MichaelD

1 bus fullwrap for 16 months = 50% front of all farecards for 12 months Personally, I'd rather see more fullwrap rather than defacing the cards. As for cases, I can envision buying a case that covers half the card. I can also see some advertisers using the card as a coupon. Since the card is valid for one month, I can see some companies doing a "50 cents off coffee at Starbucks" if you show them your card. Remember the McDonalds had free coffee for a month for everyone as a promotion, this is a lot cheaper.

I understand their desire for more revenue and somewhat agree with selling advertising space (as much as I hate that sample), I think that specific advertising space is worth a lot more than $84,000 per year. From a recent article: $84,000 is perhaps the total cost of one driver, or based on the above about 750 hours of service for one bus. It's a drop in the bucket for the budget. It is not enough money to make any difference, but the impact on people is.... well, I think it would be quite annoying. I don't know how much ad-space normally goes for, but I do know that a TV commercial is millions. McDonalds can afford to pay more in order to put a picture of a Big Mac on a card that I must have in my wallet and look at every day.

Liberal Leadership contender Kevin Falcon says that if he becomes Premiere he will push for increased nighttime Skytrain service. Critics note that he was transportation minister for years and never did this. http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Kevin+Fal...8227/story.html Here is a list of leadership contenders and some of their promises: Kevin Falcon - Increase nighttime skytrain service. Freeze carbon tax (currently set to periodically increase). Mike de Jong - Lower voting age to 16 Christy Clark - Move next election date from 2013 to 2011. Free vote in legislature on HST rather than referrendum. George Abbott - Raise minimum wage from $8 to $10 per hour. Combine seperate police forces. Moira Stillwell - Raise minimum wage from $8 to $10 per hour. Do you agree with Kevin Falcon and would like to see more translink night services? Do you think that one of the other contenders have a better "election promises"?

Captain George Vancouver. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Vancouver Likely chosen because Boston Charlie card, from the song Charlie on the MTA. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CharlieCard But a poor option I agree.

You must image me as a 9 year old, when this technology was being hyped by BC as the revolution in public tranit and Expo was going to show (and sell) it to the world.

Well, it has been 25 years since Skytrain. I remember my first ride on it, the second day it opened. It was... WOW! Mind you, I was a kid back then but this thing was aMAZEing! It used MAGNETS!!! One thing I remember was the Door Open Request buttons. These were on the poles next to the doors and on the outside of the doors. Initially when the Skytrain pulled in, not all the doors opened. You had to push the button (like Request Stop) to get them to open. I remember thinking that it was a really stupid idea, and sure enough they stopped being used and all door always opened automatically. For years later I would look at the little metal plate on the pole covering what was once the button and wonder what they must have been thinking. Read the comments to see more discussion about the button, and other fun stuff. http://buzzer.translink.ca/index.php/2010/...-skytrain-team/ Want to see the Incredible Hulk on the old Skytrain (with buttons). Watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y07Ywx9Zdos Lots of other old pics (orange seabus) on the buzzer posts.

Any opinions about the new Tranlink Fare Card? Did anyone submit any names they thought were particularly good and want to tell us? I 'shotgunned' them with around 20 names. I've seen some things that say that Translink has narrowed it down to four names, although most of that is in tweets and blogs, I've seen nothing from Translink itself and I'm not sure if that is real or not. Otter, Compass, Umbrella, George. http://politicsrespun.org/2010/11/translin...ed-crappy-name/ The company to build them has been chosen. Does anyone have experience with their previous systems and know if they were any good? http://buzzer.translink.ca/index.php/2010/...aregate-system/

Just to note that the Test Bus with Hydrogen + Natural Gas is still running on the 791 route, wrapped in the blue/black stripes.

Do you know when this will take effect? It is a needed improvement, but they still should extend it later in the evening. Whenever I work late (past the last 791) it suddenly adds 30-45 minutes to my commute home (169/701). The online timetable for the 791 appears to have changed (within the last few weeks) but it still has service every 30 min.

Thanks for all the information. Strangely enough though this doens't quite jibe with my memory, although that is often faulty. What I recall is something in 2008/2009. I also don't think the test busses were in that colour scheme. I don't recall what it was, but I think that all models where the same colour - I recall having to read them to determine the fuel. I specifically remember that one of the busses listed Hydrogen as the fuel type (not Hydrogen + Natual Gas). Was this perhaps part of a Phase 3 of the project (mentioned in one of the documents)?

I'm new to the forum, not much a bus aficionado like most here. I'm more interested in routes and schedules rather than the bus model. That being said, I have a question. On one of my regular routes (either the 501 or 591) there was for a year a series of busses labelled "Test Bus" that were using different fuels. Natural Gas, Hydrogen, low sulpher Diesel, etc. What was the test? Who commissioned it? What were the results of the test? How will the results be used?