Metro Vancouver Bus Discussion

[CLC]

Originally Posted by SFUVancouver

Even in the middle of the day on a Monday with the buses running every four or five minutes the articulated trolley bus is still comfortably full.
.

I too used the new articulated trolley #20 today. It is certainly no longer the case it is running every four or five minutes. The translink brochure already stated that the bus frequency during peak hour is decreased by 3-7 minutes. The waiting time is actually now about 8-12 minutes during daytime. Today my experience was after bus leaving 41st is standing room only, and the bus has to pass over waiting customers at some stops just like in the past. Every stops near major intersection has clearly huge number of waiting customers than before (even the 33st). A ride from 49th to Richard & Hastings took me 50 minutes (I normally should have changed to Skytrain at Broadway). I even walked out again along Victoria Drive after I am back home to see how worst it has become, and I witnessed what I expect, a chain of three articulated trolley arrived together. In conclusion (just for today), waiting time takes longer, time for each stop is much longer, and the trip itself obviously takes longer.

There is also some chaos understandably with the bus driver being foul-worded by some customer who think the drive skip over the stop, as at least two stops at Victoria Drive are now removed.

btw I am new registered member just to share my experience with the new #20 service

[deasine]

Wow didn't know that. Welcome to the forums. I'm not surprised if they remove a few stops as some might not be compatible with the artics.

This is after all the first time running artics in service for the #20 and I think they'll improve soon [or at least I hope so]

[nname]

There's indeed 3 stops that's being removed as noted here

[WarrenC12]

I was out driving around during the afternoon rush yesterday, which is rare for me. I was in on East Broadway, around Kingsway, Main, etc. Anyway, I noticed a few things.

1) There are a lot of buses out, going everywhere. Trolleys, articulated trolleys, etc.

2) They are all packed.

I don't know what can be done. I saw 3 double length 99s in a row, all with people packed in. What does this say? I would think only rapid transit can deal with this kind of volume.

Not to mention we were all crawling along Broadway at a painfully slow speed.

[worldwide]

we needed rapid transit 5 years ago.... heres hoping we get it by 2020... im not holding my breath

[WarrenC12]

Keep electing the BC Liberals and they promise it will happen....

[deasine]

Since this is the new bus discussion page, I guess I'll post this article here?

April 22, 2008
South of Fraser communities receive lion’s share of new transit services

People living in the communities south of the Fraser River now have more ways to reduce their transportation carbon footprint with more transit service taking effect on April 21. Half of the new service is earmarked for Surrey, Delta, White Rock, the City of Langley and the Township of Langley.

“Residents living in this area have told us they want alternatives to driving personal vehicles,” says TransLink Chair Dale Parker, “but they need service that is more reliable and more frequent, and with a greater chance of getting a seat. The improvements now in place help to give them that.”
New, clean-diesel coaches running on low-sulphur diesel and using diesel particulate filters are replacing older diesel buses. The new buses are quieter and pollute less.
“To produce a public transportation system that truly meets the needs of a community you have to talk to the people who will be using it,” Chair Parker continued. “I would like to thank everyone who participated in the South of Fraser Area Transit Plan for helping us design these new services.”
“Providing our residents with efficient, economical and environmentally friendly transit service is vital to the liveability of the South of the Fraser Area,” said Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts, Chair of the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation. “This service increase is an important step towards ensuring that our resident’s enjoy the same level of service that other parts of the region receive.”
Public input led to more frequent transit routes offering service every 15 minutes or less, 15 hours a day, every day. The proportion of South of Fraser residents living within walking distance (450 metres) of an FTN bus route is gradually increasing. Around Metro Vancouver, 47 per cent of residents will be within walking distance this year, and by 2010, that figure will go up to 50 per cent.
Other service improvements include more Community Shuttle service in a number of areas, including Coquitlam and Burnaby and more frequent trips on increasingly busy routes such as the #98 B-Line, #135 SFU/Burrard Station and #410 22nd St. Station/Railway.
Tourists from here and abroad will enjoy better access to ferries and parks with more frequent service on the #620 Tsawwassen Ferry route, and more Community Shuttle and conventional buses runs to popular beaches, such as Centennial in Boundary Bay, Buntzen Lake and White Pine Beach. SeaBus will operate longer hours on weekends.
In Vancouver, 60-foot articulated trolley buses will run on the #20 Victoria/Downtown, helping improve service. Articulated trolleys will continue to be phased in on Main Street throughout the summer. For more details of the comprehensive service adjustments for April, please visit the TransLink website at www.translink.bc.ca or contact Customer Information at (604) 953-3333..

