Loading ...After coming back to Vancouver, I had a great aspiration to be more green in my life. One of the areas in focus is the transportation. Having lived in Beijing the last few years, and without a car, I am very used to traveling by public transit. Of course, it also helps that the Beijing public transit is very cheap (0.40RMB for bus ride, 2RMB for subway, 7RMB = 1USD)
Anyways, the past month after taking public transit in Vancouver, here are some of my suggestions:
1. Start putting on some gates on Skytrains – I have always bought tickets, but I also “heard” that many don’t. For over 1 month of public transit, I was only being checked ONCE at a skytrain station. Hopefully this can make the public transit system getting its fair share of revenue.
2. Make less bus stops – To make the buses run more efficient. It doesn’t help when there are TWO stops at one intersection (look at Fraser and 49th). Also, between city blocks there are too many stops. Between Main and Cambie along 49th Ave, there are 4 bus stops, each ones within 200m of each other. A normal person can usually walk a little bit, this can create a healthier lifestyle too. I suggest simply take those stops out, people will be ok with it after a while.
3. Less runs to the Airport, more runs to Richmond on the Canada Line – It makes no sense to have a train every 6 minutes to go to the Airport. I believe Vancouver must have the most frequent airport commute IN THE WORLD. Instead of having one train to Airport and the next one to Richmond, Translink should make this ratio 1 to 3 or so (3 trains to Richmond, and then 1 to Airport)
4. On the same note with the Airport train, I think the fee is TOO CHEAP. It must be one of the cheapest transportation from city center (downtown) to airport IN THE WORLD too. Beijing Airport, with the low cost of living, has shuttle buses at $3USD and subway at $5USD, and Vancouver’s system is $3USD departing every 6 minutes. If cost of living is calculated, the Vancouver system’s cost should be 3 times as much as the one in Beijing. (Note to self, my next article will be researching on the price) One suggestion is to combine the ticket that goes to airport with the 24hr All-zone Pass. This way, people who go to airport can pay around $10 and still feel that it is not overpriced.
5. The Olympic Line should stay – the connection to Granville Island and Canada Line is great for environment and business in Granville Island. Now Granville Island became a place that is easily reachable, which is also how the Canada Line is to businesses in Yaletown.
6. The zone system is stupid – This one is tougher to implement. I live in Vancouver, about 2 bus stops from Burnaby. I think it makes no sense that I would pay a much cheaper rate to go to downtown, which is 20km away from where I am at, than to Metrotown, which is 5 km. Most countries and cities would have the distance of travel be the only aspect to calculate the fare. Of course, implementing this system requires changing the entire payment system – i.e. smart cards, readers, etc. So I don’t see an easy way.
Here are some of my ideas. If you have any more good ideas, let me know!
No related posts.
1. Gates will not generate much more revenue at the margin. And it takes up alot more space at the station. The province is pushing this on Translink based on ideology right now.
2. There are more and more express lines. The system guideline is that everywhere is reachable within 400m, so that requires stops every 200-250m. The non-express lines aren’t all that terribly slow IMO
3. Agree
4. The surcharge fee from airport to urban is like $5? I think that’s plenty enough. COnsider our airport’s proximity to urban areas, it shouldn’t be that much.
5. I still havent’ found a chance to go down there yet! argh
6. When they get money to put in smart cards, it will totally rock. I get bit all the time for my commute. BTW I think you live 10km from d/t…
Are you a professional journalist? You write very well.
1. Well, like it or not, Fare gates are coming to Skytrain, according to this news release back in April 2009.
http://www.translink.ca/en/About-TransLink/Media/2009/April/Timing-is-right-for-fare-gates-on-SkyTrain.aspx
2. Too many stops – I guess I’m only basing my experience on the busy 49th Ave line. From Metrotown to Langara, there seems to be someone waiting at the stop every 200m.
Perhaps one solution is to have more frequent express buses along that route? I do believe that encouraging further stop is a better way to go.
4. Airport’s proximity to urban area… I think one needs to look at what the “alternative solution” is. If the only other way right now is to take a cab, it costs approximately $30CDN for the cab ride, hence I can safely say that $10 is quite a fair charge. Translink can also sweeten the deal by bundling the airport pass with a 24-hr transit pass. That should get some support in upping the fare.