City Conversation #120: The province’s bills 44, 46 and 47 will alter British Columbia communities as we know them if passed this month—and not in a good way
The problem with TransLink is that the service they provide is less than user friendly and in fact the service is quite bad. The system is designed to force bus passengers to transfer to the SkyTrain light metro system so politicians can pretend that it is a good investment.
The problem with this transit philosophy is that forced transfers deter ridership. Only about 14% of the regional population use transit and that number has remained almost static for over 20 years. Transit ridership increases only with population growth, thus TransLink, the city of Vancouver and the provincial government firmly believe that densifying around transit hubs will increase transit use. History has proven otherwise.
This density myth or "grift" has ensnared the universities in teaching that density must follow transit, but the sad story is, "if transit does not go where you want to go, you take the car". This myth has become a "tar-baby" that everyone are now stuck to, as no one will admit that they have got it wrong.
In the 21st centruy, successful transit operations are treated as a product and if the product is good, people will use it and if the product is bad, people will not. This is German transit philosophy and it is very successful. In Vancouver our transit follows the Monty Python philosophy of "there is your transit, now use it!" ~ "ignoring the fact that the transit does not satisfy customer needs.
Presently the province (us) is spending over $11 billion to extend the Expo and millennium Lines 21.7 km.
1) 5.7 Broadway subway - $2.7 billion (contract)
2) Expo Line extension to langley - $4.1 billion (pre inflation estimate only)
3) Operations and maintenance Centre #5 - $500 Million to $1 billion (cost dependant on land acquisition - needed before completion of the Langley extension)
4) Resignalling of the Expo and Millennium lines - $1.47 billion (needed to increase capacity on the Expo and millennium Lines - signed contract Thales)
5) The electrical rehab of the Expo and millennium Lines - $2 billion (needed for the increased capacity of the Expo and millennium Lines)
6) All switches replaces to allow high speed switches - up to $1 billion (including structural work, needed before capacity increase of the Expo and Millennium Lines)
Yet for a $11 billion bill, the Broadway subway will attract no new customers and TransLink has admitted that the Langley extension will carry fewer customers than the present Broadway B-Line bus!
The problem with TransLink is that the service they provide is less than user friendly and in fact the service is quite bad. The system is designed to force bus passengers to transfer to the SkyTrain light metro system so politicians can pretend that it is a good investment.
The problem with this transit philosophy is that forced transfers deter ridership. Only about 14% of the regional population use transit and that number has remained almost static for over 20 years. Transit ridership increases only with population growth, thus TransLink, the city of Vancouver and the provincial government firmly believe that densifying around transit hubs will increase transit use. History has proven otherwise.
This density myth or "grift" has ensnared the universities in teaching that density must follow transit, but the sad story is, "if transit does not go where you want to go, you take the car". This myth has become a "tar-baby" that everyone are now stuck to, as no one will admit that they have got it wrong.
In the 21st centruy, successful transit operations are treated as a product and if the product is good, people will use it and if the product is bad, people will not. This is German transit philosophy and it is very successful. In Vancouver our transit follows the Monty Python philosophy of "there is your transit, now use it!" ~ "ignoring the fact that the transit does not satisfy customer needs.
Presently the province (us) is spending over $11 billion to extend the Expo and millennium Lines 21.7 km.
1) 5.7 Broadway subway - $2.7 billion (contract)
2) Expo Line extension to langley - $4.1 billion (pre inflation estimate only)
3) Operations and maintenance Centre #5 - $500 Million to $1 billion (cost dependant on land acquisition - needed before completion of the Langley extension)
4) Resignalling of the Expo and Millennium lines - $1.47 billion (needed to increase capacity on the Expo and millennium Lines - signed contract Thales)
5) The electrical rehab of the Expo and millennium Lines - $2 billion (needed for the increased capacity of the Expo and millennium Lines)
6) All switches replaces to allow high speed switches - up to $1 billion (including structural work, needed before capacity increase of the Expo and Millennium Lines)
Yet for a $11 billion bill, the Broadway subway will attract no new customers and TransLink has admitted that the Langley extension will carry fewer customers than the present Broadway B-Line bus!
And it will only get worse!