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All articles tagged ‘rapid transit’

Pixel Train on the Canada Line

Frederick Linsmeyer • July 6, 2010 • Trains

Your face could be on this train!

InTransit BC, the operator of the Canada Line, is trying to create Canada’s largest piece of moving art. The Pixel Train is a great way to contribute to the community and spruce up everyone’s commute.

The innovative idea is to create a mosaic of the faces from those who’ve donated so that it covers an entire train. Depending on the size of the donation, the more money donated will allow a larger space for a portrait. Of course, those who are a bit shy or may wish to remain anonymous can select a drawing of a face done by a child instead of uploading a photograph.

Proceeds from the Pixel Train will go towards the YMCA, Arts Umbrella, Hope in Shadows and BC Children’s Hospital Foundation charities.

Visit the Pixel Train’s web site to place a donation and get your face out on the rails. Keep an eye out for Naruto…

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Chicago ‘L’ photos

Frederick Linsmeyer • June 26, 2010 • Photography, Trains

Looking north from the Adams/Wabash transfer bridge

Taking rapid transit in another city is always a unique experience. It’s a great way to get around and see the surrounding landscape from a different angle. Most major cities have some form of rapid transit from light rail to heavy rail and in varying ways be it above or below ground. Chicago is an interesting case utilizing infrastructure that dates back to the turn of the century along with some of the most recent rolling stock.

Chicago is probably one of the few cities in the world that hasn’t totally embraced the subway and buried everything underground. The majority of the system, run by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), is elevated above streets with steel support structures and embankments, or running down the median of major freeways. The overhead trackage has earned the system’s name as the ‘L’, which is short for elevated. Sections of the elevated structure vary in detail and colour, with some portions in the Loop being painted a deep yellow or maroon. This unique structure makes a great contrast over the modern streets of Chicago, a rarity among most metropolitan areas.

A CTA transit map in a 3200-series car

The ‘L’ system has been growing for over a century and each of the lines have their own distinctive style. The stations in the Loop are a mixture of new and old; decorative wooden mouldings and sheet metal structures to glass panels and steel supports. Other stations throughout the system were constructed from brick with sculpted facades to elegant stone walls with Greek-styled columns. Most newer stations, especially those along the highways, are bare concrete with glass and steel; nothing elegant, but still beautiful in its own way.

Below is a selection of my photos taken on the ‘L’ while wandering through Chicago. It’s just such a unique system where the stations vary almost at every stop and present amazing subjects for the camera. Keep in mind, when snapping pictures on the ‘L’, to please follow and respect the CTA’s photography policy.

Note: These photos were taken over a period of three years during various trips down to Chicago.

System information courtesy of Chicago ‘L’.org

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Canada Line nearing capacity

Frederick Linsmeyer • June 2, 2010 • Trains

Canada Line Waterfront platform

The Canada Line is reaching capacity with commuters feeling squeezed in on the ride between Vancouver and Richmond.

On average, the line carries close to 94,000 passengers per day which falls short of TransLink‘s prediction of 100,000 riders. TransLink had estimated that the Canada Line would reach capacity by 2013, but could make that number next year.

TransLink is looking at ways to adjust service to accommodate all the riders on the line. Currently, 14 out of 20 two-car trains are in service, running with a headway of three and a half minutes; although an extra two trains enter service during rush hour. TransLink plans to run 16 two-car trains with a headway of just under three and a half minutes going into 2011.

The Canada Line opened to the public on August 17^th, 2009 and has provided an alternate route between Vancouver, Richmond and the airport. Unlike the Expo and Millennium Lines, the Canada Line utilizes different technology provided by Rotem, a subsidiary of Hyundai. Most notable of the system are the shorter trains — these are limited in length to two cars each due to the decreased size of the station platforms.

Source: The Vancouver Sun

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Smart Cards are coming to a station near you

Frederick Linsmeyer • May 29, 2010 • Local

TransLink Transfer purchased from a Ticket Vending Machine

TransLink has announced that they’ve narrowed down the list of providers for Smart Card technology that will be replacing the current fare system. The current fare system which uses paper based fares with a magnetic strip and three zones to determine the price of travel, is expected to be phased out after the new technology is implemented in 2013.

