Welcome Vistors to Vancouver - Prepare to be Gouged!

[lightrail]

This is a warning to all people planning on visiting Vancouver and arriving at YVR after January 18th. You will be gouged if you decide to ride SkyTrain to downtown Vancouver. A $5 surcharge will be added to the ticket price when you buy a ticket from any machine on Sea Island. on a weekday, this will cost you $8.75 for a single trip to downtown Vancouver.

If you are travelling with two or more people, I recommend you just get a cab, it will be cheaper than taking the SkyTrain.

If you are staying in the region for a day or week, go to the 7-11 in the lower level of the domestic terminal and buy a daypass or book of tickets. This will eliminate the need to pay the $5 surcharge. The $5 surcharge only applies swhen buying a ticket from the ticket machines at the stations.

If you think this fare structure is ridiculous, l write to Translink and let them know what you think.

Write to 1600 - 4720 Kingsway
Burnaby, BC V5H 4N2

Or go to the Translink website and fill out the on-line form.

What do other people think? Is it good to charge non-residents $5? This is a Translink decision and the money goes to Translink, not the airport. Remember too that the airport paid $300 million for the construction of the line, so I'm baffled why airport travellers are expected to pay more to use the line.

Is it good to price the line in such a way that a taxi is a cheaper alternative?

There is a history of gouging air travellers at YVR. The PCL bus from Victoria is $5 more expensive from the ferry to the airport than from the ferry to downtown Vancouver. The Whistler bus from the airport costs around $55, but go downtown, and you can get a bus to Whistler for around $26. So gouging air travellers is nothing new, it is just really really sad.

[vanman]

WTF. So you think a cab into downtown from the airport is gonna be cheaper than $8.75?

[ckkelley]

Much ado about not much.

[Yume-sama]

This isn't exactly a *new* thing. Didn't we know this before they broke ground on the Canada Line ?

And is spending $9 on a Day Pass really better than spending $8.75, assuming most people will just stay Downtown?

You would have to travel with 5 people to make it the same price as a taxi to Downtown. And then, you couldn't all fit in the taxi.

[CLC]

$8.75*2 = $17.5 for taxi, how far that can get you to? possibly some hotels at Broadway?

[Yume-sama]

Originally Posted by CLC

$8.75*2 = $17.5 for taxi, how far that can get you to? possibly some hotels at Broadway?

It costs me between $32 - $40 depending on the time of day to get to Robson / Richards from YVR.

[Pinion]

Originally Posted by CLC

$8.75*2 = $17.5 for taxi, how far that can get you to? possibly some hotels at Broadway?

Not even close to Broadway with any traffic. Even without traffic.

I'd be all for charging all Canada Line users more if it meant the rest of us who live closer to the city could get adequate transit service. ie using all three perfectly good seabuses. But of course that won't happen.

[sacrifice333]

Originally Posted by CLC

$8.75*2 = $17.5 for taxi, how far that can get you to? possibly some hotels at Broadway?

It even costs about $25 from Broadway & Fir at 4:30AM...

It's not a gouge... get over it.

Wouldn't you rather non-frequent transit users pay a little extra?

I paid the same thing in NYC when getting to their transit system from the airport...

[BCPhil]

And the $5 charge is in exchange for simplicity.

The original proposal was a bit convoluted and required to much action on the part of the rider, interrupting flow and increasing travel time. You had to visit a machine on the way to the airport to buy an add fare, and you had to visit a machine even if you already had a pass. Actually convoluted is an understatement.

This is truly the most simple solution available.

As I've said in another thread, this isn't an add fare because it doesn't really add anything. It's like a tariff or a fee. It only applies to cash/debit/credit purchases at TVM terminals on Sea Island. Any other valid fare is accepted.

And in return to a tiny ding on tourist and one time riders (really, $5 is a gouge now?) the rest of us locals who pay into the system on a continual basis get a simpler life. And not only that, but for those who need it, travel between stations on Sea Island is free.

And anyone who wants to can go down to the basement of the airport and pick up a book of faresavers from the store there. That might not be a good deal if you don't need them all (IE taking the train downtown staying downtown only a few days, then back to the airport) so it is up to the consumer to inform themselves before they arrive. If a tourist is used to taking transit and is going to use it around Vancouver, they can go get a faresaver book or day pass and save themselves $5 (or more if they are in a group or use all the tickets).

And speaking of cabs, the last time I cabbed to the airport was from 70th and Granville area, and that short trip was almost $20. I don't think I've ever made it from Downtown to 70th in under $30. I made a middle of the night trip from waterfront to the River Rock a few weeks back and that trip alone was $38 with no traffic (my car was parked there because I Trained to downtown in the evening). And depending on the time of day, the Canada Line makes better time to the Financial district and Waterfront from YVR.

Yeah, the fee might be a bit much if you are a group of 4 going only so far as the River Rock Hotel, but otherwise I think a cab will always be more.

So $5, personally, seems like a deal to me.

[DKaz]

I had to take a cab from a broken down 98 B-Line just after King Edward to the airport, still cost me $33 or so, don't remember if that was before or after tip.

Yawn. Close thread.

[tybuilding]

I am all for it. We knew that this surcharge was going to happen. I am just glad that I can avoid it. I thought this was implemented already when I went to the airport 2 weeks ago, but seeing nothing on the ticket machines downtown I realized not.

I supposed they just could of added it to the airport improvement fee charged on the tickets. Then there is no avoiding it.

[AlexYVR]

Yep, in favour of the surcharge. As someone in another thread said, this is pretty common practice around the world and a good way to fund a transit system while keeping things affordable for travellers and tourists. $8.75 is a bargain to get into Downtown and if you're travelling with enough people that a cab would be cheaper, you've probably got too much luggage to corral onto a Skytrain anyway.

