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BC Transit (Victoria Regional Transit System) news and issues


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#5561 moretrain

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Posted 03 October 2017 - 08:56 AM

Not to be argumentative here at all... but if you make the service too cheap and frequent you get people travelling more often than they need to. Yes a person in a bus is better in terms if congestion and pollution than that same person in a SOV. But that person making one trip to Victoria a week, with a friend in a car that's going anyway is better than that person going 4 times a week.

 

Travelling more often than they need to? What qualifies as need to?

 

What is wrong with somebody who goes Downtown 4 times a week? More potential business right? Plus, you have somebody takes a bus once a week downtown $5 round trip. Reduce the fare to half, $2.50 round trip, but four times a week you end up making $5 more. Now, for a single person, the cost is actually more expensive for the week. But, consider this: If the cost is so cheap multiple people want to take the bus more often, then the overall cost to transit is reduced, despite the lower fare. If every bus spends most of its time at 80% capacity, outside of rush hour, that is actually a boon, and would spur the need to provide even better service quicker.

 

I am not saying the city should reduce its fare, it is very affordable. Things I would like to see implemented though:

 

-reinstate the transfer

-stop announcements that actually announce the stop, not just cross streets

-the ticketing tower by the driver doing the transfers, not a driver tearing off a stack (a la OC Transpo in Ottawa)

-articulated busses to be run up and down bus lanes (all day bus lanes not just 3 hour bus lanes)

-an attempt to implement a BRT system


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#5562 Kach

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Posted 03 October 2017 - 09:55 PM

Looks like additional implementation of the Transit Future Plan 2020 and the development of further exclusive or priority lanes through Colwood and View Royal.  Good to see.

 

https://www.colwood....-island-highway


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#5563 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 04 October 2017 - 05:57 AM

Looks like additional implementation of the Transit Future Plan 2020 and the development of further exclusive or priority lanes through Colwood and View Royal.  Good to see.

 

https://www.colwood....-island-highway

 

VRTC Board Chair, Susan Brice, says partnerships are key in this work. “The VRTC is committed to working with our partners in Greater Victoria to improve transit services,” said Brice. “The work being conducted here is about taking what we have heard from the public and bringing it to reality.”

 

 

Does the partnership include View Royal, not mentioned in the release.    Half the strip is theirs.


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#5564 Kach

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Posted 04 October 2017 - 08:16 AM

Does the partnership include View Royal, not mentioned in the release.    Half the strip is theirs.

 

I believe so, but only based on this article...nothing more.

 

https://www.vicnews....ransit-options/



#5565 BCbinders

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Posted 12 October 2017 - 08:45 AM

Does any body know why the 11 is never doubledecker? It seems to be just as busy as the 14 and 15 which can be. I'm guessing some part of its route has low power lines or tree branches or something that the bus can't clear.


That is exactly the issue. Low tree branches near the uplands in oak bay.
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#5566 BCbinders

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Posted 12 October 2017 - 08:48 AM

I actually notice a lot more 70s and 72s are single deck than before. I rarely ride them but I'm downtown a lot and I don't recall ever seeing a single deck 70 and very rarely a 72 but now the majority I see are single. In fact the 26, 15, 14 and 4 are the only routes that don't seem to have had the double deck count cut down. During the spring almost every 21 seemed to be DD but I've only seen 1 counting my time at Camosun and Downtown.


That is because transit is running out of double Deckers. I know of three that have caught fire in about two months.
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#5567 BCbinders

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Posted 12 October 2017 - 08:57 AM

Travelling more often than they need to? What qualifies as need to?

What is wrong with somebody who goes Downtown 4 times a week? More potential business right? Plus, you have somebody takes a bus once a week downtown $5 round trip. Reduce the fare to half, $2.50 round trip, but four times a week you end up making $5 more. Now, for a single person, the cost is actually more expensive for the week. But, consider this: If the cost is so cheap multiple people want to take the bus more often, then the overall cost to transit is reduced, despite the lower fare. If every bus spends most of its time at 80% capacity, outside of rush hour, that is actually a boon, and would spur the need to provide even better service quicker.

I am not saying the city should reduce its fare, it is very affordable. Things I would like to see implemented though:

-reinstate the transfer
-stop announcements that actually announce the stop, not just cross streets
-the ticketing tower by the driver doing the transfers, not a driver tearing off a stack (a la OC Transpo in Ottawa)
-articulated busses to be run up and down bus lanes (all day bus lanes not just 3 hour bus lanes)
-an attempt to implement a BRT system


you will likely only see the transfer come back when it is an automated system. The issue with the past transfer was that people were traveling outside of the one hour time frame. As well people using the transfer for return fare, it was meant as a one-way option, to get you further to your destination. I do know that BC Transit isn't talks and working out a new fahrbach system. Maybe one that will spit out a time to transfer. I think that is when you will see them come back, when people can insert their transfer into the box and it will either come out valid or invalid.

also, BC Transit is working on a new annunciator system. I think that the new one will be far better as well as it will have GPS tracking capabilities.

As for articulating buses, the streets are not set up for them, and more so the bus stops are not set up for them. On some of the stops Downtown you would only be able to get one or two buses in per stop. It would actually slow the system down greatly. As well the corners interns are not set up for articulating buses. He would create incredible havoc.

And if I am understanding the tea leaves alright, you will see 24-hour bus lanes in the next year.

