Links and tidbits is our semi-regular roundup of interesting fodder about transportation from the last few weeks or so. If you have links to contribute, put them in the comments or email us!
» A group of digital artists is using aerial images to trace paths of transit lines in their city using bright colors – so, you can get a bird’s eye view of the entire transportation network of that city. Read more »
You may have heard, BIG things are coming for Metro Vancouver transit as part of Phase Two of the Mayors’ Council 10-Year Vision! In fact, there are so many big things coming that over the next week and a half, we’ll be breaking down the nitty gritty of what’s to come in our new series: 10-Year Vision Spotlight.
Stephen Quinlan will attempt to set a world record for the fastest time to travel to all 53 SkyTrain stations on May 4.
Ever since he was a young child, Stephen Quinlan has wanted to be a world-record holder.
Originally from the United Kingdom, he grew up watching the BBC show Record Breakers, a children’s show that followed contestants as they sought to break a myriad of Guinness World Records.
On Sunday, April 22, an estimated 40,000+ will lace up their runners and join Canada’s biggest start line for the 34th annual Vancouver Sun Run. To help start your Sun Run on the right foot, we’re adding service to help get you to the event.
Today marks yet another great day for transit in Metro Vancouver as TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond, along with members of the federal and provincial government, announced the early arrival of new SkyTrain cars for our system!
The deal was inked on a cold day in 2016, as part of funding provided through Phase 1 of the Mayors’ 10-year Vision. Today, the big news is that 28 additional Expo and Millennium Line SkyTrain cars will arrive by the end of 2019! That’s three years ahead of schedule!
The parking stalls at Braid Station are located in the parking lot across from the entrance. At Columbia Station, the stalls are located east of the station at the corner of Blackwood Street and Clarkson Street.
This partnership is the latest to make carsharing more accessible for our customers by providing them more options for that first and last kilometre of a journey. Last year, we partnered with Modo to establish parking spots for its vehicles at six SkyTrain stations.
Carsharing services play an important role in keeping Metro Vancouver a livable city by giving people alternatives to owning cars. Having carsharing at SkyTrain stations is a great way to encourage people to use transit, walk and cycle, while still having the option to use a car when needed.
Earlier this week, Rogers completed installation of the LTE wireless network in the 2.5 km Burquitlam Tunnel on the Evergreen Extension. This marks the last section of SkyTrain that was without cell coverage since service expanded to the Dunsmuir and Edmonds tunnels in July 2016, and New Westminster this past August.
While the seasonal calendar says it’s fall, Mother Nature has a sneaky way of saying otherwise. Preparations are well underway to ensure that we’re doing our best to stay one step ahead of the inclement weather.
Heads up Coquitlam Central Station bus users, come October 30, 2017, your bus bay may be moving to make catching your bus a little easier. If you catch a bus at Bay 1, 2, or 4, or ride any of the following bus routes: 153, 171, 172, 173, 174, 185, 186, 187 or 189, on October 30, 2017 you’ll be tapping in from a different bay.
The third platform at Stadium-Chinatown Station, in use during the 1980s! The third track is the one on the far left of the photo.
A SkyTrain sitting at the third track at Stadium-Chinatown Station.
What’s the third platform at Stadium-Chinatown? Well, if you go to the regular platform to board a SkyTrain, you’ll clearly see there’s ANOTHER platform across the SkyTrain tracks and behind the fence, sitting empty. Have a look at the photo on the right to see what I mean.
Rogers LTE coverage is now live in Columbia Station and through the tunnels! (Photo: waferboard/Flickr)
In a continued partnership with Rogers, LTE wireless connectivity on the SkyTrain has expanded into New Westminster! Starting today, Rogers and Fido customers will now see extended LTE wireless connectivity at Columbia SkyTrain Station and through the tunnels between Columbia and Sapperton SkyTrain stations. This is an extension to the service that was added to the Dunsmuir and Edmonds tunnels last summer!
Enhancing cellular coverage across the Expo and Millennium Line network increases safety, security and convenience for customers and operators with the added bonus of no cost to taxpayers.
Customers have told us that connectivity on the system is important and our partnership with Rogers is one way we are working to have a reliable and sustainable network in place.
Stay tuned for more info about more LTE service coming to our Expo and Millennium lines.
One of our top priorities is to make sure you get to and from your destination safely! Watch the video above to learn all of the best ways to stay safe while using the SkyTrain.
Here are our top five tips and tricks to a smooth journey:
Slow and steady
Don’t run for the train. Trains come quite frequently and there will be another one along in just a few minutes!
On the platform
Always stand behind the yellow line on platforms and wait at the Designated Waiting Areas as they are designed to provide added safety and security. Safety features you can find at Designated Waiting Areas are: enhanced lighting, a red emergency telephone that will connect you directly to the SkyTrain Control Centre, a bench and they are monitored by closed-circuit television.
Hold on!
SkyTrains are moving vehicles! Make sure you hold on to a yellow marked handrail or bar to keep yourself steady.
Know where to find help
In the case of an emergency, you can contact the SkyTrain Control Centre by pressing on the silent passenger alarm. This is a yellow strip located on every window on board the SkyTrain. Triggering this alarm means that help will be on board as soon as possible. You can also use the on board speakerphone that is located on each car near the doors. By pressing the red button you can speak directly to SkyTrain control operators.
FYI: when in doubt, don`t be scared to ask a SkyTrain attendant for help!
Stay onboard!
Trains will stop between stations if something falls onto the track so make sure to stay on board the train and do not exit between stations. The safest place to be in the case of a stoppage is on the train!
Take a look here for more information on the cool safety features that you can find on board the SkyTrain!
If you’ve ever taken the SkyTrain in Metro Vancouver, you’ve likely been a passenger on a Mark I. Making up 40% of our SkyTrain fleet, 114 of our 150 Mark I SkyTrains are currently undergoing a massive overhaul at OMC2, one of our Operations & Maintenance Centres in Burnaby.
Rail grinding on the Millennium Line, from 11 p.m. until the end of service on July 14 and 15, will result in modified late evening service between Renfrew and VCC–Clark stations.
Heads-up Millennium Line passengers! As part of our regular maintenance program, crews will be grinding rails this Friday, July 14 and Saturday, July 15, resulting in modified late evening service.
From 11 p.m. until the end of service, a shuttle train will operate on the Millennium Line between Renfrew, Commercial–Broadway and VCC–Clark stations in both directions. Passengers travelling through Renfrew Station, please allow 5-10 minutes extra travel time to switch between the trains.
Expo Line trains—Waterfront to King George Station and Waterfront to Production Way–University Station—will operate normally. Canada Line is unaffected by this work.
What is rail grinding?
Rail grinding is standard maintenance work that we do on a regular basis on the Expo and Millennium lines, to improve ride quality, reduce noise levels, and extend the rail’s life. A locomotive pulls two trailers that have grinding stones, removing a small amount of steel from the rail to remove surface imperfections and re-profile the rail to improve ride quality.
A short-term side effect of this work is increased noise from anywhere between a few days to a couple of weeks while the freshly ground rail adjusts to the train’s wheels. We thank our neighbours and customers for their understanding while we complete this important maintenance work.
Want more information? Watch translink.ca/alerts for future updates on rail grinding locations.
Links & Tidbits | Tanushree Pillai | 
July 20, 2018 2:19 pm | 
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