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Vancouver general sightings and notes


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2 hours ago, 8010 said:

Apparently they're all going to Blanca today but they're still displaying 14 UBC. Not sure what the point of doing that is.

That's because the signs are automatically set by the TMAC system. If there is a scheduled detour and/or short-turn, two messages pop up on the TMAC to alert the operator. The first one gives the location of the first stop affected, along with the message "Please change destination sign manually." The second one contains turn-by-turn reroute information.

The problem is that most of the time, if there is a scheduled short-turn, the message does not pop up on the TMAC until the bus is nearing the first stop affected by the routing change, so unless the operator remembered to change the sign manually before leaving the opposite terminus, the sign in this case would still be showing "14 UBC" instead of "14 To Blanca" for the entire length of the route. This happened with the 49s on the day of the Vancouver Marathon. All westbound 49s were rerouted via southbound Cambie to Marine Drive Station, and then returning to regular route via westbound Marine, northbound Granville to eastbound 49th and Granville. For the first hour or two, most of the 49s were still displaying "49 UBC", likely until some of them noticed that I had my sign set to "49 LANGARA / 49TH STN". :P 

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16 minutes ago, MCW Metrobus said:

That's because the signs are automatically set by the TMAC system. If there is a scheduled detour and/or short-turn, two messages pop up on the TMAC to alert the operator. The first one gives the location of the first stop affected, along with the message "Please change destination sign manually." The second one contains turn-by-turn reroute information.

The problem is that most of the time, if there is a scheduled short-turn, the message does not pop up on the TMAC until the bus is nearing the first stop affected by the routing change, so unless the operator remembered to change the sign manually before leaving the opposite terminus, the sign in this case would still be showing "14 UBC" instead of "14 To Blanca" for the entire length of the route. This happened with the 49s on the day of the Vancouver Marathon. All westbound 49s were rerouted via southbound Cambie to Marine Drive Station, and then returning to regular route via westbound Marine, northbound Granville to eastbound 49th and Granville. For the first hour or two, most of the 49s were still displaying "49 UBC", likely until some of them noticed that I had my sign set to "49 LANGARA / 49TH STN". :P 

Are destinations such as Langara-49th pre-programmed into the system even though they are not actually used on signs normally, or do you have to enter the text in manually? A while ago I saw a 351 South Surrey Park & Ride and I've been wondering ever since

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35 minutes ago, ThatBusGuy said:

do you have to enter the text in manually? A while ago I saw a 351 South Surrey Park & Ride and I've been wondering ever since

I know 351 South Surrey Park & Ride is in all the buses. A specific slacker/former user around here used it quite a bit :lol:

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52 minutes ago, ThatBusGuy said:

Are destinations such as Langara-49th pre-programmed into the system even though they are not actually used on signs normally, or do you have to enter the text in manually? A while ago I saw a 351 South Surrey Park & Ride and I've been wondering ever since

Going through my code list, 49 Langara-49th Stn is pre programmed, code 1523.

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2 hours ago, ThatBusGuy said:

Are destinations such as Langara-49th pre-programmed into the system even though they are not actually used on signs normally, or do you have to enter the text in manually? A while ago I saw a 351 South Surrey Park & Ride and I've been wondering ever since

There are codes for destination signs that are only ever used for short-turn or special routings. The 49, for example, has several, including three that all mean essentially the same thing. Those three are as follows:

49 TO CAMBIE

49 LANGARA

49 LANGARA / 49TH STN

There is also a sign for "49 TO 54TH & KERR", which was sometimes used as a short-turn before the routing through Champlain Heights was discontinued. This usually meant turning left from Tyne to 49th westbound, rather than turning right to head towards Metrotown. At least, that's how I did it anyway. There is a code for "49 49TH & MAPLE" which must at some point have been used for a Magee school special. (The same special still exists going the other way; there's a tripper that cuts in at West Boulevard heading eastbound, two sheets ago it would cut right in front of my run.) And, there is a code that simply proclaims "49 SPECIAL". No idea if that's still used or not.

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3 hours ago, translink said:

Currently no train service north of Marine Drive to City Hall. So far seeing 8069, 8074 and 12007 as bridge shuttles. 

