Bloomberg Pleads: “Please do not bring your car into Manhattan”

Please do not bring your car into Manhattan. If you have another option for getting to work, please use it. #SandyNYC

—
Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) November 01, 2012

Yes! Finally, a North American Mayor announces: Cars are not welcome in cities. First, Urbanists, lets savour this moment of victory!

It’s not often that we get such encouraging messages, and when we do, it’s appropriate that urbanites celebrate.

Half Hour Commutes take 14X longer in this traffic!

We have a long road ahead of us. Though his announcement applies to the very near future, let us imagine if this was permanent.

To say that Traffic was terrible today in NYC is an understatement. And with this experience, we shall learn, that even with 3 passengered cars, driverless or not, will never work in cities.

What Will be Cut to Pay for Translink’s Improvments?

The C90, originally on this map, Terminated. What’s next on the chopping block?

Sometimes, the Anticipation is Worse than the Event. So I decided to guess what the Mayors and Transit Geeks alike are demanding to know: What will be cut.

First, here were the cuts in September:
A handful of Community Shuttles including the C90, C26, C40, C1, C2 etc.

At least 50,000 hours must be cut in December. This isn’t drops in the bucket, this is real cash, more than $5 million per year. Also, some 98 million in efficiencies have reportedly been found.

Community shuttles don’t cost much, so little can be saved by cutting them. Bigger moves must be made.

Side Note: This is so depressing that there is a need to even consider this, and with the Universities giving even more transit riders than ever with the U pass, We CANNOT afford service cuts.

But Alas.. So here’s my educated guess.

* * *

Specific Ideas: (Please Help Improve this List)

• Vancouver/Burnaby:
  • Releasing the 49 from the detour to 54th.
  • Short Cutting the 8 and 20 away from downtown.
  • 100 service decreased to 15 minutes.
  • 134, 136, 116, 101 and 110 into community shuttles, and/or decreasing service.
• Surrey/White Rock/Langley:
  • 321 service adjustments (decreases) in exchange for the B-Line
  • 340 cut to 30 minute service.
• Richmond/Delta:
  • C98 will surely be the next Lulu Island bus on the chopping block, with the 410 making a short detour to serve the area.
  • C96 removed midday
  • 404 and 405 cut back, removed or shortened
  • C87, C88 down to 1hr service midday
• North Shore: I can’t find anything to cut, or else it would affect the pulses at Phibbs and Lonsdale.
  • A possibility would be to run a dedicated articulated express bus from Phibbs to CapU, diverting the demand of the 255, and 239 onto the articulated bus (I want to number it 245). This would require ONE bus that loops every 15 minutes, whilst increasing the capacity up the mountain like the 145.
• Coquitlam/Maple Ridge:
  • 177 uses community Shuttles.

Induced Demand: Predictions on Port-Mann Traffic

The New Port Mann (Under Construction) is expected to save commuters an hour a day according to the Transport Minister.

BC’s New Transport Minister has spoken. The Port Mann will open months ahead of schedule, soundly shattering the record for the world’s widest bridge, and will be “free to use for the first week. This toll-free period will allow drivers to experience time-saving benefits of reducing commute times by up to 50 per cent and save drivers as much as an hour.” Really?

The bureaucrats in Victoria clearly have never heard of Induced Demand.

So the point is: Port Mann will open cost free with 4 lanes for one week and the duration until December, and during the 1st Weekday with the 8 lanes, Traffic will be congested to an unimaginable extent. Transit will surely be almost completely empty, as commuters even from N. Delta will surely take a detour to try out the new Port Mann.That means hour long waits on the 1st day.

Now, the 2nd free day.  News and Media report front page news on the traffic headaches of the 1st day, which deters many. Significantly less traffic than the 1st day, but still, the “Induced Demand” concept still applies. Commuters that otherwise take transit or take the Pattulio or Queensburough would continue to try out the new bridge that otherwise be a buck to cross. Traffic steadily increases throughout the week and gets to similar, but slightly lower levels to Monday on Friday.

So in other words, my guess is that the 1st day on the Port Mann will be like the 1st day for the Canada Line: Busiest in its history. Therefore, I conclude that the Port Mann, the widest bridge in the World, will experience its maximum usage for its lifespan on the very first day.

* * *

But it’s not over yet. The Transport Minister must see the effects of Tolling on Traffic Levels: [Here] and [Here]. In other words, the Port Mann will become exactly what the Golden Ears was: a failure. The 8 lanes (and 10 after the first few months) will carry the volume only needed with 4 lanes. So what I am saying: Motor Traffic will be LOWER than current old bridge levels!

Heck, the biggest groups who will increase usage would be: 1) Tourists wanting to cross a record breaking bridge including bike riders and people out for leisure rides; and 2) Transit Users… that is, as long as the Property tax increase is approved by the mayors.

