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I’ve been periodically working on this project since mid 2007. I was originally planning to release it Monday, but Gordon Campbell was too quick to steal my thunder as I found out Sunday night. I have chosen to hold it off a bit unless the dust on that announcement settled.

I originally thought that my plan might become redundant with the Province’s announcement. Thankfully, it turns out that my plan is almost an extension of the Provincial Transit Plan.

Transit Metropolis Vancouver is my extensive plan based around the idea that transit in this region should work for 90% of the population, not 10%. As you can already tell, this far surpasses the Province’s goal of reaching a 20% transit modal share.

Two unique parts of my plan that weren’t at all touched in the Province’s: expanded commuter rail, and a whole new LRT, or “SkyTrain mini”, rail network. The goal, as I said, is to allow anyone to get anywhere in the region - quickly, conveniently, and comfortably.

Transit Metropolis Vancouver, in my mind, is almost a personal visioning practice for transit past the Province’s plan that ends in 2020. Check it out and let me know what you think.

I haven’t ever done this, but with a recent increase in readership, I thought I may as well try.

You’ve seen the plan. You’ve viewed the news reports.

Now, what do you think?

There’s a poll below, and I’m leaving this posts comments wide open. It’s a free for all.

What are your concerns? Does the plan meet your needs? How will this effect you? What bumps in the road do you predict?

If you have anything to say, say it!

First off, an interview with Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon on the Christy Clark Show. He reveals a few more details about the plan, such as the funding mechanisms.

Click here to download or play the MP3 

Then we have the full Global news story on the plan, with a brief overview at the beginning, and then political correspondent Keith Baldrey giving some scope to the proposal. He also mentions that the public will likely see Expo Line stations upgrades and the RapidBus routes coming in the first phase of the plan.

These are all taken from the Provincial Transit Plan

Rapid Transit

• They are including the Canada Line under the Plan. Completion is set for 2009.
• $1.4 billion for the Evergreen Line by 2014.
• $2.8 billion for the UBC Line from Broadway to UBC by 2020
• $3.1 billion to double capacity on the Expo Line - major improvements at stations starting 2009, and 6km extension in Surrey by 2020. Station improvements include:
  • Lengthening platforms to handle 6 car trains
  • Vehicle storage depots
  • Maintenance facilities
  • Adjacent transit exchanges
• $1 billion for new rail cars

RapidBusBC

• Frequent, reliable service with regular intervals
• Express service with few or no stops
• Priority movement in traffic by dedicated/HOV lanes, signal priority, and queue jumping
• Contemporary, conveniently located bus stations with nearby amenities
• Seamless integration with other transit options and coordination with cycling and walking infrastructure
• Effective security measures
• 9 lines across BC
  • Westbank to UBC Okanagan in the central Okanagan
  • Douglas Street in downtown Victoria to Langford on the West Shore
  • Highway 1, connecting Lougheed Station to exchanges in Surrey and Langley across the Port Mann Bridge
  • Hastings Street from downtown Vancouver to SFU
  • 41st Ave from the Canada Line to UBC
  • Highway 99 from White Rock to the Canada Line in Richmond
  • King George Hwy from Surrey Centre south to White Rock
  • Fraser Hwy connecting Langley to the Expo Line in Surrey
  • Highway 7 from the Evergreen Line in Coquitlam across the new Golden Ears Bridge

Buses

• $1.6 billion in 1,500 new clean energy buses
• Clean technologies include
  • Hydrogen
  • Hybrid
  • Electric
  • Natural Gas
  • Low emissions diesel
• Customized sizes and types of buses
  • Community shuttles
  • Custom transit
  • Para transit
  • Articulated and double decker buses
  • Conventional buses

Cycling

• 1000 new bike lockers at key transit locations by 2020
• Comprehensive cycling strategy to be released in the next few months to complement the Provincial Transit Plan

Security

• Installing electronic gates and closed-circuit cameras at rapid transit stations
• Launching a smart card system for rapid transit and buses that users can reload at vending machines or on the Internet
• Taking action against people who do not pay fares with on-the-spot fines and other measures
• Increasing security personnel in and around rapid transit stations
• Improving safety for bus drivers

I don’t want to jump the gun before any real details are released. Besides, as Keith Baldrey says in his report below, there hasn’t been any leaks so to speak - he’s more… connecting the dots. Have more tomorrow on this.

