The Official Transit Thread

[trek]

that new sound is awful. *CLANG*... Plus, robolady still says stop names wrong too.

[BuckyHermit]

Automated 'clang' added to Coast Mountain Bus repertoire of auditory prompts

By Gerry Bellett, Vancouver SunMay 26, 2009 7:10 PMComments (3)

“Clang, clang, clang went the trolley, ding, ding, ding went the bell, zing, zing, zing went my heartstrings as we started for Huntington Dell....”

The beginning of The Trolley Song famously sung by Judy Garland.

METRO VANCOUVER — There isn’t a Huntington Dell stop on any of the Coast Mountain Bus Company’s routes, but these days there’s plenty of clanging and dinging — zinging, alas, isn’t provided.

A month ago the bus company introduced an automated “clang” — reminiscent of an old trolley bell — to its repertoire of auditory prompts for passengers.

It sounds out ahead of that unearthly female voice that calls out the stops the bus is approaching in an ingratiating, android-like tone that seems to express constant surprise at getting it right.

The clang is a pre-warning that a stop is about to be announced, which gives a heads-up to blind and handicapped people waiting for their stop.

TransLink’s Drew Snider said Tuesday it replaces the “ding” that the bus company had initially used but discarded because it was too close to the “ding” that sounds when commuters pull the cord or press the button to get off at the next stop.

“It was getting a bit confusing,” Snider admitted.

The whole business of clangs and dings and automated voices is the result of bus drivers not wanting to announce stops, said Rob Sleath, chair of Access for Sight Impaired Consumers and a member of TransLink’s transit user advisory committee.

“We’ve tried for years to get drivers to announce stops,” said Sleath, who is visually impaired. “There were a handful of drivers who did a beautiful job of calling them out, but most rarely did it.”

Blind people on a bus have no idea where they are and need help to disembark at the right stop, he said.

“We’d ask the driver to call out our stop, but if they didn’t, we were the ones with the problem,” said Sleath who helps train new transit drivers on how to deal with blind and handicapped people.

Two years ago Coast Mountain placed a GPS system on its buses and Sleath’s organization asked if an automated system for announcing the stops in advance could be built into it.

“They agreed, but we then found that just calling out the name of the stop would catch some people by surprise, so we asked if they could install a chime sound just before to warn people a stop was being called,” said Sleath.

Again Coast Mountain complied, but the chime was too similar to the one that sounds out when a commuter asks for the next stop and was causing confusion for drivers, he said.

So back to the sounding board.

“There were a whole range of sounds available and we suggested the drivers pick the one they wanted, but for some reason they wouldn’t make a decision,” Sleath explained. “In the end Coast Mountain asked us to choose one and we picked the trolley sound. It’s what people old enough to remember the old street cars in Vancouver would have heard.”

gbellett@vancouversun.com

© Copyright © The Vancouver Sun

I dislike the clang... It sounds like a boxing match.

[inane]

Yeah why does the voice sound so choppy and computerized. Would it be that hard to have someone sit in a booth and read all the stops and misc. things that are said?

[kurtzfan]

It sounds confusing for me.

I dislike it.

[Common sense]

Yeah why does the voice sound so choppy and computerized. Would it be that hard to have someone sit in a booth and read all the stops and misc. things that are said?

It'll take quite some time, considering how many bus routes there are and where they go.

[inane]

More stupidity from Ottawa

http://thetyee.ca/Series/2009/05/27/Derailed/

Good series of articles about trains to the US there. Also found this link:

http://www.sfot.info/

[BuckyHermit]

More stupidity from Ottawa

http://thetyee.ca/Series/2009/05/27/Derailed/

Good series of articles about trains to the US there. Also found this link:

http://www.sfot.info/

*sigh*

Just when I was looking into high-speed train routes for my possible job in Asia next fall, and marveling at how convenient and wonderful it'd be to be able to visit almost every major region of the country simply by using high-speed rail.

It's incredible how much North America sucks in terms of this. The only high-speed rail line in North America right now is the one that runs from Boston to Washington DC.

[Buggernut]

*sigh*

Just when I was looking into high-speed train routes for my possible job in Asia next fall, and marveling at how convenient and wonderful it'd be to be able to visit almost every major region of the country simply by using high-speed rail.

It's incredible how much North America sucks in terms of this. The only high-speed rail line in North America right now is the one that runs from Boston to Washington DC.

Should we thank the auto, airline and gas companies, and all the Galvatrons of the world for it?

(Where the heck is that guy anyways? Did he get banned again?)

[ronthecivil]

More stupidity from Ottawa

http://thetyee.ca/Series/2009/05/27/Derailed/

Good series of articles about trains to the US there. Also found this link:

http://www.sfot.info/

Ya, when a foreign govement wants to kick in a ton of money to connect one of your major cities to a high speed rail network, the correct response is "great, what can we do to make this happen!" rather than "we are goign to need a whack of cash for the extra border inspection.".

[Buggernut]

Ya, when a foreign govement wants to kick in a ton of money to connect one of your major cities to a high speed rail network, the correct response is "great, what can we do to make this happen!" rather than "we are goign to need a whack of cash for the extra border inspection.".

Does it not make sense that motorists who drive across the border also be subject to a toll to cover the inspection expenses then?

[tom_1]

So the provincial liberals block high speed rail to Seattle and block langley- abbotsford commuter rail; can they do anything right?

