Disgruntled Translink Commuters, Unite!

[lgman]

[Tapioca]

Originally Posted by yray

Noise, those linear induction motors can sure piss off a lot of people. I am sure they can run 24/7 albeit limited capacity for maintenance purposes. Back in the 80s, skytrain was a balling system with no drivers, it operates on principles similar to maglev, except instead of floating it uses the middle rail and current to drag the train across the track. This gives the benefit of a driver less system but at a cost of increase maintenance. I believe the old lines use AC power. Canada line uses a regular DC since Automatic train systems are more compact and doesn't require a mainframe computer.

I'm glad that Skytrain runs on linear induction technology. It's results in faster speeds and arguably less noise, particularly as the trains take turns. I think as the Canada Line ages, we'll see the flaws in the conventional technology much sooner.

[yray]

Originally Posted by Tapioca

I'm glad that Skytrain runs on linear induction technology. It's results in faster speeds and arguably less noise, particularly as the trains take turns. I think as the Canada Line ages, we'll see the flaws in the conventional technology much sooner.

Both systems have similar speeds, it's track design limitations that are slowing them down. There is nothing special about skytrain anymore, many urban cities have adopted ATC within their regular metro trains and operate at equal capacity as skytrain.

Are you talking about the part between King ed and oakridge. Any type of train will scream when you have them turn at 50* S turns. They should've just gone under QE park instead of cut and cover.

DC motors are used everywhere, it isn't something new or special. But noise wise, VVVF would be the best.

[Gridlock]

Boom. Here's a big design flaw in the system.

Global BC | Transit Police overtime expense double that of VPD

OH....and we are paying them all that to write tickets that are worthless....Go BC Go!

[murmur]

waiting for the 410 bus now
it says it will arrive at 11:15am
it didnt come.
it says the next bus is 11:27am
i hope the next bus would arrive earlier than that,
but knowing translink, that will never happen.

[GGnoRE]

^ I hate when it just skips one schedule for no reason

[GLOW]

maybe the bus driver went to go get a coffee and they had a really long line up. seen that done before.

[pinn3r]

Originally Posted by GGnoRE

^ I hate when it just skips one schedule for no reason

even worse .. when it arrives in groups of 2-3 after it's late as fuck on schedule
like they're trying to fuck with you
makes me feel like kicking a puppy

[seakrait]

Originally Posted by Gridlock

Boom. Here's a big design flaw in the system.

Global BC | Transit Police overtime expense double that of VPD

OH....and we are paying them all that to write tickets that are worthless....Go BC Go!

Interesting audit of Transit Police by the VPD. http://www.transitpolice.bc.ca/en/Ab...350317AC3.ashx

[twitchyzero]

when i read the headlines today iw as like...'hmm maybe audit should extend to your upper salaries when considering efficiency'

B.C. auditors to examine TransLink for more cost savings

[Cillu]

Originally Posted by pinn3r

even worse .. when it arrives in groups of 2-3 after it's late as fuck on schedule
like they're trying to fuck with you
makes me feel like kicking a puppy

Yeah dude. Was up at SFU one night and it said the bus would come at 10:05, didn't come. Next one was at 10:35 and it finally came and 10:43. I waited almost 45 minutes.

[El Bastardo]

Karm who runs the @VancityBuzz Twitter account has preached more than once that Translink needs to run Skytrain lines to UBC instead of running the Evergreen Line out to Coquitlam.

Hes an idiot and lost me as a follower after that.

[Everymans]

related story:
Walking down main street yesterday. Around 8th street there was a car trying to turn left, it blocked two lanes of traffic and partially blocked the bus lane. An accordion bus comes along and tries to sneak by. It rubs on the curb and takes off a massive chunk of it and particles or cement go everywhere, hitting me in the throat and spraying a cyclist beside me. It also scrapped a parking sign. Wonder how often buses rip down those signs or break trees because of that tight squeeze.

[wahyinghung]

More than $500,000 was spent on special televisions at five SkyTrain stations — but most of the screens don’t even work, according to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

Jordan Bateman, B.C. director of the federation, said Tuesday that a Freedom of Information request to TransLink indicated the cost of the screens and their installation in 2009 was $523,444.

The bulk of the money, $393,032, came from a federal grant to improve transit security.

While installation and power was part of the program, the funding works out to more than $40,000 per screen.

The screens in question are not the monitors that show news blurbs, weather and the time of day on SkyTrain platforms. Instead, the Station Entrance Emergency Information Panels [SEEIP] were intended to replace sandwich boards used to communicate information to commuters when the SkyTrain gates were locked during emergencies.

But when Bateman did a tour of the five stations last week, only four of the 13 screens were operating — all at Stadium Station.

Screens that were supposed to be at Scott Road, Edmonds and Commercial-Broadway were no longer apparent and the ones at Lougheed Town Centre were not working.

“The bottom line here is half a million bucks on something like this when they’re raising all their fees and taxes, when there are real security concerns on buses and other things, it doesn’t make any sense,” said Bateman.

Among the FOI details were that further spending on screens is being deferred to 2013. Bateman would prefer something else.

