[Traum]

http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2015/06/systemwide-skytrain-failure-royal-oak-waterfront-stations/

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CHGIQBoWMAA2UF9.jpg


There is a systemwide failure on the SkyTrain system this evening rush hour resulting in no train service between Royal Oak and Waterfront stations.

According to TransLink, a technical issue is causing the disruption. Trains are still running between Edmonds and King George and on the Millennium Line from Columbia Station to VCC-Clark.

:rukidding:

[Tr1ll]

Feels like it's becoming a monthly occurrence now for the Skytrain to breakdown.

[gilly]

damnit.... I am just about to get off work too.

[iwantaskyline]

Right when im off work.. Gonna miss the cavs game

[hotong]

about to get off work too fuckkkkk

[hchang]

Vote NO to transit tax

[Traum]

Vote NO to transit tax
You know, that was really the first thing I thought of when I saw the news -- whether the Translink tax would change anything at all. Unfortunately, I still remain unconvinced that the imbeciles at Translink could make effective use of the public funds to get any meaningful improvements done.

Proponents of the Translink tax would certainly use these incidents as further proof that the tax should have been passed though.

[invader]

Bring uber to Vancouver!

[tonyzoomzoom]

TRANSLINK: Just want to give everyone an idea of what would occur on a much more regular basis if you don't give us the 0.5% sales tax (which we would then raise to 1.0%, 1.5%, and so forth) ;)

[evil_jigglypuff]

Not trying to be a conspiracy nut here but it almost looks like all this skytrain outages is just some sort of ploy to convince the naysayers that Translink needs that .05% tax to fix all this.

Or rather Translink showing people that this is what is going to happen more often if they lose the plebiscite.

[radioman]

Man driving from DT to Metro along kingsway was crazy seeing all those people lined up at bus stops. I'd imagine a bus would get full with just one stop.

SMH at translink

[carisear]

Bring uber to Vancouver!

i'll just leave this here ...

Uber surge-pricing during Toronto subway shutdown sparks controversy | Metro (http://metronews.ca/news/toronto/1390523/uber-surge-pricing-during-toronto-subway-shutdown-sparks-controversy/)


Uber surge-pricing during Toronto subway shutdown sparks controversy

By Alexandra Posadzki The Canadian Press



TORONTO – As thousands of Toronto commuters found themselves stranded during the morning rush hour Monday following a massive subway disruption, Uber’s surge pricing kicked into effect.

Under surge-pricing, also known as dynamic pricing, the ride-hailing service uses an algorithm to lure more drivers to areas where demand is particularly high by increasing the rates in those areas.
The practice has incited controversy among some users who have called it “price gouging.”
Some tweeted that Uber was charging up to four times the usual rate in some parts of the city.


But Uber spokeswoman Susie Heath says that as soon as the company became aware of the transit shutdown, it capped its dynamic pricing at three times the normal rate.
Heath says Uber always communicates to users that surge pricing is in effect.
“Dynamic pricing solves for the perennial challenge of never being able to get a ride on New Year’s Eve, after a major sporting event or during bad weather,” said Heath.
“Because Uber doesn’t employ drivers, every driver has a choice of how he or she spends his or her time. Dynamic pricing helps bring demand and supply into line, when necessary, by incentivizing more drivers to come onto the platform. Once demand falls or supply increases sufficiently, prices quickly go back to normal.”
Ian Lee, an assistant professor at Carleton’s Sprott School of Business, says he’s surprised at how some consumers have reacted to Uber’s surge pricing.
“It’s simply good old-fashioned supply and demand,” said Lee. “There’s no evil person sitting behind a computer screen trying to exploit people. It’s purely using an algorithm in the software … that says if there’s an imbalance between the demand for Uber taxes and supply of Uber taxis, the software prices you upwards.”
Lee says a number of other industries — including airlines, hotels and car rental companies — also use dynamic pricing but are simply less transparent about it.
“When you fly to Europe, you pay a lot more going in the summer time than you do going in the winter,” he said.

[Manic!]

Bring uber to Vancouver!

Then they can gouge people every time skytrain shuts down.

[Akinari]

Translink is a joke of a corporation. But I don't know what's worse: Translink's complete and utter inability to do anything right at literally every level of the corporation, or the unbelievably naive people who voted YES to give Translink even more money to play with when it can't even manage to do anything with the current exorbitant amount of money they have.

