8 responses so far ↓

• 1 Dan Cooper // May 10, 2010 at 4:19 pm

  Thank you for passing on these notices! Very helpful.

  It does seem to me like VPD – with an evening meeting – wants the working public to attend. Translink, on the other hand, apparently be bothered – meeting at 9:30 am on a weekday.

• 2 Dan Cooper // May 10, 2010 at 4:20 pm

  *sigh* Make that, “…apparently can’t be bothered…”

• 3 Judy Rudin // May 10, 2010 at 8:36 pm

  Hello Dan,

  Actually, since TransLink’s many ‘shareholders’ —who contribute to or use our transit, roads & bridge system — may be working days or nights, it can be challenging to find a meeting time that suits everyone.

  This year, we thought we would do something a little different and hold the AGM on the Seabus. We are also pleased that John Furlong is able to join us and talk at that time, and I am sure that we will probably have additional interest in the AGM on those two counts alone. We have had many calls of interest from the public since we announced and advertised the AGM in local community papers over the last two weeks, so I think this meeting will be well attended.

  Dan, we would certainly like to have you join us at an evening event, very soon. I would encourage you to attend one of the many public forums/workshops we are holding in May and June for the UBC Line Rapid Transit Study and the Surrey Transit Study. For locations and times, go to bepartoftheplan.ca to learn more.

• 4 Judy Rudin // May 10, 2010 at 8:54 pm

  PS Go visit the translink.ca splash page for a link to the AGM and the 2009 Annual Report.

• 5 Dan Cooper // May 11, 2010 at 3:11 pm

  I will admit to thinking positively of Translink several weeks ago, when I saw the advertisements for the AGM. If I remember correctly from reportage on the previous year’s meeting, it was essentially unadvertised and had a general-public attendance of less than five persons. So, more power to Translink for trying to draw people in, and I hope you did!

  Personally, I rank Mr. Furlong somewhere down with Barney the Dinosaur on my list of “people I go to transit meetings to hear speak,” but the boat ride would have been interesting – again, if I hadn’t been working at the time.

  As for the UBC line forums, been there and done that. Now we’ll wait and see whether the board actually listens to anyone other than their Provincial government masters and their big business friends – to the degree, of course, this can be determined, what with most board meetings being secret.

  Oh! and one final thought or suggestion, since it looks like someone from Translink may be listening: I much preferred the item in the Buzzer about the latest price hikes – which said essentially, “Gee, we’re really sorry but we have to raise prices” – to the newspaper advertisements on the same subject, which tried to make out that we were being done a fabulous favour and honour by being generously allowed to pay more for “Service Improvements,” the headline. Call a spade a spade, don’t insult people’s intelligence, and you may find they don’t get annoyed at you as much. Well, building bus stops at convenient locations, and notifying people before moving them, would also be nice, but every little bit helps!

• 6 Judy Rudin // May 11, 2010 at 4:42 pm

  David,

  Delighted to hear that you have had some kind thoughts about us. If you have some ideas of how to fund/pay for the system, please let the Mayors’ Council and the province know. TL’s work is in making sure the whole system operates as efficiently and effectively as we can, on what we do have.

  As for the board, I think we can agree that they have been very supportive of the direction and vision that TL wants to head towards, a vision for the regionthat is shared by all our partners.

  BTW, and speaking about the Buzzer, here is that AGM in pics and prose. WAY more than 10 people, this year Sorry you couldn’t make it. Hope to have something up on YouTube up soon.

  http://buzzer.translink.ca/index.php/2010/05/notes-from-the-translink-agm-aboard-the-seabus/#more-9570

  And John was lovely, too.

• 7 Judy Rudin // May 11, 2010 at 4:53 pm

  Sorry, Dan! End of day, and I have “David” on the brain.

  I will certainly pass along your comments about “not just what we say, but how we say it”.

• 8 mezzanine // May 11, 2010 at 9:13 pm

  @Dan Cooper,

  Translink’s expansion of the bus fleet has been a big improvement for me, but is often overlooked by other more glamorous initiatives. To TL’s credit, they renewed the whole fleet and greatly enhanced bus service south-of fraser. The service increases are nowhere near vancouver-levels of service, but are like day for night in surrey/langley, even though the improved bus service is the prime reason for TL’s structural deficit as per the comptroller general. All our buses are entirely low-floor, have GPS-enabled stop announcements and we have wonderful new trolleys while places like seattle are considering removing them (As they already have done for edmonton) . For TL’s push to keep and enhance bus service, they have my deep gratitude, and IMO they need to communicate this to the public.

  and:

  “[Translink] tried to make out that we were being done a fabulous favour and honour by being generously allowed to pay more for “Service Improvements,” the headline. Call a spade a spade, don’t insult people’s intelligence, and you may find they don’t get annoyed at you as much.”

  not as annoyed at others that want to take that away from you. Improved bus service almost never gets media and can be easily punted around.

  “Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan, however, warned TransLink’s plans are unaffordable and argued scarce funding should be used to sustain service to areas with strong existing ridership rather than areas with low transit use if cuts are required.

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

  http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/62426372.html – original link dead, but you can try
  http://www.mikeclay.ca/printed.asp?active_page_id=1362

  Ms. Rudin, thanks for your information. Now, when will construction on evergreen start?

Leave a Comment