9626 replies to this topic

[Cats4Hire]

ok now the other notice of motion loads and it makes a lot more sense. As well as increased service they want the Brentwood loop served by buses heading both north and south which they really should and I don't get why they don't https://www.bctransi...s/1529705554078. Also the slide for this section is just generic stuff but the minutes for section 11 say 

 

 

PLANNING UPDATE – for INFORMATION (Seth Wright) Fall service changes include seasonal increases in service to match ridership demand and an expansion of 20,000 annualized service hours and eight heavy-duty buses. Of special note, extended late night service will begin September 2, 2019. The report also summarized planning activities in the Region undertaken since the last meeting

 

so I guess late night service will carry out through the week instead of just Friday and Saturday?

[Victoria Watcher]

Butchart Gardens charging non-customers full entry fee to catch public bus

BC Transit bus stop located inside grounds in Butchart’s parking lot

 

https://www.goldstre..._medium=twitter

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 09 August 2019 - 02:49 PM.

[DustMagnet]

 

https://www.goldstre..._medium=twitter

 

 

It's a public bus yes, but the stop is on private land.  Seems kind of a dick move on Buchart's part but BC Transit could move their stop outside too.

[tedward]

 

https://www.goldstre..._medium=twitter

 

 

I don't understand. The last time I was at Butchart's (admittedly a while ago) the bus bays were OUTSIDE the gates where you paid for admission. You arrived on a city or tour bus and then had to go through an admission gate. Do you now have to pay for a ticket to Butchart's before you board a bus going into the Gardens?!? Do they stop all the buses and demand to see tickets before letting it onto their property?

[kxl]

I don't understand. The last time I was at Butchart's (admittedly a while ago) the bus bays were OUTSIDE the gates where you paid for admission. You arrived on a city or tour bus and then had to go through an admission gate. Do you now have to pay for a ticket to Butchart's before you board a bus going into the Gardens?!? Do they stop all the buses and demand to see tickets before letting it onto their property?

Yes, the bus stop is outside the gates for visitors by bus and vehicles when the main lot is full (entry by scanning ticket or pass upon entry). But the bus stop itself is on private property, in the same area as the overflow parking and where the tour buses park. The #75 and 81 buses go past the car entry gates directly to the bus stop.

[Cats4Hire]

Does anybody know if any of the information from the meeting has been posted anywhere? Specifically what exactly the extended late night service entails (and I guess if they're implamenting anything from the Burnside or Jubilee Future Plans this September). The website just seems to have the stuff already up for the past week and I don't see any mention on BC Transit or CFax's social media.

[Cats4Hire]

Discovered another Next Ride shortcoming. When a bus is detoured but that detour isn't reflected on Next Ride (like many of the routes going through Colwood this morning) the bus just disappears as soon as it's off the scheduled route

[Mike K.]

Right! That's a massive drawback, as this morning's detours are several kilometers long for some buses.

[Cats4Hire]

It seems a little inconsistent too. The 39 and 61 went away as soon as they left regular routing but 50 made it about halfway up Wale before disappearing. 

 

Actually I wonder if the drivers might be told to turn it off for a bit, the "next stop" thing might start going wonky meanwhile if it's a long known detour like 10/14 avoiding Bay Street Bridge they can add that into the system in advanced. 

Edited by Cats4Hire, 14 August 2019 - 06:30 AM.

[Mike K.]

I saw a bus accidentally go up my road the other day and the bus did not display on Nextride, so I don't think the drivers control whether it appears or not.

[Cats4Hire]

ah ok. Now I'm kind of curious what the "next stop" thing does while on detour. Especially for some of those longer detours this morning.

[Mike K.]

We're getting a lot of feedback about this issue this morning. Riders are confused, and rightly so.

 

I'm shocked something as simple as a detour isn't in some way accounted for on this multi-million dollar system.

[Mike K.]

39 UVic – continuing on Goldstream, left Wale, left Island Highway to regular route
39 Westhills – from Island Highway, right Wale to Goldstream to regular route
43 Royal Roads – cancelled
46 Dockyard – continuing on Goldstream, left Wale, left Island Highway to regular route
46 Westhills – from Island Highway, right Wale to Goldstream to regular route
48 Downtown – from Sooke, left Kelly, right Veterans Memorial, right Goldstream, left Wale, left Island Highway to regular route
50 Downtown – from Goldstream, left Wale, left Isalnd Highway to regular route
50 Langford/61 Sooke – from Island Highway, right Wale to Goldstream to regular route
51 UVic – from Kelly, left Veterans Memorial, right Goldstream, left Wale, left Island Highway to regular route
51 Langford – from Island Highway, right Wale to Goldstream, left Veterans Memorial, right Kelly to regular route
52  Colwood – from Sooke, left Kelly, right Veterans Memorial, right Goldstream, left Wale to Colwood Exchange
52 Bear Mountain – from Colwood Exchange straight on Wale to Goldstream, left Veterans Memorial, left Kelly, right Sooke to regular route
61 Downtown – from Sooke, left Kelly, right Veterans Memorial, right Goldstream, left Wale, left Island Highway to regular route

[sebberry]

I'm shocked something as simple as a detour isn't in some way accounted for on this multi-million dollar system.

 

I'm not, it's just how we do things here.

[Cats4Hire]

They tweeted some neat pictures of the old paint job from when they first got Double Deckers (as well as a nice old bus on that UVic picture) https://twitter.com/...765007916335104

[Cats4Hire]

Google Transit has updated. Unless it's not fully done seems like a light September, essentially just restoring service to school related routes. Nothing from the Burnside/Tillicum or Jubilee future plan have been implemented. Since routes like 16, 17 and 76 appear and schedules for routes I checked with obvious major differences (4 and 75) are their usual September schedule I assume this is final.

[Mike K.]

Any new routes on the roster?

[Cats4Hire]

Any new routes on the roster?

Don't see any. I checked all the areas the future plan listed as potential areas, all the exchanges and other areas that have a lot of routes (Tillicum Mall, Sidney where the routes terminate, random stops downtown, etc) just 16, 17 and 76 being added back.

[Nparker]

The Victoria Regional Transit Commission turned down on Tuesday a region-wide pilot project for fare-free youth transit, but Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said her municipality is undeterred in going ahead with its own program...Helps’ motion called the elimination of youth fares “a form of climate action,”...

https://www.timescol...head-1.23914889

Perhaps someone can help me understand Lisa's specious reasoning. Presumably, most of the youth who would be receiving these "free" bus passes do not currently drive cars as they are under 16. Also, if this initiative proved popular it might add more buses to our local roads. How does this equate to "a form of climate action"?

[Mike K.]

Ok, I'm glad common sense prevailed. The prospect of having to add dozens of buses to the roads and increase operating budgets by tens of millions just to support the ridership of 1/3 of students in grades 6-12 was a daunting proposition that would have required higher fares, higher gasoline taxes, a new transit yard and a significant increase in bus drivers, which the organization is already struggling to attract and maintain.

 

Interesting fact is that there are approximately 700 drivers working for the Victoria Regional Transit System.