Some comments I would like to make about the 99B line in Vancouver.

2-3 minutes rush hour service is good...but...is it possible (or safe) to run buses that frequently? I have seen literally 5 articulated buses lined up one after another running down Broadway...a 99B jamming the intersection because there is another one that hasnt left the stop in front of it...The situtation now is dangerous...putting vehicles on the road, pedestrians, and bus riders at risk.

In my opinion, I think a bus line operating at that frequency...(and still congested...not to mention the line ups of frustrated commuters who often can't board the bus at Main / Cambie / Granville because it is full)...should become a train / subway / skytrain line (isn't that the ultimate goal of any B-Line??).

I know there are plans for skytrain extension to UBC but it is unknown how many more years commuters in the Lower Mainland willl have to wait before even consultation will begin...5 years? 10? 15? Even if the line is not extended all the way to UBC immediately, it should at the very least be built up to Cambie Street from VCC so it users can transfer to the RAV Line.

Why is this being held back? I am not sure about this but, is 99B the first B Line to be in operation? Why is 99B still a bus line when 98B is already under construction and 97B to begin very soon?

As a regular user of the 99B line, I can tell you that 99B is already over capacity. And I believe public consultation should begin now to have such a line completed ASAP.

When I take it during the morning eastbound it is not near capacity at all. In fact, most people get seats easily. Same goes for coming back around 4pm westbound. However, when I look at buses in the other direction, they are jam packed.
I wouldn't say its unsafe, as I have never seen a B-Line block an intersection. They just need to figure out how to handle peak hours...

well talking about it is easy but when it really comes, dont think we have the money to afford it, look here:

- Drivers want raise when contract ends (happens all the time)
- Current canada Line
- Coquitlam line
- New skytrain police
- complaints from residents who disagree

^ You forgot the ridiculously expensive cost of the Canada Line due to the Westside creme de la creme who simply insisted that any rapid transit built in their turf had to be tunneled even though for the rest of the Lower Mainland, elevated and at grade is an acceptable option. For the amount of extra costs incurred by the Canada Line, that could EASILY pay for an elevated Skytrain extension for UBC. And they could also have an actual physical link between the existing Skytrain system and the Canada Line system instead. So the Westside creme de la creme are solely to blame for all of the region's transportation problems... :no:

They could come up with creative ways to fund for the Millenium Line extension. Get a private company to pay for some of the cost and they get the building rights for properties surrounding the station. They do something like this in Hong Kong I think.

i hate those people who starts making rallys and stuff complaining about that cambie thing, translink is giving them some advantages and they start complaining and forcing translink to use another chunk of those money, as a result, the fare prices might raise again

Is Vancouver developing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)? That might help out in bus only corriders which are not high up on the list of for skytrain extensions.

Oh man... I wish we here in San Francisco could do the same things you guys do up there....

^how could u say that, san fran has an amazing transit system.

They could come up with creative ways to fund for the Millenium Line extension. Get a private company to pay for some of the cost and they get the building rights for properties surrounding the station. They do something like this in Hong Kong I think.

Yes, all of the property is managed by the MTR corporation's real-estate wing. Private developers get into partnerships with the MTR to gain the building rights for properties surrounding the station. This insures reasonable ridership levels, and helps cover a lot of the MTR's yearly expenses.

^ You forgot the ridiculously expensive cost of the Canada Line due to the Westside creme de la creme who simply insisted that any rapid transit built in their turf had to be tunneled even though for the rest of the Lower Mainland, elevated and at grade is an acceptable option. For the amount of extra costs incurred by the Canada Line, that could EASILY pay for an elevated Skytrain extension for UBC. And they could also have an actual physical link between the existing Skytrain system and the Canada Line system instead. So the Westside creme de la creme are solely to blame for all of the region's transportation problems... :no:

The underground option isn't necessary a bad decision, however the city's lack of political will to densify all of the areas surrounding the stations leaves a lot to be desired. Without a great deal of densification, ridership will fall below expectations.

I don't really think Westside NIMBYs live on Cambie, since it's so far east already. They're usually at least west of Granville or Oak (Westside NIMBYs would be upset with an elevated line on Broadway to UBC).

The B-Lines are almost BRT's, just without designated roadways, which would be a great idea. The 99 is only overcapacity one way though. Translink should find a way to expand ridership in the opposite direction UBC students go in. SFU has the same problem, although our transit station is much closer. Still, 145 up in the morning is so far beyond Standing Room Only.

Wally and his creme fetish are back ;)
I suggest we built the RAV line with concrete support beams going through people's homes, will you be happy then? Better yet, lets build something through downtown eastside and when resident complain we will call them "creme de la creme"

well then in the morning:

For UBC, have more frequency going westbound than eastbound, and other way around for evening.