[SpongeG]

dude lightrail you gotta get out more

[flight_from_kamakura]

lightrail - it's $5 for the jfk tram to the subway, $5.50 surcharge for bart to/from sfo, and considerably more than that to get to lhr on the tube. so in context, vancouver's $5 charge does seem high, especially considering the real costs here. and for vancouverites, it may seem an annoyance compared with the surcharge-free bus service that the little tram thing (oh yeah, the canada line *wink) replaced. but still, it's not unusual that such a fee would exist.

that said, thanks for the reminder of the 18th implementation on that (i be flying in from portland on the 20th) and thanks for the tip about that day pass. that'll definitely be happening for this one here.

[AlexYVR]

Originally Posted by flight_from_kamakura

lightrail - it's $5 for the jfk tram to the subway, $5.50 surcharge for bart to/from sfo, and considerably more than that to get to lhr on the tube. so in context, vancouver's $5 charge does seem high, especially considering the real costs here. and for vancouverites, it may seem an annoyance compared with the surcharge-free bus service that the little tram thing (oh yeah, the canada line *wink) replaced. but still, it's not unusual that such a fee would exist.

that said, thanks for the reminder of the 18th implementation on that (i be flying in from portland on the 20th) and thanks for the tip about that day pass. that'll definitely be happening for this one here.

. . .and if anyone ever tried to ride a packed 98B to the airport and then transfer to a 424 with any sort of luggage - you know how worth the extra 5$ is.

[DKaz]

Originally Posted by AlexYVR

. . .and if anyone ever tried to ride a packed 98B to the airport and then transfer to a 424 with any sort of luggage - you know how worth the extra 5$ is.

Especially when a 98 gets sideswiped by a motorhome and you end up having to fork over $33 for a cab anyway.

[lightrail]

Originally Posted by flight_from_kamakura

lightrail - it's $5 for the jfk tram to the subway, $5.50 surcharge for bart to/from sfo, and considerably more than that to get to lhr on the tube. so in context, vancouver's $5 charge does seem high, especially considering the real costs here. and for vancouverites, it may seem an annoyance compared with the surcharge-free bus service that the little tram thing (oh yeah, the canada line *wink) replaced. but still, it's not unusual that such a fee would exist.

that said, thanks for the reminder of the 18th implementation on that (i be flying in from portland on the 20th) and thanks for the tip about that day pass. that'll definitely be happening for this one here.

Okay - I'm out numbered.

In the examples provided, there is an alternative - i.e. a bus. JFK is served by buses in addition to SkyTrain.

I suspect the Airport Authority doesn't like the add-fare either. They're quick to distance themselves from it (calling it TransLink's add-fare) and advertise the fact you can buy tickets and passes at the 7-11 in the airport terminal.

Canada Line AddFare in effect January 18, 2010
January 8, 2010 10:30 AM

As of January 18, 2010 all transit users travelling on the Canada Line leaving Vancouver International Airport will be subject to a $5 AddFare in addition to the regular zone fare. Anyone using pre-paid fares, such as DayPasses, FareCards, FareSaver Tickets, U-Passes, Employer Passes and the BC Government Bus Pass Program will be exempt from the AddFare.

DayPasses, Monthly FareCards and FareSaver Tickets are available for purchase at the 7-Eleven and Pharmasave in the Domestic Terminal, Arrivals Level, 1.

The AddFare is being levied and collected by TransLink. The Airport Authority will receive no portion of the money collected from the AddFare.

For more information about the TransLink AddFare or Canada Line service, visit TransLink‘s website http://www.translink.ca

London England has the Underground and Heathrow Connect (regular fares, no surcharges) in addition to the Heathrow Express (premium fare).

[mrjauk]

The fare is reasonable. You don't have to take the Skytrain into downtown, if you don't want to. Moreover, on our way back to the airport for your trip home, you do not have to pay the add-on fare.


By the way, when I saw the thread title, I thought you were going to mention the cost of dining, or souvenirs, or private accommodation.

[cornholio]

Not everyone goes downtown and I think some of the prices that people are giving here are way out of line. During rush hour sure, outside of rush hour not so much. Factor in the convenience, time saved and door to door service and I simply dont see how anyone can justify taking the Canada line. That is unless their going to a location downtown, during rush hour, have almost no luggage, are alone, place a low value on their time and are going to a location close and within a walking distance of a station.



I mean most of you people are missing most of the costs in taking the Canada line.

Personally I will continue to drive and pick up drop of people, its quicker, cheaper, and more convenient.

Edit: Some examples

Driving to the Wall center = 18minuits.
Using the Canada line and walking = 42 minuits
= 24min lost at a average income of $25 per hour that = $10
$18.75 for transit.
now factor in the fact that your time when your on vacation is even more valuable, say it costs you $1500 for one week with plane tickets, etc. to be in Vancouver. Thats about $8 for every hour your in Vancouver, so add another $3.20 for the wasted 24min.
so we are at $22 for transit.

Now being on vacation do you really want to A) drag your luggage on to the train, drag it through downtown to your location, in a city you dont know and with the added stress and hassle of likely not knowing the city etc. to save a measly $8.
Didnt think so.

Now imagine there are two of you.

$44 for transit with the hassle VS
$30 for a Taxy and no hassle.

[spaceprobe]

remember that if you use prepaid faresavers.....you don't need the extra 5 dollars.

And it just so turns out that the pharmasave inside the airport sells faresavers.

Thus....if the locals know how to get around the fare....then the $5 surcharge really is just a surcharge on tourists who would mostly not care much about the $5.