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nitronuts

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A line to downtown Poco would be so excellent. I am going to try to go out to that open house. I'm not sure where they would put the station, but there is a fair amount of business around Shaughnessy and Lougheed, where I believe this hypothetical station will be. However, where will they put it? I don't know of much land there, except where the gas station used to be- and I believe a skyscraper is planned to be built there. The safeway/van city/canadian tire parking lot is HUGE, though, lots of room for a station there.

This would be unreal for Poco. I live in South Poco and it takes me 30-50 minutes to get to Coq Centre via transit, because I have to take 2 busses.

Even if this station were to be promised, how often would trains run? Especially if one were to go to Douglas College and one to Downtown Poco, wouldn't a train be coming/going every 10 minutes?

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Anyone know of some good places for free ALL-DAY parking along the Expo line? Preferably near Metrotown, Patterson, Royal Oak, or Joyce station?

Someone told me that you can park all day at Metrotown Mall, they have signs up but they don't ticket. I don't really want to take the risk.

I currently park near Gilmour and take the Millennium Line then transfer to the expo line to get to Burrard Stn. I'd like to skip the Millennium Line altogether.

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http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives...-in-phoenix.php

Now comes Valley Metro, in one of the most apparently unpromising locations for transit of all, and it’s working, though not quite the way transit does in, say, New York, Boston, or Washington. Every day, Valley Metro attracts some 33,000 riders, way above the projected 26,000. But what’s interesting is the clientele. Unlike systems elsewhere, which are used principally by commuters, the 20 miles of rail in Phoenix running along the central spines of Phoenix and then through Tempe to Mesa are used largely by students shuttling between Arizona State University’s downtown and Tempe campuses, and people going to restaurants, bars, ball games, and cultural events downtown. Only 27 percent of the system’s riders use it for getting to work (compared to 60 percent elsewhere), which suggests that for now at least the Phoenix light rail will flourish as a sort of jitney service supporting a post-industrial metropolis’ ongoing cultivation of a classic entertainment district downtown, higher education there and in Tempe, and associated nodes of new and intensified development along Central Avenue.
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This is my point, more people making noise (and I don't mean ranting on a hockey forum...) puts pressure on the system/politicians. I know it doesn't seem like it works, and it's not like money will just appear if you make noise. But it absolutely won't appear if you don't make any noise. Go to the open house, sign in, give your feedback. Follow up with letters to mayor and council and whoever else. Get your friends too. It does work. Trust me ;)

The squeaky wheel most definetly gets the grease in politics.

I've been to one, and if you want your turn to speak, they make you give your address. I suppose that's because they want to be able to tell those from outside the area to shut up and mind their own f*cking business if they take the mic.

Of course you could lie, but that would put you in a morally dubious position.

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I've been to one, and if you want your turn to speak, they make you give your address. I suppose that's because they want to be able to tell those from outside the area to shut up and mind their own f*cking business if they take the mic.

Of course you could lie, but that would put you in a morally dubious position.

Well it depends on the format of the meeting and it depends on the topic of the meeting. Something like Translink is different because it's regional. But if you go to a meeting about a park in Delta and live in Maple Ridge, then no, your opinion doesn't really matter cause you're not paying for it. They do that to try and stop special interests from taking over as well.

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Translink mayors have voted to adopt a 130 million dollar plan to fund transportation improvements.

Funding for the plan will come from a three cent gas tax increase, transit fares will go up, and the parking sales tax will also increase.

So how long till they come back to the public with their hand out again? I give it 6 months before the rumblings start.

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Anyone know of some good places for free ALL-DAY parking along the Expo line? Preferably near Metrotown, Patterson, Royal Oak, or Joyce station?

Someone told me that you can park all day at Metrotown Mall, they have signs up but they don't ticket. I don't really want to take the risk.

I currently park near Gilmour and take the Millennium Line then transfer to the expo line to get to Burrard Stn. I'd like to skip the Millennium Line altogether.

Anybody?

I don't want to have to start a new thread.

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Mayors hike fares, gas tax to keep TransLink on life support

$130-million in new annual revenues for agency

By Jeff Nagel - BC Local News

Published: October 23, 2009 1:00 PM

Updated: October 23, 2009 1:03 PM

Get ready to pay more at the pump.

Metro Vancouver mayors agreed Friday to jack the region's gas tax by another three cents a litre and raise transit fares to deliver an extra $130 million a year for TransLink and avert deep bus service cuts.

