TransLink’s Propaganda Machine In Full Force
Wait for it, TransLink wants more tax revenue to fund their questionable transit planning, so the propaganda campaign has started. We have seen this all before with the Canada Line, higher ridership claims, jammed buses due to lack of service, etc. The question what needs to be asked is; "Are TransLink's ridership claims valid?"
With no independent audit of ridership, TransLink's mandarins, abetted by the hopeless, but highly paid TransLink Board of "Experts" are echoing claims of high ridership and the need for more tax monies to fund new services, pitch half truths and inventions to the media.
Problem with this is that TransLink has quietly forgotten that it greatly reduced the increased bus services to the Canada Line, from South of the Fraser as projected Canada Line customers just did no appear. Many buses run almost empty, on routes that really do not service an transit need at all and TransLink deliberately causes overcrowding on routes, such as Broadway, by not providing the bus service needed to cater to demand.
All this, of course, is to impress our rather naive politicians and news media that we need new and higher taxes to fund new transit initiatives, but no one is asking the real questions such as:
- How does TransLink calculate ridership?
- What percentage of transit use is by U-Pass customers?
- What percentage of U-Pass customers make multiple trips (3 or more) a day?
- How many bus services operate with little or no patronage?
- How many YVR employees use the Canada Line for free?
- What was the modal shift from car to transit on the A) Canada Line, B) Millennium Line, C) Expo Line.
- How much is the annual provincial subsidy, including debt servicing costs. are paid to TransLink and/or SkyTrain and West Coast Mountain Bus?
- Is TransLink's planning peered reviewed? if so, by who?
Until the public are told the exact truth about TransLink operations and finances, the taxpayer should demand that no new tax money be spent on TransLink.
Record number of riders use TransLink in 2011
A record number of riders opted to take transit during the first six months of 2011, according to TransLink.
Photograph by: ian Lindsay, Vancouver Sun Vancouver Sun
A record number of riders opted to take transit during the first six months of 2011, according to TransLink.
Ian Jarvis, the chief executive officer of TransLink, called the figures “amazing,” but said there’s little room in the system for more riders unless services are expanded. He is asking the public to support plans that include a significant tax increase with revenue earmarked for the transportation authority.
“I’m very concerned that we’re seeing this substantial rise in demand by more people for more transit at a time when TransLink has no ability to meaningfully increase capacity,” said Jarvis in a news release.
“This rate of growth is a clear signal that we need to start expanding the network again.”
TransLink’s figures over the first six months of the year suggest 2011 ridership will outpace 2010’s tally of 211.3 million riders by a large margin. To date this year, the company has logged 114.4 million passengers.
Year-over-year increases in ridership is nothing new to the transportation authority, with TransLink reporting nine straight record breaking years.
It is now pushing the public to support a plan to expand bus routes, increase SeaBus sailings, upgrade SkyTrain stations, and build a rapid transit line to the University of B.C.
But with all that work comes a hefty price tag, and TransLink is hoping the public will give the nod to two new sources of tax revenue to help fund the work.
“At the request of the Mayors’ Council [on Regional Transportation], TransLink will hold another series of public meetings in September, plus other sessions for city councillors across Metro Vancouver, to see if the support is there for an additional $70 million per year in revenue to fund the next round of expansion,” said Nancy Olewiler, a TransLink chair.
The additional revenue would come from two sources:
— a two-cent per litre fuel tax increase starting in April 2012
— a property tax increase averaging $23 per year; or an undetermined alternative
TransLink will be holding a series of open houses in September to hear what you think of its plans.
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
Answers to questions: (according to my memory, and wikipedia)
1) Translink has movement counters on some of its buses, and counts ridership on seabus with the gates. It compares the data route by routes to calculate ratios, fractions, and the communtiy shuttle operators press the number 7 on their pushy buttons to count ridership.
2) 42% of UBC’s 50000 students use upass, and 88% of sfu’s 35000 students use upass, plus about 5000 in langara and CapU, so in total, about 57000 people use the U pass
3) This question hwill be hard to answer, only a survey of UBC’s students would tell you that.
4) a few, for example, 134 &136 during midday, 143, 144, 145 during non sfu season, C98, C99, C90, C12, and ones that I don’t remember.
5) 0 (zero) employees use it for free
6) I’ll only say this: Metrotown, joyce, and newestminster are among the highest transit to work percentage, communities, so that is proof that skytrain results in more ridership.
7) Skytrain and canada line are operating full cost recovery, according to another person that doesn’t work for translink, so if you really want to know, please contact translink.
8) Translink is opperating on a very tight budget, and their planning staff are trying very hard to use the most of what they’ve got. Their planning staff are very knowledgeable.
Actually, SkyTrain and the Canada line do not operate at full cost recovery as the province subsidizes the three metro lines by over $250 million annually. Translink ignores this cash infusion and pretends the three lines pay their operating costs.
The 57,000 $1.00 a day U-Pass customers represent a minimum of 114,000 boardings a day and if many use the pass more, this may account for 140,000 boardings a day! Not bad for a $1.00 a day.
As for question 5, the Canada line is free on Sea Island, thus YVR employees parking at one of the vast lots on Sea Island (Templeton Station), take the Canada line for free one or two stations. This number could account for over 30,000 (free) boardings a day!
As for modal shift, Translink has never given a percentage of modal shift and ridership increases come from population increases. Fact is there is very little modal shift from car to transit, Translink withdrew almost all of the extra buses from South Delta and south Surrey it added when the Canada line opened.
As for Translink’s planning staff being very knowledgeable – nope, nada. Translink’s planning staff continue to misrepresent LRT and overstate the abilities of SkyTrain. This is evidence that they are NOT knowledgeable and really haven’t a clue about modern public transport philosophy. They are greatly overstaffed by people who really haven’t a clue and is the main reason we are in a financial fiasco today.