The Official Transit Thread

[Señor Santos]

Gregor is not going to be re-elected and his successor will get rid of the hugely unpopular bike lanes. Nothing is a lock in this world, but I feel pretty confident in making this assertion.

[ronthecivil]

Interesting article.

And the radical publication suggesting this? Business in Vancouver.

http://www.bcbusines...ntown-vancouver

It's not a radical peice.

However, the installation of the Burrard bike lanes reduced the capacity for transit on one of the busiest routes, which is the opposite of what should be done. If anything it reduced the potential growth for car alternatives.

I personally favour things far more radical then they are suggesting parking wise (deregulate and tax it to the point that you get good numbers, have very very little on street parking).

I WISH they vastly increased the number of park and ride facilites in the region. For some reason it's looked at as evil, as if you have to go all in transit to actually count as reducing SOV volumes.

[ronthecivil]

Gregor is not going to be re-elected and his successor will get rid of the hugely unpopular bike lanes. Nothing is a lock in this world, but I feel pretty confident in making this assertion.

By the time they finish going back and forth with all the bike barrier trials and studies they will end up having spent enough to at least make a down payment on a seperate bike/ped crossing (aka doing it right in the first place).

Bike lanes are great, it's the way that they are being implemented that is so

[aGENT]

Nice try though. Ineffecient spending is ineffecient.

[aGENT]

By the time they finish going back and forth with all the bike barrier trials and studies they will end up having spent enough to at least make a down payment on a seperate bike/ped crossing (aka doing it right in the first place).

Bike lanes are great, it's the way that they are being implemented that is so

That was my point from the beginning. If you're going to do it and spend money, spend enough to do it right in the first place.

[Señor Santos]

It's not a radical peice.

However, the installation of the Burrard bike lanes reduced the capacity for transit on one of the busiest routes, which is the opposite of what should be done. If anything it reduced the potential growth for car alternatives.

I personally favour things far more radical then they are suggesting parking wise (deregulate and tax it to the point that you get good numbers, have very very little on street parking).

I WISH they vastly increased the number of park and ride facilites in the region. For some reason it's looked at as evil, as if you have to go all in transit to actually count as reducing SOV volumes.

I agree. Park and ride would be fantastic, and would help alleviate a lot of the traffic flow coming accross the bridges into the city from Langley, Richmond, and Surrey. The best solution I think is one which incorporates all methods of transportation, without screwing one over. There are a lot of people who don't live right by transit, or don't want to put up with how unreliable the bus system is at times. SkyTrain is fantastic, so give us the option to drive to a station, park, and take the train into city. Bikes are great for those living close to where they work and live in geographically friendly areas (i.e not extremely hilly). In addition, its going to be interesting to see how many cyclists are on the road this winter considering we should be expecting an unusually strong la niña (very cold/violent winter).

I'd also appreciate it if everyone who used transit would actually pay for it (I'm looking at you Gregor).

Anyway, I just think the hard on this city council has for the cycling and green lobby is preventing us from making the best and most efficient decisions possible for the future of transportation in this city.

Edited November 5, 2010 by Señor Santos

[inane]

It's not a radical peice.

However, the installation of the Burrard bike lanes reduced the capacity for transit on one of the busiest routes, which is the opposite of what should be done. If anything it reduced the potential growth for car alternatives.

I personally favour things far more radical then they are suggesting parking wise (deregulate and tax it to the point that you get good numbers, have very very little on street parking).

I WISH they vastly increased the number of park and ride facilites in the region. For some reason it's looked at as evil, as if you have to go all in transit to actually count as reducing SOV volumes.

I said radical publication. As in the business community, the very same community that we hear endlessly how bike lanes will kill business, is coming around and is (at least some it would seem) supportive of these initiatives.

[ronthecivil]

I said radical publication. As in the business community, the very same community that we hear endlessly how bike lanes will kill business, is coming around and is (at least some it would seem) supportive of these initiatives.

The business community should be cheering for having the most people on the streets, all modes. Bike lanes can be part of upping the capacity (all modes) but the way the city is doing it is decreasing capacity (all modes).

Mind you, the hornby ones aren't bad (like the viaduct) or terrible (like burrard) with regards to maximising capacity (all modes) so it's ironic that they are the ones getting the attention.

[BuckyHermit]

Speaking of Park and Rides, the South Surrey Park and Ride needs an expansion BADLY. Every time I go there, I see cars parked in places where they shouldn't be parking, such as on the side of the aisle entrances, on some corners and sometimes on the side of the bus loop itself. Sure, it's illegal to do so, but there's simply no room left.

Something needs to be done about that. Either build another Park and Ride in the South Surrey/White Rock area, or expand the current one.

[ronthecivil]

I agree. Park and ride would be fantastic, and would help alleviate a lot of the traffic flow coming accross the bridges into the city from Langley, Richmond, and Surrey. The best solution I think is one which incorporates all methods of transportation, without screwing one over. There are a lot of people who don't live right by transit, or don't want to put up with how unreliable the bus system is at times. SkyTrain is fantastic, so give us the option to drive to a station, park, and take the train into city. Bikes are great for those living close to where they work and live in geographically friendly areas (i.e not extremely hilly). In addition, its going to be interesting to see how many cyclists are on the road this winter considering we should be expecting an unusually strong la niña (very cold/violent winter).

