Disgruntled Translink Commuters, Unite!

[pastarocket]

For all the reasons mentioned in this period, that's why I stopped taking transit, PERIOD, and drive from point A to B.

[Vansterdam]

translink buses are only good if you live in the vancouver area

and even then it still sucks

[twitchyzero]

Originally Posted by gars

That and I hate people who bitch about our turnstiles. I don't think people realize how expensive such a system is costing us to design and implement; they don't realize that we actually won't be profiting from such a system because: a) there will always be fare evasion, whether it's using your friend's U Pass or people jumping turnstiles, and b) our fare evasion rate actually isn't as high as people think.

a quick search says fare evasion was 4 million in 2005..roughly 5% of revenues lost.

I'm not sure if that # has gone up or down...but to invest $100 million in turnstyles seems ridiculous. Then again, how are other cities able to finance them? I always thought proof-of-payment was bullshit so they should've put the turnstyles in from the get-go. The skytrain will still probably be just as dirty and smelly though

In all fairness, I have to say they've increased service in my area (vancouver proper)...but yeah...took long enough.

[sulos]

Originally Posted by Coren

The B.C. government introduced legislation today that will give TransLink the powers to go after fare evaders. Drivers with unpaid fines - both past and future -- will not be able to renew their licence or registration.

TransLink may also make use of collection agencies or can go to court to get at the assets of people who do not pay.

Get the rest of the story at
Free ride over for fare evaders as TransLink gets new powers

LOL drivers who do not pay??? WTH punish us some more will you? What about the people who only take transit????

[orgasm_donor]

Twitter your beef @translink. You may be surprised at their responses. And you may actually change their ways slowly but surely. You have to speak out though 'cause nothing's gonna happen if you just sit there.

[twitchyzero]

Originally Posted by tonyzoomzoom

We need to fire all the blood sucking executives and seniors managers in Translink. They don't give a fuck about transit riders, road users, etc. They don't give a fuck about whether they get additional funding or not. If they don't get the funds, they just cut services. The only thing they do care about is their own fucking salaries, bonuses, and pensions.

Originally Posted by orgasm_donor

Twitter your beef @translink. You may be surprised at their responses. And you may actually change their ways slowly but surely. You have to speak out though 'cause nothing's gonna happen if you just sit there.

perhaps make the transit execs take the bus/skytrain/seabus for a full month of each year and our improvements will come a lot faster.

preferably during the rainy-est month or when it snows

like that show on CBC when they get politicians to do cityworker's job for a day..but only a lot longer

[ImportPsycho]

Originally Posted by gars

That and I hate people who bitch about our turnstiles. I don't think people realize how expensive such a system is costing us to design and implement; they don't realize that we actually won't be profiting from such a system because: a) there will always be fare evasion, whether it's using your friend's U Pass or people jumping turnstiles, and b) our fare evasion rate actually isn't as high as people think.

I have never seen a station with no turnstiles anywhere else
when I moved to vancouver from toronto, I thought skytrain was FREE!!

[Splmash]

I have no beef with Translink. I own my own car but I take the 135 up to SFU 75% of the time. It has been fairly reliable, considering I live a couple minutes from the 135 stop on Hastings.

[Mr.HappySilp]

LOL took the 123 home today. The bus display was showing "Not in Service" but stop and let ppl in and the drivers said is the 123 bus. LOL the bus driver was too lazy to change the sign on the bus...........

[belaud]

Translink is complete garbage in comparison to Hong Kong transit, where the city was built AROUND the public transit, instead of us building ON TOP of the city infrastructure. I'm fairly certain everyone remembers how no.3 rd had the exclusive bus lanes in construction for god knows how long, had it running for 3 months, before they tore it right down again for the sky train.

[yray]

You do realize that Hong Kong was forced to build around transit (in the newer parts)/ transit build underneath (old parts) versus Vancouver where suburbanization took place after World War II with baby boomers (one family/one house mentality). Hong Kong had transit problems all over before the Government forced in the MTR, even back then MTR faced budget troubles similar to Translink because of competition. No one wanted to go down 4/5 stories to take MTR when the Trams and buses operated at similar travel times.

