Jump to content

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


cleowin

Recommended Posts

My question re: the Fraser Highway B-Line is: what happens to the #503? Does it run non-stop from Surrey Central to Langley Centre? Terminate at Langley Centre? (My recommendation would be to run non-stop to/from Surrey Central during rush hour and terminate at Langley Centre otherwise.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

59 minutes ago, GORDOOM said:

My question re: the Fraser Highway B-Line is: what happens to the #503? Does it run non-stop from Surrey Central to Langley Centre? Terminate at Langley Centre? (My recommendation would be to run non-stop to/from Surrey Central during rush hour and terminate at Langley Centre otherwise.)

Looking at the case of 337/509 and its relation to the 096, it seems like that would be the most logical. Despite 337 (especially) running non-stop between Guildford and Surrey Central, the amount of time being saved is insignificant, and 96 is by far more popular than the 337 in terms of premium service between GTC and Surrey Central. Personally I would have 503 operate in similar fashion as the 337 - Half of all peak hour trips run to and from Surrey Central. 

 

That being said, the consultations come out April 3 after the long weekend so maybe we might learn more about 503 service (and integration for local alternatives in general). 

 

Fraser Highway B-Line has a LOT of anticipation as that corridor is the next to receive Rapid Transit service.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Continuing to run 503 as a super-express during peak hours, or as a B-Line alternative such as the 501 is today (and the former 48X/49X routes), would make the most sense. Unfortunately it seems that TransLink's intention is to actually take the Surrey Central-Langley segment and convert it into a local route. Way to gimp the 503.... this will greatly diminish its regional role due to a far slower trip or an added connection to get to BC Transit's route 21 in Aldergrove...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, 8800GTX said:

Continuing to run 503 as a super-express during peak hours, or as a B-Line alternative such as the 501 is today (and the former 48X/49X routes), would make the most sense. Unfortunately it seems that TransLink's intention is to actually take the Surrey Central-Langley segment and convert it into a local route. Way to gimp the 503.... this will greatly diminish its regional role due to a far slower trip or an added connection to get to BC Transit's route 21 in Aldergrove...

The Surrey-Langley corridor will still need local service, and it's true that it's better to have multiple buses doing this to back each other up.  The 503 could fit this purpose very well. And the regional connector role has switched to the 66fx, for better or worse. Better to make more connections line up with the 66fx, or to extend that route (such as by merging it with the 555, and providing some trips to/from Surrey Central rather than Lougheed).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, Large Cat said:

The Surrey-Langley corridor will still need local service, and it's true that it's better to have multiple buses doing this to back each other up.  The 503 could fit this purpose very well. And the regional connector role has switched to the 66fx, for better or worse. Better to make more connections line up with the 66fx, or to extend that route (such as by merging it with the 555, and providing some trips to/from Surrey Central rather than Lougheed).

do the 502 and 503 run the same route between Surrey Central and Langley? If so, couldn't the 502 be local and 503 be non stop between Surrey Central and Langley then local from Langley to Aldergrove?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Translink69 said:

do the 502 and 503 run the same route between Surrey Central and Langley? If so, couldn't the 502 be local and 503 be non stop between Surrey Central and Langley then local from Langley to Aldergrove?

Yes they do in fact run the same route between Langley Center and Surrey Central Station. Only difference is the 502 is the local route and the 503 is an express service route between Langley Center and Surrey Central Station. The 503 currently does pick ups towards Langley Center and drop offs going towards Surrey Central Station. East of Langley Center the 503 does local service towards Aldergrove. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Translink69 said:

do the 502 and 503 run the same route between Surrey Central and Langley? If so, couldn't the 502 be local and 503 be non stop between Surrey Central and Langley then local from Langley to Aldergrove?

The problem with that is people would try to sneak on the 503 and overcrowd it just to get to Langley, and not take the new B-Line at all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Translink69 said:

do the 502 and 503 run the same route between Surrey Central and Langley? If so, couldn't the 502 be local and 503 be non stop between Surrey Central and Langley then local from Langley to Aldergrove?

Next time, consult a route map via Google or something.

7 minutes ago, Ninja Bus Fan said:

Yes they do in fact run the same route between Langley Center and Surrey Central Station. Only difference is the 502 is the local route and the 503 is an express service route between Langley Center and Surrey Central Station. The 503 currently does pick ups towards Langley Center and drop offs going towards Surrey Central Station. East of Langley Center the 503 does local service towards Aldergrove. 

Also slight variation in routing between S.Central and K. George Stations in both directions

2 minutes ago, Large Cat said:

The problem with that is people would try to sneak on the 503 and overcrowd it just to get to Langley, and not take the new B-Line at all.

502 isnt really that full upon approach to Langley Centre - I'd say bus is nearly empty as far west as 64th going eastbound (regardless what time it is). Unless 503 changes its form of operations I doubt that will be an issue. A lot of Langley around Fraser Highway is mixed industrial/retail from what I know. Langley Centre is just a hub for thrift stores in reality. Not much tourist attraction (aside Willowbrook Mall?) pulling riders east.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

I wanna save my comments on stop placement until the consultations come out. But in a nutshell, theyre about 184th Street & Salish Secondary, 164th/168th at the Rec Centre, Fleetwood Centre, and 152nd/148th Streets.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/7/2018 at 9:30 PM, Stormscape said:

503 should definitely be mostly short turned at Langley Centre, and unless Aldergrove has had a population boom I'm not aware of, it could probably switch to Community Shuttles.

