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[Marine] BC Ferries


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#4421 Mystic-Pizza

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Posted 06 October 2018 - 04:32 PM

I have to say I really do not like the one in Tsawwassen.   There is not a lot of reasonably priced food, most of the year they are not open after 7 pm, and it is not accessible by the foot passengers.   

 

What I really want on the ferries is some decent internet, more charging locations, and alcohol.   I would love to have some beers while going through Active pass

 

The Market on the Vancouver Side is indeed accessible to foot passengers. As soon as you enter from the ticket buying area, there is a doorway to your right. You go through that, and you are on the other side of the fence and you simply walk across the parking lanes and into the market. I only ever go over as a foot passenger and always go into the market if I have time before the sailing.  I wouldn't mind a bar on board the main runs. A run up north (the one that goes overnight) serves alcohol. 



#4422 Bingo

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Posted 06 October 2018 - 04:56 PM

  I wouldn't mind a bar on board the main runs. A run up north (the one that goes overnight) serves alcohol. 

On the run up north you have time to sober up before having to drive off. However I have seen folks drinking liquor on other runs that they have brought with them.


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#4423 Matt R.

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Posted 06 October 2018 - 05:46 PM

Always suspicious of the cup full of ice with half a coke in it.

Matt.

#4424 DustMagnet

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Posted 06 October 2018 - 10:04 PM

What I really want on the ferries is some decent internet, more charging locations, and alcohol.   I would love to have some beers while going through Active pass

Then there will also need to be a Weed Lounge.  Also working internet would be nice.



#4425 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 07 October 2018 - 03:56 AM

most of us have had beers going through active pass.

#4426 Redd42

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Posted 07 October 2018 - 06:44 PM

most of us have had beers going through active pass.

 

+1  Yes indeed!  :)



#4427 FogPub

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Posted 08 October 2018 - 12:28 AM

Active Pass - is that where we were? :)



#4428 lanforod

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Posted 08 October 2018 - 07:04 AM

I have to say I really do not like the one in Tsawwassen. There is not a lot of reasonably priced food, most of the year they are not open after 7 pm, and it is not accessible by the foot passengers.

What I really want on the ferries is some decent internet, more charging locations, and alcohol. I would love to have some beers while going through Active pass


They are working on the charging locations. No idea re the others.

#4429 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 09 October 2018 - 05:20 AM

bcf says their new website with dynamic pricing is almost ready and will be here in early 2019.



#4430 SimonH

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Posted 09 October 2018 - 11:34 AM

Cripes, I worked in the travel industry for 25 years, we had dynamic pricing in the 90's


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#4431 Bernard

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Posted 09 October 2018 - 12:14 PM

The Market on the Vancouver Side is indeed accessible to foot passengers. As soon as you enter from the ticket buying area, there is a doorway to your right. You go through that, and you are on the other side of the fence and you simply walk across the parking lanes and into the market. I only ever go over as a foot passenger and always go into the market if I have time before the sailing.  I wouldn't mind a bar on board the main runs. A run up north (the one that goes overnight) serves alcohol. 

Yes, as a foot passenger you can physically get there but it means crossing 15 lanes of traffic and going several hundred meters out of your way.   Going outside in the rain really does not appeal, which is a large part of the year.

 

Foot passengers tend to arrive between 20 and 35 minutes before the sailing or 10 to 25 minutes before boarding.   Adding 3-5 minutes walking time to the existing 3 minutes means some arriving on the bus would have about no more than a few minutes to get into the Quay at Tsawwassen before boarding.   

Car Drivers tend to arrive 30 to 45 minutes before the sailing leaving between 30 to 35 minutes to the Quay (remember the ever increasing number of reservations who all have to be there at least 30 minutes beforehand).  They have a 0 to 5 minute walking time to get to the Quay leaving people between 25 and 35 minutes of time to spend.   This assumes no sailing waits.

 

The Quay was designed for the convenience of drivers and not designed with the needs of foot passengers.   I can not think of ever seeing someone as a foot passenger use the Quay.


