Transit Service Discussion (Articulated/Conventional/Shuttle/Skytrain/Seabus)

[Express691]

December Service Changes are LIVE. Schedules are still being finalized though. Wonder what the frequency of the new 143 will be.

http://www.translink.ca/en/Schedules-and-Maps/Transit-Service-Changes.aspx

 

[neopasturquoise]

Every 10-15 minutes from 6am to 10pm, but still runs on weekdays only: 

http://infomaps.translink.ca/Public_Timetables/129/tt143.pdf

[Express691]

38 minutes ago, neopasturquoise said:

Every 10-15 minutes from 6am to 10pm, but still runs on weekdays only: 

http://infomaps.translink.ca/Public_Timetables/129/tt143.pdf

Im hinting at 40 footers for this service. Right now its 20 off peak and 10 peak. The new 143 is 10 peak 15 off peak, with peak frequency starting earlier. 

Gonna do some more digging up tomorrow.

In the meantime,

160 is every 15 minutes throughout

[nname]

3 hours ago, Express691 said:

Im hinting at 40 footers for this service. Right now its 20 off peak and 10 peak. The new 143 is 10 peak 15 off peak, with peak frequency starting earlier. 

Gonna do some more digging up tomorrow.

In the meantime,

160 is every 15 minutes throughout

I don't see a reason not to put articulated bus on the 143...  They are expecting an increase of ridership for the route, so I think it would most likely fully articulated (as oppose to about 70% peak and 100% mid-day right now). Weekend schedule were briefly added to 143, but removed shortly after (with planned peak frequency reduced from 8 to 10min too)

Based on the bus bay assignment, the 160 will use only 40 footers. No way an articulated bus fit any of the assigned bay besides Coquitlam Station bay 12.

Peak service for 701 was reduced from 10 (planned) or 12 (current) to 15min... I'm expecting the route would be close to fully articulated too.

The 175 must be at least a 40 footer, maybe even articulated.. as it now need to take the load of C40 and 159 Meridian at only 40% of the combined frequency... it is been assigned to an articulated bay too.

Other than these and the 150, I don't see any other route would be a candidate for articulated bus...

As for 40 footer or shuttle... its so hard to tell now...

[8800GTX]

^ That is the Dec 19 to Jan 1 schedule, so there may be additional trips when school is actually in session.

[neopasturquoise]

Not likely, here are the temporary changes during that period.

[ThatBusGuy]

Worth noting that the service updates specify "high-capacity, all day service"? To me that would indicate artics in order to be high-capacity

[nname]

1 hour ago, 8800GTX said:

^ That is the Dec 19 to Jan 1 schedule, so there may be additional trips when school is actually in session.

I've checked the January sheet, and all Tri-Cities and Ridge Meadows route are using the exact same schedule.

The initial schedule was to have the 143 running every 12-15min peak for Dec and 8min peak for Jan. Now its 10min peak both sheets.

[Express691]

Digging up other changes: Note that the Translink Website never mentions service frequency increases/decreases.

104 additional AM M-F trip at 5:27am
151 Peak service reduction from every 20 minutes to every 30 minutes flat, late night service extends to every 30 minutes until 1am/2am
152 Additional EB early morning trip via Chilko
153 Peak service increase from every 30 minutes to every 20 minutes
156 Additional late night round trip
157 Sunday/Holiday service increase from every 60 minutes to every 30 minutes, last bus departs at 11 instead of 10
169 reduce to every 30 minutes every day
181 schedule seems to be mis-displaying the 180 schedule.
188 service starts much earlier and ends well past midnight, peak service increase to every 15 minutes.
791 Eastbound frequency reduction from every 20 minutes to every 30 minutes (1 trip removed)
N9 additional trips between Coquitlam and Lougheed

Bold = Unlisted
Italicized = Clarified

9 hours ago, ThatBusGuy said:

Worth noting that the service updates specify "high-capacity, all day service"? To me that would indicate artics in order to be high-capacity

In the 188s case, I know that all mid-day trips are being turned into 40 foot. 

[Express691]

Phase one of the 10-year transportation plan has been approved. That's 3 super exciting sheet changes in a ROW.

http://www.cknw.com/2016/11/23/phase-one-of-10-year-transit-and-transportation-plan-approved/?sc_ref=twitter

[neopasturquoise]

“Increased Canada Line service during high-demand times - Starting January 2017” - it’s about time.

[cleowin]

As it is official, do we now expect Translink to defer retirements of D40LF's in the mean time until 2018?

Does this mean that the XN40's coming to HTC will simply be additions?

My guess is BTC is going to have to move the 26-29/130 to HTC in exchange for the 125 (since BTC will be receiving XDE60's in 2017) with also BTC moving out its 2007 Nova Fleet to STC, my guess is that most of the 98's/99's will move to HTC until 2018, while STC gets some newer busses to work with. There is nothing to replace the 2007 Nova's at BTC, my guess is the 2018 order will include some XD40's and XN40's, perhaps with XD40's moving to BTC to replace the 07 Nova's?

[Stormscape]

Do we know the breakdown of the 50 new train cars? How many are going to Canada Line and how many to SkyTrain?

