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

[nname]

Schedule by region PDF are posted.  I wonder if we'll ever see the individual route schedule again...

https://www.translink.ca/schedules-and-maps/schedules-by-region

 

Did they make printed schedule for this sheet, or have to wait till September for the first one?  I always wonder how they're going to print the Surrey schedule as they're 54 pages now.  I thought the total pages need to be in a multiple of 4, so 40, 44, 48, 52, 56 pages...

[rickie22]

2 hours ago, nname said:

Schedule by region PDF are posted.  I wonder if we'll ever see the individual route schedule again...

https://www.translink.ca/schedules-and-maps/schedules-by-region

Scanned through some of them today, and noticed that the 255 no longer goes to/from Dundarave in the evening. Was this not listed in the current changes, or was it announced previously, and I didn't see it then?

[Express691]

8 minutes ago, rickie22 said:

Scanned through some of them today, and noticed that the 255 no longer goes to/from Dundarave in the evening. Was this not listed in the current changes, or was it announced previously, and I didn't see it then?

I don't think it ever went that far west past 22:00, even before R2/240

[Michael Marriott]

7 minutes ago, rickie22 said:

Scanned through some of them today, and noticed that the 255 no longer goes to/from Dundarave in the evening. Was this not listed in the current changes, or was it announced previously, and I didn't see it then?

Those late evening trips on the 255 have never gone to Dundarave, and are themselves a relatively new addition.  Pre R2, the 255 ended service around 8 or 9 in the evening, at the time of the last trips to Dundarave.  The Park Royal to Capilano University trips from 9pm to 1am were added on the April 2020 sheet as part of the R2 service integration.

[rickie22]

9 hours ago, Michael Marriott said:

Those late evening trips on the 255 have never gone to Dundarave, and are themselves a relatively new addition.  Pre R2, the 255 ended service around 8 or 9 in the evening, at the time of the last trips to Dundarave.  The Park Royal to Capilano University trips from 9pm to 1am were added on the April 2020 sheet as part of the R2 service integration.

Thanks for clarifying. When I last saw the timetable for the 255, service ended between 20:00 and 21:00. I didn't realize the late evening service has been running for a year now…

[ygk]

13 hours ago, nname said:

Schedule by region PDF are posted.  I wonder if we'll ever see the individual route schedule again...

https://www.translink.ca/schedules-and-maps/schedules-by-region

 

Did they make printed schedule for this sheet, or have to wait till September for the first one?  I always wonder how they're going to print the Surrey schedule as they're 54 pages now.  I thought the total pages need to be in a multiple of 4, so 40, 44, 48, 52, 56 pages...

Around 2000, the Richmond booklet had a huge TransLink logo to fill a blank page on the back. If they wanted to TL could probably expand some of the timetables as well. 

[8010]

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/translink-transport-2050-rapid-transit-expansion-options
 

Transport 2050 Phase 2 is finally up. Basically, your two choices for the future of rapid transit are a bunch of SkyTrain extensions and a few BRT/LRT routes or a few SkyTrain extensions and a bunch of BRT/LRT routes. Oddly enough, the only Richmond to Expo Line route I see is the Victoria Drive route.

[Express691]

There a are a few constants such as 2nd Narrows SkyTrain, Hastings SkyTrain + shortened R5, UBC/Willingdon SkyTrain, and more

 

[8010]

9 hours ago, Express691 said:

There a are a few constants such as 2nd Narrows SkyTrain, Hastings SkyTrain + shortened R5, UBC/Willingdon SkyTrain, and more

 

IMO the PoCo extension should’ve been kept as a constant since it doesn’t look like there’s any routes serving PoCo in Network B. Also, I think Highway 99 should at least be on Network B.

