skytrain suggestions

I sent an email to translink of suggestions of what i'd like to see come out of this toll hike.

Hello, I'm Cody Bisson and I've been hearing non stop about sending in any suggestions for translink services before the tolls are raised, so I've decided to voice my opinion and make some suggestions for some things that I believe should be changed in the translink services.

1.Restrict bicycles from the busier routes where the bus lane are shared during peak hours. Bicycle traffic is a major slowdown and a major safety concern for all bus traffic, and I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that cyclists should not be using the bus specific lane during rush hour. Broadway from mcdonald to nanaimo should be restricted during 3-6. 10th street runs parallel and and is a very adequate substitute for cyclists In fact, it's faster because there's half as many lights. I also believe hastings should have a cyclist restriction as well. Especially the east side corridor where bus traffic is very heavy during rush hour. I also think that main street should be restricted from terminal all the way to 18th(When the restricted parking stops.) This is probably the worst section because cyclists struggle to make it up the hill and the traffic is often too busy for the buses to pass. And there's a very adequate bike street two blocks down(ontario). Cyclists might not obey the restrictions, but if they were in place traffic can show their frustration against the cyclists who are breaking the law without getting into a reasonable dispute.

2.More Express buses. I don't take the bus a lot, but when I do my major dislike is the time it takes up every stop the bus makes. I like taking the 99 because it gets me to the general area I need to get to in a hurry instead of stopping at every second street. I believe every busy stretch should have an express bus that stops at any major intersections where there might be a crossing section for bus routes. My greatest example would be a main street express bus that would only stop at broadway-king edward-30th area-41st-57th-and marine drive.

3.Extended night buses for most major routes. I was very upset when I seen that a supposed "Night bus" stopped running at 2a.m from metro town. I ended up stranded and had to walk halfway before giving up and catching a cab. I also work early in the morning and if a night bus existed in my neighborhood and went to where I worked I'd definitely take it over using my car everyday. Now obviously, it might not be worth putting another bus on the road when only a few people might use it. So this isn't a major concern of mine.

4.Televisions that show the news on buses, skytrains and the seabus. I noticed that there are some tv's on skytrain stops, but they often only show 3 or four slides. It would be nice to see a full broadcast on a 45 minute skytrain ride to surrey or on a lengthy bus ride. It could possibly be involved with university students studying in journalism, radio and entertainment thus making it cheaper to make and giving students an opportunity to make their own little news show. lcd tv's are cheaper then dirt nowadays and you could fit them in the corners of skytrains and on buses, and actually use the tv's in the seabuses.

5.Extended skytrain hours on weekends. I believe a lot of people use the excuse of the skytrain closing early to drive downtown to go partying. But then they try and drive home and obviously, it never turns out well. If the skytrain is open when the bars close, then more people will use that is an option to get home instead of using their car or a taxi. Obviously the police presence would need to be there which could bring up costs, but for that 1 hour period of the bar closing the skytrains would still be busy(on weekends and big events)

6.Short term trip costs. Last night i was exhausted from cycling so I took the skytrain home from downtown to king edward. A 15 minute trip... When i got off I felt like I wasted the rest of my skytrain expiration time so I threw it on the street hoping someone would picked it up. I'm fully aware that it's illegal(although I don't see why it's illegal, It's a form of charity from my perspective). But I paid 2.50 and I didn't feel like I got the most out of it. I suggest you make a short term ticket, meant for short trips. Kind of like a one way ticket. It would expire after 20 minutes and cost about 1.75-2.00. I know some people who work within that distance of a bus ride would love to pay 2.00 instead of 2.75. It really adds up in someones transportation budget when they have to pay 6$ a day to get to and from work when they only live 10-20 blocks away. This is one of my biggest pet peeves is that with this hike in the tolls/the port mann being a toll bridge, the gas tax, and with the rising living costs, it will become equally as difficult to take public transportation living out of town as it would to simply live in town and close to work.

7.Instal those friggen turn stiles already!? When are they coming in? Why weren't they there when you opened the canada line? The honor system is such a ridiculous and unsuccessful tactic. Some people feel robbed when they buy a ticket for the skytrain and don't get checked. So they end up doing it over and over again. Turnstiles=everyone paying.

I'm done. Hopefully I provided some sort of insight, and hopefully a real employee of translink replies to this with some sort of retort. My biggest requests are 4 and 5. 6 would need some test trials and I don't think it's a major concern for everyone(a trip to surrey and back after 6p.m for 2.75 is incredibly reasonable. But a trip from surrey to burnaby every morning for 4.00 both ways is pretty difficult to cope with. ) I respect and appreciate the services you provide, and I hope they improve for the better. I've witnessed how difficult it is to run the buses smoothly, and I respect the bus drivers for their ability to deal with traffic and dealing with customers. I hope they are paid well to do their trade.