9623 replies to this topic

[Nparker]

I can get on board with this (no pun intended) since no where in the above press release does it refer to the passes as free. The funding is clearly stated.

[spanky123]

Very good. This seems like a far more meaningful undertaking than the South Island Prosperity Project's shuttle service.

 

You mean the shuttle service they wanted $10M to fund?!

[Mike K.]

That’s the one. It’s also the one that according to a comment made seemed to intimate that if one were late for the bus the shuttle could pick you up. Just don’t be late for the bus.

[G-Man]

Does anyone know how you actually go about getting the free bus pass for your kid?

[Nparker]

Does anyone know how you actually go about getting the free subsidized bus pass for your kid?

There; fixed that for you. 

[Victoria Watcher]

very impressive.


The bus taking commuters from the West Shore to downtown Victoria has become the busiest in the region, with a 44 per cent increase in ridership in the past five years, says B.C. Transit.
“We’re carrying over 10,000 people a day on that bus route,” said planning manager James Wadsworth, who attributes much of the increase to the completion of more bus-priority lanes.



https://www.timescol...ster-1.23932788

[Mike K.]

^they must mean 10,000 passenger trips, or 5,000 actual people? To carry 10,000 people is tricky with only 85 scheduled runs per day in each direction, with a maximum occupant capacity on a double decker being 102 (and many runs are not operated with a decker). And it seems like the vast majority of ridership on that route is not for short hops (ie downtown to Mayfair).

Just as an aside, 21 of the 85 daily weekday runs from downtown Victoria also double as a 61 to Sooke, so it’s a 50-61 split with passengers who would not be on the 50 otherwise but board as though they’re riding a 50. During peak periods there are also standalone 61s running.

But we can easily see just how unnecessary LRT is in our region when the busiest corridor (the various 50-somethings and the 61) yields as many riders - per day - as Vancouver’s Canada line yields in roughly an hour.

[Cats4Hire]

And it seems like the vast majority of ridership on that route is not for short hops (ie downtown to Mayfair).

Just as an aside, 21 of the 85 daily weekday runs from downtown Victoria also double as a 61 to Sooke, so it’s a 50-61 split with passengers who would not be on the 50 otherwise but board as though they’re riding a 50. During peak periods there are also standalone 61s running.

But we can easily see just how unnecessary LRT is in our region when the busiest corridor (the various 50-somethings and the 61) yields as many riders - per day - as Vancouver’s Canada line yields in roughly an hour.

I think that depends on the time of day. I've been standing at the Douglas/Saanich stop and seen 50s practically empty (same happens with pretty much every route that stops are Uptown) early afternoon. I'd actually be curious to see the stats on how many people get on 30,31,50,70,72 downtown and get off before Uptown compared to staying on past. I wouldn't be surprised if until around 3:30ish it was the majority (excluding 70s in the summer)

[Nparker]

It's been many years since I was a regular passenger on the #75 route, but as I recall, back then this bus was only supposed to make pick-ups between downtown and what is today the Uptown area - no drop-offs. It really gets my goat when people use a suburban route to make short trips in the core.

Edited by Nparker, 31 August 2019 - 08:45 AM.

[Mike K.]

With five other all-day options (there’s also the 75) for travel between downtown and Uptown I would imagine a 50 arriving at Uptown empty was not much more than empty leaving downtown. During peak periods you’ve also got the 61 (and a couple of 65s) passing Uptown.

On weekends you’ll definitely see more teens/shoppers bouncing between the malls, for sure.

[Cats4Hire]

It's been many years since I was a regular passenger on the #75 route, but as I recall, back then this bus was only supposed to make pick-ups between downtown and what is today the Uptown area - no drop-offs. It really gets my goat when people would use a suburban route to make short trips in the core.

I don't see a lot of people using the 75 for that purpose. Most the year it's combined with the 30/31 and those already piratically empty at Uptown (I don't really mind as that's about the halfway point of their route anyway) and in the summer it's almost full at Pandora just with people heading to the Gardens so no one bothers taking it when 1 of 5 other routes doing the trip they want with easy to get seats is probably going to show up in a couple minutes. 

[Mike K.]

So I suspect we can confidently say 10,000 individuals are not riding the 50 every day.

[spanky123]

very impressive.

 

Yep. The priority bus lanes have been completed for a few months yet they are responsible for a 44% increase in ridership over the past 5 years. 

 

I wonder when the transit PR folks get together to write these articles for the MSM whether they have competitions to see how outlandish their claims can get before anyone ever says anything.

[DustMagnet]

Yep. The priority bus lanes have been completed for a few months yet they are responsible for a 44% increase in ridership over the past 5 years. 

 

I wonder when the transit PR folks get together to write these articles for the MSM whether they have competitions to see how outlandish their claims can get before anyone ever says anything.

 

Maybe the increase was all concentrated in the short time the bus lanes have been available?

I think it was somewhere around 2016* when everyone realized you can just say/make up whatever you want and either people won't call you on it, or if they do you can shrug it off.

* This has nothing to do with US politics, probably.

[G-Man]

So three days before school and there is zero info on how your kid gets a bus pass. I have heard rumours that it is not going to happen this week...

[Mike K.]

Have you reached out to the school district?

[Nparker]

So three days before school and there is zero info on how your kid gets a bus pass. I have heard rumours that it is not going to happen this week...

Have you reached out to the school district?

I seem to recall reading recently that the CoV doesn't expect to have its "free" youth bus pass program in place before November of this year. Or are we talking about something else?

[G-Man]

That is correct the bus pass thing that CoV has been touting and now not available when school starts...

[Mike K.]

Apparently there’s an announcement coming next week, possibly on Tuesday.

[Cats4Hire]

Did they ever say it would be available by September? Considering they were voting on it the same meeting they announced the September service changes they probably weren't going to add it this Sept.