Buses and skytrains were built for convenience and encourage people to start taking public transit and not use our cars. Buses linked us to our destinations and offered ways to save gas and get rid of traffic frustrations. However, since the construction of the Canada Line, I feel that busing is now more inconvenient than ever, and I know other Richmond- UBC commuters can agree with me on this.
How ridiculous is it that I need 2 transfers to get to UBC? I take a bus – > Canada line – > bus (480). That is 1.5 hours of travelling time to and from my house.Fine, take away 491, 496, 490 and make loads of people’s lives miserable. But then, they had to make the 480 commence and terminate at Bridgeport station! I reminisce the days when it took me 50 minutes to bus to UBC.
It’s not like most students are opting to transfer and take the 49, 43, 41 either. The lineups for the 480 are still equally long, but triple the inconvenience. I pretty much have to bolt off the Canada Line at Bridgeport and fight to get to the lineup, hoping I can get a seat. We all take 480 because it’s convenient. We want to sit down for such a long ride up to campus.
It really isn’t advantageous of making 480 end at Bridgeport. In my opinion, Translink is trying to make it look like everyone takes the Canada line. Look at all the people! Yeah, they built two cars for the tracks and everyone gets on and off Bridgeport with 30 seconds to do so. The trains are half packed with adults and half packed with students, and sometimes people have to stand outside and wait for the next train cause there’s no space. For those going back to Richmond Brighouse, they have to wait double the time, since the useless YVR train comes every second time.
All this excess traveling time actually has a profound impact on my education. I have to wake up extra early if I had an exam in the morning, and it takes me forever to go home so my studying time is reduced.Many more Richmond students are driving now, since Translink seems to purposely force us to.
Additionally, Canada Line is not trustworthy. Last Monday there was a problem/delay for 20 minutes. Every station was packed with people, and I was in a hurry to get to class. If Translink still had the other buses going straight from Richmond Center to Vancouver, the crowd would be so much smaller. 100’s of people were in line for the 403 to hopefully get to Bridgeport, but the bus obviously could not fit everyone. Needless to say, Canada Line failed on me. And this isn’t the first time either.
I’m a tweeter as well, and I have tweeted them many times about complaints. And what do they respond every time?
“Here’s the link to Customer relations!”
That doesn’t make me feel better. Ruining my morning and then telling me to tell others who don’t care, doesn’t make anything better. Unfortunately at the time being, there is nothing we can do. Unless all of us band together or something and rally against Translink and demand change.
Who’s with me?