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#4432 thundergun

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Posted 09 October 2018 - 12:56 PM

^ If public transit ever gets you there late, or if there is a foot passenger wait, then foot passengers would definitely use the Quay, but agreed that is not a regular occurrence.

And if you live on the west coast then I sure hope you can handle walking a couple of minutes in the rain (most people are prepared with jackets/umbrellas).



#4433 TallGuy

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Posted 09 October 2018 - 12:58 PM

Story in the T-C about the (way overdue IMO) Swartz Bay terminal upgrade project. When the Departure Bay terminal in Nanaimo offers better food fare in a more modern and better designed building, you know you have some catching up to do.The Lands End Cafe at Swartz Bay was built in 1959....in the middle of the last century. Time to up your game BC Ferries.

 

I'd really like to know what knucklehead suggested a basketball court as part of a revamped terminal in that customer survey so I could slap him around. Its a ferry terminal FFS. Upgrade the food services facilities - design a much bigger and more modern building, with vastly improved food choices and better wi-fi - along with an expanded walk-on passenger facility and increased and better designed parking capacity, and call it a day. 

 

https://www.timescol...ring-1.23450302

Buy another ferry with better services on board. Stop planning how to financially benefit from your customers having multi-sailing waits. If your customers don't have to wait around all day for their ferry you don't need to upgrade your land-based facilities.


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#4434 Bernard

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Posted 09 October 2018 - 12:59 PM

^ If public transit ever gets you there late, or if there is a foot passenger wait, then foot passengers would definitely use the Quay, but agreed that is not a regular occurrence.

And if you live on the west coast then I sure hope you can handle walking a couple of minutes in the rain (most people are prepared with jackets/umbrellas).

Foot passenger waits are very rare as are late buses arriving at Tsawwassen.      Expecting people to walk 450 meters in the rain is not realistic, it is a rare person that will do that but the majority will not do it if they can avoid it



#4435 sdwright.vic

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Posted 09 October 2018 - 01:24 PM

I think if your a foot passenger getting there 10 minutes before boarding you have no use for the Quay in the first place. It is designed for the car passengers who have to be there early, and in some cases multiple sailing waits.
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#4436 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 09 October 2018 - 01:56 PM

Buy another ferry with better services on board. Stop planning how to financially benefit from your customers having multi-sailing waits. If your customers don't have to wait around all day for their ferry you don't need to upgrade your land-based facilities.

 

that makes sense to me.  it's not an airport with flights all over the world and hours-long layovers and delays.  it has sailings to vancouver mostly. let's get people onto the boat.


Edited by Victoria Watcher, 09 October 2018 - 01:56 PM.


#4437 Mystic-Pizza

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Posted 09 October 2018 - 02:54 PM

  I can not think of ever seeing someone as a foot passenger use the Quay.

 

I use it all the time, and have seen tons of people I rode the bus with to the terminal use it as well.  It only takes about 2 or 3 minutes to walk over to the market from the door. Just depends how much time you have before your sailing. I usually show up an hour before the sailing, and heck I even wait till the next sailing if it's an older vessel cause I only like to take the newer ones. If it's raining I always have an umbrella. It's really not as bad as you are portraying it to be LOL. 


Edited by Mystic-Pizza, 09 October 2018 - 02:55 PM.


#4438 Bingo

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Posted 09 October 2018 - 06:37 PM

 I can not think of ever seeing someone as a foot passenger use the Quay.

 

How can you tell a foot passenger from everyone else? Maybe their shoes are more worn or they talk funny...???


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#4439 Bernard

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Posted 10 October 2018 - 01:17 PM

How can you tell a foot passenger from everyone else? Maybe their shoes are more worn or they talk funny...???

Seeing people leave the terminal entry and walking towards it, and then people coming out of the elevator to get to the foot passenger boarding area.      It is not any sort of definitive survey, just saying I have not seen it happen



#4440 G-Man

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Posted 11 October 2018 - 12:30 PM

I have done it a few times in Tsawwassen.

Visit my blog at: https://www.sidewalkingvictoria.com 

 

It has a whole new look!

 


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