train across Europe. With 24-hour online booking, he imagines he could one day arrange his HandyDART ride home while riding a train to Venice, Italy.

Making HandyDART more convenient and comfortable is central to the HandyDART Customer-First Plan. The initiatives don’t just improve customer experience, but also open possibilities for customers to experience more.

For Brian, that future includes more rock concerts, knowing that his ride home is already waiting. 🤘