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New Highway 1/Port Mann bus service about to start

November 16th, 2012 · 30 Comments

This just out

New South of Fraser service and other changes coming in December

December will bring the beginning of a new alternative for commuters in Langley and eastern Surrey. The new #555 Port Mann Express will begin service on Saturday, December 1. The bus will travel over the new Port Mann Bridge between the Carvolth Transit Exchange and Park and Ride on 202nd Street in Langley and Braid SkyTrain Station in New Westminster.

The #555 will operate seven days a week, with buses running every 10 minutes in each direction during peak periods – Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. – and every half hour the rest of the time, with the last bus leaving each terminus at 11 p.m. This route is expected to generate 3,000 to 4,000 boardings per day.

Categories: Uncategorized

  • boohoo

    I sure hope we’re still not calling it ‘rapid bus’.

  • Guest

    I wonder is the transit only ramps at Government St. are ready.

    If not, the bus will have to exit at Braid which will slow it down.

  • Guest

    Ugh – just read it’ll exit and link in a Braid.

  • Richard

    Too bad they didn’t build high speed rail along Highway 1 instead. I hope the freeway expansion has not made this impossible to do in the future.

  • Bill Lee

    Richard Austin Campbell writes:
    “Too bad they didn’t build high speed rail along Highway 1 instead. I hope the freeway expansion has not made this impossible to do in the future.”

    And they could have put the Kinder Morgan pipeline under it too.

    I am waiting the the jet-cars myself, no roads required.

  • Stuart

    Hmmm…takes me back. I remember the old Pacific Stage Lines “Port Mann” bus that would leave the downtown bus station during rush hours…

  • Tessa

    @Bill Lee:

    “And they could have put the Kinder Morgan pipeline under it too.

    I am waiting the the jet-cars myself, no roads required.”

    Except that Richard’s suggestion wasn’t facetious or impractical.

  • Sean Nelson

    What really steams me is that the provincial government essentially forced Translink to cut other services in order to fit this into its budget. All the billions spent on the Gateway project and all the touting of how it would enable this bus service, and no money to run one except by robbing Peter to pay Paul.

    Idiots.

  • mezzanine

    @ sean 8

    I think there’s plently blame to go around to victoria [b]and [/b] the mayor’s council.

    Remember that the mayor’s council approved to increase property taxes in 2011 for 2 years to fund TL, which was yanked by the council just a few weeks ago.

    http://www.theprovince.com/news/Commuters+slam+TransLink+seeking+property+hike+fund+services/7256477/story.html#axzz2CW4hOIDr

  • Richard

    @mezzanine

    The province had agreed to work with the mayors on alternatives. Then the Premier got a little heat from the vocal anti tax minority and backed down leaving the mayors with no other options. The Province controls TransLink and funding sources. It is ultimately the Premier’s responsibility to make as this work because only the Province government has the needed power and authority.

  • boohoo

    Yes,

    As we’ve seen with decisions in the past (Millenium Line, Canada Line), Provincial priorities are all that matter. It doesn’t matter what the mayors want.

    Until this government is gone, this issue is moot. One can only hope a new government will do things differently…

  • mezzanine

    @richard/boohoo

    I would agree that the current admin in victoria, if they are going to play it close and careful, will unlikely make a big move on transit funding. We’ll see if a new govt does.

    It’s one thing to increase TL funding thru general revenue or the carbon tax, but IMO, i’d be interested to see how/who would impment road pricing and car levies – the harder, yet just as important task.

    @Boohoo,

    “Provincial priorities are all that matter. It doesn’t matter what the mayors want.”

    don’t make me bring out the big book of derek corrigan quotes..

  • Voony

    I agree with Mezzanine:

    The attitude of the mayors is beyond pathetic.
    They bear most of onus of the bad situation Tranlink is facing right now.

    Also, “Road pricing” is just a rhetoric word, they so far have totally failed to put substance in it.
    Mayors: If you are serious on it, come with a plan with that, and explain what it means…after we will be able to see where you effectively stand on it…seriously (by passing a motion) ! May this blog gives you some idea!)

    When the Province put bus lanes on most of its roads used by Translink, like the Hwy 99…What does the cities on their streets to improve the Transit operations, or even the bus wait (on their sidewalk!)
    Worst than nothing, Vancouver is making the situation plain worse (e.g Robson bus)…
    Pathetic Corrigan opposes to any thing, e.g. a Gondola, able to save $M of dollar in operating cost…

    Do the mayors lead by example when come Transit? … Do they even demonstrate good will at improving transit operation efficiency?

    The answer at both question is a resounding NO, why expect more from the Province?

    Yes Boohoo, it doesn’t matter what the mayors want, because do you know what they want? I means expect more money/more power from the Province?