Please for the love of god vote NO people

[Alby]

mandatory FAIL for using vancitybuzz

[iwantaskyline]

Its up

[Tim Budong]

^ funny you say this, but if my guess is correct, VancityBuzz are usually the first to put up a small article with a photo before proper news outlets

regardless. conspiracies eh.. haha

whatever... no one knows if Translink will actually go through with all said projects... nor does any one know how it will be phased out. You can put everything onto a nice fancy picture for the public, but all I want to know is who is gonna manage and organize the shitshow that is translink.

[$_$]

Then they can gouge people every time skytrain shuts down.

Having used Uber in other cities and countries, I love the system. If there were more drivers, then the prices wouldn't be gauged unless there was a HUGE spike in demand. Yeah sure, if public transit goes down that'd be a reason. But that's supply and demand for you. The rest of the time it's a great deal and way cheaper than cabs in my experience. Friendlier service and sometimes nicer cars. And that's on top of how stupidly hard it is to get a cab in vancouver/richmond (you almost always have to call in advance).

[yray]

Translink needs more dielectric grease

[godwin]

Ever if they bring it.. Uber will charge 4x at much at time like this.. because of "Surge pricing"

TTC had a problem last week and people were bitching about Uber.

Bring uber to Vancouver!

[twitchyzero]

Translink should get cultured...or should i say cartualed

http://starecat.com/content/wp-content/uploads/japan-train-late-over-5-minutes-proof-of-lateness-slip-conductors-personally-apologized.jpg

TRANSLINK: Just want to give everyone an idea of what would occur on a much more regular basis if you don't give us the 0.5% sales tax (which we would then raise to 1.0%, 1.5%, and so forth) ;)

Not trying to be a conspiracy nut here but it almost looks like all this skytrain outages is just some sort of ploy to convince the naysayers that Translink needs that .05% tax to fix all this.

Or rather Translink showing people that this is what is going to happen more often if they lose the plebiscite.

voting's already over?

[FerrariEnzo]

how translink will ask for more money to "improve" service.. :rukidding:

[Aria]

deleted

[Hehe]

Bahahaha... Skytrain outage is news? Isn't this like a Holiday? You'd have one at least every month?

Seriously though, Skytrain's outage happens way too often for an infrastructure of this scale. I can't remember the last time Taipei's subway system was out of service and I take it everyday. In contrast, when I used to work downtown, I would take skytrain every so often when I don't feel like battling through the morning traffic and I lived right next to the station. Even it was a rare occurrence that I take Skytrain, I was stuck at least 5 times during the 3yrs I worked there. I either have a shitty luck or Skytrain just hate me. :fuckthatshit:

[twitchyzero]

comparing the MRT in Taiwan to Skytrain is like comparing a LFA to a Fiero

https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7375/11322860994_4f658158c0_b.jpg
http://www.travelking.com.tw/eng/tourguide/kaohsiung/krt-map/images/bg01.jpg

[JesseBlue]

You guys know that the voting was already over right? This is their way of preparing to say fffuuuuuuuuuuuu....

[corollagtSr5]

Inside the SkyTrain control room (http://www.vancouversun.com/touch/story.html?id=10092529)
"At the heart of Vancouver’s Expo and Millennium SkyTrain Lines is an aging Pentium computer with 1992 software contained on floppy discs.

TransLink relies on these backup floppies to provide the last stream of data when there is a major glitch with the system, like a pair of massive shutdowns last month that led stranded passengers to force open the doors on SkyTrain cars and escape along the tracks. SkyTrain is an automated system without drivers, although the trains can be operated manually in an emergency."

This was back in 2014. Vancouver heat and 23 year old computers.

[CRS]

https://twitter.com/TransLink/status/608428091724210176

[iEatClams]

Having used Uber in other cities and countries, I love the system. If there were more drivers, then the prices wouldn't be gauged unless there was a HUGE spike in demand. Yeah sure, if public transit goes down that'd be a reason. But that's supply and demand for you. The rest of the time it's a great deal and way cheaper than cabs in my experience. Friendlier service and sometimes nicer cars. And that's on top of how stupidly hard it is to get a cab in vancouver/richmond (you almost always have to call in advance).

amen, as a person that has used it, having it as an option is better than not having it as an option. No one is telling you you have to use it.