[DarkKeyo]

On 4/20/2021 at 8:28 AM, Express691 said:

There a are a few constants such as 2nd Narrows SkyTrain, Hastings SkyTrain + shortened R5, UBC/Willingdon SkyTrain, and more

 

It's very strange having struggled to get around in the area for years and then have them say they're going to build what i would spent all that time in the unmoving bus wishing they would build. I thought they would go for the western route, even with the complicated hydrography

[8010]

I think they could do a combination of Networks A and B. I think 49th Ave will need RapidBus even after 41st Ave SkyTrain is built. I can’t really see them doing much, if any light rail as I doubt people would want a faster streetcar in this day and age. Fixed rails on roads today in Metro Van is not a very logical solution, maybe Arbutus Greenway to Waterfront, but even then the narrow roads in Gastown will not be able to handle vehicle traffic and light rail.

[InfiNorth]

7 minutes ago, 8010 said:

I think they could do a combination of Networks A and B. I think 49th Ave will need RapidBus even after 41st Ave SkyTrain is built. I can’t really see them doing much, if any light rail as I doubt people would want a faster streetcar in this day and age. Fixed rails on roads today in Metro Van is not a very logical solution, maybe Arbutus Greenway to Waterfront, but even then the narrow roads in Gastown will not be able to handle vehicle traffic and light rail.

Agreed, as long as we don't see implementation of congestion tolls in the core. Driving in Vancouver at peak is absolutely horrendous right now.

[brianc1981]

I have said for years even before the skytrain to Coquitlam that they should take the Skytrain and turn it into sort of a hub and spoke network. What I mean by that is they should build a line that runs say along highway 1 and then from there they could build a branch that services Coquitlam, or Langley or places like that. Could have a branch that goes down 152nd and 176th and 200th and maybe even 232nd in the future. Because it is to late for something like that to have been built as it would have needed to be done when the Millennium line was being built and the new Port Mann so it could have been added on there. 

Now I think they need to take the skytrain and run it through Port Coquitlam and then into Maple Ridge. Then from there you could improve transit service in Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge as well as run the 701 that goes to Mission a lot more often and then you can connect the transit network in the valley to the rest of the region on both sides of the fraser. As for skytrains on major corridors in Vancouver such as 41 and 49, I believe that on those routes just express buses with bus priority lanes and signals will work out. As there will be a skytrain to Arbutus along broadway and eventually to UBC. Where I would be pushing for a skytrain priority is the plan to build to North Vancouver. My thought on that is build from downtown Vancouver over the second narrows corridor (new bridge for cars, refurbish old bridge for skytrain) and then send it past Phibbs and into lonsdale Quay and over to Park Royal. It would take a little longer for those coming from downtown to Park Royal but it gives an additional and much needed service. Because I truly do not believe you will see a replacement to the Lions Gate Bridge anytime soon and 3 lanes is not nearly enough. 

The only other thought I would have to improve service on the North shore would be to replace the second narrows with a wider bridge, and then make it so all vehicle traffic taking lions gate bridge automatically flows into West Vancouver, not North Vancouver. Then you could run buses into North Vancouver over the Lions Gate Bridge. That way the transit service can improve going into North Vancouver. I know it would suck for those that live near Capilano to have to go all the way across to the other bridge but then it might convince more people to take transit. And with the Seabus able to run 10 minute frequency at 400 people per sailing, that can be 2400 people per hour in each direction on the Seabus. Plus running the articulated buses on routes like the 240 and possibly running that at 10 or so minutes you can really increase the transit service going into North Vancouver until there is a skytrain that can run out there. Also with a skytrain going along Hastings into North Vancouver the buses that operate from SFU would only need to travel to the skytrain and feed people to the train. Also Kootenay Loop would be able to be closed and the routes could all be adjusted to connect with the skytrain. 

