9626 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

For $16 million I'm a little skeptical they'll be touching the bridges.

[splashflash]

The press release is erroneous; no there will not be continuous lanes as they will be interrupted at the Burnside bridges. What would it cost for the bridges to be widened, if that were possible, is the question.

Edited by splashflash, 07 March 2019 - 10:06 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

the bus can merge and travel at car speed for just the length of the bridge i see no problem there.

[Cats4Hire]

This is the bridge in question in case anyone isn't in the area regularly. Would need new bridges to allow bus lanes https://www.google.c...12!8i6656?hl=en

[Mike K.]

From the province:

 

Transit users travelling through the western communities will soon enjoy a faster commute as work begins on a new bus-queue jump lane at Jacklin Road and Highway 14/Sooke Road.

 

“This gives people one more incentive to take transit and with it, we are opening the door for more commuters to take the bus,” said Claire Trevena, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “Along with our commitment to priority bus lanes along the Douglas Street corridor, people will spend less time on the bus stuck in traffic and more time with family and friends.”

 

The eastbound bus-queue lane will start roughly 100 metres before the intersection and will allow transit buses to bypass congestion and traffic build-up from the intersection. The lane will continue after the intersection along Highway 14, before buses will merge back with the flow of traffic.

 

“We’re proud to work with our provincial and local partners to introduce new infrastructure that supports transit services in Greater Victoria,” said Susan Brice, chair of the Victoria Regional Transit Commission. “This project will integrate nicely into transit priority projects on the Island Highway, Highway 1 and Douglas Street that will help to reduce travel times for transit customers.”

 

The project will also reconfigure the intersection of Jacklin Road and Highway 14 to improve safety and sight lines, along with increasing the left-hand turning lane capacity from Highway 14 onto Jacklin Road. In order to complete the work, crews will rebuild the sidewalk on the north side of Highway 14 and install a new BC Transit bus stop.

 

The work will begin during the week of March 11 and is expected to be completed by summer 2019.

 

The project, expected to cost approximately $2 million, is part of a suite of upgrades for the Highway 14 corridor. In January 2018, the Province announced a series of improvements to make the highway safer and more efficient for drivers, transit users, cyclists and pedestrians.

 

Corridor improvements include:

- three new bus pullouts on both sides of Highway 14 – completed
- new safety signs at three locations – completed
- new rest area at Sombrio Beach – completed
- new highway line painting – completed
- slow-moving vehicle pullout east of Muir Creek – completed
- new two-lane bridge on Gillespie Road – completed
- Sooke River Road intersection upgrades – scheduled for completion in summer 2019 

 

This work aligns with the ongoing South Island Transportation Strategy. Launched earlier this year by the ministry, the strategy is designed to take a complete, comprehensive and co-ordinated approach towards improving traffic flow and congestion issues on southern Vancouver Island.

[nagel]

is there some engineering presumption that a bus lane also requires less shoulder than a regular car lane?

The bus lanes ARE the shoulder.  I don't really think it's a good idea for the average driver to use these shoulder lanes as general purpose lanes.  I think bus drivers are on average much more skilled than the average driver, with the real test being the lowest common denominator of drivers, that 5-10% that should not even be on the road.  There's less margin for error, with the lanes butting right up to retaining walls, coupled with higher speeds.

[Mike K.]

HOV lanes or express lanes are typically right up against the shoulder, with a concrete barrier only inches away from the vehicle.

[Cats4Hire]

Does anyone know how they're going to upgrade the non-nova standard buses or the double deckers that don't have a ton of space between the ceiling and window? Pretty much every nova I'm on or that stops at the stop I'm waiting at now has the new call-out system and aside from a couple double deckers nothing else does. The "Stop Requested" thing is sort of angled from the ceiling instead of being attached to the wall like the novas so I'm curious if figuring that out has been an issue or they just decided to do all the novas first. 

Also some of the novas the screen covers the "stop requested" and I've been on quite a few times where people just keep yanking the string or jabbing the button because they can't see it. I wonder if there's some way to make the sign change red when a stop was requested or something. 

[Victoria Watcher]

HOV lanes or express lanes are typically right up against the shoulder, with a concrete barrier only inches away from the vehicle.

 

that's a bit dramatic.  i'm sure the barrier is at least designed to be 1 m away.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 13 March 2019 - 01:19 PM.

[Mike K.]

The barrier is barely a foot from the edge of the lane marking on the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago, and might actually be about 10".

 

[Mike K.]

Freeway 17 in California, no wider than the Malahat but a super speedway with windy curves and elevation changes all the way along. It has barriers even closer than the Kennedy EX. Try doing this at 115km/h.

 

[Cats4Hire]

I forgot to post earlier but on my way to class today I saw a bus all decked out in an ad for Nextride so hopefully that means it will launch soon

[Mike K.]

That might actually be the route testing bus.

[Cats4Hire]

Darn. Hopefully they don't have to delay the roll out again

Edited by Cats4Hire, 16 March 2019 - 06:22 AM.

[Cats4Hire]

The schedule preview for spring (April and May) is up. I think this change just reduces service for UVic/Camosun routes. 

[kenmuir]

The schedule preview for spring (April and May) is up. I think this change just reduces service for UVic/Camosun routes. 

And unlike December 2018, the new schedule takes effect AFTER UVic classes have finished.  There shouldn't be three days of Camosun-Lansdowne students being left behind because the bus was filled at UVic.

[Cats4Hire]

And unlike December 2018, the new schedule takes effect AFTER UVic classes have finished. There shouldn't be three days of Camosun-Lansdowne students being left behind because the bus was filled at UVic.

Camosun Interurban students will still have to deal with 8, 21, 39 being reduced for a week (9 seems to be unchanged) but that's a little better!

[Cats4Hire]

There's signs on the buses for the service change and I noticed it says both 4 and 14 have "minor route adjustments" downtown. Neither's preview maps show this but the 14 now lists Yates at Broad as a timing point stop so it seems that route adjustment of making the 14 go through downtown exactly like the 15 is happening right away. I've Emailed BC Transit about the 4 and we'll see if they get back or if the notice is put online first. 

[Victoria Watcher]

will 14 cross the jsb?

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 27 March 2019 - 01:14 PM.

[Cats4Hire]

will 14 cross the jsb?

yeah, basically from Skinner instead of turning onto Bay it goes down Tyee to Esquimalt and at that point it's exactly like the 15.