What about them continuing on as B-Lines during peak, as additional service?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Large Cat said:

Nname, do you have more details about the Vancouver and B-Line service increases in April? I can't find where you posted them and still can't get the schedule lookup thing working for myself. Thanks!

95 - There are alot of little changes.. there are a lot of additional short-turned trips (from BTC to Burrard, or from Burrard to Kootenay Loop) added all days of the week, a few removals as well. Running time adjustment throughout the days too, but there should be about 6-7 additional trips each direction, but none of them are full-length... or maybe just 1...

96 - No change

99 - No change

And there's no B-Line route added or deleted.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, nname said:

95 - There are alot of little changes.. there are a lot of additional short-turned trips (from BTC to Burrard, or from Burrard to Kootenay Loop) added all days of the week, a few removals as well. Running time adjustment throughout the days too, but there should be about 6-7 additional trips each direction, but none of them are full-length... or maybe just 1...

96 - No change

99 - No change

And there's no B-Line route added or deleted.

It's good to hear that. That part of the 95 route is very crowded. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hopefully those running time adjustments will allow for the realization of those B-Line time savings. Enough times now I've been on the 95 coming from the SFU only for it to arrive at Kootenay Loop a little early and end up waiting there for several minutes before continuing. I think because the 95 is essentially still following the 135 schedule for run-time, but it is obviously much more reliable making fewer express stops (with an FTN 160 also relieving some of the passenger volume).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, 8800GTX said:

Hopefully those running time adjustments will allow for the realization of those B-Line time savings. Enough times now I've been on the 95 coming from the SFU only for it to arrive at Kootenay Loop a little early and end up waiting there for several minutes before continuing. I think because the 95 is essentially still following the 135 schedule for run-time, but it is obviously much more reliable making fewer express stops (with an FTN 160 also relieving some of the passenger volume).

The B-Lines really should be using headway-based management, not running on a conventional paddle. If you need to use step-back operators to cover breaks, do it.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

June Service Change

Route changes only... Some of them are quite surprising that they re-use the numbers as we thought they gave up on that...

310 - Scottsdale/Ladner Exchange
322 - Newton Exchange/Scottsdale
370 - Cloverdale/Willowbrook
562 - Langley Centre/Walnut Grove
563 - Langley Centre/Fernridge
564 - Langley Centre/Willowbrook
743 - Haney Place/Maple Meadow Station/Meadowtown
744 - Haney Place/Maple Meadow Station/Meadowtown
748 - Thronhill/Haney Place
749 - Ruskin/Haney Place

-----------------------------------------------

Also, not part of the June sheet, there are the 091 (Fraser Hwy B-Line!), 719, and 722...

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

36 minutes ago, nname said:

June Service Change

Route changes only... Some of them are quite surprising that they re-use the numbers as we thought they gave up on that...

310 - Scottsdale/Ladner Exchange

322 - Newton Exchange/Scottsdale

370 - Cloverdale/Willowbrook

562 - Langley Centre/Walnut Grove

563 - Langley Centre/Fernridge

564 - Langley Centre/Willowbrook

743 - Haney Place/Maple Meadow Station/Meadowtown

744 - Haney Place/Maple Meadow Station/Meadowtown

748 - Thronhill/Haney Place

749 - Ruskin/Haney Place

 

-----------------------------------------------

Also, not part of the June sheet, there are the 091 (Fraser Hwy B-Line!), 719, and 722...

91 B-line was supposed to be the B-line going down 41st, but looks like that is not the case anymore.  What is intriguing is how there is substantially more information about this B-line as opposed to the other 3, and how this one is already in the scheduling system ahead of the rest. I wanna hint at possible pressure from Surrey City council to have it running ASAP.

 

Back on topic, 310 is a route number we havent seen in 17 years. It was cancelled in 2001. It was a route that went in reverse to Scottsdale//Tilbury Industrial from Vancouver in the AM and into Vancouver in the PM. 

 

560 561 from C60 and C61 are absent - Possible deletion or reconstruction? Same with 719 and 722 hinting at splitting of the C41.

 

That being said, once 91 is complete, there should be a push to have the 320 increase to 10 minutes peak. It would be a key connector for 91 customers wanting to go along 152nd street and into Guildford. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

C41, C60/C61, and C45/C46 would need the reconstruction similar to other looping routes...

719 and 722 are indeed the splitting of C41... 719 is the southern portion, and 722 is northern. Splitting point is at Meadowtown and South Bonson; 719 connect at Maple Meadows and 722 at Pitt Meadows only.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, Express691 said:

91 B-line was supposed to be the B-line going down 41st, but looks like that is not the case anymore.  What is intriguing is how there is substantially more information about this B-line as opposed to the other 3, and how this one is already in the scheduling system ahead of the rest. I wanna hint at possible pressure from Surrey City council to have it running ASAP.

 

The only reason there's more information about the Fraser Highway B-Line is because a Councillor from Langley City shared the Translink presentation to the council on his blog (that I happen to follow).  There's been similar presentations to the city councils of other municipalities served by the other new B-Lines, as the mayor of Pitt Meadows had some comments about the proposed routing of the Lougheed Highway B-Line.

https://www.mapleridgenews.com/news/mayor-wants-b-line-bus-to-run-through-pitt-meadows/

Of note, this confirms that Translink wants to have the B-Line stay on Lougheed Highway instead of diverting into Pitt Meadows (allowing it to avoid the two rail crossings the 701/791 encounter).  

There's really nothing suggesting that Translink is making efforts to have the Fraser Highway B-Line start before the others, all of them are at the same stage of planning and they need to wait for new equipment to arrive before they can start operation anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...