The Official Transit Thread

[nitronuts]

And the second point really shows that perhaps they didn't think through the construction of that station well enough...

I believe that the mall was built in 1989, three years after the 1986 opening of Expo SkyTrain. The overpass probably wasn't added until well after.....before it was built, the street crossing was what people used until there was so much demand that it required an overpass.

[nitronuts]

If Translink makes routes like 410 or 401 (west of RC exchange) as frequent as 7.5 to 10mins/ bus, then it might be actually faster.

Again, the only people that get screwed out of this RAV line deal are those who live west of Granville and use the 98 to go north/south on a regular basis.

All Richmond routes connecting with the Canada Line will have their frequencies substantially increased.

[BuckyHermit]

If Translink makes routes like 410 or 401 (west of RC exchange) as frequent as 7.5 to 10mins/ bus, then it might be actually faster.

Again, the only people that get screwed out of this RAV line deal are those who live west of Granville and use the 98 to go north/south on a regular basis.

Unless the demand is crushingly heavy, I'm not holding my breath. 401 hasn't improved its 20 min/bus frequency since forever, and asking a doubling of that seems like something far-fetched.

[Violator]

If Translink makes routes like 410 or 401 (west of RC exchange) as frequent as 7.5 to 10mins/ bus, then it might be actually faster.

Again, the only people that get screwed out of this RAV line deal are those who live west of Granville and use the 98 to go north/south on a regular basis.

just be lucky you have good public transit it seems like 90% of translink budget goes into richmond and vancouver.

[BuckyHermit]

I believe that the mall was built in 1989, three years after the 1986 opening of Expo SkyTrain. The overpass probably wasn't added until well after.....before it was built, the street crossing was what people used until there was so much demand that it required an overpass.

All right, I stand corrected. They didn't think through the construction of the overpass. A slightly uphill slope would've been fine.

[BuckyHermit]

just be lucky you have good public transit it seems like 90% of translink budget goes into richmond and vancouver.

Please tell me you're kidding.

Burnaby gets better service than we do.

For all the service "improvements" that are introduced every quarter, Richmond normally gets the short end of the stick (besides 480, but that route's purpose is to serve UBC and Kerrisdale as well, so Richmond can seem like an afterthought at times).

My routes (401 and 491) has not seen any significant service improvements in 5 years, despite ridership seemingly doubling in the past 2-3 years. 401 needs to be upped to 15 mins per bus, badly, yet nothing is being done to that route.

Edited December 24, 2008 by BuckyHermit

[nitronuts]

Either way, a new overpass is needed. The existing one is way too narrow for the crowds it gets, and the lineups for the ticket machines often create congestion at the concourse end of the passarelle. Not only is the overpass way too small, so is the ticketing concourse. The overpass is probably no more than 3-metres wide, it could easily use a doubling in width.....and the ticket concourse size should be doubled as well.

[Common sense]

Unless the demand is crushingly heavy, I'm not holding my breath. 401 hasn't improved its 20 min/bus frequency since forever, and asking a doubling of that seems like something far-fetched.

I don't know. I just fail to see how canceling a crucial express bus (491) while doing nothing to increase frequency in overlapping areas (all along 1 Rd and Westminster) helps in furthering transit in metro Vancouver.

[nitronuts]

just be lucky you have good public transit it seems like 90% of translink budget goes into richmond and vancouver.

In terms of rapid transit, Burnaby as of current has the best service:

No. of current SkyTrain stations

Vancouver: 14

Burnaby: 11

New West: 5

Surrey: 4

No. of SkyTrain and Canada Line stations, 2009

Vancouver: 20

Burnaby: 11

Richmond: 4

New West: 5

Surrey: 4

YVR: 3

No. of Canada Line and SkyTrain stations with UBC extension and Evergreen Line

Vancouver: 31 (33)

Burnaby: 11

New West: 5 (6)

Richmond: 4 (5)

Surrey: 4

Coquitlam: 4

YVR: 3 (4)

Port Moody: 3

University Endowment Land: 1

*brackets indicate future stations being built

[BuckyHermit]

I don't know. I just fail to see how canceling a crucial express bus (491) while doing nothing to increase frequency in overlapping areas (all along 1 Rd and Westminster) helps in furthering transit in metro Vancouver.

Well, since this is TransLink, them burying their heads in the sand isn't that hard to believe either.