For SFU, Have more frquency going northbound, and other way around for evening.

should be like, for the "busy" side every 3 - 5 minutes, and the "deserted" side should be like every 7-10 minutes

Think about it - buses have to go to and from UBC several times each morning, so you cannot avoid the relatively empty eastbound buses in mornings and westbound buses in afternoons.

well.. since everyday there are the similar amount of passengers, they can do some calcaulations.. like how many people per bus and their frequency.. etc... or they can give designated UBC buses for the students like for example: a student is designated for bus number: VR0002 and they only board on that bus... so its like a tour bus

There is a new bus service from VCC, the new station to UBC. It might even be a express bus. Until they build the skytrain extension they could alwas have a new b line route going along 2nd avenue up to 4th and on its way to ubc.

That 99B thing still running? Frightened the life out of me when I used to commute 14Km of its route -- its swinging around alongside trucks was what floored me, once it clipped one alongside it. When I lived there in the 1990s, I joined some public transport lobby group, but gave up on them after the first meeting coz they didn't want to compromise their standing by advocating rail over busses -- I'd still bet that group's lumping transit users onto busses.

Cheers,
Chris

There is a new bus service from VCC, the new station to UBC. It might even be a express bus. Until they build the skytrain extension they could alwas have a new b line route going along 2nd avenue up to 4th and on its way to ubc.

Yes, the 84;)

well.. since everyday there are the similar amount of passengers, they can do some calcaulations.. like how many people per bus and their frequency.. etc... or they can give designated UBC buses for the students like for example: a student is designated for bus number: VR0002 and they only board on that bus... so its like a tour bus

So...that must have been the 99S (99 Special "non-stop" to UBC) that Translink got rid of earlier this year with the implementation of the 84 (which only attracts so many people...and becoming a not-as-frequent, alternative for UBC students to and from VCC Skytrain)

There is a new bus service from VCC, the new station to UBC. It might even be a express bus. Until they build the skytrain extension they could alwas have a new b line route going along 2nd avenue up to 4th and on its way to ubc.

That's such a great idea.

That 99B thing still running? Frightened the life out of me when I used to commute 14Km of its route -- its swinging around alongside trucks was what floored me, once it clipped one alongside it. When I lived there in the 1990s, I joined some public transport lobby group, but gave up on them after the first meeting coz they didn't want to compromise their standing by advocating rail over busses -- I'd still bet that group's lumping transit users onto busses.

Cheers,
Chris

Are you not living in the city anymore? (The traffic here is so bad, it must of driven you away... :jk: ). I can still sort of remember...when the 99B Line used to run along Lougheed Highway in Burnaby...correct me if I am wrong. Had the Millenium Line replaced part of the 99B line? When was it that they decided to replace that portion of the 99B with skytrain? Do you (or anyone else...) also know why they hadn't extended it west down Broadway back then? Thanks.

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It looks like some of the posts here have been pointing to and agree with more "express bus services", rapid bus routes, and initiatives like that... This is exactly why I believe Skytrain/rail should come in. Translink has made many "improvements" to make east-west buses (i.e. 99B) more efficient. I'd agree they have more or less been successfull but now there are more and more riders along that route and it appears that it has come to a point where buses can no longer handle the situation. And Translink does not appear to have plans to improve the 99B (although I am aware of improvements such as adding "next bus arrival time" signs, maps, and nicer bus stops, etc...they don't address the issues I am concerned with...).

The millenium line should have been extended to atleast Arbutus by now, and I would be disapointed if they dont find the money to start its construction by 2010 (after the olympics and the other two lines are finished). Infact they should find a way to extend it all the way to UBC if they could and charge drivers extra for entering UBC lands(like in London), this would be easy since there are only 3 or 4 roads leading to UBC and would raise some money for the project and push more people to use transit. In 1992 they said there were 12,000 people traveling to UBC(via transit) daily, and now they say that number has increased 163% since their 1997 report. This would mean there are over 30,000 people taking transit to UBC right now, and the University is building housing to accomodate 14,000 more people within a decade, not to mention that the student enrolment is growing. Now you take that 30,000 and multiply it by 2 to give you the daily transit ridership to and from UBC and you have over 60,000(with out rapid transit) and growing. Im pretty sure this number would justify building a skytarain line directly to UBC since the whole Milenium line only has 55,000 riders a day(mind you I think they might still be loosing money), and the Canada line is projected to have 100,000 riders daily when built(obviously making a profit for the operator). Mind you there are people from Richmond and South Vancouver that would still be taking buses via Marine drive I wouldent be supprised if a line to UBC wouldent attract close to 100,000 riders daily by 2020 combined with the right initiatives(such as charging a levy to enter the grounds). Also a good idea would be to implement something like a sea bus going from West Vancouver to UBC to Richmond and maybe to Ladner or the ferry terminal, however I have know idea if this would be feasabel but if it would it would defenitly make life easier for alot of people and at the same time increase ridership in the UBC corridor.

Are you not living in the city anymore? (The traffic here is so bad, it must of driven you away... :jk: ).
Like most cities in this country, it was too suburban for my liking. Nasty trend seems to be run rapid transit through the burbs, forget the city nowadays. It's happened there, while Toronto's Sheppard line and are our metro extension into Laval are just further examples of how the inner cities are shunned.

Cheers,
Chris