Victoria Regional Transit System

[CV92]

10 hours ago, madsad said:

The stopping policy published in the ride guide specifically exempts the SB stop at Boleskine (the 70 stops at every other stop along Douglas). Have you asked BCT about this and pointed out the walking distance? There could be some sort of geometric reason although it is not readily apparent as to what that might be. These walking distances seem quite excessive given that you'd think this transfer would be popular, particularly among UVic students when they resume class. Furthermore, people travelling to/from the ferry are more likely to have luggage or bags.

As Infinorth stated above, it's not just the 70. None of the SB buses coming off of Carey Road service Douglas at Boleskine/Saanich. It's a matter of safety, it's too risky to have buses try to maneuver across 3 lanes of traffic in such a short distance.

[InfiNorth]

23 hours ago, madsad said:

The stopping policy published in the ride guide specifically exempts the SB stop at Boleskine (the 70 stops at every other stop along Douglas). Have you asked BCT about this and pointed out the walking distance? There could be some sort of geometric reason although it is not readily apparent as to what that might be. These walking distances seem quite excessive given that you'd think this transfer would be popular, particularly among UVic students when they resume class. Furthermore, people travelling to/from the ferry are more likely to have luggage or bags.

I'm well aware of their stopping policy. I have pointed out the specific walking distances, lack of sidewalks, uncontrolled traffic crossings and elevation changes between stops as well as how it basically dissuades Gordon Head residents from being able to use the 70/71/72 since the 39 runs so infrequently it might as well not exist most of the time. Here is the exact message I sent to BC Transit, and their response was basically "we'll forward this to our planning department."
 

Quote

Hello, This is not about a specific incident, but about a choice that BC Transit has made that could affect mobility and accessibility. In short, stop 100551 should still be served by the 70, 71, 30, 31, and 32. As someone who lives in the Gordon Head area, I am frustrated by but generally understanding of the lack of connections between my home and the 70/71/72 routes. I recognize that the demand is low. However, frequency is not my concern. It is journey times and transfer time. On outbound trips, it is easy enough to make a transfer that requires under 100m of walking between the 26 and the Swartz Bay-bound buses, at Saanich at Douglas. Inbound trips, however, present a serious issue. Due to BC Transit's decision to reroute the 70 from Blanshard through Uptown (as it had previously operated), the nearest southbound 70 stops to the route of the 26 are at Carey/Ravine and Douglas/Cloverdale. The former requires a 560m transfer that involves great elevation change over the Galloping Goose viaduct and 70m on a road that has no sidewalks and truck traffic. The latter requires a 410m transfer along one of Victoria's busiest streets on a sidewalk that isn't wide enough for two wheelchairs or mobility scooters to pass one another, and crosses seven uncontrolled crosswalks, intersections, and driveways before putting you at a stop for the 26 to Gordon Head. The same issue is present for the 30, 31, and 32. I know this has been long and rambling, and I don't know if I'm the only person who has expressed frustration about this decision on BC Transit's part. I am able-bodied and in good enough health to make this absurd transfer, but many are not, and this would be a deterrent. Asking passengers to choose the slow, nausea-inducing 72 to make this transfer is not a solution in my view. I am in favour of transit priority signals and would be happy to see more of them, but the one at Carey/TCH has caused transfer problems for the routes using it. Thanks.

Used literally every character you were allowed to use on their feedback forms.

13 hours ago, CV92 said:

As Infinorth stated above, it's not just the 70. None of the SB buses coming off of Carey Road service Douglas at Boleskine/Saanich. It's a matter of safety, it's too risky to have buses try to maneuver across 3 lanes of traffic in such a short distance.

And that's why I included in my above statement my support for transit priority signals but that I did not believe the one at Carey/TCH was appropriately designed.

[InfiNorth]

What's the deal with the daily, rolling trip cancellations? BC Transit has virtually halved the 26 for the whole day today. Same with the 24, pretty much all evening trips are cancelled. Why is this still happening? Are there still staffing shortages that are that bad? I'm frustrated because I missed the once-an-hour connection to the 75 because the bus just didn't show up this morning.

[SomeIslandKid]

Can't wait for the fall when UVic and Camosun are back in person. It'll be some fun chaos. Bonus points, they need to do the normal large increase in service hours to have enough capacity wooooooooo

Hopefully all those training buses I've been seeing is a good sign. A month hopefully will be enough time to get more people trained and ready, and presumably less people will be wanting to take time off compared to the summer. Not sure how successful they'll be, but hopefully it will improve substantially.

Edit: I wonder how much transit staffing issues can be traced back to the housing shortage/crisis. Stuff's really broken here, it shouldn't be harder to find housing than it is to get a job yet here we are where it is.

[Dane]

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! 

[Community Shuttle]

53 minutes ago, Dane said:

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! 

This demo was spotted at VTC recently

[Express691]

20 hours ago, Dane said:

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! 

Spotted it myself while I was riding route 70 on Friday in Sidney. It was sitting on a flatbed truck near the Sidney Fire Hall//Winspear centre

[Dane]

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

[InfiNorth]

19 hours ago, Dane said:

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

If you go a few pages back I think you might find a comment from a user (transit operator) who has schedules going back a good amount of time. Can't remember the username.

[InfiNorth]

BC Transit is not listing the 16 Uptown Express in their service changes document... has the route been cancelled altogether? I know that the 16 is a segment of the planned future RapidBus along Douglas to UVIC via Uptown, but it seems like a poor decision to not reinstate it as both highschools and UVIC are returning to class. 

