Tag Archives: TransLink

Recommended Reading for February 28

Posted on February 28, 2013 | Leave a comment

Here are some interesting reads from today:

The City of Vancouver and UBC released a KPMG study, The UBC-Broadway Corridor – Unlocking the Economic Potential

I haven’t had an opportunity to read the full study yet, but Geoff Meggs offers this succinct summary: Broadway Corridor subway would equal Canada Line the day it opened, generate jobs, reduce congestion. You can also read this Vancouver Sun article: Vancouver, UBC make case for Broadway subway, saying area could become “innovation hub”

Don’t let the headline get you down. Meghan Winters, Health Sciences Professor at SFU, states in the article: “On the whole, consistently studies show the health benefits of walking and cycling far outweigh the health risks of injury. So on the whole, from an individual and public health perspective, cycling and walking should be promoted and encouraged.” The abstract for the study referred to in the article is available on the publisher’s website. If you have a library card, you should be able to access the full text of the article very soon from the Canadian Business and Current Affairs database.

I’m not a fan of fare zones so I was pleased to learn from this blog post that true distance-based pricing will be explored as an option when TransLink conducts a comprehensive fare policy review in the next few years. Also, the picture of the 1958 fare zones is fascinating!

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Posted in Bike, Transit, Walk

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Canadian Transit Information Removed in iOS 6

Posted on September 19, 2012 | Leave a comment

Apple’s iPhone 5, preloaded with iOS 6, goes on sale in Canada this Friday, but it will lack a critical feature that many urbanites expect in a smartphone. Previous versions of the iPhone have come with an app version of Google Maps, which provides easy-to-use transit directions and times. In iOS 6, Apple replaces this app with its own version, which will exclude transit information for Canada and many other countries. See the complete list of lost map features by country over on the understatement.

At least in Vancouver we have TransLink’s mobile website, which includes Next Bus and Trip Planner.

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Posted in Transit

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Get OnBoard for Sustainable and Equitable Transit Funding

Posted on September 18, 2012 | Leave a comment

Get OnBoard is a new campaign seeking sustainable and equitable transit funding for Metro Vancouver. The campaign aims to make regional transit a provincial election issue.

Get OnBoard BC

At this point, it’s unclear who is behind Get OnBoard BC. The organization is described on the website as a “partnership-driven coalition of residents, students, workers, businesses and academics who all believe in a better future for Metro Vancouver’s public transit infrastructure.” Hopefully, for the sake of transparency, more information about the organizers of Get OnBoard BC will be made available in the coming days.

The campaign is founded on the following principles:

Rapid transit cannot move forward in Metro Vancouver without sustainable and equitable funding mechanisms: TransLink’s current limited funding options, combined with a decline in revenue from taxes, cannot support the future economic and demographic growth of the region. To see the construction of regional rapid transit, we need new solutions, including potential road use tolling and reallocations from current municipal and provincial taxes. Equally as important, any new funding mechanisms must be equitable, so that dollars raised in a region be targeted to the transit infrastructure of that specific region.

Municipalities and regional entities need to be given the power of choice: In the past, BC’s provincial government has not always provided an adequate level of support to regional officials with regards to instituting new funding mechanisms to maintain and develop rapid transit. Those who represent the residents of Metro Vancouver should be able to decide freely whether and how to fund rapid transit solutions, rather than be forced to wait for decisions made on their behalf in Victoria.

Keep track of the Get OnBoard campaign on Facebook, Twitter and the campaign website.

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Posted in Transit

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TransLink Wins Social Media Awards

Posted on August 27, 2012 | 1 Comment

Congratulations to TransLink for receiving American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Adwheel Awards for best blog, best Twitter feed and best Social Networking among public transportation systems with more than 20 million passenger trips annually.

I’m pleased that APTA is acknowledging TransLink with these social media awards. The Twitter service, in particular, really deserves this positive attention. Any question I’ve asked TransLink on Twitter has received a swift, helpful and thoughtful response. As a librarian, I consider TransLink’s Twitter feed an excellent model for providing responsive service. As a transit user, I simply like that within minutes I can find out how many buses are equipped with bike racks or where I can locate bus re-routes when roads are closed for special events.

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Posted in Transit

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I Love Transit Week: July 16-20, 2012

Posted on July 14, 2012 | Leave a comment

I first fell in love with transit in Toronto. My heart still skips a beat when I recall riding the iconic streetcars across the city, marvelling at the unique tile colours and patterns at each Subway station, and being lulled to sleep by the rumbling of the Subway travelling past my High Park apartment.

I live in Vancouver now and I still love transit. Here, my affection is for blue seats instead of red ones, but the innocence of first love is long gone. This new relationship requires more patience. I admit that I become irritated on occasion, particularly when the 99 B-Line passes me up on weekday mornings. Most of the time, however, transit and I get along splendidly. On our best days, transit takes me places I’ve never been and surprises me with beautiful views and interesting people along the way. I can’t imagine life without transit and that’s why I will be celebrating I Love Transit Week July 16-20.

I Love Transit Week 2012

I Love Transit Week 2012 illustration by Ginger Ngo for The Buzzer

The highlight of I Love Transit Week in Metro Vancouver is the family-friendly I Love Transit Night, which takes place on Wednesday, July 18, 6:00-8:30 p.m. at the Bonsor Recreation Complex in Burnaby.

Forty-two lucky people will ride to the event in retro style aboard a 1964 BC Hydro, GMC Bus courtesy of the Transit Museum Society. (Update – July 16/12: The bus ride has been cancelled, but the bus will be at I Love Transit Night so that you can climb aboard to see what the interior looks like.)

If you want to attend I Love Transit Night, The Buzzer would like you to send an email to thebuzzer@translink.ca with “RSVP” in the subject line, including the following information in your message: Name, approximate age, number of guests you’ll be bringing, and whether or not you and your guests plan to take the shuttle bus to the event.

Don’t worry if you can’t take the shuttle bus as I Love Transit Night is easy to access on foot from the Metrotown Skytrain Station.

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Posted in Transit

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