Long wait for Canada Line in the morning
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Updated: November 06, 2009 3:45 PM
Editor:
Is it possible to spend $2 billion on a transit system that fails to deliver? Unfortunately, yes. While the Canada Line is a great amenity for many people, especially those living near No. 3 Road and Vancouver’s Cambie Street, it is a source of frustration for others.
There is a clear lack of communication and co-ordination between TransLink, Coast Mountain Bus and Protrans BC, the company that runs the Canada Line.
TransLink’s website claims that train frequency is every six minutes until 7 a.m. Monday to Friday.
The site’s trip planner will tell you that the Canada Line departs Brighouse Station at 6:05, 6:17 and 6:29—that’s 12 minute intervals, not six.
Unfortunately many bus passengers can confirm that the train actually leaves at 6:14, not three minutes later. We know this because the 401 bus is scheduled to arrive at Saba Road at 6:14 and 6:28 a.m., just in time to miss the train. Whoever created this schedule did not allow the necessary two-plus minutes to transfer from the bus stop to the train platform.
There is absolutely nothing to be gained by waiting 15 minutes every day. We’ve already seen frustration erupt in anger over this unnecessary delay.
TransLink forced us all onto the Canada Line by cancelling the express buses. It needs to work with its transit partners to develop a truly efficient service on the new combined bus/Canada Line routes, one that serves the community with the efficiency and capacity of the express buses.
A good start would be to run the trains at the promised six-minute intervals, solving not only the issue of transfer times, but also vastly increasing the number of highly coveted seats.
Marion Smith
Richmond
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