My Translink Advocacy: Vancouver City - Canada

The population of the lower mainland has doubled since Expo (1967), and will double once again in the next 30 years (2036.) The existing lower mainland skytrain system needs to be upgraded to accomodate this growth. More and more people are living longer; consequently, more seniors are using electric scooters, wheelchairs, and walkers. Translink administration needs take this into consideration when designing and building new Skytrain staitons. There is also a need for our provincial and federal government officials and politicians to revamp the existing building codes to address this new "scooter, wheelchair, and walker" reality. The current coding is outdated and does not reflect the changing times. If not, we are putting people in harms way. For example, the elevator located at the north side of the Commercial Skytrain is to small. There is a need to upgrade it to a larger one, I reccomend that it be replaced by the new one that is placed at the south side of the recently renovated Broadway Station; but, with glass doors. Being able to see thru a glass door enables all users to savely access and depart. The elevator currently only accomodates one scoooter. Because of its small size - most scooters upon boarding it has to park sideways. Any people standing in the elevator are put in harms way (small children's feet) while the scooter navigates into position, otherwise the door will not close. Because the scooter, some being heavily weighted, has to navigate backwards (back-and-forth) it also hits the door, causing sensor and door damage. Thus, resulting in high and ongoing maintaince costs for Translink.. The companies contracted to repair the issueing damage have a cash-cow.

May we build for the future and not just for today. At least a 20 year time horizon would be prudent. Otherwise we are waisting the hard-earned taxpayers money and short-changing the future users. In my opinion, bureaucratic bean-counters are building inadequat skytrain stations. Political agendas are being fulfilled by making poor cost-cutting budget decisions.

Let's provide "Skytrain Heasquarters " with a large electric scooter, an electric wheelchair, and a manual wheelchair so that the designers and politicians can personally test design and usability. Could you imagine the political uproar (and results) if Joy Mcphail had gone on a one day test.

In my opnion, each Skytrain station needs to be provided with:

1. Safe access, especially from the streets feeding into the station. No stairs - low grade ramps and properly positioned elevators. The stairs are hazardous and accidents are just "waiting to happen." Seniors, disabled, crazies, and just people are rushing/running on the platform to catch a train.

2. Lets protect our children, seniors, the handicapped from those who would prey upon them; drug pushers, pedophiles and petty crooks. All I've seen while transversing the skytrain.The derilects (extremel ill) deprocate in the elavators and surrounding area bushes. Lets increase the mandate of the "Transit Police" and give them more policing powers increasing there current jurisdiction to a one block radius surrounding each station. The present method of the "Transit Police" and the "City Police" are compromising the safety of all and resulting in buracratic overlap. Resulting in inter department head bickering. For example. The sidewalk (eastside)leading from the Broadway to Grandview highway is a drop-off zone for bus passengers. I believe the new accordian bus drops off at least 150 passengers at one time. There is a group of panhandlers sitting on the narrow side-walk, blocking passage. Scooters, wheelchairs, seniors with walkers, and the disabled have to navigate around them. There is a congested choke point. Because it is considered to be a city sidewalk the "Transit Police" have no authority to move-along the panhandlers and are by law, forced to phone the "City Police." If the "City Police" are to busy fighting major policing problems, then nothing is accomplished. Because of the gathering, usually squatting, and those with dogs allowing them to deprecate, choke points are created. Also it is just a matter of time before some medicated individual riding a scooter explodes with anger plows thru the squatters. For their own safety they need to be removed. As we know some of those scooters can travel up to 25 kilometers an hour and weigh up to 200 kilograms.

3. Each station needs to have its own designated bus loading and unloading zones. Unloading directing from streets onto the city side-walks was a cheap, cost-saving and bean-counter decision. Unfortunately it creates the following hazards:

There is nothing more frustrating then for "drivers" during rush hour then having to wait behind a bus while its loading or unloading passengers. The behind the bus vehicles are cutting out in anger into the traffic flow of the adjoining lane. Accidents are occuring, people are being injured.

4. Each station needs to be provided with a dedicated taxi zone. At many transit stations taxis are parking on the street, once again holding up traffic. And are parking in nearby businesses' parking. The businesses is losing money because their customers cannot find a parking spot.

5. Each station needs to be provided with a dedicated passenger pick-up zone.

6. The skytrain "stations" and "cars" need to be designed not to take only into consideration the "able bodied," but the needs of:
1. Electric scooters,
2. Mothers with small children and baby-strollers,
3. Seniors traversing with "walkers,"
4. The visually impaired.
5. Bikes

I was most impressed with the new "Canadian Line." Elevator navigating I rate as a 3 out of 10. Eg. Go in a wheelchair and navigate the Granville Station set-up. They need to paint a blue line conncecting the two elevators. Users would autamatically know where to go.