“I don’t want to see them spend any more money on this,” he said.

TransLink issued a statement later Tuesday that indicated six of the screens were operational.

Jason Martin, a spokesperson for Translink, said the cost is not in the screens, it’s in the surrounding parts.

“It’s the installation, it’s the infrastructure that was put in place - environmental closures, computers, servers, software,” Martin said.

“Really, it’s technology, it’s not screens. The screens are probably the least expensive part.”

The system, however, is currently under review.

Read more: TransLink spent over $500,000 on faulty SkyTrain info screens, says CTF

[Gridlock]

Originally Posted by El Bastardo

Karm who runs the @VancityBuzz Twitter account has preached more than once that Translink needs to run Skytrain lines to UBC instead of running the Evergreen Line out to Coquitlam.

Hes an idiot and lost me as a follower after that.

I agree. I want neither right now.

[RacingMetro92]

Originally Posted by Gridlock

I agree. I want neither right now.

Originally Posted by El Bastardo

Karm who runs the @VancityBuzz Twitter account has preached more than once that Translink needs to run Skytrain lines to UBC instead of running the Evergreen Line out to Coquitlam.

Hes an idiot and lost me as a follower after that.

I don't mean to disrespect the Coquitlam folk, but is the 97 B-line really that bad that a Skytrain is needed? Hypothetically speaking would everyone prefer that instead of using money on the Evergreen line, that Translink spend that money on extending service hours to run late or 24 hours?

[Mr.HappySilp]

Originally Posted by Gridlock

I agree. I want neither right now.

Agreed! As a business you don't keep throwing money down the ocean till you know why you are losing money. Building more skytrains won't fix the issue.

During rush hours literally ppl have to wait 3 or more trains to get on.... now image they push more ppl from Coq into the system.......

Fix your current system first then worry about expanding......

[BossFrancis]

WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TODAY?
Chemistry final started 15 minute ago, waiting an hour for the 135 and still going

[Cr33pUh]

Originally Posted by RacingMetro92

I don't mean to disrespect the Coquitlam folk, but is the 97 B-line really that bad that a Skytrain is needed? Hypothetically speaking would everyone prefer that instead of using money on the Evergreen line, that Translink spend that money on extending service hours to run late or 24 hours?

In my Coq area, the nearest bus stop comes either in the morning (7-9ish) or in the evening(4-6) every half hour weekdays only. Basically the time people go to work and off work. Now, if I was to go out between those times, I'd have to walk 15-20 minutes to the nearest bus stop, which comes every 20 ish minutes, that takes 10 minutes to go to Coq center, or 20 minutes that go to Lougheed mall (skytrain station). Essentially from my house to Lougheed station (40 minutes)

97 B-Line is the most frequent bus that goes from Coq to lougheed. Sadly, the 97 doesn't pass by my area, so I'd have to take an alternate route.

[drunkrussian]

^before the skytrain in richmond i had to walk 15 mins to a bus, wait twenty minutes then dpending where i go spend 20-30 mins on the bus. sp same thing as you. for sfu id have to bus to a skytrain whih skytrained to a bus and then bus up the hill

the skytrain is a lot better. however, walking fifteen mins to a bus and waitig for a bus was not particularly bad or anything; i think most people who live in residential areas do that

[unit]

Originally Posted by Vansterdam

how about extended skytrain hours?

skytrain ending at 130am is a joke

and you expect people not to drink and drive lawlz

im with you on that one, but there are tons of much bigger cities that do not have trains going all night long. theres only a handful that do, so dont expect vancouver to be on that list anytime soon.

[bbbj]

Just wondering, but for people that have taken transit similar to our skytrain in other major urban centers, do you find our trains stop much more abruptly and hard brake alot? Or is it the same on subways/monorails everywhere?

[too_slow]

Originally Posted by RacingMetro92

I don't mean to disrespect the Coquitlam folk, but is the 97 B-line really that bad that a Skytrain is needed? Hypothetically speaking would everyone prefer that instead of using money on the Evergreen line, that Translink spend that money on extending service hours to run late or 24 hours?

On a good day, the 97 takes ~25-30min to get to Lougheed Station from Coquitlam station. The traffic along Barnet and St Johns is absolutely horrific.
This was back in 2007. I am sure the traffic is even more congested now along St Johns.

[goo3]

Originally Posted by bbbj

Just wondering, but for people that have taken transit similar to our skytrain in other major urban centers, do you find our trains stop much more abruptly and hard brake alot? Or is it the same on subways/monorails everywhere?

Never really noticed a difference.

But I noticed we have shorter trains, and our wait times are short as opposed to longer trains and longer wait times.

[falcon]

Originally Posted by bbbj

Just wondering, but for people that have taken transit similar to our skytrain in other major urban centers, do you find our trains stop much more abruptly and hard brake alot? Or is it the same on subways/monorails everywhere?

Worse elsewhere, actually. The Skytrain rides like a plush caddy compared to some of the urban lines I've been on in Europe where you basically fall over if you're not holding onto something.