TransLink (Vancouver)
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Image:TransLink (British Columbia) logo.jpg
TransLink, officially known as the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority, is a transportation organization that services transportation needs of the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) in British Columbia, Canada.
TransLink was created in 1998 by the Government of British Columbia to replace BC Transit in the GVRD, and take over many of the transportation responsibilities that previously were responsibilities of the provincial government. It is responsible for various modes of transportation in the Greater Vancouver Area. Some of these operations extend into the Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD).
Contents |
Operations
SkyTrain
Originally completed in 1985 as a transit showcase for Expo 86, the SkyTrain automated light rail network has become an important transportation system. SkyTrain's Expo Line now operates from downtown Vancouver through southern Burnaby, New Westminster, and into Surrey. There was further expansion in the completion of the Millennium Line (opened in 2002), linking eastern New Westminster and northern Burnaby to Vancouver. The line was also expected to eventually branch north-east through Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam, but this proposal has since been replaced with plans for a street-level light rail line. SkyTrain is a subsidiary company of TransLink.
The Canada Line (formerly known as the Richmond-Airport-Vancouver Line), currently being built, will run underground through the city and then along an elevated guideway on two branches, one to Richmond and one terminating at Vancouver International Airport; it is not clear at this point whether it will bear the SkyTrain name, but it will use different trains. The new line will not share track or tunnels with the existing SkyTrain network, but it will connect with SkyTrain at Waterfront Station in Downtown Vancouver.
Commuter rail
West Coast Express is a commuter railway connecting Vancouver to communities of the GVRD and FVRD north of the Fraser River to Mission. It is operated by a subsidiary of TransLink.
Buses
Buses are operated by two companies in Greater Vancouver. Coast Mountain Bus Company (a subsidiary of TransLink) operates regular transit buses and trolley bus in the City of Vancouver and most of the suburbs. The District Municipality of West Vancouver owns and operates the Blue Bus system serving West Vancouver. The schedules, fares, and routes of both of these systems are integrated with the other transit systems by TransLink.
TransLink operates buses powered by diesel, electricity, and natural gas. The diesel buses are used to connect a distant city or community to Vancouver; in Vancouver, they run laterally east-west. The B-Line routes commonly use diesel articulated buses that have an elongated body connected to an ordinary tail by an accordian-like connection. These routes have fewer stops than local bus routes and run only on busy corridors. (For more information, see 98 B-Line or 99 B-Line.)
The electric trolley buses operate on major routes in the city of Vancouver with one route extending to neighbouring Burnaby. Most trolley bus routes in Vancouver operate in a North-South direction. They get electricity from an extensive network of overhead wires. Beginning in the fall of 2006, TransLink will begin operating a new generation of electric trolley buses, replacing the existing models built in the early 1980s. The new trolley buses will have low floors, replacing the existing high-floor models, and be fully wheelchair-accessible.
Many of the local routes are run with buses manufactured by New Flyer, a company based in Winnipeg, Canada. The longer suburban routes depend on Orion coaches with high-back seats and luggage racks. In addition, there are a few diesel-electric hybrid buses and natural-gas buses that are undergoing testing, with an additional order of natural-gas buses scheduled for delivery in mid-2006.
- See also: List of bus routes in Greater Vancouver.
Accessibility
Though there have been improvements, wheelchair-accessibility remains a problem on parts of the system. Accessibility issues will become particularly important for the company with the hosting of the Paralympic Games in 2010. Consequently, Translink has undertaken the Access Transit Project with a final report due to the Translink board in mid 2006.
Buses
Currently, while most diesel buses on regular routes are accessible by specially designed lifts or ramps, some bus stops are considered inaccessible if there is deemed to be insufficient room to deploy the lifts/ramps, and some trips on some routes are run as non-accessible for various reasons. Occasional equipment problems have been an issue as well.
In addition, some wheelchair users have complained that drivers sometimes fail to board wheelchairs before other passengers, which results in difficulties boarding, turning, and parking in the designated wheelchair areas. Since there is only space for two wheelchairs on each accessible bus, and since the wheelchair area is also used for walkers and baby strollers, at busy times wheelchair users sometimes have to wait for several buses to go by before they can board.
The introduction of the new fareboxes on all the buses also met with complaints from many wheelchair users, since their size and placement makes it difficult for users of certain types of chairs or electric scooters to manoever around them.
Currently, the entire fleet of electric trolley buses is inaccessible, though Translink will be replacing all of them with low-floor trolley buses: 188 standard 40 foot buses will begin to arrive in August 2006 and 40 articulated 60 foot buses will begin to arrive in mid 2008. Since these buses are the only transit vehicles that cover certain routes, including almost the entire West End, most of Downtown, and several major transit corridors, this means that entire areas are without accessible transit, and people with mobility problems must use taxis or HandyDART (see below) or go far out of their way as a result.