[Blue Bus Fan]

26 minutes ago, Stormscape said:

Do we know the breakdown of the 50 new train cars? How many are going to Canada Line and how many to SkyTrain?

I believe seven more Mark III for Expo, Millennium lines and eleven more trains for the Canada line. 

[GORDOOM]

33 minutes ago, Blue Bus Fan said:

I believe seven more Mark III for Expo, Millennium lines and eleven more trains for the Canada line. 

I think that sounds right.

1 hour ago, cleowin said:

As it is official, do we now expect Translink to defer retirements of D40LF's in the mean time until 2018?

Well, they'll have to - though the "no expansion" capital plan originally figured on replacing all the D60LFs by the end of 2017, so if any of them can have enough chewing gum applied to hold them together another couple years, that will help a lot. I mean, they're newer than the D40LFs planned for retirement, but they've also been more heavily used. Any thoughts from guys working in the garages? Or are there any left around here?

[Stormscape]

the 26 27 28 and 29 are really far from VTC, compared to BTC. Hell the 28 even goes right past BTC. Seems illogical to have it run out of VTC.

[cleowin]

10 minutes ago, Stormscape said:

the 26 27 28 and 29 are really far from VTC, compared to BTC. Hell the 28 even goes right past BTC. Seems illogical to have it run out of VTC.

Vtc has no room while htc has tons of room. Id only free up those routes until btc can get some new xd40's down the road, but until then, btc will have a shortage of busses on hand. 

[Marlow1331]

Regardless. 22 needs to go to RTC.... well. It would be nice atleast , it can only help, RTC seems more useful for freeing up space at VTC, 26,27,28,29 Can stay at BTC, let's not piss of the senior drivers, and while your at it, why not transfer the 15/50 to RTC aswell? Anyways forget this nonsense. I never said anything. 

[GORDOOM]

I agree that #22 to RTC makes sense, though HTC could work OK too. Question, though: what about running the #49 out of HTC? Would that be any better for deadheading than RTC was?

[Brando737]

1 hour ago, GORDOOM said:

I agree that #22 to RTC makes sense, though HTC could work OK too. Question, though: what about running the #49 out of HTC? Would that be any better for deadheading than RTC was?

Best option for the 49 is to be at VTC.  Deadhead time isn't to bad to either end and operator relief is close.  Deadhead from HTC to UBC would be an easy route, but to much can happen to delay it on Hwy 91 or the Oak St bridge.  Deadhead to/from VTC has no bridges to cross.

As for the 22 going to RTC, that would not be a great option.  Traveling from RTC to either Dunbar loop or Knight loop for relief would take to long.  HTC could manage, but only if they kept it seperated the way it is now.

[GORDOOM]

I think keeping the #22 split makes sense anyway - the combined route was too long and too prone to bunching and gapping.

My question is more: assuming there's no new garage on the North Shore, how do you make room for more buses / more artics in Vancouver? VTC and BTC are both full... something's gotta give!

[Express691]

Id say PCT is the one giving. Lose all/most of their artics to BTC for the 95 and that should free up some space. Perhaps the 101 can go back to PCTC or something. Maybe also send back 125 to BTC. Then send 130 to HTC.

[Blue Bus Fan]

8 minutes ago, Express691 said:

Id say PCT is the one giving. Lose all/most of their artics to BTC for the 95 and that should free up some space. Perhaps the 101 can go back to PCTC or something. Maybe also send back 125 to BTC. Then send 130 to HTC.

PCTC will most likely get more 60 ft bus when Lougheed Highway B-line starts operation.

[nname]

TransLink had released the GTFS for December and January sheets... Now it seems like PCTC may lose most or ALL the artics, as I do not see any particular block that is suited for articulated bus, except maybe all six 143 blocks, one for 151, and a couple more for 701 (including one that runs all the way to mission)

 

My guess of bus type using clues from the interlining:
Shuttle routes all day:
153, 170, 171, 173 ,174, 175, 181, 182, 184, 185, 186, 187

Shuttle route except one run:
172

Shuttle route off-peak:
157, 180, 189

Conventional all day:
151, 152, 156, 159, 160, 169, 183, 188, 701, 791

Not interlined with any route for any of the trips:
143, 191

The four Mission trips seems to be using regular bus (ie. not Orion). It would use 4 different buses, and are coming to/from regular 701 trips - one block is solely 701 while the other three interline with some or all of 183, 188, 189... the two evening trips will be the last run of the block

 

Doesn't seems like any of the four nightbuses from downtown would be articulated anymore, as they come from four different routes that interlines with probably everything else:

2:09am is coming off of 152, which also runs 156, 169, 701 earlier
2:29am is coming off of 160
2:49am is coming off of 188, which also runs 180, 183 earlier
3:09am is coming off of 701, which also runs 180, 152, 156, 169 earlier

[Stormscape]

The most ridiculous part about the bus changes is most neighbourhoods of Coquitlam will have better late night bus service than me and I live near BCIT. I'm convinced that TransLink just hates Burnaby or something. 9 years and I still can't get home by transit after 1am.