Common sense Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 The new cars arriving from 2009-2011 will allow the Mark I cars (older cars from the 80's and early 90's) to run in a 6-car formation (it's usually 4-cars) that will fill up the entire platform....that's what Translink did during the recent snow storms. And as for the Mark II cars, they will be running in 4-car formations rather than 2-car formations. A lot of capacity will be added to SkyTrain in the coming years as a result. As for SFU, they should probably increase the frequency of the bus that goes up the mountain from Production Way. There are also plans to have a B-Line going from downtown to SFU via Hastings using the old 98 B-Line buses. And as for an improved connection from Production Way Station to the top of the hill, SFU has considered building a gondola up the mountain...all they need is money. Does a B-Line really solve anything though? It'll increase the freq. of buses, but so long as there's a traffic jam, the buses will be affected. Don't be surprised to see five 95/135s all at a time. That's what happened to the 98 and 99.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canucks.brad Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 The new cars arriving from 2009-2011 will allow the Mark I cars (older cars from the 80's and early 90's) to run in a 6-car formation (it's usually 4-cars) that will fill up the entire platform....that's what Translink did during the recent snow storms. And as for the Mark II cars, they will be running in 4-car formations rather than 2-car formations. A lot of capacity will be added to SkyTrain in the coming years as a result. As for SFU, they should probably increase the frequency of the bus that goes up the mountain from Production Way. There are also plans to have a B-Line going from downtown to SFU via Hastings using the old 98 B-Line buses. And as for an improved connection from Production Way Station to the top of the hill, SFU has considered building a gondola up the mountain...all they need is money. ya im all for the 95 B-line on Hastings but in all honesty that line doesnt really warrant the need for Bline service. I currently take the 135 or 145 and the 145 needs the B-line more. However sending that route as B-line would be a waste since it only needs it at peak hours... the 135 does service more (downtown to sfu) but its fine where its at. i find translink needs to totally reconsider its routes going to sfu. which is why ive said...perhaps B-line a Brentwood/Hastings Route. and a gondola...lol well...im just laughing right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manpreet Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 (edited) Finally this "world class city" builds a mass transit! Next, a 3rd lane on our freeways! Edited January 15, 2009 by Manpreet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitronuts Posted January 15, 2009 Author Share Posted January 15, 2009 ya im all for the 95 B-line on Hastings but in all honesty that line doesnt really warrant the need for Bline service. I currently take the 135 or 145 and the 145 needs the B-line more. However sending that route as B-line would be a waste since it only needs it at peak hours... the 135 does service more (downtown to sfu) but its fine where its at. i find translink needs to totally reconsider its routes going to sfu. which is why ive said...perhaps B-line a Brentwood/Hastings Route. and a gondola...lol well...im just laughing right now. The 145 is a short route and doesn't need B-Line status. What it needs is a higher frequency. And as for a gondola/aerial tram, it's actually quite practical and has been used for public transit services around the world. For instance, a gondola runs between Portland's south waterfront to the Oregon Health & Science University, which happens to be atop a hill like SFU. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitronuts Posted January 15, 2009 Author Share Posted January 15, 2009 Port Mann Bridge financing thrown into question Private builders struggling to raise money, ask Victoria for more time By Jonathan Fowlie and Lori Culbert, Vancouver Sun January 15, 2009 6:01 AM The private consortium chosen as the best suited to twin the Port Mann Bridge is struggling to raise money for the project, and has told the B.C. government it needs more time before it can finalize a deal. The deal -- a public-private partnership or P3 -- was supposed to be completed earlier this month, but on Wednesday, Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon confirmed the deadline has been extended to early February. "Obviously, it's a difficult market out there," Falcon said, referring to constraints in the global credit market. However, he said he remained confident the deal will go ahead. "What they tell us is, they remain confident that they can pull it together, but they needed more time," he said. The project to twin the Port Mann bridge is already behind schedule, as construction was initially supposed to start last fall. Under the proposed arrangement, the consortium would build the bridge and widen parts of Highway 1, and then be paid through tolls after everything is complete. The consortium chosen to enter final negotiations was selected in August. Called Connect BC Development Group, it includes Australian-based Macquarie Group, an international toll road operator and investor. But Macquarie, which operates more than 30 roads worldwide, has been hit hard by the financial meltdown. The value of the company's toll-road portfolio fell by a third in the last four months of 2008. In a statement issued by Macquarie, it blamed "the recessionary environment" and "higher assumed financing costs." NDP finance critic Bruce Ralston said he believes the government should rethink its approach on the deal. "Whether [Macquarie] is able to be in a position to actually provide the kind of capital that is necessary to make a project like this work is something I hope and expect, on behalf of British Columbians, is being thoroughly investigated," he said, pointing to recent problems with Fortress Investment Group in connection with the Olympic Athletes' Village. He said the B.C. Liberals have been "ideologically resolute in refusing to acknowledge any weaknesses in [the P3 model], and I think at this point it's pretty clear there are some serious problems," Ralston said. Because negotiations are not complete, Falcon would not say how much the project will cost or what institutions are on the list of major lenders. Project Finance Magazine, a U.K.