But if you had a flight to catch or important event to go to, it's an alternative, especially if you don't have a car and have to rely on public transportation.

Plus during non-surge times they work better than taxi drivers.

[Euro7r]

My coworkers asked me if I take skytrain home after work when they heard of another system malfunction. I said, what the heck is public transit :troll:.

[TOPEC]

i recently started working in DT so im starting to rely on translink more, id say 80% of the time. for the past 4 months that i started using the transit, i was unimpressed with the service. bus would either be early at least once a week, or not come at all. skytrain outage once a month or so, and newb bus drivers scaring the fuck out of me. once i was in a bus driven by a trainee, who fking turned into the on comming lane, and had to hop over the median to get back into the correct lane. yes the bus driver was driving on the wrong side of the road. lucky it was early in the wee hours so theres no traffic but boy was it scary.

so fuck u translink, improve ur shitty ass services before u dare asking me for more of my money

[6o4__boi]

this ain't even news anymore
there's gonna be like 10 more by the end of summer, i guarantee it.

[ancient_510]

Without knowing exactly how the trains communicate with Skytrain control, and acknowledging that automated trains were first deployed in 1986 using 1986 technology; why does Translink feel they need to invent brand new things for themselves?

Train communications are too valuable to be left to a one-off Translink special system.

If I was king of Translink, every train would have one of these (http://www.peplink.com/products/max-cellular-router/multi-cellular/), running this magic protocol (http://www.peplink.com/technology/unbreakable-vpn/), connecting to a pair of these (http://www.peplinkworks.com/Balance-2500.asp) at Skytrain control.
Then calling up Telus to add in some small antennas inside the mail tunnels like they have on the Canada Line

Communication "timeout" problem solved. Peplink's VPN tech really is that good. They have single handedly saved my business at our remote and rural locations that are served by flaky DSL and poor cell signal only.

[Liquid_o2]

Bahahaha... Skytrain outage is news? Isn't this like a Holiday? You'd have one at least every month?

Seriously though, Skytrain's outage happens way too often for an infrastructure of this scale. I can't remember the last time Taipei's subway system was out of service and I take it everyday. In contrast, when I used to work downtown, I would take skytrain every so often when I don't feel like battling through the morning traffic and I lived right next to the station. Even it was a rare occurrence that I take Skytrain, I was stuck at least 5 times during the 3yrs I worked there. I either have a shitty luck or Skytrain just hate me. :fuckthatshit:

What are you comparing?
A transit system that cost multiple billions of dollars to build and has nearly 2 million passengers per day in a highly dense urban area, to an older system that sees about 250,000 riders per day across a much lower density area. Ok then FailFish

These outages are ridiculous and shouldn't be happening this often, but if you want to compare Vancouver to a similar city, compare to it to Portland's transit infrastructure.

[Jmac]

blames problems on 23-year-old computers, spends millions of dollars on Compass Card system and artwork instead of replacing critical infrastructure, demands more money :rukidding:

[vitaminG]

What are you comparing?
A transit system that cost multiple billions of dollars to build and has nearly 2 million passengers per day in a highly dense urban area, to an older system that sees about 250,000 riders per day across a much lower density area. Ok then FailFish

These outages are ridiculous and shouldn't be happening this often, but if you want to compare Vancouver to a similar city, compare to it to Portland's transit infrastructure.

its the same idiots complaining they have cheaper cell phones there too

[pastarocket]

Imagine the chaos during the Celebration of Light fireworks if the Expo Line goes down next month. :lawl:

http://cdn.meme.am/instances/55720238.jpg

[Tapioca]

blames problems on 23-year-old computers, spends millions of dollars on Compass Card system and artwork instead of replacing critical infrastructure, demands more money :rukidding:

The Compass Card was imposed on Translink by the provincial government. People have been calling for faregates for years, despite the evidence of fare evasion being relatively insignificant.

Sure, you can point to the infamous dog statue which cost a hundred thousand or so. On the other hand, public art is a drop in the bucket when it comes to the cost of maintaining and upgrading infrastructure.

People just bring examples up mis-spending when they really have nothing to do with the overall issues facing Translink because it's convenient to a pre-conceived narrative that Translink sucks. The problem is that people want it all - they want cheap transit that functions at 100% 24/7.