If you don't remember, the 98 took almost 1.25-1.5 hours to go to downtown during rush hour. Even with feeder lines such as 491/492 the buses were still packed to the gills. Packed buses means bunching effect and skipping stops. People are complaining how it's a gong show during weekend afternoons, it was a gongshow even back when there was 6 lanes on No3 rd. Most transit orientated cities involve hubs and central arteries similar to what we have today with the Canada line. Problem with Vancouver is that buses often go east west/ north south leaving one transfer point to an central artery so buses like 41/49 are skipping stops all the time.

Vancouver one time had one of the best transit systems. The trolley and interurban had lines from BCE station (hastings and carall) to every where in the lower mainland. DT to Chilliwack took only 1.5 hrs and delivered fresh produce/milk to Hotel Vancouver and such. Most of the bus trolley wires are legacies of the trolley system. Too bad it was abandoned in the late 60s when GM heavily subsidized diesel buses to North American Transit markets forcing many cities to switch over to bus/car based cities.


Have anyone noticed but many Vancouverites find it offensive to be in a packed train or bus. It seems that alot of people don't bother to fill in empty spaces whether it be on the road or on public transit.

[wstce92]

Originally Posted by azndude69

don't even get me started on the back office people and the executives there.

Most people know that most bus drivers are hard working and have a difficult job and have to put up/deal with a lot of shiet. But the back office workers seem to have it super easy and dont do jack shiet.

The executives/managers are the worst, I tried to get info from one of them one time, and it just took forever, I understand they got other priorities and obligations, the task would take 20 minutes max, so I figure it would take a couple days max to get back to me. BUT NO! took like 7-8 Business days!! WTF! and these are the guys making $110,000 a year.

<- ALL your posts

What job is there where you don't have to put up with shit?
YOU try being a executive/manager.
I personally feel they get overpaid, but guess what, bus drivers are JUST as criminally overpaid. And guess what, their job requires WAY more intelligence and accountability.

Run a province wide transit system and you're pissed they didn't drop everything they were doing to cater to a request by a insignificant fly?

Why don't you send Jim Pattison a fruit basket then bitch that you don't get a thank-you card.

[Tapioca]

I don't mind riding the bus; I just can't stand the people who ride it with me.

[GLOW]

if i have to take transit i try to take the skytrain and avoid the bus. too many bus drivers with a horrible attitude and talk to you like an ass.

[FerrariEnzo]

the only thing good about translink...

SKYTRAINS.... on time and no idiot drivers....

[Great68]

You can't compare the transit systems of cities with 10x+ the population to Vancouver.

[Gh0stRider]

the translink twitter is pretty helpful. they respond to you unlike some other organizations

[Tapioca]

People always point to high salaries of managers as the main source of an organization's ills. If only we could pay them 60K/year and fire the lot of them except maybe a couple who need to make decisions, the things could get done - so the logic goes.

While there is definitely some excess fat that should be cut, salaries of white collar people in the organization are but a minor problem. Ultimately, we get the service we deserve because:
1. We refuse to pay more taxes to support expansions
2. When the decision to expand is supported, we have groups who fight against it because such expansions would change the character of their neighbourhood
3. We have elected municipal and provincial governments which have manipulated and obstructed transit expansions for their own narrow interests.

[Gridlock]

Originally Posted by Tapioca

People always point to high salaries of managers as the main source of an organization's ills. If only we could pay them 60K/year and fire the lot of them except maybe a couple who need to make decisions, the things could get done - so the logic goes.

While there is definitely some excess fat that should be cut, salaries of white collar people in the organization are but a minor problem. Ultimately, we get the service we deserve because:
1. We refuse to pay more taxes to support expansions
2. When the decision to expand is supported, we have groups who fight against it because such expansions would change the character of their neighbourhood
3. We have elected municipal and provincial governments which have manipulated and obstructed transit expansions for their own narrow interests.

Let's blow that up and have it encompass every political problem faced by all politicians.

1. taxes. You can go to 100% taxing, and its still not enough. I view controlling spending as the top priority for all politicians. I see controlling spending as a low priority from most politicians.

2. NIMBY is a problem for anything you want to do. Fact of life. If its in the best interest of a large group of people, it goes through. If they resist enough, it fails.

3. We're along for the ride man. Even if you don't actively look for ways to suit your own personal agenda, its not in human nature to put policies in place that have a negative effect on you personally. ie. minimum tax in the US for 1mill+ income earners, also known as "congressmen"

So for translink, yeah, we could through all kinds of money at the problem, as they have tried numerous times. Fuck, raise taxes, and parking fees and user fees and such, but there is no, NO responsibility to a bottom line. Even after doing all that, they will STILL be in a financial bind.