UPDATE: The announcement is at 10:30 AM. Check back here shortly after for full details and analysis.

So, that “major” transit announcement we’ve been hearing about for a bit now… Well, turned out to be nothing more than a signed promise that the Province would provide $180 million to put “Rapid Bus” service on the new HOV lanes on the expanded Highway 1. Yup, six years down the line, once construction is finally over, south of Fraser residents will be able to hop on a “Rapid Bus” every 10-15 minutes to get to Lougheed Station.

Yipee.

Not.

I don’t even know how anyone could be mildly excited about this. It’s a slap in the face to both Anti-Gateway personnel, and to transit advocates south of the Fraser.

The places we wanted *at least* Rapid Bus service (King George, Fraser Highway, 200th), we don’t get. Instead they throw an express coach on the Highway, where nobody lives.

I find it particularly amusing how they put Park and Rides in the plan. Who the fuck would “park and ride” to take a Rapid Bus, then have to transfer to another rapid transit service, cause god knows nobody’s final destination is Lougheed Station. Plus, this’ll be when the new bridge is in, meaning the traffic, supposedly, won’t be nearly as bad. There’s absolutely no incentive to take the transit, especially when it’ll be more expensive than paying the bridge toll.

Okay, let’s say somebody from Langley wants to go to Coquitlam Centre. They could drive to the park and ride, wait 15 minutes for a bus, take the bus for 25 minutes, then, assuming the Evergreen Line is built by this time, transfer to that service, and ride for another 25 minutes. Or, they could just drive the whole way, which, according to Google Maps, currently only takes 20 minutes total.

The whole setup completely screws up Surrey. Currently, almost all buses are routed to end at Surrey Central Station, assuming everyone’s headed to Vancouver via SkyTrain. Well, the new “Rapid Bus” service won’t actually go to Surrey Central, nope. Not even to the Guildford bus exchange, just a few minutes off the highway. They are building a whole new bus exchange at 156 St. So, somebody from Newton or Fleetwood will have to bus to Surrey Central, transfer to a bus to the new exchange, transfer to the “Rapid Bus” service, then transfer again at Lougheed to their final destination. Nobody enjoys transfers. One is acceptable, two is doable, but more and you’ve gone overboard.

Looking at the route, it seems like the provincial government has tried to fit two routes into one. Now let me explain this.

It makes sense to have a “Rapid Bus” service leave from Surrey Central, thru Guildford, across the bridge, and then head to either Coquitlam Centre or to Lougheed Station.

Then, have a separate service for Langolians, departing either from Langley Centre up 200th, or from Walnut Grove bus exchange, and either go down Highway 1, or across the Golden Ears Bridge. If it went across the Golden Ears, which it should, they would either end it in Maple Ridge to force riders onto the “premium” West Coast Express, or the bus could continue west across the new Pitt River bridge and into Coquitlam. It’s important to understand where people are and where they are going to fully plan this stuff. If more people from Langley want to go to Surrey, it would make sense to go down Highway 1, with a stop at Guildford. If more people wanted to go just to Coquitlam or Vancouver, then across the Golden Ears bridge it would be.

Anyways, terrible announcement all around. I do find it particularly intriguing how the Province is trying to include the service as part of the Gateway Program, meaning that perhaps they are bowing somewhat to public pressure, and trying to remarket the plan as “balanced” and slightly “greener”. The announcement isn’t actually new - they’ve promised Rapid Transit all along. It was just always “sometime in the future”. Now, they’ve signed an agreement saying it will be coming for sure, that’s the only difference. It’s ridiculous, and unacceptable.