Also with the skytrain scheduled to be built to Fleetwood and Langley would there really be a need for a skytrain heading to Newton? I know they are 2 totally different areas but could there not be additional bus service implemented that could feed the skytrain from areas like Newton and even White Rock? I would think running a couple of super express style routes to feed the skytrain would work. Such as a bus that runs on 152 only stopping at White Rock Centre and perhaps at highway 10 where that big shopping area is and then terminating at the skytrain at Fraser and 152. There could even be express buses that operate from White Rock to King George Station via Newton. Especially if it operates along King George only and does not turn to go into Newton Exchange. The walk from 72nd to an already crowded Newton exchange is only 2 minutes or so. So for most people that wouldn't be much of an issue. This way the Newton/Guilford Rapid bus can be modified also. I feel with skytrain going to Fleetwood/Langley that a bus going across 152 from Guilford to connect to the skytrain would be a better choice then running up and down 104th or 108th. Even the bus service that operates to Fraser Heights could terminate at 152/Fraser Station. Or if there are 2 routes to service Fraser Heights one can operate like the existing route and the other can go to 152 station. 

Also for a little out of the box thinking to improve service in both Burnaby and New Westminster, is instead of a skytrain operating along Willingdon or even an LRT, there should be more express buses. A rapid bus that operates all day going from Cap U to Phibbs, Brentwood, BCIT and Metrotown. It should operate with Stations so to speak for the stops, and at those Stations other bus routes could service them to shorten routes up or to increase connections across Burnaby. In New West I feel that there needs to be a bus that operates from 22nd Street Station over to Edmonds via 20th St, as there is a decent population that lives along there and routes such as the 101 could even be modified to service Edmonds. The 129/133 route could also be modified as well. I feel that route could be modified to operate as an overlap to the 123 along Canada way and instead of Edmonds it could service New West Station, and then there could be a new route that services the missed portion of the route from Edmonds to Canada Way and could actually head to Brentwood. That way they could technically replace the 123 route as it exists today or be reduced down to less frequent straight through service. 

I feel that all the additional skytrain planning with the exception of skytrain to the North Shore or to Port Coquitlam and Maple Ridge is not feasible but, having rapidbus service would make more sense and then this way more routes can be modified to connect to the rapidbus network and then we can improve services all over the region. 

I feel like I may have gone on a lot but I think there are a lot of things Translink is looking at that are not always the best solutions especially when you look at the growth in ridership in places like Surrey/Langley, or when you look at the growth in population out in Surrey, Langley, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows and even out in the valley such as Abbotsford, Mission and Chilliwack. 

 

[GoCanGo]

18 hours ago, 8010 said:

I think they could do a combination of Networks A and B. I think 49th Ave will need RapidBus even after 41st Ave SkyTrain is built. I can’t really see them doing much, if any light rail as I doubt people would want a faster streetcar in this day and age. Fixed rails on roads today in Metro Van is not a very logical solution, maybe Arbutus Greenway to Waterfront, but even then the narrow roads in Gastown will not be able to handle vehicle traffic and light rail.

These stupid streetcar ideas are usually pitched every decade but the economics never make sense. Buses are going to become cleaner (fully electric and efficient) and potentially automated in the future which really doesn't justify digging trenches, buying up large lots of lands and development of maintenance yards, rails and wiring. 

Been to multiple other cities across the globe. The way I see it, planners here often confuse streetcars and true light rail systems. Light rail often runs down wider ROW's independent of streets for the most part and have limited stops. Skytrain is a form of LRT that runs on an elevated structure that minimizes impact on roads. Putting streetcars down major E-W and N-S corridors in Vancouver is something that should never be recommended when buses practically do the same thing and can detour around potential hazards. This region doesn't really have many ROW's to build more Skytrains and will be forced to tunnel and underground network across many areas which may not be worth it.

LRT will work down the old Marpole Spur and on the Arbutus Corridor. The latter I feel will probably never be utilized as a LRT corridor due to the narrowness of the ROW north of  King Ed. 

Even then, how serious is Translink about LRT? One looks at the North False Creek spur connecting the Olympic Village and Granville Island. Grade separated, infrastructure was all in place at one point to Science World. New ties and track were laid out with new electric lines and Translink and the COV rightfully deemed it was practically worthless to run the line when the #50 provided equal service.

