The Official Transit Thread

[BuckyHermit]

make an official ASIAN TRANSIT thread to show people here what they're missing with the Seoul and HK systems.

(or, heaven forbid, the Japanese subway systems...)

Now, the question is: would Asian females on transit there be smarter than the ones here?

Edited August 6, 2009 by BuckyHermit

[Canuck_4_Life]

If it was up to Russell Peters, there'd be 3 and only 3 ethnic groups there: Indians, Chinese and the Jewish........

[BuckyHermit]

If it was up to Russell Peters, there'd be 3 and only 3 ethnic groups there: Indians, Chinese and the Jewish........

There's a possible joke in there once you put AddFares in the picture...

[nitronuts]

The Canada Line stations public announcement systems have automated messages that announce the arrival of the trains: "This train is for...Waterfront"; "This train is for...YVR-Airport"; "This train is for..."Brighouse-Richmond City Centre". It's played on the platform about 10 secs before the train arrives at the platform.

It's similar to the station announcements on the Hong Kong MTR (fast forward to 00:17 in the video below):

The catch is this platform announcement isn't played at every station (i'm assuming only the busy ones, like Brighouse-Richmond City Centre Station and Bridgeport Station).

[BuckyHermit]

^ Yeah, I noticed that too, after loitering outside several stations.

Although when the announcements do come, they're LOUD. I could hear them clearly at ground level.

[cookiemonster604]

Can't wait to take my first RAV Line trip! Probably going there Monday and participate in the festivities. No more Night Street traffic jams!!!!

[nitronuts]

^ Yeah, I noticed that too, after loitering outside several stations.

Although when the announcements do come, they're LOUD. I could hear them clearly at ground level.

Perhaps the announcements are played at every part of the station like the HK MTR?

I would have preferred if they had copied the MTR announcements entirely

"The train to Waterfront is arriving. Please let passengers exit first."

[Redwings4Cup]

Should help me out a couple of times.

Edited August 6, 2009 by Redwings4Cup

[BuckyHermit]

Perhaps the announcements are played at every part of the station like the HK MTR?

I would have preferred if they had copied the MTR announcements entirely

"The train to Waterfront is arriving. Please let passengers exit first."

Come on... This is Vancouver.

[Common sense]

Come on... This is Vancouver.

How do you exit when the platforms will be filled with people, all waiting to cram onto a tiny 300-person-per-car RAV Line?

[BuckyHermit]

How do you exit when the platforms will be filled with people, all waiting to cram onto a tiny 300-person-per-car RAV Line?

Like I said a billion times: train pushers. Push out, then push back in.

Edited August 6, 2009 by BuckyHermit

[nitronuts]

Come on... This is Vancouver.

"The train to Waterfront is now arriving. Please let passengers exist first....OR DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! Thank you for riding the Canada Line."

[BuckyHermit]

"The train to Waterfront is now arriving. Please let passengers exist first....OR DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! Thank you for riding the Canada Line."

I'm in favor of this proposed version.

But if the passengers didn't "exist," the line would have a problem.

Edited August 6, 2009 by BuckyHermit

[BuckyHermit]

(So instead of train pushers, we have train stabbers? ie. If you don't let passengers off first, you get shanked?)

[nitronuts]

(So instead of train pushers, we have train stabbers? ie. If you don't let passengers off first, you get shanked?)

Nope. You get pushed onto the tracks, and the track sensors will be disabled....meaning you'll either be electrocuted if you touch the third rail, and if not you'll be run over by an incoming train that won't stop as the sensors are disabled. We'll leave the bodies on the tracks....if not, body parts.

My, am I nasty.

[inane]

Other alternatives (ie: HooverNaas proposal) = even worse.

So where do you propose we put a 4-lane trucking route? Right next to residential areas and let most of South Surrey/Ladner/Delta/Cloverdale/Langley deal with it? Or do you propose this road be built next to industrial areas, ports, and arterial roads that help speed up the process of shipping goods from A to B?

Well, for starters I sure wouldn't put it smack through the middle of the ALR.

If I have to choose though, option B sounds much better--widen River Rd. Industrial 95% of the way already. Trucks can come up hwy 17, hell you could build a 'truck only' lane to cross hwy 99 so it doesn't muck up the already horrible traffic and there you go. No need for a big, farm destroying highway.

[inane]

http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Trans...5208/story.html

Transit review is good news for taxpayers

During the first closed meeting of TransLink's new board of directors, they gave themselves a 500-per-cent increase in meeting fees, a 150-per-cent increase in the retainer paid to the chair, and a new $25,000 retainer paid to each director. The cost for TransLink's new board of directors was almost $575,000 for 2008, about five times the cost of the previous board.