The Smart Card technology that TransLink is looking for is already in place on many transit systems around the world, including the London Underground, Chicago’s ‘L’ system, as well as in Hong Kong and San Francisco. The card contains a computer chip which can be loaded with money and then tapped on a special reader upon entering a station or a bus. When the passenger exits the station or bus, they tap the card again so that the fare is deducted based on the distance travelled, route taken or time of day (peak or off-peak travel).

With the Smart Cards, turnstiles, or fare gates, will be installed at all SkyTrain, Canada Line, SeaBus and West Coast Express stations to eliminate fare evasion and increase passenger safety and security. However, when the Expo Line was constructed, fare gates were not considered, so the stations will need to be upgraded to accommodate the new hardware.

Source: TransLink

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UBC Rapid Transit survey

Frederick Linsmeyer • April 19, 2010 • Local

TransLink, along with the British Columbia provincial government, is conducting studies for expanding rapid transit out to the University of British Columbia. The route to the university is one of the busiest in the city and the transportation authority is looking for feedback and input on what would be the best method of providing reliable transit along the Broadway corridor.

Six transportation methods, including bus, light rail (e.g. Olympic Line), rail rapid transit (e.g. SkyTrain), or a mixture of bus and rail rapid transit, are being put on the table. Commuters and local residents are being asked to participate to help shape how they will get around the area along with what would be the most practical and economical mode of transportation.

Visit TransLink’s Be Part of the Plan page for more information and to take the survey.

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CTA unveils new 5000-series cars

Frederick Linsmeyer • April 15, 2010 • Trains

Chicago commuters, rejoice! The CTA is rolling out the long awaited 5000-series rail cars on the Red Line in the coming weeks. Currently, the Red Line runs the 2600-series cars, most of which date back to the early 1980s. The 5000-series will be tested on the other lines as well to ensure they are able to handle rush hour crowds and the city’s temperamental weather.

While the new cars have the appearance of the existing 3200-series that are already in service on the Brown, Orange and Yellow Lines, there are many distinct amenities on-board. New digital destination signs replace the familiar coloured roller curtains, improved lighting inside with glow-in-the-dark flooring to assist in alighting during emergencies, security cameras for enhanced passenger safety, interior destination displays with electronic maps, and updated air conditioning and heating elements for comfort. The side doors have been revised with enhanced sensors and visual displays to alert passengers when they are about to close. For passengers using wheelchairs, new spaces have been provided to allow handicapped passengers enjoy a safer ride.

Another major change is an updated seating arrangement — instead of the traditional forward/backward facing seats, the seats will face the aisle to allow more standing passengers. As a result, additional stanchions have been added to accommodate support for commuters that are holding on.

The Bombardier-built 5000-series will eventually replace the ageing 2200 and 2400-series which have been in service since the late 1960s and mid-1970s respectively.

Check out the photos of the new 5000-series cars on CTA’s flickr photostream. View the full press release on the CTA web site.

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TransLink fare increase

Frederick Linsmeyer • March 25, 2010 • News

It'll cost more to ride public transit again

Starting April 1^st, 2010, passengers who take the bus, SkyTrain, Canada Line, West Coast Express and SeaBus will be paying more for monthly FareCards and FareSavers. TransLink is increasing the cost of these fares to help pay for new and extended services.
Fares purchased at vending machines in stations or on the bus will be unaffected by this. Visit the TransLink web site for further details and price structures.

Monthly FareCards
1 zone $81.00
2 zone $110.00 ($46.50 concession)
3 zone $151.00

FareSaver Tickets
1 zone $21.00 ($17.00 concession)
2 zone $31.50
3 zone $42.00

DayPass
All Zones: $9.00 ($7.00 concession)

NOTE: above listed prices are for adults. Concession fares (for seniors and students) are listed in brackets when applicable.

