Dane

Does anyone have access to a system map / schedule for 1973? Specifically December if I am able to get that specific

On Thursday night there was a battery 40ft Nova cruising around downtown with several people in it, presumably from BC Transit. Sorry meant to post earlier but it was very late and was exhausted!

Because in that specific case, from where I quoted originally for clarity, involved a suggestion of using infrastructure in a manner for which it isn't currently utilized. Trolley buses are unique enough an RFI would absolutely need to state "trolley".

Where is the Uptown Exchange supposed to be located?

The RapidBus plan, which is actually ten years old (if not more?) was refreshed today. I haven't had a chance for a deep dive, but nothing too exciting. The West Shore route continues the get-off-the-Highway and into Colwood diversion which, IMO, will continue to stunt growth from the main developing areas in Langford. But I'll take slow progress over none! Edit: forgot the link! https://www.bctransit.com/documents/1529712854568

Got privatized quick, think it was an inside leak. Same as the official account post @Oc4526kindly posted - just up a few hours earlier!

I can't take any credit for finding this: https://www.instagram.com/test111114332/ VIA's first Charger! I like the look. Hopefully we will see a more unified look to the fleet in the coming years - it's getting pretty rainbow-era-esque and the poor Canadian consist is a victim to too many ideas.

Same for me; I was a sporadic rider, maybe four round trips a month before Covid-19. Since I've taken one trip where I couldn't figure out an alternative (that was reasonably priced), to the ferry terminal for my one trip to Vancouver in the last 14 months. Until and including March 10, 2020, I went to Vancouver about three times a month. Can't say I care much for these durastic albeit necessary changes in life.

9753 is now owned by the Transit Museum Society.

My train nerd circle seems to be buzzing that the new WCE locomotive was purchased in January, but no idea what it was? Any random F59-varients hanging around Vancouver?

It'll be presumably used and protect the fleet while rebuilds are happening. Almost asssuredly similar in cost to leasing for a long period, particularly right now with a high availability in the locomotive supply market. That was the plan from late 2019 anyways, which I stumbled earlier today upon Googling from a couple posts up where my memory erred. Even with six units from time to time they still needed Via to get them power. If I were WCE/TransLink I would be worried about the sustainability of Via as a back up, and WCE needs hear end power so can't rely on freight units (or need a generator car).

I swear that refurb is a rehashed announcement, in fact, didn't it already go to RFP? Edit - my memory failed me. The previous contract was to define work need, which was done. But the refurb is a natural consequence of that.

Please, join me in foaming hard: https://youtu.be/TOZdzbDpftI

I have no idea on unit number - maybe it's the one photographed above - but there's been a new decker there for a couple weeks. Hopefully they're on the road soon!

Not that I've traveled in a while, for work or any purpose really... But, those check in terminals were my frequent flyer pro-timesaver to avoid lines in the airport! Rest in peace, mild convenience.

I'm hopeful for them. While "normal" seems distant, I'm cautiously optimistic we have a normal-ish summer ahead for us. I think Wilson's business model is such that even without international tourism a reasonably vibrant local economy could keep them going.

Hypothetically Vancouver should start the trolley replacement program next year, as in the bureaucratic part of the process with a Request for Proposals in 2023ish. I haven't been following too closely, but am making a semi-educated guess that the process will be delayed because the fleet now is generally underutilized and consequently "low mileage" (all things being equal, of course). That's going to be a hard choice about what to procure next. I think literally everyday the trolley is less likely, but definitely not out of the running. I think the biggest danger to the trolley pragmatically when compared to full electric is the lack of manufactures. Even with the really low cost of energy and relatively low cost of infrastructure, the loss taken on really high purchase price drives the per km cost of a trolley up a lot. Three high purchase price coming from funding manufacturers design costs. That said, as of a couple years (that is the last time I saw credible Vancouver specific data) ago even with that the trolley fleet still was the cheapest to own & operate over a lifetime which is impressive.

This of course isn't Edmonton a decade ago. The current discussion is not diesel vs trolley. Trolleys are like rail vehicles in their lack of flexibility, but of course, aren't actually rail vehicles and don't bring the type of high volume ridership that rail infrastructure brings. Communities develop around rail - we've seen this on all the SkyTrain/Canada Line routes. Trolleys conversely support neighborhoods, but don't build them. Flexibility is far more important for a bus. I'm not anti-trolley. But every passing year this argument that they're future proof become more and more asinine.

I can't seem like to "like" right now, so here's a The trolley is the only viable green solution nonsense is a CPTDB tradition of sorts. If I had more energy I'd find my similar debate of four years ago when the idea of a battery bus was insane. And while I do think we are jumping on that technology a little quickly, it's coming and broadly showing an ability to work. Trolley infrastructure is invasive, expensive, and limits development flexibility along the bus routes. Any fixed service asset is also inherently efficient, and in the case of trolleys demand that some backup capacity exist for what are often relatively minor detours or public events. Trolleys are great. They're very likely not the future. We do ourselves a disservice as a community to be so inflexible in our views of evolution.

I was wondering when the green would go away, and they'd just become normal. Think this is an oversight, awaiting work, or the new normal?

Yeah. I'm figuring that 9308 answer above had got to be it. Forgot the route number now, but did have a number displayed cruising down Yates.

Yesterday an older generation Nova passed me on Yates. I'm bad with Nova generations, but one with the half back window unlike every other Nova in Victoria. I didn't catch a fleet number, unfortunately. It wasn't a Cowichan Valley unit. I knew for a while we had 3 (?) Of these older Novas but I hadn't seen one in months. Has this unit been here all this time, or is it a recent arrival?

Just had a chance to look. So I think it's the Alberta - RMR - Vancouver Olympic Committee joint venture launch, where Alberta had a sponsorship and advertising thing going on with RMR. Tried to Google my suspicions and couldn't find the launch date of that. But it is my semi-educated if not exhausted memory guess. Shortly after a couple of their bilevel dome cars got Alberta wraps.

Is there a way to change the site theme on mobile view? Really struggling to see things right now. (Edit - figured it out, bottom of page drop down menu) Thanks for the hard work updating though, no doubt a mostly thankless!

To the second question maybe training, but definitely group sales and meetings. For the first - do you have a link? I have a suspicion it's Olympic related, and a local train that didn't really go anywhere.