So I say stop it now.

2. There isn't much to say about this. People are passionate about their homes. Always have been, always will be.

3. Everyone wants something named after them. When's the last time a politician went down in history for being that guy that spent less?

[Great68]

I think transit is decent if you're travelling to downtown & back.

When I worked downtown, I found the old 98B-Line was pretty good. I lived around #3 & Williams so if I timed it right I could be the first person on the B-Line as it made it's way out of the steveston yard and up 3 road.

I agree that it sucks if you need to go anywhere else though, which is why when I was going to BCIT I just drove. None of the transit routes were really viable. No Canada Line at the time, meant a 4 hour round trip.

[RFlush]

I used to always drive everywhere I went, even if it was to my elementary school to vote, I would drive the 2 mins because I was super lazy. Then I had to get rid of my car and take transit everywhere. I lived in Richmond and took public transit to SFU everyday and back. It took anywhere from 1.5-2 hours (I slept most of the time except when transferring).

It's not that bad if you are open minded. The problem is, Vancouver youths are too accustomed to driving or being driven. Most parents have a car, so even at a young age not many people get exposed to buses or skytrains except for the odd time here and there. It's because of this, ridership is low. People prefer cars, even if they can't afford it, they take out massive loans while working part time jobs just to have a car. It's not their fault, its just the culture and the peer pressure of owning a car.

But the system isn't too bad, and if one day the mentality of Vancouverites can change in when they don't mind taking transit for longer than 30 mins, and cars become more expensive along with oil, then maybe the system can improve.

Also, comparing HK transit to Vancouver transit is the most retarded thing ever.

[InvisibleSoul]

I hate the people who refuse to move to the back of the bus, even after repeated requests. They clog up the front and middle of the bus, while the back is completely empty, sometimes even preventing the bus from picking up more passengers because of it.

I blame the bunching up of buses partly on the passengers as well. Even when they see a second bus is directly behind, they still pile onto the front bus, thus making the front bus further behind schedule.

[Tapioca]

Originally Posted by Gridlock

So for translink, yeah, we could through all kinds of money at the problem, as they have tried numerous times. Fuck, raise taxes, and parking fees and user fees and such, but there is no, NO responsibility to a bottom line. Even after doing all that, they will STILL be in a financial bind.

So I say stop it now.

2. There isn't much to say about this. People are passionate about their homes. Always have been, always will be.

I would challenge you to think about how you manage your own finances.

If you're short on revenue, you can cut back on certain things for a while and perhaps make substitutions. But after a while, cutting back takes a toll and cutting back may have an impact on your mental and physical well-being - you eat food that is less healthy, you can't go out with friends, you can't take courses, etc. Eventually you do something about it - you either get a better paying job, sell off assets, move out of the city with a lower cost of living, etc.

The issue I have is that there is little debate about what type of transit system people actually want. Like in life, you have to make choices - you can't have your cake and eat it too. People whine and complain, but don't actually think of solutions aside from "cut management" or more "accountability." What does "accountability" actually mean? Translink can't actually run a deficit unlike our elected governments.

[Everymans]

Why all the hate for bus drivers? Bus drivers have a pretty stressful job and they earn their pay.
1.An average bus is roughly the same width and size as an 18 wheeler. Just as difficult to turn and drive as well.
2.Bus drivers have to deal with their routes being blocked by accidents, trying to change lanes when people don't care, and squeezing into tight spots and turning corners. All of which can take some skill as a driver to pull off without ddestruction.
3.They have to deal with all sorts of annoying customers. Drunks, vandals, fist fights, verbal fights, technical issues etc..
4.I'm not sure if the drivers drive the same route all day but if they do I'd imagine it would get really boring and tiresome seeing the same street over and over. I drive along marine almost every day and It's always such a boring trip. If I had to drive along that stretch for 8 hours I'd be bored senseless.
I have a lot of respect for bus drivers and I've rarely encountered a shitty or annoying one. Although the speed up then slam on the brakes method is really dangerous for the passengers.

[dat_steve]

^ i agree that there are some unfair comments about bus drivers sometimes but fact is: it is their job to drive, and to drive well. if they can't handle that then they shouldn't be bus drivers. truckers are paid to drive their trucks well/safely, if they can't, they get fired. likewise, there shouldn't be any concessions given to a bus driver that can't operate a bus properly.