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Last day of the Olympic Line

Frederick Linsmeyer • March 20, 2010 • Trains

The Olympic Line

If you haven’t taken the opportunity to do so, Sunday, March 21^st will be the last day to ride the Olympic Line. After that, the Bombardier Flexity cars will be shipped back to Brussels, Belgium for use on their extensive street car system.

The Olympic Line is free and runs between 6:30 am-12:30 am PDT.

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The Evergreen Line

Frederick Linsmeyer • March 3, 2010 • Trains

Evergreen Line Logo The Evergreen Line is a planned extension to the SkyTrain system in Metro Vancouver. Rather than using another technology, like the Canada Line, the Evergreen Line will make use of Bombardier’s Advanced Rapid Transit technology, which already is in place on the Expo and Millennium Lines. This method was chosen over a light rail system to provide passengers with a smooth ride from Coquitlam City Centre through Port Moody, into Burnaby, a total of 11 km. A trip between Douglas College Station and Lougheed Town Centre Station is expected to take about 13 minutes, or 40 minutes if going all the way to Waterfront Station in Vancouver.

Lougheed Town Centre Station

The proposed line will branch off from the Millennium Line at Lougheed Town Centre Station and run north along North Road. After the Burquitlam Station, the tracks descend into a tunnel along the west side of Clarke Road and exit just east of the Barnet Highway in Port Moody. The Port Moody Station will allow passengers to transfer over to the existing platforms for the West Coast Express. The Ioco Station will be the last at ground level before the tracks return to the elevated guideway and enter the Coquitlam Central Station, which will be another transfer point to local buses and the West Coast Express. The guideway then turns north again to follow Pinetree Way before terminating at the Douglas College Station which is slated to be built on the south side of the campus.

Construction is expected to start in 2010 and finish by 2014. The Provincial and Federal governments have already committed to funding, however TransLink, the regional transportation authority, needs to come up with an additional $400 million required for the project.

Evergreen Line

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The Olympic Line

Frederick Linsmeyer • February 5, 2010 • Trains

Olympic Line at Granville Island

After a significant absence from the streets of Vancouver, the street car has returned courtesy of the City of Vancouver, Bombardier, and Société des Transports Intercommunaux de Bruxelles. Two Bombardier Flexity street cars are now operating on a 1.8 km stretch of track between Granville Island and the Olympic Village Canada Line station (Cambie Street and West 2^nd Avenue).

I was finally able to get a chance to ride the street cars on what is being called the Olympic Line. The cars are 32 m long and feature five doors on each side along with large picture windows to provide an unobstructed view. The really neat thing is that the cars have low floors, basically riding only a few centimetres from the ground, which makes it easier to board and alight, especially for those who have strollers or use a wheelchair.
The trains are actually one long articulated car which can navigate sharper curves and winding streets, like those in older European cities. Digital displays on the side and ends of the cars make it easy to advertise the line or destination. The two cars on loan are designed with a silver, bronze and carbon black livery and carry the Société des Transports Intercommunaux de Bruxelles logo.

Doors from inside

Inside, there are unique seating arrangements, including seats that face the aisles, row seating, fold-up seats and larger bench-style seats. Standing passengers also have the added luxury of holding on to leather straps that are attached to the stanchions. There’s plenty of room for everyone on-board!
Security cameras are mounted along the ceiling along with two display screens that are positioned over the aisles to announce upcoming stops and route maps. Buttons on the stanchions allow passengers to alert the operator to stop the train at the next platform. It’s pretty much like a bus, but one that runs on rails.

The ride is really smooth and quiet, even though the train doesn’t run very fast (wouldn’t say more than 30 km/h). It’s only a 3 minute journey between Granville Island and the Olympic Village station on Cambie Street, but it gives you few minutes to enjoy the ride and the sights of the community in between.

Hopefully this experiment will allow street car service to return to the city and offer an alternative mode of transportation around False Creek and into the busy downtown core.

The Olympic Line is free and runs between 6:30 am-12:30 am PST until March 21^st, 2010. Additional photographs are available on Gallery.