While some mayors wanted to freeze funding to force the province into negotiations to refinance TransLink – effectively triggering a crisis and holding passengers hostage – they were outvoted 17-3 (or 98 to 16 votes weighted by population) by others who called the strategy irresponsible.

Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts, chair of the Mayors Council on Regional Transportation, said the drastic cuts scenario would have punish transit riders.

"I don't think it's responsible to throw up our hands, say okay cut the system to shreds and force the provincial government into a corner," Watts said.

"It's a bitter pill to swallow," Watts said, adding much now hinges on the provincial government listening to TransLink's needs.

Vancouver Coun. Geoff Meggs said he couldn't face long lines of students waiting in the rain for buses and tell them he's forcing cuts on their behalf and that the mayors will fight "to the last drop of their blood."

The stop-gap 10-year-plan provides no scope for expansion, and no ability to finance the operation or construction of new rapid transit extensions, including the Evergreen Line to Coquitlam.

But no one intends the "funding stabilization" option approved by the mayors to prevail for the full 10 years.

Mayors, the appointed TransLink board and TransLink officials all agree the livability of the region, its commitment to fight climate change and the province's transit expansion promises all depend on negotiating a new funding framework with Victoria to finance a much more ambitious and costly plan.

TransLink's favoured $450-million annual supplement proposal would have delivered much more, financed by a $122 a year vehicle levy and an extra $175 million in new sources the province would need to approve, presumed to include road pricing or regional tolling.

Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan, Port Moody Mayor Joe Trasolini and New Westminster Coun. Jonathan Cote voted against the motion to pass the $130-million supplement and begin fresh talks with the province aimed at crafting a new plan to replace it within six to nine months.

Corrigan said the mayors should have joined him and called the province's bluff.

"This is a non-decision," Corrigan said. "It simply takes the provincial government off the hook and puts us probably another decade behind in making improvements to the system."

Trasolini tried but failed to table the vote until after the province's pending Comptroller General's office review of TransLink is unveiled.

He voted against the plan, saying it failed to provide funding for the Evergreen Line.

"Clearly $130 million doesn't do anything at all for my region," he said.

Corrigan, Delta Mayor Lois Jackson, Pitt Meadows Mayor Don McLean and Bowen Island Coun. Peter Frinton voted with Trasolini to table the decision, but were defeated by others who noted the drastic cuts scenario would then prevail, according to TransLink's legislation.

Also frustrated was Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie, predicting TransLink will be in much the same position a year from now.

The provincial government has maintained it may still be possible to build and run the $1.4-billion Evergreen Line.

Transportation minister Shirley Bond this week told mayors they could raise property taxes to provide more for TransLink – an option the cities reject.

TRANSLINK'S FUNDING STABILIZATION PLAN

Extra $130 million a year funded by:

- Fuel tax increase of three cents per litre. Would generate $65 million.

- Fare hikes of five to seven per cent in 2010 and 2013 (on top of two per cent annual hikes for inflation). Discounted prepaid tickets and passes would immediately jump 10 per cent next year. Worth $30 million more.

- Balance was to be funded by higher sales tax on pay parking, but that's no longer possible due to B.C.'s shift to an HST. Province has said it will make up this portion of the funding gap.

Plan delivers:

- Service frozen at 2009 levels, new services for Olympics, including third SeaBus, removed after Games.

- Seven extra West Coast Express cars to lengthen trains.

- 48 new SkyTrain cars arriving will go into service, option to buy 24 more won't be exercised.

- No new rapid transit lines.

- Only minimal repairs on many fronts.

- Roads funding essentially frozen.

- Cycling funding cut in half to $3 million per year.

- Pattullo replacement, smart cards and gates, and SeaBus replacements.

- Five per cent cut to TransLink administration

Edited by nitronuts
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Mayors hike fares, gas tax to keep TransLink on life support

$130-million in new annual revenues for agency

By Jeff Nagel - BC Local News

Published: October 23, 2009 1:00 PM

Updated: October 23, 2009 1:03 PM

Get ready to pay more at the pump.

Metro Vancouver mayors agreed Friday to jack the region's gas tax by another three cents a litre and raise transit fares to deliver an extra $130 million a year for TransLink and avert deep bus service cuts.

For the love of god stop colour coding your posts people can figure out for themselves what is important or not.

