The Official Transit Thread

[Weber's Playoff Beard]

Well saving 4500 on rent means you would still have lots left over even after spring for a 3 zone bus pass should you need one.

There's even more amenities than when I went and I managed fine. Even if you took a bus to 10th/Blanca how often do you need to go grocery shopping, once a week? You can use the same transfer to get back!

And if were trying to save money for translink, which last I checked was a the local transporation service and not a branch of the ministry of education, why provide a subsidy? That's the wrong branch of government.

If UBC wants premium transit service they can pay for it just like anyone else!

And if you really want to make life easy for studants and save the traffic employ the "live close to work" model and provide enough housing so that you don't have 75% commuters and you might actually have enough customers to have more services right on campus! This model of the one price fits all where someone commuting from surrey daily pays the same as an on campus person that leaves once a month actually encourages long commutes which last I check is the opposite of good transporation policy!!!!!

Money doesn't grow on trees.

[ronthecivil]

Money doesn't grow on trees.

I know. All the more reason for translink to not be tossing out subsidies that are not it's responsibility.

Edit: LOL at the minus one. If you're a poor studant why look to the local road and transit authority for a subsidy instead of the ministry of education? Entitlement much?

Edited August 24, 2011 by ronthecivil

[Opmac]

Link

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - If you ride the bus or take the SkyTrain, you'll soon have a new way to plan your commute in real time, but only if you have a smartphone. Two weeks from today, you'll be able to track any bus as it's on the road.

"There are a lot of times where I leave the house at the exact same time and the bus will have just left, because they do vary slightly, and if I knew where they are it would make life easier," says one man who plans to use the application daily.

TransLink is spending nearly $800,000 on the app that tracks the buses using GPS technology. It will also include the existing Next Bus program that allows people to text or call in their bus stop code to find out when it will arrive next.

The money being spent is well-spent, according to some commuters. "Buses are often early or very late so to get real-time tracker you won't miss it as often, like I just did," says one man.

The transit authority will introduce the app on September 6th.

The way I am picturing this is we will be able to see where the bus is on a map much like in Maps with the blue dot?

[cj_coolcat]

Link

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - If you ride the bus or take the SkyTrain, you'll soon have a new way to plan your commute in real time, but only if you have a smartphone. Two weeks from today, you'll be able to track any bus as it's on the road.

Is this going to be for i-phones only like their schedule app is though?

I don't really get why they don't have a blackberry app also. Heck, I'd pay for the GPS app if they charged a nominal fee (say a dollar or something.)

[Wetcoaster]

Is this going to be for i-phones only like their schedule app is though?

I don't really get why they don't have a blackberry app also. Heck, I'd pay for the GPS app if they charged a nominal fee (say a dollar or something.)

The app will be available on iPhone, Blackberry and Android for free as reported.

A new TransLink app hitting smartphones Sept. 6 will give users the ability to track buses on GPS.

TransLink expects the full version to have programmable bus routes along with real-time map tracking. The $700,000 project is planned for TransLink’s 1,300 coach and articulated buses, but will not be installed for community shuttles.

While many Canadian cities including Toronto, Banff, Saint John and Laval already use similar GPS tracking services from California-based NextBus Inc., TransLink has developed its own system internally.

The app will be available on iPhone, Blackberry and Android for free.

http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/News/local/2011/08/21/18583086.html

[Weber's Playoff Beard]

CANT WAIT!

[Columbo]

This model of the one price fits all where someone commuting from surrey daily pays the same as an on campus person that leaves once a month actually encourages long commutes which last I check is the opposite of good transporation policy!!!!!

Seriously? You think people will be "encouraged" to live further from UBC just to get the maximum value out of their UPass? You're aware that people transiting to UBC from Surrey spend at least 3 hours a day packed like a sardine on transit, right? It doesn't matter how much the trip costs, no one ever "wants" to do that. I'm sure students would live close to campus if they could, but do you have any idea how expensive it is? It's just not feasible for most students.

Also, the further people commute, the more it benefits us all to get them out of their cars and onto transit. It's a good system. Deal with it.