#5568 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 12 October 2017 - 09:13 AM

And if I am understanding the tea leaves alright, you will see 24-hour bus lanes in the next year.

 

That'll be great especially for all the 4am buses, smooth sailing for them past all the cars.


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<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#5569 sdwright.vic

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Posted 12 October 2017 - 11:44 AM

24 hour bus lanes for non 24 hour buses? Ugh!
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#5570 Cats4Hire

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Posted 12 October 2017 - 02:00 PM

That'll be great especially for all the 4am buses, smooth sailing for them past all the cars.

honestly with some of the things Victoria has done I wouldn't be surprised if they proudly announce they're removing more parking downtown for 24 hour bus lanes on Douglas and Quadra.



#5571 moretrain

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Posted 13 October 2017 - 09:43 AM

That'll be great especially for all the 4am buses, smooth sailing for them past all the cars.

 

That isnt the point though. Having a 24 hour bus lane gets people into the mindset that the lanes are not meant to be driven in any time. Practice makes perfect.

 

24 hour bus lanes for non 24 hour buses? Ugh!

 

See above.

 

honestly with some of the things Victoria has done I wouldn't be surprised if they proudly announce they're removing more parking downtown for 24 hour bus lanes on Douglas and Quadra.

 

I don't think you'd see it on Quadra, that doesn't really make much sense to me. Blanshard on the other hand absolutely. I would expect the parking to be removed, because you wouldn't want to remove the sidewalk or remove a lane of traffic. Never understood why cities allow parallel parking on major roads like Douglas and Blanshard anyway. I personally do not take the bus at this time, however, I would welcome wholeheartedly the removal of the parking to facilitate bus lanes.



#5572 Mattjvd

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Posted 13 October 2017 - 09:55 AM

That isnt the point though. Having a 24 hour bus lane gets people into the mindset that the lanes are not meant to be driven in any time. Practice makes perfect.


See above.


I don't think you'd see it on Quadra, that doesn't really make much sense to me. Blanshard on the other hand absolutely. I would expect the parking to be removed, because you wouldn't want to remove the sidewalk or remove a lane of traffic. Never understood why cities allow parallel parking on major roads like Douglas and Blanshard anyway. I personally do not take the bus at this time, however, I would welcome wholeheartedly the removal of the parking to facilitate bus lanes.


That would require a lot of re-routing, the busses avoid Blanshard. No routes use it downtown and I think only the 70/72 uses the northern end of it.

#5573 sdwright.vic

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Posted 13 October 2017 - 12:01 PM

I really don't need to be spoon fed something. Especially when that something is never going to happen.
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#5574 Cats4Hire

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Posted 13 October 2017 - 12:13 PM

I don't think you'd see it on Quadra, that doesn't really make much sense to me. Blanshard on the other hand absolutely. I would expect the parking to be removed, because you wouldn't want to remove the sidewalk or remove a lane of traffic. Never understood why cities allow parallel parking on major roads like Douglas and Blanshard anyway. I personally do not take the bus at this time, however, I would welcome wholeheartedly the removal of the parking to facilitate bus lanes.

Why would it be on Blanshard though? Nothing is driving on it after Cloverdale aside from a few buses that terminate near there (4, 21, 27, 28) and none of them actually stop on Blanshard. Downtown is already a pain because of next to no parking. With Uptown still sitting half empty and Mayfair expanding (and potentially losing Toys R Us) I would not be surprised if businesses start leaving downtown if anymore parking is removed (we already know Chapters is moving to Mayfair) and if there's nothing down there it kinda defeats the purpose of dedicated bus lanes considering no one will have a reason to be driving down there.



#5575 sdwright.vic

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Posted 13 October 2017 - 03:08 PM

Shoppers is moving into Chapters though with a rumoured redevelopment of the old Shoppers location, with hopefully smaller rental units.

I have to agree with some on here though. All the people moving downtown will need places to shop, so I doubt downtown will become a retail wasteland. I doubt Save-on would be moving into downtown if they did not see customers and money in it. It will just need to be geared towards smaller daily shopping. Not Costco style. I thing large format stores are going to go the way of the dodo bird though. No one can do a Costco shop downtown without a car. Pharmacies will be able to maintain though.

Edited by sdwright.vic, 13 October 2017 - 03:09 PM.

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#5576 lanforod

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Posted 13 October 2017 - 05:37 PM

No one eh? There is a Costco in downtown Vancouver.

#5577 sdwright.vic

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Posted 13 October 2017 - 06:35 PM

I am talking here... not there. Sorry I was not clear enough.

Oh, and have you seen the size of the parkade at the downtown Costco, with FREE parking.
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#5578 sdwright.vic

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Posted 13 October 2017 - 06:37 PM

...but if you want to split hair, a taxi is a car and that would let you do a Costco shop as well.

Edited by sdwright.vic, 13 October 2017 - 06:39 PM.

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#5579 Cats4Hire

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Posted 14 October 2017 - 06:33 AM

...but if you want to split hair, a taxi is a car and that would let you do a Costco shop as well.

aren't most people who are Costco shopping doing it because buying in bulk is cheaper? If you take a taxi home that kinda defeats the purpose and you might as well have just gone to any of the various grocery stores.



#5580 sdwright.vic

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Posted 14 October 2017 - 09:34 AM

^I think my point from the first post is most if not all require a car for Costco... so yes you are correct in your observation.

However, for short trip around downtown on rare occasions a taxi is cheaper.
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