9623 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

Transit riders told CBC Calgary the safety issues on trains are restricting their lives and holding them back from work and social activities across the city.

People said they are no longer going to their regular doctor, not visiting certain friends and family, have turned down or quit jobs, or simply turned around and stayed home rather than running important errands when aggressive individuals or open drug use is present.

These are among the hundreds of messages CBC Calgary collected during our focus on transit.


https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6536337

Nichole Chajon, a grocery store clerk, wants aggressive behaviour, swearing and fights on the transit system stopped before she'll go back to taking her son on the train to downtown. They only take the bus around the southeast now and stopped visiting the Central Library downtown.

"(The train) started getting dirtier and dirtier, especially during COVID. There was blood on the trains, urine on the train, food all over the floors and the clientele that was coming on was swearing loudly," she said.



So it appears simply societal permissiveness is allowing this to flourish. And the BC plan is to allow more legal drug use.

Oh and Isitt wants to make transit free for everyone, I’m sure that’ll make trips more pleasant.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 04 August 2022 - 03:55 AM.

[lanforod]

Does Skytrain have the same issue (scale wise)? If not, perhaps Calgary should be looking at what Transit Police here is doing better.

Edited by lanforod, 04 August 2022 - 08:41 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Sound Transit Board approves free youth fare policy ​​​​​​​Riders aged 18 and younger will be able to ride free starting September 1

 

 

 

Sound Transit (ST), officially the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority, is a public transit agency serving the Seattle metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Washington. It operates the Link light rail system in Seattle and Tacoma, regional Sounder commuter rail, and Sound Transit Express bus service. 

 

 

 

 

July 28, 2022

 

Sound Transit’s Board of Directors voted unanimously today to approve free fares for youth aged 18 and younger, effective September 1. The new policy was prompted by the Move Ahead Washington transportation package passed by the State Legislature last March, which incentivizes all Washington state transit agencies to adopt a free fare policy for riders under 19 years old. Under the agency’s previous policy, youth pay a reduced fare of $1.50.

 

"Today’s decision will not only increase affordability for youth and families, but it will increase their opportunities as well", said University Place Council Member and Sound Transit Board Chair Kent Keel. "Free fares mean easy access not just to schools, but to jobs, after-school activities and youth-related programs. It also introduces a new generation to the habit of a becoming lifetime riders of transit."

 

The new policy is being implemented in partnership with other regional transit agencies to create a seamless experience for riders. Youth with a Youth ORCA Card will be encouraged to use it when riding. Youth ORCA cards issued by schools during the 2021-2022 academic school year will continue to work through June 30, 2023. There are 77,000 Youth ORCA cards that will automatically provide card holders with access to the free fare.

 

https://www.soundtra...uth-fare-policy

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 07 August 2022 - 04:36 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Sound Transit’s system-wide ridership for 2021 remained 63% below that of 2019.

 

In 2021, the Link, Sounder, and Express trains carried 17.8 million total passengers, whereas, only two years prior, the transportation agency ferried nearly 50 million.

 

https://mynorthwest....andemic-levels/

[Mike K.]

Does anyone know why there are about a dozen new Translink double deckers parked at Wendon Manufacturing (I think) on Beacon Ave West, adjacent to the airport?

[Victoria Watcher]

Maybe getting bike racks added? Before they go in service.

[Mike K.]

A little note from BCT today: "BC Transit’s ridership has recovered to approximately 75 per cent on average across the province."

 

There is no break-down immediately available of system-by-system, or where the recovery point is being calculated from (i.e. summer 2019 to summer 2022). Summer services tend to be slower anyways, with so many workers vacationing, etc. Fall 2022 will be the true barometer of ridership growth.

[Mike K.]

Mrs Mike K is very unhappy with a change in the upcoming fall schedule. Her bus will no longer leave her job at the time it currently does, as the peak rush hour departure has been cancelled. Instead she’ll have to either figure out a way to leave work 30 minutes earlier, or catch the next bus 30 minutes after her current scheduled bus departure.

