TransLink has had record-level increases in transit ridership over the last few years. Transit ridership increased a massive 15.6% in the South of Fraser between 2017 and 2018; this year is looking to be similar. All this growth in ridership means that some transit routes are becoming overcrowded. While overcrowding is something that has been occurring on some routes for some time, this recent ridership spike has been pushing more routes to their limits.
When buses become overcrowded, the speed of bus service slows down as the amount of time that buses must dwell at stops to let people on and off the bus increases.
TransLink is working on addressing overcrowding on some routes. Last month, they started increasing bus service which will continue into the fall of this year as shown on the following table:
| Sub-Region | April (6,500 ASH*) | June (21,500 ASH*) | September (7,600 ASH*) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burnaby/New West | 116 | 101, 104, 123, 144 | 112, 116 |
| North Shore | 240, 250 | 240 | 240, 246 |
| Richmond | 301 | 301, 403, 430 | 301 |
| South of Fraser | 312, 319, 321, 323, 351, 640 | 319, 323, 335, 340, 341, 345, 640 | 321, 342 |
| Vancouver/UBC | 84 | 5, 6, 25, 33, 41, 95, 100, N19 | 5, 6, 7, 49, 99, N17 |
*Additional Service Hours
About a third of the routes that will see addition service hours are in the South of Fraser. The largest increase in service hours this year will occur in the summer.
 |
| TransLink fleet expansion by the numbers for 2019/20. Select image to view. |
TransLink is expecting delivery of 32 double-decker buses this summer to go onto South of Fraser Highway routes such as the 555. Double-decker buses will increase capacity and reduce overcrowding. 47 new articulated buses are expected to arrive to support B-Line routes, and hopefully the new 503 down Fraser Highway.
In addition, TransLink has ordered 56 SkyTrain cars for the Expo and Millennium Lines, plus 24 Canada Line Cars.
20 of the 56 Expo/Millennium Line cars have already arrived, and it is expected that the remained will be here by March 2020. Between September 2019 and 2020, service frequency will increase on the Expo and Millennium Lines.
The new Canada Line cars are expected to arrive during the second half of this year, and Canada Line service frequency is expected to increase starting in 2020.
With the cost of fuel at record levels, it is more important than ever to give people affordable transportation options that get people where they need to go in an efficient manner.
1 comment:
And those of us jammed on the 502 continue to wait (first for a B-line, now for Skytrain). The rationale for the delay is understandable, but it sure is frustrating and ill-timed given the rapid development occurring in Fleetwood, Clayton and Langley along Fraser Hwy. There must be some interim solution.
Post a Comment