SkyTrain
While all SkyTrain vehicles are themselves accessible (each older Mark I car has one wheelchair designated spot, the newer Mark II cars have two), three SkyTrain stations are not fully accessible. Granville Station, for example, has no elevator; to reach the station, passengers with mobility problems must take a taxi from the nearest station. While Translink covers the cost of such trips, getting a wheelchair-accessible taxi can take up to ninety minutes. Fortunately, a new entrance with an elevator will be opening later in 2006. The other stations with accessibility issues are Columbia Station and Scott Road Station. Starting April 2006, Sapperton Station will not be accessible due to construction of near-by residential building, which will close the station entrance ramp (but not the stairs) for twelve to fourteen months.
Elevator problems have also been a concern, with work on elevators at some stations making them inaccessible for up to a month at a time. In addition, while many of the elevators at the new stations along the Millennium Line are bright and glass enclosed, some elevators at older stations are small, dark, and removed from main entrances and exits, giving rise to concerns for personal safety.
HandyDART
HandyDART is an additional system that provides transit to those who are unable to use the regular system due to mobility problems or a lack of accessible transit. HandyDART service is operated by seven different contractors in Greater Vancouver, which are generally not-for-profit corporations.
HandyDART users must apply for a pass, and must also pay for each trip.
While HandyDART is a great convenience to many users who would not otherwise be able to travel independently, the system also has its drawbacks. Each trip must be booked up to a week in advance, and sometimes no vehicle is available at the desired time. Each contractor operates regionally, meaning that it is not always possible to take HandyDART for the entire intended trip (for example, from Burnaby to Vancouver), but only part way. In addition, some riders have been refused permission to use the system as they have been deemed "too independent."
Ferries
SeaBus is a passenger ferry service across the Burrard Inlet between Vancouver and North Vancouver that is operated by Coast Mountain Bus Company and is integrated with the transit system. Albion ferry is a free automobile ferry service between Langley and Maple Ridge across the Fraser River.
Roads
TransLink is also responsible for the major road network in the Lower Mainland. This is generally the major (non-highway) arteries that are used by those going from one municipality to another. This includes 2,200 lane km of roadways and the Knight Street Bridge, Pattullo Bridge, Westham Island Bridge and the future Golden Ears Bridge. In most cases the projects are initiated and overseen by the local municipality, and TransLink simply prioritizes and funds the projects.
Emission control
AirCare is a regionally mandated automobile emissions program and is operated by a subsidiary of TransLink.
Fares
Image:Translink-faremap.jpg Template:Main Below are the fare prices in Canadian Dollars:
| Fare type<b> | One Zone | Two Zones | Three Zones |
| Adult | $2.25 | $3.25 | $4.50 |
| Concession | $1.50 | $2.00 | $3.00 |
Concession fares apply to children under 13, seniors, and high school students with a valid student identification card from a school in Greater Vancouver. Zone fares apply weekdays before 6:30 pm; during the evening and on weekends, passengers can travel throughout the system on a one-zone fare.
Security
Translink replaced in-house security operations with a full fledged police force in December 2005. The Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority Police Service replaced the former TransLink Provincial Special Constables. The move was not without controversy, as many riders objected to armed officers patrolling the system. A recent case in which a woman was awarded $52,000 for allegedly being beaten by a flashlight-wielding officer confirmed such fears for some [1].
TransLink board
The TransLink board is made up of 12 members appointed by the Greater Vancouver Regional District, representing the municipalities in the Greater Vancouver. The provincial government has the option of appointing three members to the board as well, but the appointees resigned in 2001, citing conflict of interest with their positions as members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Since that time, the provincial government has declined to name any representatives to the board.
The current members of the board, appointed on January 6, 2006, are:
- Mayor Kurt Alberts, Langley Township
- Councillor Suzanne Anton, Vancouver
- Mayor Malcolm Brodie, Richmond (chair)
- Mayor Derek Corrigan, Burnaby
- Councillor Marvin Hunt, Surrey
- Councillor Peter Ladner, Vancouver
- Mayor Sam Sullivan, Vancouver
- Mayor Joe Trasolini, Port Moody
- Mayor Maxine Wilson, Coquitlam
- Mayor Dianne Watts, Surrey
- Mayor Richard Walton, North Vancouver District
- Mayor Scott Young, Port Coquitlam
The conflicting interests of the board members, whose primary responsibility is to the electors in their municipality, often causes problems. Most board members are from suburban municipalities, whereas the heaviest transit users are in the City of Vancouver. Citizens of all GVRD municipalities fund Translink through their property taxes, while citizens of the City of Vancouver, due higher population densities, enjoy many more transit routes as well as much more frequent transit service than citizens living outside the city.
Gallery: TransLink bus fleet
 A regular TransLink bus, at a layover in Steveston. |
 A B-Line bus at Brighouse. |
 A regular articulated bus at UBC Loop. |
 A West Vancouver Blue Bus. (See This picture for the side view.) |
 A highway coach bus, at Crescent Beach (South Surrey). |
 An electric trolley bus, at 5th Avenue and Granville Street in Vancouver. |