I'll go off on a tangent, but you know what the problem is in Vancouver? Housing prices which has made the cost of living here expensive relative to salaries. That's why people bitch and complain about everything - from politicians, to the unions, to teachers, to nurses, to faceless organizations like BC Ferries and Translink, Starbucks baristas, trust fund hipsters, cyclists, marathon runners, the weather, the gridlock, and to immigrants - whether or not the criticism is warranted.

[Akinari]

People just bring examples up mis-spending when they really have nothing to do with the overall issues facing Translink because it's convenient to a pre-conceived narrative that Translink sucks. The problem is that people want it all - they want cheap transit that functions at 100% 24/7.

So what are the overall issues facing Translink?

[Tapioca]

So what are the overall issues facing Translink?

- A governance model that limits the sources of revenue they can draw upon and a provincial government that intervenes in decisions when it's politically expedient.
- 22 municipalities who each have different needs and can't agree on service and expansions
- Responsibility for transit, bridges, and roads which are sometimes at odds with each other
- Few valuable capital assets, such as land holdings, that they could use to fund expansions

To name a few.

[Galactic_Phantom]

My coworkers asked me if I take skytrain home after work when they heard of another system malfunction. I said, what the heck is public transit :troll:.

It's great you drive and all but some others may not have that luxury so you could've said it without being pretentious as fuck

[Aria]

deleted

[Liquid_o2]

- A governance model that limits the sources of revenue they can draw upon and a provincial government that intervenes in decisions when it's politically expedient.
- 22 municipalities who each have different needs and can't agree on service and expansions
- Responsibility for transit, bridges, and roads which are sometimes at odds with each other
- Few valuable capital assets, such as land holdings, that they could use to fund expansions

To name a few.

Well that's it folks, close up the thread.

[Noir]

What are you comparing?
A transit system that cost multiple billions of dollars to build and has nearly 2 million passengers per day in a highly dense urban area, to an older system that sees about 250,000 riders per day across a much lower density area. Ok then FailFish

These outages are ridiculous and shouldn't be happening this often, but if you want to compare Vancouver to a similar city, compare to it to Portland's transit infrastructure.

But Vancouver is World Class tho. :yuno:

[carisear]

I'll go off on a tangent, but you know what the problem is in Vancouver? Housing prices which has made the cost of living here expensive relative to salaries. That's why people bitch and complain about everything - from politicians, to the unions, to teachers, to nurses, to faceless organizations like BC Ferries and Translink, Starbucks baristas, trust fund hipsters, cyclists, marathon runners, the weather, the gridlock, and to immigrants - whether or not the criticism is warranted.

I'd say the problem in Vancouver isn't housing prices, but because everyone is ENTITLED.

[Spoon]

You already have less issues taking the Canada Line.

Imagine taking the legacy lines, they are generally packed during rush hour, smell like piss... and are NEVER on time.

Only days I don't enjoy being on the train. Rainy season on the expo line. :heckno:

[Hehe]

What are you comparing?
A transit system that cost multiple billions of dollars to build and has nearly 2 million passengers per day in a highly dense urban area, to an older system that sees about 250,000 riders per day across a much lower density area. Ok then FailFish

These outages are ridiculous and shouldn't be happening this often, but if you want to compare Vancouver to a similar city, compare to it to Portland's transit infrastructure.

I'm not sure what you mean. I was referring the exact point. If anything, the Taipei's system are prone to more problems as it is far more complex and higher load level.

I was simply pointed out how fucking incompetent Translink is. If they can't get a small scale system right, what makes them think they would be able to handle a large scale system?

[SoNaRWaVe]

what is this small scale system you refer to and large scale system you speak of?

[Hehe]

what is this small scale system you refer to and large scale system you speak of?

Small scale=Current skytrain system.

Large scale=Whatever the trolls at Translink were dreaming

[urrh]

Only days I don't enjoy being on the train. Rainy season on the expo line. :heckno:

hot summer days going home during rush hour aren't fun either. whole train can smell like BO

[Dragon-88]

Buy a scooter, Cheaper than bus fare ($300/yr) $5 tank of gas. Summer riding!! Nothing but great weather.


Ride the bike lanes on the side streets its much faster. I made it from Hastings and Willingdon to QE in less than 15min yesterday @ 6:30pm during traffic.

[Hondaracer]

Even non-rush hour times are fucking gross.

If it didn't enable me to be downtown In 20 minutes from my place I would never take the train.