[ronthecivil]

Seriously? You think people will be "encouraged" to live further from UBC just to get the maximum value out of their UPass? You're aware that people transiting to UBC from Surrey spend at least 3 hours a day packed like a sardine on transit, right? It doesn't matter how much the trip costs, no one ever "wants" to do that. I'm sure students would live close to campus if they could, but do you have any idea how expensive it is? It's just not feasible for most students.

Also, the further people commute, the more it benefits us all to get them out of their cars and onto transit. It's a good system. Deal with it.

Some will value costs less than their time. It's certainly cheaper to live in Whalley and Skytrain in than West Point Grey I agree. By making the travel artificially cheaper than of course it encourages the long commute since it makes it cheaper than it would be otherwise and every dollar counts.

If were all that worried about housing costs for studants and saving the enviroment build on campus housing for studants instead of getting the local transit authority (which is lacking in cash and gets no funding from the ministry of education aka the people that should be worried about this) to deal with it.

Anything that encourages people to live further from work at the expense of people that live close is the opposite of what you want to do in transportation planning. I don't need to deal with anything that's just plain logic.

Edited August 25, 2011 by ronthecivil

[Weber's Playoff Beard]

Some will value costs less than their time. It's certainly cheaper to live in Whalley and Skytrain in than West Point Grey I agree. By making the travel artificially cheaper than of course it encourages the long commute since it makes it cheaper than it would be otherwise and every dollar counts.

If were all that worried about housing costs for studants and saving the enviroment build on campus housing for studants instead of getting the local transit authority (which is lacking in cash and gets no funding from the ministry of education aka the people that should be worried about this) to deal with it.

Anything that encourages people to live further from work at the expense of people that live close is the opposite of what you want to do in transportation planning. I don't need to deal with anything that's just plain logic.

Like I said. Money doesn't grow on trees. Where do you think the money is going to come from to build all these condos.

And no, If you live in Whalley, it'll take you an extra min. 1.5hrs each way. Why waste 3 hours on a bus when a student could be studying. It's UBC buddy not high school.

Objectives of Upass:

A: The objectives of the new U-Pass BC Program are to:

• Provide lower-cost travel for students
• Encourage students to make transit part of their lifestyle by including travel with the U-Pass BC card for entertainment, recreation and other non-school related trips
• Reduce single occupancy vehicles, traffic congestion and greenhouse gases
• Begin to create a sustainable transit program that provides students with a low cost transit fare and a level of service that meets this demand
• Create a new U-Pass BC Code of Ethics that allows students to continue to enjoy the benefits of the U-Pass BC card

Source: http://www.translink.ca/en/Fares-and-Passes/Student-Passes/U-Pass/U-Pass-FAQ.aspx#objectives

Edited August 25, 2011 by HeChats

[ronthecivil]

Like I said. Money doesn't grow on trees. Where do you think the money is going to come from to build all these condos.

And no, If you live in Whalley, it'll take you an extra min. 1.5hrs each way. Why waste 3 hours on a bus when a student could be studying. It's UBC buddy not high school.

Objectives of Upass:

A: The objectives of the new U-Pass BC Program are to:

• Provide lower-cost travel for students
• Encourage students to make transit part of their lifestyle by including travel with the U-Pass BC card for entertainment, recreation and other non-school related trips
• Reduce single occupancy vehicles, traffic congestion and greenhouse gases
• Begin to create a sustainable transit program that provides students with a low cost transit fare and a level of service that meets this demand
• Create a new U-Pass BC Code of Ethics that allows students to continue to enjoy the benefits of the U-Pass BC card

Source: http://www.translink...aspx#objectives

I know where it shouldn't come from, and that would be translink. Education is the mandate of the provincial government. Take it up with them.

And while nobody wants to make that commute it does make it more likely since it's cheaper than living close to school than it should be.

So lets go over the points.....

Provide low cost travel to studants: Well, if your a long distance commuter it sure is cheaper than it would be. If your on campus it's not saving you any money. And either way why is it low cost travel for studants and not say single moms or low income people? While social issues and education are certainly a government issue it's certainly not the local governments (it's the province in fact) madate to do so. Getting the transit authority to subsidise studants makes about as much sense as raising studant fees to pay for an expansion of the DTES needle exchange or the new crack pipe exchange. After all, money doesn't grow on trees, and these people are disadavantged!