She said when she boarded at the route’s origin today, the bus had 14 passengers, including herself. She works at a major employment node, in the core. It’s a priority transit point unless you live on the West Shore.

It’s not a wonder that vehicle use in our region appears to be rising, when transit connections are not being reinforced, but in fact clawed back. More and more resources are going to routes connecting UVic, it looks like.

[Nparker]

Free buses for CoV residents will make it all better. Just ask Ben!

[Mike K.]

Route detours for Monday:

The below detours will be from approximately 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.

2 James Bay – from Pandora, left Blanshard, left Douglas to regular route
2 South Oak Bay – from Douglas, right Blanshard, right Fairfield, left Cook, right Johnson to regular route

3 James Bay – from Cook, left Fairfield, left Blanshard, left Douglas, right Superior to regular route
3 Royal Jubilee – from Douglas, right Blanshard, right Fairfield, right Cook to regular route

4 Downtown – from Douglas, left Johnson, right Blanshard, right Yates, right Douglas to regular route
4 UVic – from Douglas at Yates to regular route

5 James Bay – from Pandora, left Blanshard, left Douglas to regular route
5 Willows – from Douglas, right Blanshard, right Fairfield, left Cook, right Johnson to regular route

6 Downtown – from Quadra, right Pandora, left Douglas, left Johnson to regular route
6/6A/6B Royal Oak – from Douglas, left Johnson, left Quadra to regular route

7 UVic – from Douglas, left Johnson, right Cook, left Fairfield to regular route
7 Downtown – from Fairfield, right Cook, left Yates, right Douglas to regular route

Prior to 10:15 a.m. - 10 James Bay – from Wharf, left Fort, right Douglas, right Superior to regular route
10 James Bay – from Johnson, right Cook, right Fairfield, left Blanshard, left Douglas, right Superior to regular route

Prior to 10:15 a.m. – 10 Royal Jubilee – from Superior, left Douglas, left Pandora to regular route
10 Royal Jubilee – from Douglas, right Blanshard, right Fairfield, left Cook, left Pandora to regular route

11 UVic – from Douglas, left Johnson, right Cook, left Fort to regular route
11 Tillicum Centre – regular route

14 UVic – from Johnson, right Cook, left Fort to regular route
14 Vic General – regular route

15 UVic – from Johnson, right Cook, left Fort to regular route
15 Esquimalt – regular route

21 Interurban – regular route from Douglas and Johnson
21 Downtown – from Douglas, left Johnson, right Blanshard, right Yates, right Douglas

22 Hillside Centre – from Douglas, left Johnson, left Fernwood to regular route
22/22A Vic General – regular route

24/25 Tillicum Centre – regular route
24 Cedar Hill – regular route
25 Maplewood – regular route

27/28 Downtown – from Douglas, left Johnson
27 Gordon Head – from Johnson at Douglas to regular route
28 Majestic – from Johnson at Douglas to regular route

30/31 Downtown – from Douglas, left Johnson, right Blanshard, right Yates, and right Douglas
30/31 Royal Oak – from Douglas at Pandora to regular route

50/61/70/71/72/75 Downtown – from Douglas, left Johnson, right Blanshard, and right Yates

50 Langford – from Douglas at Pandora to regular route

61 Sooke - from Douglas at Pandora to regular route

70 Swartz Bay - from Douglas at Pandora to regular route

72 Swartz Bay - from Douglas at Pandora to regular route

75 Saanichton - from Douglas at Pandora to regular route

[Victoria Watcher]

Implementation of B.C. Transit’s new tap-payment option for bus riders is being delayed until next spring.

The new system, which allows for fare payment via a reloadable smart card, mobile app, mobile wallet, debit card or credit card, was supposed to be introduced this fall in the Victoria Regional Transit System, with the province’s other 29 transit systems following suit in the next few months.

https://www.timescol...-spring-5879598

Transportation Minister Rob Fleming has said the new fare system is part of the effort to return bus ridership to pre-pandemic levels, and reflects a “sharp decline” in the use of cash.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 27 September 2022 - 04:29 PM.