    Re #555: I think this route will be a good performer, and basically will have a much better cost recovery than any other route in the area, not mentioning that on the 3-4000 rider of the #555, a good chunk of them will be new to transit. It could have been suicide for Translink to not operate this route

  • Richard

    @voony

    Well, just saw bus shelters being installed in Burnaby yesterday. Vancouver has had them for years.

    Yes, cities could do more but seriously, that still would be nowhere enough. Many these measures take money as well. The SFU Gondola would be great but there is not enough funding for it.

    There is no way even with bus only lanes everywhere would TransLink save anywhere near enough money to build the UBC Line or rapid transit in Surrey. Even routing the #5 back through Robson Square won’t be enough. 🙂

    Transit in the region has been underfunded ever since the last NDP government rejected the vehicle levy. The Liberals have since failed in their duty to find a replacement. It is time they lived up to their responsibility.

  • Voony

    @Richard:

    Translink has no capital issue: $120M/year of federal gas tax credit need to be spent on Transit capital project

    Translink was used to be able to spent it on Bike infrastructure, but the mayors (UBCM) have somewhat decided it was not a good idea 2 years ago…it is this money, which is able to fund a third skytrain platform at Broadway

    The Gondola can’t move fwd, not due to a funding issue, but due to the Corrigan obstruction.

    As I said before, turning off the light after a lecture on energy conservation, will not save the world, but not doing it show how little concerned you are on it

    It is idem for Transit: mayor can do a lot, more than you seems to thing, to improve the Transit operation…it could be not enough, it could be a little step in the Translink spreadsheet, but a giant political step/signal…showing how serious they are on transit.

  • David

    Helicopters — ruled out in 1959 http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hUllAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6YkNAAAAIBAJ&pg=3838%2C4305261

  • Guest

    As for munipcal leaders guiding transit – just look at Toronto and the mess it’s in with its councillor driven TTC.

    They recently voted to reexamine the feasibility of a Scarborough subway!

  • Richard

    @voony

    Sure some of gas tax money the gas tax money should be spent on cycling. It is puzzling why this changed.

    The larger point is that the Feds won’t allow the gas tax funds to be spent on projects that have other funding from the Feds so it is of little use for large capital projects like the UBC Line or rapid transit in Surrey. It can’t be used for operational expenses either so it is of little use for the challenges facing TL right now.

    It is likely incorrect to think that the measures you are thinking would help politically at all. Taking parking away, reallocating lanes of traffic or banning turns will likely be opposed by the same people who don’t like higher taxes or fees.

    These should be done to improve transit effiency but don’t think they will help build political support for more funding. They likely won’t.

  • Voony

    Richard, the UBC or surrey line, it is not the topic of the day.
    Current transit efficiency can be improved by “minor” capital expense (the Gondola can be considered as such, bigger bus is another avenue which Translink should consider)

    “”Taking parking away, reallocating lanes of traffic or banning turns will likely be opposed by the same people who don’t like higher taxes or fees. “

    Yes, but the point is that the Cities have to take the heat:
    Vancouver has been able to do it for Bike lane, so your excuse doesn’t stand. It is just a question of will!

    Notice that the Paris Mayor did both at once, put separated bike and bus lanes: sure it has been an uproar, but bus efficiency has improved by 5% if not more on some route, ridership followed, and the mayor has been re-elected…Zurich had followed the same route, after a subway scheme has been dismissed as too expensive long time ago…and again here the bus network work like…a Swiss watch

    In both case, strong city leadership has helped to build political support for Transit

    A normal tax payer can’t accept a tax increase to pay bus drivers sitting idling in the traffic because someone didn’t dare to face the objection of a minority using the public street as their garage…It is neither mature and acceptable policy.

    How thing gonna unfold, is that the Province gonna agree with a vehicle levy, it will be a uproar, and the mayor gonna say” it was not our choice, Province didn’t let us do anything else. Ponce Pilate

    It is time, that the Mayors assume their responsibilities

  • Raingurl

    It’s about bloody time they did this! Have you ever tried coming home from a weekend away or taken someone to Abbottsford Airport. What a joke for the last ten years. I was so happy when the Golden Ears Bridge and Pitt River Bridge came in. Finally, someone in government did something about our pathetically pre historic highways.

  • Andrew Browne

    Mayoral obstinacy over property tax funding for Translink is a very large part of the problem. Far from the only problem, but much more than a bit part.

  • boohoo

    Interesting note about Surrey.

    http://www.civicsurrey.com/2012/11/20/hwy-1-rapid-bus-skips-surrey/

    The constructed on and off ramps for the bus at 156th will now sit empty.

  • mezzanine

    ^for now.