[Buggernut]

So the provincial liberals block high speed rail to Seattle and block langley- abbotsford commuter rail; can they do anything right?

They actually helped build a cruicial siding necessary for the second daily Amtrak run.

It's the feds that are getting in the way with the customs fee.

[1dime]

It'll be a step down from SkyTrain but a step up from the articulated trolleys...in other words, an articulated trolley on steroids.

LRT works well in corridors that don't have the demand for high-capacity rapid transit rail systems, like SkyTrain or subways, but are rather more suitable for more lower-capacity rapid transit rail systems like LRT. And it certainly is a good alternative (as they are cheaper to build) for corridors like 41st Avenue, Hastings, Victoria Drive, Arbutus corridor, etc.

Often, entire traffic lanes are given to the LRT/streetcar for its own right of way....and the trains are given traffic signal priority at intersections to lower the travel time.

In Calgary, they are notorious for car crash accidents....but of course, it happens on every LRT system:

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[nitronuts]

Some pictures of Templeton Station at Sea Island:

[nitronuts]

[ronthecivil]

Does it not make sense that motorists who drive across the border also be subject to a toll to cover the inspection expenses then?

It would be consistant, but that's about it in my opinion. Unless you really hate tourists and trade that is.

[Buggernut]

Here is my idea for a high speed rail line in the Lower Mainland:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&amp...6c774769988c9f3

Rationale for choice of alignment:

• It addresses the need for rail transit in the Valley.
  
• Vancouver, Burnaby and New Westminster are already fully developed as it is already, and finding a right of way to build the track in a mostly straight line going through Burrard Peninsula towards Downtown Vancouver would be impossible, whereas Richmond is still mostly undeveloped farmland.
  
• Vancouver, Burnaby and New West are already well served by the Skytrain. Another passenger rail line going through it towards Downtown would be redundant.
  
• A Richmond terminus would provide a shorter transfer to DT Vancouver through the Canada Line than a transfer from Surrey through Skytrain.
  
• A Richmond terminus at Bridgeport would also provide a quick connection point to YVR and bus to the ferries.
  
• Space on Sea Island is limited, and future airport expansion in the region should be directed to Abbotsford International. This alignment provides a connection between the two airports.
  
• It directs tourists to the Bridgeport hub with the River Rock Casino next to it, where they can be milked of their money. :D
  

Edited June 3, 2009 by Buggernut

[tom_1]

Here is my idea for a high speed rail line in the Lower Mainland:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&amp...6c774769988c9f3

Rationale for choice of alignment:

• It addresses the need for rail transit in the Valley.
  
• Vancouver, Burnaby and New Westminster are already fully developed as it is already, and finding a right of way to build the track in a mostly straight line going through Burrard Peninsula towards Downtown Vancouver would be impossible, whereas Richmond is still mostly undeveloped farmland.
  
• Vancouver, Burnaby and New West are already well served by the Skytrain. Another passenger rail line going through it towards Downtown would be redundant.
  
• A Richmond terminus would provide a shorter transfer to DT Vancouver through the Canada Line than a transfer from Surrey through Skytrain.
  
• A Richmond terminus at Bridgeport would also provide a quick connection point to YVR and bus to the ferries.
  
• Space on Sea Island is limited, and future airport expansion in the region should be directed to Abbotsford International. This alignment provides a connection between the two airports.
  
• It directs tourists to the Bridgeport hub with the River Rock Casino next to it, where they can be milked of their money. :D
  

Doubt there is 5+ Billion lying around.

My suggestion is upgrading the Inter-urban line from Scott Road to Langley with future expansion to Abbotsford

- Scott Road Skytrain station would be renovated to become terminus for the Interurban line and major bus hub. There is room to construct an interuban platform withing walking distance to the Skytrain. Shuttle bus services to connect with Vancouver Airport, BC Ferries using South Permiter Road and Wal Nut Grove and Maple Ridge also using south perimter road.

Phase 1- stops at Scott Road, North Delta (Kennedy), Newton, Sullivan Station, Cloverdale

Phase 2-Langley Centre -may take a couple years as right of way is difficult with roberts bank rail traffic; new track will have to be built between Cloverdale and Langley.

Phase 3- Abbotsford (Maybe Aldegrove) Expansion -same problem as Langley as new track will need to be built. Either extensive upgrade of current interurban line or complete new track built between Abbotsford, Aldedgrove and Langley. Abbotsford Airport Shuttle from Abbotsford station; Follows the Buggernut map.

Phase 4 Chilliwack Expansion- extensive upgrade of interurban track from Abbotsford to Chilliwack

-If line is upgraded it would connect Langley Centre to Skytrain in under 25 minutes.

-Initial Cost would be well under $250 million.

-same concept as Portland's commuter rail WES

Edited June 3, 2009 by tom_1

[Buggernut]

Doubt there is 5+ Billion lying around.

How do European and Japanese cities of comparable size find it in them to add high speed rail to their lives?

It was said that we just have to build the section of track to the border, and the Americans would take care of the rest of the Vancouver-Seattle HSR service. If it's not worth the expense to build all that to serve travel to/from the US, the cost would be more justified if much of the infrastructure overlapped to serve a local commuter market up Valley as well, not to mention cheaper than building them both separately.

[tom_1]

Some pictures of Templeton Station at Sea Island:

So Templeton is just a park, ride and fly?