And what's with that second sentence from the reporter? Jack the region's gas tax? Real professional like!

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"Most of the time, we're two buses away from Coquitlam Town Centre and if that's going to continue to be the case, the [Evergreen Line] ridership just won't be as good," he said.

• The Evergreen Line public meeting in PoCo is set for Nov. 4 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the PoCo Inn and Suites, 1545 Lougheed Hwy.

I think I'll check it out

Extending it to Poco could do wonders as a lot of people may not want to get on the 160 or C38 to get to the Coquitlam Central station, it also could get a lot of riders that would take the West Coast on a occasional basis

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Some bus drivers are complete ***holes. So today I was on the bus to Metrotown and there was a Chinese man on the bus (About 65 years old with a walker). So he pulled the wire so the bus would stop and the bus proceeded to stop. Then he tried to open the back door, but the door wouldn't open. So the people in the back, including myself, were yelling "Backdoor!" The bus driver decided to ignore us and drove off while the man was still trying to open the back door. Finally at the next stop, he opened the door. The man had to walk an extra 3 blocks in the rain...

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Some bus drivers are complete ***holes. So today I was on the bus to Metrotown and there was a Chinese man on the bus (About 65 years old with a walker). So he pulled the wire so the bus would stop and the bus proceeded to stop. Then he tried to open the back door, but the door wouldn't open. So the people in the back, including myself, were yelling "Backdoor!" The bus driver decided to ignore us and drove off while the man was still trying to open the back door. Finally at the next stop, he opened the door. The man had to walk an extra 3 blocks in the rain...

that happened on the 701 but the bus driver stopped on the side of the road and kicked the door open and the guy got out

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Some bus drivers are complete ***holes. So today I was on the bus to Metrotown and there was a Chinese man on the bus (About 65 years old with a walker). So he pulled the wire so the bus would stop and the bus proceeded to stop. Then he tried to open the back door, but the door wouldn't open. So the people in the back, including myself, were yelling "Backdoor!" The bus driver decided to ignore us and drove off while the man was still trying to open the back door. Finally at the next stop, he opened the door. The man had to walk an extra 3 blocks in the rain...

I find that Burnaby depot has some really asinine drivers... It has some of the rudest drivers I've ever seen in the TransLink system.

Not surprised that this happened during a Burnaby trip.

Edited by BuckyHermit
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Some bus drivers are complete ***holes. So today I was on the bus to Metrotown and there was a Chinese man on the bus (About 65 years old with a walker). So he pulled the wire so the bus would stop and the bus proceeded to stop. Then he tried to open the back door, but the door wouldn't open. So the people in the back, including myself, were yelling "Backdoor!" The bus driver decided to ignore us and drove off while the man was still trying to open the back door. Finally at the next stop, he opened the door. The man had to walk an extra 3 blocks in the rain...

I hate when i see that happen, its just a couple of seconds yet drivers still drive off

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TRANSLINK'S FUNDING STABILIZATION PLAN

Extra $130 million a year funded by:

- Fuel tax increase of three cents per litre. Would generate $65 million.

- Fare hikes of five to seven per cent in 2010 and 2013 (on top of two per cent annual hikes for inflation). Discounted prepaid tickets and passes would immediately jump 10 per cent next year. Worth $30 million more.

- Balance was to be funded by higher sales tax on pay parking, but that's no longer possible due to B.C.'s shift to an HST. Province has said it will make up this portion of the funding gap.

Plan delivers:

- Service frozen at 2009 levels, new services for Olympics, including third SeaBus, removed after Games.

- Seven extra West Coast Express cars to lengthen trains.

- 48 new SkyTrain cars arriving will go into service, option to buy 24 more won't be exercised.

- No new rapid transit lines.

- Only minimal repairs on many fronts.

- Roads funding essentially frozen.

- Cycling funding cut in half to $3 million per year.

- Pattullo replacement, smart cards and gates, and SeaBus replacements.

- Five per cent cut to TransLink administration

So I guess no UBC line? and no evergreen Line?

This province is starting to become "best place on earth" to the "worse place on earth"

Time to move out everyone!!

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So I guess no UBC line? and no evergreen Line?

This province is starting to become "best place on earth" to the "worse place on earth"

Time to move out everyone!!

Time to push for changes to the Translink board. A bunch of mayors that don't know WTF they are talking about is the most stupid idea ever.

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