[Mike K.]

I don’t understand, how with so much technology and opportunity for outreach, BC Transit can cancel a once-per-hour transit run and not inform its riders. This should be so easy to do, and for riders who rely on non frequent transit services it’s critical to keep them informed.

I was late to an appointment on Saturday by 1.5 hours after the bus I was waiting for failed to show up. It didn’t appear on NextRide, but that happens often because the system apparently isn’t as reliable as it was billed to be, so you just expect the invisible bus will still run as scheduled if there’s no rider alert on the BCT website.

It wasn’t after calling the bus line that I was informed a bus broke down and we’d have to wait about an hour for the next one. Waiting at my stop were two seniors, one with mobility challenges, so I taxied us further down the line where there’s seating for them.

Anyways, unbeknownst to me, transit sent a replacement bus that started at a random spot and did not pick up passengers along the section of route I was at. Eventually, the regularly scheduled follow up bus had to pick up two hours worth of passengers, and was very late. It arrived in Victoria about 30 minutes behind schedule.

How could there be such a major break down in communication? Passengers should know about these schedule disruptions as they happen. I mean there are people who would have been waiting 1.5 hours at a stop, if not longer.

[Nparker]

If buses were free this would never happen. 🤣

[Victoria Watcher]

Rapidbus is defined as a form of transit service that outperforms a personal automobile in terms of speed, comfort and reliability. Council on Sept. 29 heard an update on the regional Rapidbus implementation and how the process will impact Victoria and the look of the city.

The region can expect to see the Rapidbus system moving soon as its West Shore line is aiming for an early 2023 launch. That route will connect Langford to the B.C. legislature district. Construction of bus queue jumps and priority signals along Old Island Highway as part of the line are also set to begin next year.

BC Transit and Victoria are in about a year-long planning phase for transformational investments into Douglas Street and the downtown transit system, but officials said major infrastructure improvements could still be five years away.


https://www.vicnews....-roll-together/

The city has a goal of making public transit account for twice as many trips by 2030, going from 12.5 to 25 per cent. Getting there will hopefully be bolstered by the Rapidbus process.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 06 October 2022 - 04:36 AM.

[Nparker]

No form of public transit will ever be superior to a private vehicle in terms of comfort.

[Mike K.]

Wouldn't it be easier to just spread out some government offices?

 

Tens of thousands of people are forced into downtown Victoria for no reason. There is zero requirement for them to be clustered there. That's a 1900s way of doing business.

 

Coming up on 30% of provincial government office workers live on the West Shore, where there is just a flex space for a few dozen of them to work from. It's time to rethink this model of mass shipping of people far from their homes into one difficult to access area.

[Victoria Watcher]

Yes. It’s a win all around, right? Less traffic, less pollution, and more time for families.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 06 October 2022 - 07:36 AM.

[North Shore]

Implementation of B.C. Transit’s new tap-payment option for bus riders is being delayed until next spring.

The new system, which allows for fare payment via a reloadable smart card, mobile app, mobile wallet, debit card or credit card, was supposed to be introduced this fall in the Victoria Regional Transit System, with the province’s other 29 transit systems following suit in the next few months.

https://www.timescol...-spring-5879598

Transportation Minister Rob Fleming has said the new fare system is part of the effort to return bus ridership to pre-pandemic levels, and reflects a “sharp decline” in the use of cash.

 

FFS! Really?!  I took the #70 from Swartz into town on Wednesday morning.  The number of people (mainly tourists) who fumble for change, or want to pay with a card never ceases to amaze me.  Would it kill BC Transit to put a card-operated ticket spitter at Swartz bay? How long has it taken to move towards a card reader on our buses...

[Matt R.]

Why don’t they just use the one coast mountain uses off the shelf?

[Nparker]

At the very least implement those little cube reader things you see at fairs and farmer's markets.