So in conclusion, the transport minister is right in a sense. The port mann WILL save commuters up to an hour a day, not because of a wider bridge, but because of the traffic discouraged by the tolls, and the commuters that switch to the 555 Braid bus.

So my question to Mr Falcon and Polak is: Why build a new bridge for a few billion dollars when traffic levels will be lower than the old bridge? Lets wait and see.

Potential Changes to VanCity Transit

1) Extend the “C23″ and begin the “C21″ from VCC Station.

My proposal: service the rapidly expanding Terminal Street Industrial Corridor, and provide a quick connection of Downtown and the Millennium line. Alleviate transferring pressures onto the Expo line at Commercial, and allows downtown headed passengers to take the new route via VCC.

According to my Bus Schedule and Google Maps Analysis, it would add 5 minutes and 2.7 km to the current 11 minute 4.0 km C23 route and 17 minute 4.8 km C21 Route.

This Change would boost ridership (and maybe call for standard buses) thereby eliminating the need for the 22 to run along Terminal.

My Comments on “Envisioning the Viaducts”: Too much Park Space

It took me a while to get this posted, but here are my comments on the “plan” for the viaducts.

It’s the last undeveloped part of Vancouver’s Waterfront, but the Viaducts are serving as a blessing rather than a curse. Because it’s the last undeveloped part, urbanists, planners and citizens alike can now collaboratively decide on their design of their waterfront. Unlike the walls of glass, because of the viaducts, the people of Vancouver get to decide how this new section will look. This is how the Planners of Vancouver envision it:

So basically, the concrete walls will be taken down in favour of a large green carpet. It looks like people are sitting on the bright green grass enjoying the sun, and (like in all renderings) the solution is perfect.

It looks great, but lets do some further research: Is that what I think it is? A super Houston Sized 6 lane Boulevard in a Surrey-sized block 250 metres long that cuts through a park! So much for “removing the viaducts”, because I see the plan is to remove the viaducts and replace it with a barrier of another type.

There’s already a park called “Andy Livingstone Park” of 4.2 hectares. The last few times I checked, the park was deserted except for the field hockey players, basketball players, and homeless free goers. So if nobody uses the park, why make the park bigger?

The new park is supposed to be an extension of “Creekside Park”. Creekside Park is next to Science World with a lovely playground is used by many children after their science voyage. But the playground is isolated at times when children are not to be outside; in other words, the park is one that serves one purpose only.

* * *

I believe there are 2 types of parks:

My Comments on Translink’s Wayfinding strategy

So Yesterday, searching Translink’s document Library, I discovered TransLink’s Wayfinding Standards Manual Version 2.0. It’s 165 pages long, so I’ll try my best to recap the most interesting parts:

1.1.1 Purpose of this document 

This document sets out the principles, guidelines and
specifications for implementing a comprehensive wayfinding
system for transit within Metro Vancouver. The document is
intended as a tool for the planning and design of wayfinding
information across the transit network. It provides the basis
for undertaking specific projects as part of a growing and
coordinated approach towards transit information.

2.1.2 See complex journeys as a series of stages 

Locals, visitors and tourists use different mental methods to navigate at different times. A set of stages or
‘stepping stones’, simple codes or recognizable constructs are needed
to assist with memory and provide a connection for the rider.

On the right side is the picture Translink uses to explain the “stepping stones” concept. As a regular transit user and enthusiast, the picture makes me more confused than before.

2.1.7 Don’t make the rider think

Information should be structured and presented to the rider in as clear and logical form as possible. During a journey a rider will have to quickly make decisions; too much information means more time taken to understand and use.

Firstly, Really? The title says “Don’t make the rider think” or in other words, riders shouldn’t exercise the use of their brains. Translink, what do you think we are? Stupid Alien Americans?

Second, the Diagrams on the right have since been implemented, and some changes can be made. A rider has no way of knowing which is “Platform 2″ or “Inbound Platform” so better signage is needed. At single platform stations, these diagrams are on the middle, making it impossible for the rider to know which platforms the diagrams relate to.

2.1.8 Provide just the right amount of information

Translink’s Document Library

I’ll admit I’m a data miner. It’s no secret that I love data, connecting data, manipulating data, playing with data…

So when I discovered Translink’s Document Library Today, I was more than thrilled. By typing the words “pdf”, I can get all results in the library (since 99% of the documents are pdfs).

On average, I appears that Translink posts at least 10 documents a week! Transparency Guaranteed!

For Example, just Today, they published a

-49 page Annual Report for 2011
-96 page Q1 customer service report
-53 page March WCE Customer review
-2 maps of the detours of the 135 and 160

Phew!

Anyways, from now on, I’ll be accessing that page frequently, and publishing any interesting documents. And have fun scouring the website and uncovering me some “hidden” documents in the comments below!