Large two glass door cargo elevators need to be used at all the train stations.

May a bike path be built along along the entire length of transit track system. The above "train track" would shelter cyclist from adverse weather conditions.

5. Public washrooms. People are deprecating in the elevators and the nearby bushes. Check out the small hedge just on the South side of the Broadway skytrain station. (Be sure to hold your breath on a hot day.)

Private enterprise by law have to provide washrooms for its patrons - why should Translink be any different. Put in survelience cameras and aprehend the individuals that are mis-using the washrooms in a criminal way.

The purpose of this webpage is fourfold:

1. To seek the support of the general public in making sure that any new station be built properly.
2. To provide a platform for "people of all walks of life" to voice their concerns.
If anyone has a "concern" about Translink, please email me. Provide me also with a solution.
3. To provide the Administrators and the Planners with grassroots "information" and with a resource that they can be used in making planning or improvements.
4. To hold the Translink Administration accountable for any "irresponsibility, neglect, or safety, or shawdy "fix-it solutions."

A. Public Support: Metro Town Skytrain station.

There is the need to upgrade the existing Metro Town Sky Tain station. The one elevator servicing the platform is insufficient. On many occassions I've witnessed people running out of the elvator at the platform level, pushing and shoving those waiting to board it. Its just a matter of time before a "elderly, disabled, or small child" is knocked over and injured or at worse be pushed or knocked onto the track.

Inside the elevator itself, during peak busy times, people are cramming in. Because of this "pushing and shoving," tempers are beginning to flare. Because of the "elevator rage" many of the vulnerable; seniors, children, and disabled are being put in harms way. There is a need for a second elevator to be placed at the East side of the station and an escalator/stairwell at the West side. Or to fast-track the building of a new station itself. Four to six years is to long a wait for the new station to be built.

B. Public Support: Broadway Skytrain.

1. A proper bus loop needs to be built with safe access to the station. One solution one be to construct a bus loop "over top" of the Commercial Station "track". With proper elevator and ramp access to both the Commercial and Broadway Stations. Once again the busses unloading on the street - restricting traffic flow.

2. On the SE corner of Commercial and Broadway Street (CIBC) "pedestrians" are being put in harms way during rush hour. The CIBC building needs to be recessed back at least 10 meters. Pedestrians waiting to cross the street are being forced to stand out on the street. Wheelchair bound people, scooters, and the "elderly" with walkers are unable to navigate up the curb ramp.

There is a need for a large cargo elevator to be placed on the north side of the Commercial - Broadway Station. The existing elevator is to small. There are cyclists, scooters, wheelchair bound people etc.

C. Regarding the use of bikes. There is a need for the large cargo elevators (two-door) to be provided at each station. On the trains themselves, remove the double seats on the rear of the first and last of each train, leaving the single seats There will be a need to install above hand rails. The current allowing of allowing bikes in each car entrance will only create "boarding problems." Scooters, wheelchair bound, seniors with walkers, and mothers with baby-strollers, etc.

3. Pigeon Droppings - leading in and out of the stations. At the north entrance of the Broadway skytrain station people (while waiting for the bus) are literally standing in pigeon poop. Do I need to post pictures to make my point. Would you have the guests of your home navigate pigeon droppings as they enter the front door of your home - I would think not; why should Translink patrons.

Lets not short change the good people that use Translink. I believe that the Transit system of the lower mainland needs to be a provincial responsibility. I ask and invite the CEO of Translink, Mr. Prendergast, to come spend a day in a manual wheelchair tranversing system. Be sure to bring a pair of leather gloves. (pigeon droppings)

This webpage was first posted on August 27, 2005. If someone is injured: Lawyers, you have my permission to use any information on this site for litigation purposes. The Administration of Translink wiil not be able side-step their managerial responsibility by saying, "We were not aware of the problem."

Email:Translink.bc.ca

Email: The CEO of Translink
Address your concern to:
Ian Jarvis
Translink Head Office
1600-4720 Kingsway
Burnaby, BC V5H 4N2
Phone: (604) 453-4500

Email:The Mayor of Vancouver
Address your concern to:
Mayor Gregor Robertson
453 West 12th Ave.
Vancouver, B.C.
V5Y 1V4

About me: Timothy E. Stevenson - www.Upoet.com

Due to a car accident in 1978 I was left an incomplete quadriplegic, paralyzed from the chest down, thus lack the strength to physically participate in the various adhoc groups. I use a manual wheelchair. Through the internet my voice can be heard. "I also believe that one person can make a difference."