Encourage studants to use transit: Well, I suppose it will temporarily since it makes it cheaper than it will be and makes all the alternatives far more expensive/unavailable. It should more be termed "force studants to use transit and at least give them a discount for herding them sardine like onto the 99 Bline". Unless you live close to UBC and get passed up anyways. Then you just walk in an curse paying for the privelege of getting passed up.

Reduce SOVS, congestion, and greenhouse gases: That occured simply by eliminating the B Lots and jacking up parking prices. Although I did notice a new phenom because of the UPass and the expensive parking. People commute in their vehicles from all over the place and then park just off campus enough to take a short busride in. I guess it removes the last 10% of the SOV trip and gets them on a bus.

As for beginning to make a sustainable program, do they mean financially? Because the only way to do that is to charge everyone for a service not everyone uses, and then make sure the service is chock a block over the top full (which doubles to make it a nightmare for anyone paying full price that happens to be so unlucky to be travelling part of the same route).

And of course that there's a code of ethics just shows that there's systematic abuse.

Of course a wildly subisidised program is very popular. That it's an entitlement is shocking to the core though!

[Violator]

The last thing we want is a strike....

Why not then people that take transit will see how good they got it after complaining all the time about the wages of bus drivers and other transit users.

[Weber's Playoff Beard]

Why not then people that take transit will see how good they got it after complaining all the time about the wages of bus drivers and other transit users.

I take transit and I never complain about their wages...

It's people who don't use transit and don't want an increase in the gas tax that think Translink should pull funding from elsewhere.. like paying less to bus drivers.

[ronthecivil]

I take transit and I never complain about their wages...

It's people who don't use transit and don't want an increase in the gas tax that think Translink should pull funding from elsewhere.. like paying less to bus drivers.

Gee, why would people that pay for a service they don't use object to paying even more? Why would this even be surprising?

Incidentily I personally favour upping the gas tax 30 cents, doing massive road and transit expansion, and making transit free. But I am oddball that way.

[Columbo]

I am in favour of [...] and making transit free.

Wait, but then by your logic won't everyone who works downtown move to Langley to get the most value out of their free transit?

Because that's essentially the argument you have against the UPass...

[Khushrenada]

Isn't the U-pass optional? I'm sure students who live on campus could just opt out if they wanted to.

Edited August 26, 2011 by Jaycee Bam

[Columbo]

Isn't the U-pass optional? I'm sure students who live on campus could just opt out if they wanted to.

No it's not, except in special cases (e.g. you're taking only distance-ed courses).

Still, the last time UBC voted on whether to keep the UPass, even at an increased fee, I think the students were 90-95% in favour.

[ronthecivil]

Wait, but then by your logic won't everyone who works downtown move to Langley to get the most value out of their free transit?

Because that's essentially the argument you have against the UPass...

It would certainly encourage more people to move to Langley if they took transit. Not so much if they chose to drive.

Of course in my fantasy world I also have a funding plan. Translink needs to save money. Unneeded subsidies look like a good place to start.

[ronthecivil]

No it's not, except in special cases (e.g. you're taking only distance-ed courses).

Still, the last time UBC voted on whether to keep the UPass, even at an increased fee, I think the students were 90-95% in favour.

Of course they voted for it. Who wouldn't?

Entitlement programs are always popular so long as someone else is paying for them.

[Weber's Playoff Beard]

Roads 47 million.

Tranist 871 million.

Looks priddy pale to me.

Of course in my fantasy world I also have a funding plan. Translink needs to save money. Unneeded subsidies look like a good place to start.

Funding the upass program looks priddy pale to me.

[ronthecivil]

Funding the upass program looks priddy pale to me.

UBC is the second biggest transit destination in the lower mainland on it's own. Now add in all the other places that have the UPass now. That's a lot of discount transit rides for a organisation that is ALREADY heavily subsidising even regular transit service.

Sure beats getting 10 cents on the dollar like the people driving see put into the roads!