Source: TransLink

[deasine]

Oh I forgot add this earlier, but did anyone notice that the problems for the #20 still exist even using articulated trolleys. I finally got a chance to ride them today but I was so frustrated seeing that the #20 still travels in packs. I was sitting in a restaurant and I saw three articulated trolley buses past by. That's the most stupid thing ever. I hope they fix this problem.

[finalcoolman]

Forgot to post this, it was broadcast on the Global Final News @ 11pm last Sunday, which was April 20. Sunday, April 20 was the last day of revenue service for the old trolley buses. So don't be suprised if you were wondering why you're not seeing those eyesores anymore. Good ridance. Although they did look just medicore if they were painted in the Translink sweep colour scheme.

[zivan56]

^^ It was mentioned in another thread. Btw, those buses are quite reliable...and will be back for the Olympics in a limited number. I would be surprised if the new trolley buses lasted half of what these ones did.

[deasine]

Originally Posted by zivan56

^^ It was mentioned in another thread. Btw, those buses are quite reliable...and will be back for the Olympics in a limited number. I would be surprised if the new trolley buses lasted half of what these ones did.

You mean "wouldn't" right?

I really like those trolleys - if they were properly restored and cleaned up, maybe a fresh coat of paint [and don't do the blue/yellow livery, do something like the old BC Hydro buses or the historic streetcars: beige/red], they will look as good as new.

[mr.x]

I really like those trolleys - if they were properly restored and cleaned up, maybe a fresh coat of paint [and don't do the blue/yellow livery, do something like the old BC Hydro buses or the historic streetcars: beige/red], they will look as good as new.

I agree....but one big problem is that they aren't wheelchair accessible.

[deasine]

Originally Posted by mr.x2

I agree....but one big problem is that they aren't wheelchair accessible.

Unfortunately so. Would it be possible to install those ramps/elevator thingies without major reconstruction of the bus? Must be expensive though.

Anyway images of the artic trolleys on the #20. I'm still surprised then ran artic trolleys on the #20 before the #3. They arrive on an average of every five to eight minutes during peek hours, or less when buses couple together.


Not In Service Bus ~ Picture by Me ~ Hosted on ImageShack


Not In Service Bus ~ Picture by Me ~ Hosted on ImageShack


#20 Downtown ~ Picture by Me ~ Hosted on ImageShack


See what I mean when buses couple? Argh ~ Picture by Me ~ Hosted on ImageShack


#20 Downtown ~ Picture by Me ~ Hosted on ImageShack


4 Car Mark II [not really bus related but w/e] ~ Picture by Me ~ Hosted on ImageShack


#20 Downtown ~ Picture by Me ~ Hosted on ImageShack

[mr.x]

Originally Posted by deasine

Unfortunately so. Would it be possible to install those ramps/elevator thingies without major reconstruction of the bus? Must be expensive though.

Anything is possible in life, as long as you've got the money to make it happen.


Considering those buses are like 30 years old, I don't think it's worth it.

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by deasine

Anyway images of the artic trolleys on the #20. I'm still surprised then ran artic trolleys on the #20 before the #3.

They run artic trolleys on the #3.

[deasine]

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

They run artic trolleys on the #3.

Not for everytime. Like on the #20, the odds of getting a smaller bus is quite unlikely now, but for the #3, I have had a few times during the week of taking a 40 footer instead of a 60.

TransLink said they will run them fully artic on the #3 "soon"

[Nutterbug]

Is there any reason why they can't have transit buses going up to Cypress and Seymour during ski season? I'm sure there would be enough passenger traffic to support it.

[LeftCoaster]

Cause cypress has its own bus and they dont want their business taken away.

That and it is often quite snowy and poor conditions so a bus route would be very unreliable

[Nutterbug]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Cause cypress has its own bus and they dont want their business taken away.

Their business is mostly in getting as many people up the mountain and buying lift tickets as possible. $18 a ride is going to put a lot of people, mostly youths on a budget, off, and get them going to Grouse or doing something else instead.

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

That and it is often quite snowy and poor conditions so a bus route would be very unreliable

So they could use buses that are fit for the conditions.

[SFUVancouver]

My photo, taken May 5th, 2008.

Astoundingly these buses were all full and there were two more about a minute up the hill.