And look at all the improvements we've been blessed with since these experts came in!!

[nitronuts]

^ Unions aren't the issue here. Nor is TransLink "bloated" with expensive execs. This is a billion dollar operation, and spending some money on the people running the organization is essential. It's always been my understanding that TransLink has consistently remained understaffed throughout it's history.

TransLink's continuous problem has been a shortage of funding. TransLink started in the late 90's with huge goals and aspirations, but when it sought the money to turn those dreams into reality, they were shot down. That's why, a couple years later, around 2005-20007, we were really feeling the effects of the delayed orders for new buses and SkyTrains.

It's been amplified now however, with the Provincial Transit Plan (not that that is bad thing). We are seeking even more dramatic transit expansion, and are asking TransLink to pay a share of that (plus future operating costs). That's a lot of new infrastructure that needs to be paid for somehow, and the money has to come from somewhere. Considering the Province isn't willing to cough it up, taxes, fees, and levies at the local level will have to be implemented.

We are not going to find substantial revenues by slashing half the TransLink board or staff. Nor can we hesitate once again and refuse to properly fund our transport system - lest we seek to enjoy even more bus pass ups, traffic jams, and SkyTrain service delays.

[inane]

^ Unions aren't the issue here. Nor is TransLink "bloated" with expensive execs. This is a billion dollar operation, and spending some money on the people running the organization is essential. It's always been my understanding that TransLink has consistently remained understaffed throughout it's history.

TransLink's continuous problem has been a shortage of funding. TransLink started in the late 90's with huge goals and aspirations, but when it sought the money to turn those dreams into reality, they were shot down. That's why, a couple years later, around 2005-20007, we were really feeling the effects of the delayed orders for new buses and SkyTrains.

It's been amplified now however, with the Provincial Transit Plan (not that that is bad thing). We are seeking even more dramatic transit expansion, and are asking TransLink to pay a share of that (plus future operating costs). That's a lot of new infrastructure that needs to be paid for somehow, and the money has to come from somewhere. Considering the Province isn't willing to cough it up, taxes, fees, and levies at the local level will have to be implemented.

We are not going to find substantial revenues by slashing half the TransLink board or staff. Nor can we hesitate once again and refuse to properly fund our transport system - lest we seek to enjoy even more bus pass ups, traffic jams, and SkyTrain service delays.

I'm not saying it's bloated with expensive execs. I understand that their salary is a fraction of the overall budget. But what I'm saying is the expensive execs that they now have, those who gave themselves those massive raises, have done nothing different than the previous, cheaper ones had done except run pretty ads and surveys to find out the same thing people have been saying for years.

I'm all for raising taxes or car levies or whatever to get a first class transit system. I know I'm in the minority because I understand you can't have it all the transit you want and not have to pay for it. Most people complain about transit, but pitch a giant stink if you even mention the fact that they might have to help pay for it.

[nitronuts]

^ The professional directors aren't politicians, thus they don't squabble into regional politics that divide and polarize Translink. With the Canada Line, we had Vancouver/Richmond/south of Fraser/North Shore directors voting FOR the line but then we had Coquitlam/Burnaby/Port Coquitlam/Port Moody/Maple Ridge/Surrey/Pitt Meadows directors voting AGAINST the line because they wanted the Evergreen Line. The Canada Line was stalled for 3-years because of Translink's squabbling, and construction costs rose during those wasted 3 years. In fact, the environment within the Translink board became toxic.

There's also the deal with the new trolleys we bought. The other competitor, I forgot the name, was willing to provide 40 more buses for a marginally higher discount price. They also wanted to expand into North America, and were planning to build a bus plant here in the Vancouver region to build our new trolleys and to build their North American deals.

With the elected board, every time we had a civic election they'd be gone right after. There's a change in Translink's directors every 3 years: that means every 3 years, new people come in without a clue of what the previous Translink board's goals were. Thus, there's never a long-term objective nor goal sought after with the old system.

Today's $450-million shortfall is a problem inherited from the elected board, and the new Translink is dealing with it the best they can. They aren't as afraid to suggest these taxes, as they're not politicians. But at the end of the day, there is still accountability with the Council of Mayors having to approve the car levy within 90 days (or the decision goes to the Ministry) and the regional tolls need to be approved by both the Ministry and Council of Mayors. It's true that the province is simply stalling on the issue with their review on Translink and BC Ferries (ferry routes that are underused should be subsidized by the provincial government for their losses entirely, it's not BC Ferries fault for having to raise fares to make up for losses). It's not as if they're going to find $450-million fat to trim from Translink, it'll only be a tiny fraction of that.