[Express691]

Regarding Transport2050:

The meeting minutes for next week's mayors council minutes are out now. 
https://www.translink.ca/-/media/translink/documents/about-translink/governance-and-board/council-minutes-and-reports/2021/april/agenda_mayors_council_public_mtg_2021_04_29.pdf

Low Carbon Fleet Strategy and Transport2050 are the main topics

Graph on page 51 suggests that Network B is a more favourable choice over Network A based on projected ridership, coverage, construction greenhouse gases, cost effectiveness among other factors.

Page 44 has a more interesting story, and I'll quote some discussion on Skyscraper page:

Quote

Where would the extra ridership come from if a rapid transit is built to serve on a corridor that projected to have less than 1000 pphpd?

Quote

Network B's numbers also seem to be counting on massive amounts of TOD which 1) may not come, or 2) may come with Network A regardless.

Quote

Network B seems somewhat reliant on developing corridors themselves rather than develop larger town centres. Said corridors might not be able to support rapid transit in the first place.

 

[Express691]

375 northbound now calls at bay 7 at white rock centre, not bay 5

jk that's temporary (sorry)

[8010]

According to the Alerts page the western terminus for the 23 moved across the street on WB Davie @ Bidwell. Not sure if it’s temporary or not but since it’s not back at Morton Ave after the new bike lane along Beach Ave was put in I’d assume that it’s not going back to Morton Ave, which makes the route one step closer to finally using conventional buses.

[Vancouvers Trolleys]

Alerts again? Has them hacks been resolved?

[8010]

6 hours ago, Vancouvers Trolleys said:

Alerts again? Has them hacks been resolved?

Hopefully, it’s almost been five months. It looks like there’s some new alerts for today for a few other routes.

[InfiNorth]

I'm sure the question has been asked before, but are there any plans for a future station on the Canada line station around Nelson and Granville? The distance and gap between Yaletown and Vancouver City Centre is really awkward, especially when considering the distance between Burrard and Granville, and other stations like Olympic Village and City Hall. 

[8010]

59 minutes ago, InfiNorth said:

I'm sure the question has been asked before, but are there any plans for a future station on the Canada line station around Nelson and Granville? The distance and gap between Yaletown and Vancouver City Centre is really awkward, especially when considering the distance between Burrard and Granville, and other stations like Olympic Village and City Hall. 

AFAIK there’s no provisions for any future stations in the bored portion of the tunnel.

[Michael Marriott]

14 hours ago, 8010 said:

According to the Alerts page the western terminus for the 23 moved across the street on WB Davie @ Bidwell. Not sure if it’s temporary or not but since it’s not back at Morton Ave after the new bike lane along Beach Ave was put in I’d assume that it’s not going back to Morton Ave, which makes the route one step closer to finally using conventional buses.

This is the new permanent terminus as part of the reconfiguration of Beach Ave.  Also of note is that the EB 23 returns to Beach Ave after over a year of running via Davie. 

[Express691]

4 hours ago, 8010 said:

Hopefully, it’s almost been five months. It looks like there’s some new alerts for today for a few other routes.

The "No SMS alerts" warning has also disappeared (from the alerts page)

[8010]

On 4/2/2021 at 1:16 PM, 8010 said:

I could be wrong but it looks like they may be putting up a WB stop at Marine @ Columbia St, I’m only guessing because there’s a pole and it looks somewhat freshly paved, the stop placement doesn’t make much sense unless the Marine Dr upgrades are going to heavily affect the 3 and 100.

For some reason only the 100 is serving the stop, not even the N8 or N20 are serving it. The stop looks like it can handle artics and the wires before the switch haven’t changed. Basically the wires go from lane 2/3 (can’t tell which lane they’re in) to lane 1 roughly 80 feet before the switch.

 

Edit: NightBus routes serve the stop as well.

[Express691]

The R5 stop WB at Gilmore will only serve the R5 hereon out, the 130 160 and N35 services will move 1 block west to MacDonald Avenue (though I'm unsure if it's nearside or farside at MacDonald. Will assume it's nearside because there's a fire hydrant farside)