    Things might be resolved faster and we might get more frequency if the mayors approve an average ~$20 annual property tax increase as they already did, then withdrew. I am unsure why they think this is very onerous.

    And what would the mayors themselves do to improve surrey/south of fraser transit? This is one mayor – guess who?


    “There are significant subisides going into many of the South of Fraser routes that are questionable in terms of business efficiency,” he said.

    (original article from jeff nagel, but link lost, a copy of the article found here:

    http://www.mikeclay.ca/default2.asp?active_page_id=1362

    )

  • Sean Nelson

    @ Andrew Browne #21
    “Mayoral obstinacy over property tax funding for Translink is a very large part of the problem.”

    @mezzanine #23
    “Things might be resolved faster and we might get more frequency if the mayors approve an average ~$20 annual property tax increase as they already did, then withdrew.”

    The mayors approved an INTERIM property tax increase for 2013 on the understanding that the Province would sit down with them and negotiate some form of new revenue stream to supplement it the following year.

    The instant the mayors approved the increase the province backed out of their end of the agreement. The mayors are exercising the only lever they have to try to get the Province to honour its end of the bargain.

    By blaming the mayors you’ve been suckered by the distasteful bait and switch game that the Province is running.

  • mezzanine

    @sean nelson,

    well, this is what the TL board had to say about prop taxes versus a car levy:

    The board considered rolling out a new vehicle levy on all motor vehicles in the region, but eventually dismissed it as unworkable in the short term because of public opposition and the time required to set it up.

    “After carefully considering all of the issues raised by the fee, the board believes it is not a practical option at this time. Opposition to it is particularly strong,” said Parker.

    “Further, it is not within TransLink’s means to implement the transportation improvement fee in a timely, effective or efficient manner without provincial assistance.

    Victoria may be culpable for the last part, but even the mayors don’t want to be the bagmen for a new road/car levy:

    Polak said if the mayors want road pricing, they — not her — need to come up with a detailed proposal.

    “We do acknowledge their need for new funding tools, but it’s in this context: if they want the responsibility for running it, then they need to make those decisions.”

    “Tell me, as the minister, the things that you’ve investigated, the things that you’ve planned, how you’re going to do them. Show me there’s some public support and we are able to do that.”

    Will a new prov govt do anything different? certainly, IMO they will face the same problem from the mayors. I’m unsure how much politcal capital they would need and i would wonder how much support they would get from all the mayors. (i’m looking at you, corrigan and lois jackson)

    again, this is all about an average $20 annual increase in one’s property taxes, to fund transit as already planned.

  • Andrew Browne

    @ Sean Nelson #24

    I hear you and I’m fully aware of the bait and switch that the Province pulled. I still feel that property taxation is a very good method of funding Translink, as it is felt by all residents of the Lower Mainland (even renters), as opposed to a car levy or similar that targets one particular (shrinking) group. We should all be responsible for funding transportation, not just drivers via gas taxes and licensing levies.

    There is more than a little self-interest involved in the Mayor’s calling “dibs” on the taxation of property.

    Me, I couldn’t care less about that. I just want a functioning transportation system, and to my mind a few small increases on property tax are more likely to succeed than implementing whole new systems of making people angry (e.g. new licensing fees on cars, distance-based road billing, etc.). Call me a pragmatist.

  • Sean Nelson

    @mezzanine #25
    @Andrew Browne #26

    I hear and understand you. I also agree that property tax is a very reasonable way to fund an infrastructure service like this (it’s how municipal roads are funded, after all).

    But I just can’t stomach the Province’s chicanery.

  • Richard

    @Andrew Browne

    Sure, the current round of minor improvements would only add $20 or so to property taxes but major improvements like the UBC Line and rapid transit in Surrey plus needed bus improvements would add several hundred dollars to property taxes if that is what is used.

    Road pricing has the advantage that it encourages use of transit increasing ridership revenue while reducing the need for expensive new roads thus saving drivers and taxpayers a lot of money. It encourages more efficient use of existing roads.

  • Andrew Browne

    @ Richard #28

    Road pricing sounds like another gas tax to me. It’ll be great for the first 5 years and then suffer from decreasing revenue yield as people change behaviour. But by then we’ll have grown to rely on it, and then it’s the same damn problem all over again. We can’t rely on funding that relies on behaviour.

  • Genius

    @Andrew Browne

    Well, it won’t go to zero, far from it, and when driving goes down, transit ridership revenue goes up. Also, with fewer people driving, less money is spent maintaining and upgrading roads. That money can be used for transit. Anyway, road pricing is working great in places all around the world including Stockholm and London.

    There is obviously are optimal levels for the pricing that can be used to maximize revenue or minimize driving.

    People also can’t drive to Abbotsford and the States to avoid paying road pricing.