Edited December 24, 2008 by BuckyHermit

[High Violet]

Either way, a new overpass is needed. The existing one is way too narrow for the crowds it gets, and the lineups for the ticket machines often create congestion at the concourse end of the passarelle. Not only is the overpass way too small, so is the ticketing concourse. The overpass is probably no more than 3-metres wide, it could easily use a doubling in width.....and the ticket concourse size should be doubled as well.

Another overpass definitely won't hurt, might make life a bit faster. Not sure, but doubling the width seems a bit far-fetched, but it might actually work...

[nitronuts]

Well, since this is TransLink, them burying their heads in the sand isn't that hard to believe either.

Believe me, Translink knows that there are major issues with suburban bus routes.....but they simply don't have the financial resources to run improved service and most importantly buy more buses to run increased service. The suburbs also have a much more complex road system that is not as friendly for operating buses, compared to Vancouver's grid street network and relatively dense neighbourhoods.

[BuckyHermit]

Believe me, Translink knows that there are major issues with suburban bus routes.....but they simply don't have the financial resources to run improved service and most importantly buy more buses to run increased service. The suburbs also have a much more complex road system that is not as friendly for operating buses, compared to Vancouver's grid street network and relatively dense neighbourhoods.

And Richmond doesn't have a grid street network?

[Buggernut]

The current elevator leads you to street level, and then you have to navigate a short stretch of sidewalk, cross the street, make your way through the bus loop safely (which is already a problem because the designated walkway is too narrow for more than one wheelchair), cross a bus loop crosswalk, go up a ramp, and enter the mall.

Whatever they do, I just hope they never install a movator. Those things suck. They move really slow, yet lazy donkey bastards are perfectly content to stand still on them and block passage by taking up the entire width of the belt standing side by side with each other. Stand right, walk left, people!

Anyways, how did you end up with your physical condition, if you don't mind me asking?

[nitronuts]

And Richmond doesn't have a grid street network?

Low densities, cul de sacs for the side street grid system, and the lack of sidewalks are a major problem.

Besides that, Translink has always taken Vancouver as their priority....and rightfully so.

Edited December 24, 2008 by nitronuts

[Buggernut]

And Richmond doesn't have a grid street network?

Only the major streets and near the core.

On the outskirts, the minor streets wiggle around all over the place.

[Buggernut]

Low densities, cul de sacs for the side street grid system, and the lack of sidewalks are a major problem.

But don't you know, some people's tricycle riding and street hockey playing children are more important than others?

[BuckyHermit]

Low densities, cul de sacs for the side street grid system, and the lack of sidewalks are a major problem.

Besides that, Translink has always taken Vancouver as their priority....and rightfully so.

And buses would go into cul-de-sacs, why?

I mean, even the Vancouver buses won't go into residential side streets unless they're weird.

And "low density" isn't an excuse for Richmond, at least. Including the farming areas (!), the population density is over 1,400 people per square kilometer. If you exclude the farming areas, which is probably about 60% of the city's land area (mostly in the east and south), it's certainly much higher.

And yeah, us suburbs are third-world cities with no sidewalks. The only major street with a bus route that really lacks a sidewalk is probably Railway, and that's only on one side of the street (the west side of Railway).

[SlimCanucksFan]

Around 8pm: door problem on train at Patterson Stn. Problem fixed but still delays, though I got off at 29th Ave Stn by 8:14.

But then #26 bus didn't come... it skipped one shift it seemed becaue the 8:47-ish one came and some passengers were waiting when I got off train.

[nitronuts]

And buses would go into cul-de-sacs, why?

I mean, even the Vancouver buses won't go into residential side streets unless they're weird.

And "low density" isn't an excuse for Richmond, at least. Including the farming areas (!), the population density is over 1,400 people per square kilometer. If you exclude the farming areas, which is probably about 60% of the city's land area (mostly in the east and south), it's certainly much higher.

And yeah, us suburbs are third-world cities with no sidewalks. The only major street with a bus route that really lacks a sidewalk is probably Railway, and that's only on one side of the street (the west side of Railway).

Lets just say that Richmond isn't very pedestrian friendly, and as a result it really does hinder the whole bus ridership thing.

With all that said, I'm not saying Richmond shouldn't get more bus service. It definitely needs and deserves a lot more. But the city, like Surrey and other suburbs, isn't very well planned for transit but rather for the automobile.

As for cul de sacs, they aren't pedestrian friendly. Most of Richmond's side street network is like a maze. It has been proven that the most pedestrian friendly street network is the grid system, like Vancouver's.

Edited December 24, 2008 by nitronuts