I'd also appreciate it if everyone who used transit would actually pay for it (I'm looking at you Gregor).

Anyway, I just think the hard on this city council has for the cycling and green lobby is preventing us from making the best and most efficient decisions possible for the future of transportation in this city.

Fully agree.

[aGENT]

Fully agree.

Aye, aye.

[ronthecivil]

Speaking of Park and Rides, the South Surrey Park and Ride needs an expansion BADLY. Every time I go there, I see cars parked in places where they shouldn't be parking, such as on the side of the aisle entrances, on some corners and sometimes on the side of the bus loop itself. Sure, it's illegal to do so, but there's simply no room left.

Something needs to be done about that. Either build another Park and Ride in the South Surrey/White Rock area, or expand the current one.

What? Building parking for cars can increase transit use? Who woulda thunk it?

Every third or fourth skytrain station should have a parkade adjacent. Pick out the ones that have low levels of boardings and lower levels of transit (like Royal Oak) or ones that could have agreements with existing parking holders (like Brentwood) and put in developements that include huge amounts of shared parking underground if the asthetics are a problem.

[aGENT]

Speaking of Park and Rides, the South Surrey Park and Ride needs an expansion BADLY. Every time I go there, I see cars parked in places where they shouldn't be parking, such as on the side of the aisle entrances, on some corners and sometimes on the side of the bus loop itself. Sure, it's illegal to do so, but there's simply no room left.

Something needs to be done about that. Either build another Park and Ride in the South Surrey/White Rock area, or expand the current one.

As far as I can tell most, if not all, the park and rides are woefully over capacity. We keep berating people for not using transit alternatives but then don't actually make transit a viable alternative for people to get out of their cars.

[ahzdeen]

As far as I can tell most, if not all, the park and rides are woefully over capacity. We keep berating people for not using transit alternatives but then don't actually make transit a viable alternative for people to get out of their cars.

I've been bemoaning the lack of park and ride facilities since I started driving. It's ridiculous. A real "outside the box" thought would be multi-modal transportation initiatives. Car for part of the trip, transit/bike/walk the rest. Right now it's all one or the other. I would love to see someone build a huge parking garage at Scott Road. Brentwood has plenty of room to build an above or below ground parking garage. Lake city could also probably make space for one. The list could go on.

[ronthecivil]

I've been bemoaning the lack of park and ride facilities since I started driving. It's ridiculous. A real "outside the box" thought would be multi-modal transportation initiatives. Car for part of the trip, transit/bike/walk the rest. Right now it's all one or the other. I would love to see someone build a huge parking garage at Scott Road. Brentwood has plenty of room to build an above or below ground parking garage. Lake city could also probably make space for one. The list could go on.

Braid with all that road capacity right nearbye.

Basically the ones that don't look like Joyce should have varying degrees of parking around.

Even places like south surrey and cloverdale should have massive ones that have regular shuttle service to skytrain.

[Truculence]

I've been bemoaning the lack of park and ride facilities since I started driving. It's ridiculous. A real "outside the box" thought would be multi-modal transportation initiatives. Car for part of the trip, transit/bike/walk the rest. Right now it's all one or the other. I would love to see someone build a huge parking garage at Scott Road. Brentwood has plenty of room to build an above or below ground parking garage. Lake city could also probably make space for one. The list could go on.

There is a P&R at Scott Rd. - at 110th. A massive one. It's got like 1600 spaces.

[aGENT]

There is a P&R at Scott Rd. - at 110th. A massive one. It's got like 1600 spaces.

And it's past capacity and not nearly big enough. I agree with above, all park and rides should be multi-level parking and they should add more of them where applicable throughout the sky train route.

[Truculence]

And it's past capacity and not nearly big enough. I agree with above, all park and rides should be multi-level parking and they should add more of them where applicable throughout the sky train route.

I didn't realize it was often full. They should definitely increase capacity if that's the case.

The city of Surrey should foot the bill though. Suburbanites need to pay for their own crap.

Edited November 5, 2010 by raven warrior

[Señor Santos]

Its glaringly clear that SkyTrain is easily the most efficient mode of transportation in the lower mainland (just look at the cost figures coupled with the speed at which is moves people). Expanding existing park and rides, and adding new ones at other stations where it is possible will be a far, far better use of capital spending than expanding other areas of Translink's service. Just look at a google sattelite image of the park and rides. They're at capacity!

I didn't realize it was often full. They should definitely increase capacity if that's the case.

The city of Surrey should foot the bill though. Suburbanites need to pay for their own crap.

That isn't necessary. The increased revenues from fares of new people using the SkyTrain due to the expansion of the park and ride would be able to cover the cost considering the profit margins they are getting from the service. And like the poster below said, you could charge a small fee to recoup the cost of building it as well.

Edited November 5, 2010 by Señor Santos

[aGENT]

I didn't realize it was often full. They should definitely increase capacity if that's the case.

The city of Surrey should foot the bill though. Suburbanites need to pay for their own crap.

You'd charge parking fees to pay for it I'd imagine.