Service is now back to normal after a track issue at King Edward station

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3 hours ago, Michael Marriott said:

All the stops along Powell/Dundas have been replaced with the new signs.  However, there is an amusing error; every single westbound stop from Nanaimo to Main has "Unloading Only:Suburban Service" on it, even though the 210/211/214 only serve a few stops.

And the stop on Burnaby Mountain pkwy and Burnwood ave going up the hill ( the first stop) still has a route 135 on it. 

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14 hours ago, Michael Marriott said:

All the stops along Powell/Dundas have been replaced with the new signs.  However, there is an amusing error; every single westbound stop from Nanaimo to Main has "Unloading Only:Suburban Service" on it, even though the 210/211/214 only serve a few stops.

My guess is they are implementing drop off service to all stops for the North Van routes coming in.

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17 hours ago, Express691 said:

adding on, it wouldn't make sense to add them since VTC does not operate any all-door-boarding routes/stops

That's true but all of the trolleys have rear door Compass readers as well, I guess they're for the people who feel like getting on at the back and the 1 all-door boarding stop at Main & Terminal. (not sure if that's even an official all-door boarding stop) I've also seen people queue up for the 20 like it's an all-door boarding route and the driver opened all the doors.

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6 hours ago, 8010 said:

That's true but all of the trolleys have rear door Compass readers as well, I guess they're for the people who feel like getting on at the back and the 1 all-door boarding stop at Main & Terminal. (not sure if that's even an official all-door boarding stop) I've also seen people queue up for the 20 like it's an all-door boarding route and the driver opened all the doors.

The only reason there are rear door readers is because they wanted to have a tap out, but that's not done anymore.  As the new HEV's start coming in, you might notice several more buses missing rear readers.

The 20 is just a lost cause.  We're not allowed to allow all door boarding on anything except the B-Line's and 145, but with the 20 the people don't care and will board at whatever door they want so most drivers just use rapid mode to make the day easier.

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1 hour ago, Brando737 said:

The only reason there are rear door readers is because they wanted to have a tap out, but that's not done anymore.  As the new HEV's start coming in, you might notice several more buses missing rear readers.

The 20 is just a lost cause.  We're not allowed to allow all door boarding on anything except the B-Line's and 145, but with the 20 the people don't care and will board at whatever door they want so most drivers just use rapid mode to make the day easier.

As you are writing about the 20, have you noticed any improvement in regularity following the introduction of layover time downtown?

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3 hours ago, martin607 said:

As you are writing about the 20, have you noticed any improvement in regularity following the introduction of layover time downtown?

I haven't driven the 20 in years, I just hear operators talking about it when I've done the 100 and on operator Facebook groups.  

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7 hours ago, Brando737 said:

The only reason there are rear door readers is because they wanted to have a tap out, but that's not done anymore.  As the new HEV's start coming in, you might notice several more buses missing rear readers.

The 20 is just a lost cause.  We're not allowed to allow all door boarding on anything except the B-Line's and 145, but with the 20 the people don't care and will board at whatever door they want so most drivers just use rapid mode to make the day easier.

And then there's the 620 :mellow:

The land of rear door boarding and threatening to complain if you don't accept their BC Transit DayPass...

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8 hours ago, martin607 said:

As you are writing about the 20, have you noticed any improvement in regularity following the introduction of layover time downtown?

As a daily rider of the 20, there hasn't been a significant difference in improvement during peak hours. Bus bunching is still very common, although not as severe as before. Cavalcades of 4-5 buses are much less common. 

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4 hours ago, buizelbus said:

And then there's the 620 :mellow:

The land of rear door boarding and threatening to complain if you don't accept their BC Transit DayPass...

It still perplexes me how after almost 19 years, people still refer to Metro Vancouver transit as BC Transit. It's most evident on their twitter. Perhaps it's related to how any other transit system around this province is called BC Transit.

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27 minutes ago, ThomasW97 said:

Spotted 9543 sitting outside the shops at RTC earlier this morning, more than likely this is the one for the driver familiarization 

Yep there's a notice at RTC that they are getting Novas! The funny thing too is that I talked to a few drivers at RTC and some has never driven a Nova before!

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