-based trade publication, has reported more than two dozen banks met last month to assemble $2.3 billion in debt for the project. It said the deal was supposed to close by Jan. 8. This week, the magazine said the banks were attributing the delay to credit constraints associated with the global crisis. The magazine said a rumour in the market suggested another reason for the delay: that the banks no longer like the pricing structure of the debt. The magazine went on to identify the four lead international banks in the financing deal -- BNP Paribas, Caja Madrid, Royal Bank of Scotland, and Société Générale -- each of which has struggled recently because of the economy. Falcon acknowledged the current difficulties in the markets, but defended the P3 model and said he will not let the Port Mann project stop if the consortium can't find the money it needs. "We've got other options that can allow us to move it forward." While Falcon would not go into specifics, Ralston pointed out one obvious solution would be to abandon the public-private partnership, and build the project with public money. "When capital markets are as volatile as they are now, there's a real advantage to having public funding," he said. jfowlie@vancouversun.com lculbert@vancouversun.com © Copyright © The Vancouver Sun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtzfan Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 nitronuts, do you know how many does each bus fare box have? I was taking 98 b line an hour ago. The yellow bag covers the bus fare box which is running out of bus fares. That is totally unacceptable! Then people are just like taking the ride for free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuckyHermit Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 nitronuts, do you know how many does each bus fare box have? I was taking 98 b line an hour ago. The yellow bag covers the bus fare box which is running out of bus fares. That is totally unacceptable! Then people are just like taking the ride for free. At least it wasn't on the 43 towards UBC where the driver decided to stop on 16th Avenue at East Mall and try to reload the fare box right there and then, delaying our arrival to UBC Loop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buggernut Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Does a B-Line really solve anything though? It'll increase the freq. of buses, but so long as there's a traffic jam, the buses will be affected. A true bus rapid transit (BRT) would have dedicated lanes and a signal priority system built in at traffic lights. ya im all for the 95 B-line on Hastings but in all honesty that line doesnt really warrant the need for Bline service. I currently take the 135 or 145 and the 145 needs the B-line more. However sending that route as B-line would be a waste since it only needs it at peak hours... the 135 does service more (downtown to sfu) but its fine where its at. Last I recall, the government's plan was to replace both those routes with a combined RapidBus route that would run from Downtown to SFU, and then back down to Production Way Station, and vice versa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Common sense Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 At least it wasn't on the 43 towards UBC where the driver decided to stop on 16th Avenue at East Mall and try to reload the fare box right there and then, delaying our arrival to UBC Loop. That's a fail of an expected stop. Just reload at the loop and not have 50 UBC students pissed off at you... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeGillis58 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Many times when a #3, #7, #9, or #16 bus is late and there is a large group of people at a bus stop. I've witnessed bus drivers letting passengers on for free by refusing the check fares. The bus loads up pretty quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitronuts Posted January 15, 2009 Author Share Posted January 15, 2009 nitronuts, do you know how many does each bus fare box have? I was taking 98 b line an hour ago. The yellow bag covers the bus fare box which is running out of bus fares. That is totally unacceptable! Then people are just like taking the ride for free. I would like to think hundreds and hundreds and hundreds.....wouldn't be too much of a problem when the smart cards arrive. The bus fare boxes and the SkyTrain fare machines are designed in mind for smart cards as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BieksaRocks Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 (edited) The 145 is a short route and doesn't need B-Line status. What it needs is a higher frequency. And as for a gondola/aerial tram, it's actually quite practical and has been used for public transit services around the world. For instance, a gondola runs between Portland's south waterfront to the Oregon Health & Science University, which happens to be atop a hill like SFU. THAT looks freaking amazing! sigh...if only we got those NOW... Edited January 15, 2009 by BieksaRocks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitronuts Posted January 15, 2009 Author Share Posted January 15, 2009 ^ problem is you'd need like 4 of those tram lines. Since one line can only accomodate one car, each with a capacity of like 80-100 passengers. I could see double-decked aerial tram cars being used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canucks.brad Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 A true bus rapid transit (BRT) would have dedicated lanes and a signal priority system built in at traffic lights. Last I recall, the government's plan was to replace both those routes with a combined RapidBus route that would run from Downtown to SFU, and then back down to Production Way Station, and vice versa. oOoOo that would be awesome =) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuckyHermit Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 (edited) THAT looks freaking amazing! sigh...if only we got those NOW... But then the campus would be accessible during heavy snowfall, which means fewer snow days... Edited January 15, 2009 by BuckyHermit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Common sense Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 But then the campus would be accessible during heavy snowfall, which means fewer snow days... 'nuff said Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buggernut Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 The 145 is a short route and doesn't need B-Line status. What it needs is a higher frequency. And as for a gondola/aerial tram, it's actually quite practical and has been used for public transit services around the world. For instance, a gondola runs between Portland's south waterfront to the Oregon Health & Science University, which happens to be atop a hill like SFU. Would it be cost effective though? I seem to recall reading that the Portland system resulted in some serious cost overruns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitronuts Posted January 16, 2009 Author Share Posted January 16, 2009 'nuff said How many times has that actually happened to a gondola? Besides, they found out what caused it so it is actually easily preventable. And we're also talking about aerial trams here, akin with the tram to Grouse Mountain not a ski resort gondola. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Common sense Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 How many times has that actually happened to a gondola? Besides, they found out what caused it so it is actually easily preventable. And we're also talking about aerial trams here, akin with the tram to Grouse Mountain not a ski resort gondola. Sigh. Next time, I'll be sure to put </sarcasm> and *alert: you'll need a sarcasm detector for the following post* into what i write, okay? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanuck14 Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 That is the problem with this city. They tell everyone to take transit but do nothing to make it quick and efficient. Buses are stuck in traffic with the current bus only lanes being a joke. The bus lanes should be in the middle first off and they should make more of them, but then it all useless without enforcement! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now