[ygk]

The #16, despite being an express route, wasn’t all that much faster than the #26 if riding between Uptown to UVic.
With the negligible time difference, perhaps service would overall be better if the route instead added coverage, perhaps via Tattersall-Blenkinsop-Cedar Hill X

[InfiNorth]

2 hours ago, ygk said:

The #16, despite being an express route, wasn’t all that much faster than the #26 if riding between Uptown to UVic.
With the negligible time difference, perhaps service would overall be better if the route instead added coverage, perhaps via Tattersall-Blenkinsop-Cedar Hill X

We certainly need better crosstown services in general. Right now our entire system is set up for (understandably) commuter-oriented services. That being said, the 16 was nice because you didn't go down Saanich. The other thing is that BC Transit was supposed to implement a frequent route along Admirals-McKenzie. That hasn't gone anywhere from what I've seen.

[InfiNorth]

Good news everyone - the 2 no longer continues down Newport, instead it goes down a back alley and then drives across someone's lawn. 

[SomeIslandKid]

There's a bunch of unlisted 26 trips that just appear on the live tracking apps, but not the website. They said in one of the commission meetings that they're doing unlisted service and that the official published schedule is the "minimum" (Lololol) service standard. Lets them deal with the staffing issues, and unexpected demand. There was like a 26 every 6 minutes from Uptown to UVic when I was going to campus yesterday, made for a nice transfer (until McKenzie congestion made the bus like 15 minutes late, should've took the 4...)

[InfiNorth]

One of the XN40s has flipped into the ditch in the early morning heavy rains near Thetis... that are of the highway also claimed one of the brand-new buses in the last snow storm. 

Edit: Thanks to @Oc4526 for the link here: https://www.goldstreamgazette.com/news/transit-bus-crashes-into-ditch-en-route-from-victoria-to-langford/

[ygk]

Anyone able to make sense of this service advisory for today (or was it yesterday)?

Due to construction, following route will be on detour, start of service on Monday September 21st between 8:15 to 1pm.

7 Downtown - from Fairfield, Left-Blanshard, Left-Courtney, Right-Quadra, Left-Fairfield to West bound Regular Rout.

https://www.bctransit.com/victoria/schedules-and-maps/alert?id=1529713760163

[InfiNorth]

22 hours ago, ygk said:

Anyone able to make sense of this service advisory for today (or was it yesterday)?

Due to construction, following route will be on detour, start of service on Monday September 21st between 8:15 to 1pm.

7 Downtown - from Fairfield, Left-Blanshard, Left-Courtney, Right-Quadra, Left-Fairfield to West bound Regular Rout.

https://www.bctransit.com/victoria/schedules-and-maps/alert?id=1529713760163

I guess you missed BC Transits investment boost into trans-warp portals in the city centre to alleviate detour delays. I have to agree, that's certainly a good trick.

[InfiNorth]

There are still bus stops on Willingdon at W. Saanich by the airport where the 83 used to connect to the airport. I've reported the confusingly misplaced stops to BC Transit, as it was my understanding that they usually remove bus stop signs when a route is discontinued.

[Joshuamumble]

Dennis Trident 9002 is now retired, it's for sale on Govdeals: https://www.govdeals.ca/index.cfm?fa=Main.Item&itemid=14&acctid=18902&fbclid=IwAR2HkKu27suvexOq-phaVZegDxITrNkKnwFDzWzY5H1SF8I9aQiiiH9Fs4s (not my photos, for proof only)

[InfiNorth]

Looks like Tsawout will finally be served by 70, 71, and 72 buses after years of them flying through the intersection without stopping. Project includes queue (hate that word) jumper lanes, assuming similar to the NB one at Sayward. On that note, wondering when we're going to see improvement to SB at Sayward and NB at Halliburton since there is room at the latter and it would be really great for busier times on that stretch. I still can't believe we don't have a jumper lane SB at Halliburton where the giant paved non-lane runs down the middle of things.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/transportation-infrastructure/contracting-to-transportation/highway-bridge-construction/unofficial-tender-documents/project-no-16881-0000

[Dane]

Last night I saw Instagram video of a Decker on fire. But it was unclear if it was a reshare of old footage or something new. Anyone have any idea if there was a major fire last night? (Saturday November 13)

[InfiNorth]

4 hours ago, Dane said:

Last night I saw Instagram video of a Decker on fire. But it was unclear if it was a reshare of old footage or something new. Anyone have any idea if there was a major fire last night? (Saturday November 13)

Got a link? Maybe someone had money to burn and bought that bus on GovDeals (it sold for $10k or something low like that).

[Dane]

Unfortunately it was a story and gone now! I'd ask around at transit but I'm away for seven weeks.

[InfiNorth]

Noticed today that there is fading red paint on the curb at Bowker and Hampshire EB. What bus would have previously served this? Did the 2 Willows used to run up Foul Bay onto Bowker (whereas it goes up Monterey currently?)

[ygk]

6 hours ago, InfiNorth said:

Noticed today that there is fading red paint on the curb at Bowker and Hampshire EB. What bus would have previously served this? Did the 2 Willows used to run up Foul Bay onto Bowker (whereas it goes up Monterey currently?)

11 Uplands night route (to UVic) via Cadboro Bay Rd, Bowker Ave, Beach Dr, Estevan Ave, Thompson Ave