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Pride Parade 2010!

posted on July 26th, 2010 - Filed in Uncategorized - 1 comment »

Hello All!

How are you getting down to Pride this year? Probably best to take public transit…just leave the car at home, and relax and enjoy!

Here are some details I figured you might need if you are planning on taking in the festivities on the long weekend.

The party starts in Davie Village! Road closures go up at 3pm on Friday July 30th, for the Street Dance Party! Davie will be closed between Burrard and Jervis. The party starts at 7pm and goes until midnight! Bring your dancin’ shoes!

PARADE TIME!!! Sunday August 1st you can’t miss this! Vancouver comes alive with the Pride Parade every year, and this year will be no exception! Road closures going up at 8am…Parade starts at noon at Robson and Bute…goes west along Robson to then south on Denman and loops onto Beach and wraps up at Pacific and Jervis round 3pm.

Don’t end your plans there…the party continues at the Sunset Beach Festival from 11am -6pm…so much to do and see,  and open to EVERYONE!

The weather forecast is looking GREAT for the long weekend, so come on down to the largest Pride Parade in western Canada!

Enjoy!

M

Detours not only in your commute….

posted on July 20th, 2010 - Filed in Uncategorized - 1 comment »

Here’s the latest from the Vancouver Park Board…

Seawall detours at English Bay and Second Beach began yesterday…

Seawall users will find detours around two English Bay-area portions beginning Monday, July 19. A 340-metre section between Sunset Beach and the Inukshuk on English Bay and a 470-metre section from the far west side of English Bay Beach in Stanley Park to the beginning of Second Beach are undergoing major reconstruction. Signs will be in place directing pedestrians, cyclists, in-line skaters and wheelchair users around the fenced construction areas.

In order to accommodate Celebration of Light spectators, fencing around the Sunset Beach area section will not go up until the firework events conclude on July 31. Access for spectators at the Second Beach section in Stanley Park will be restricted by fencing.

The two sections of seawall are up to 75 years old and are frequently undermined by waves and storms. One section is constructed of timber frame that has deteriorated beyond repair, necessitating reconstruction and restoration.

Construction work must take place at low tides which are ideal during the summer months. Work will be complete later in the fall.

The $4.5 million seawall restoration project is funded in part through a $2 million Federal Infrastructure Stimulus Fund grant.

A third section of seawall between Brockton Point and Lumberman’s Arch will be resurfaced in September. That work is expected to take two weeks. A detour will be in place for seawall users.

Its That Time of Year Again!

posted on July 19th, 2010 - Filed in Uncategorized - 1 comment »

This Wednesday night, the skies over Vancouver’s English Bay will be full of colour and light. The Celebration of Light begins and the road blocks go up in the West End and Kits Point.

Just to refresh your memory…The Kits Point area will shut down at 6:00pm and the West End shuts down at 7:30pm…both areas will remain closed until 11:30pm. After the barricades go up, only local traffic will be able to access those areas. You must have proof of residency like an up to date drivers license, or a piece of mail indicating that you live in the closed area. All other traffic will be turned away.  For more information go to www.celebration-of-light.com.

If you are planning on viewing the fireworks from the West End or Kits Point. Obviously get there early, but also leave your car at home. Translink has once again altered its regular schedule to help accomodate the extra foot traffic.  Here are the details…

Coast Mountain Bus Company will re-route its services away from the West End.  As of 7:30pm, buses that normally travel into the West End will go no further than Burrard and Davie; the #5 Robson will go as far as Robson and Denman and then return via Denman and Georgia.  Note that there will be no eastbound service on Robson Street.

Starting at 9pm, #22 Macdonald/Knight will avoid Burrard Bridge and Cornwall Avenue altogether, using 4th Avenue between Granville Bridge and Macdonald in both directions.

Additional buses will be staged at Bridgeport SkyTrain Station to handle crowds coming off the Canada Line: these will supplement service as deemed necessary by transit supervisors on the scene.

West Vancouver Transit will stage approximately 15 additional buses along Georgia near Denman, to be used as required.

SkyTrain Expo and Millennium Lines service will operate at rush hour levels from late afternoon throughout the evening on each date until crowds are cleared after the event.  The last Expo Line train will leave Waterfront at 1:16am, however, we will run additional trains if necessary to make sure that all customers already in the station at that time are able to get home.

SkyTrain Canada Line will operate at rush-hour levels from late afternoon throughout the evening on each date of the fireworks.

To prevent “seat-camping”, there will be no pickups on inbound trains between Stadium-Chinatown and Waterfront Stations (Expo/Millennium Lines) and between Yaletown-Roundhouse and Waterfront Stations (Canada Line); inbound Canada Line passengers will be required to get off at Yaletown-Roundhouse.

Customers who don’t already have a FareCard or FareSaver are encouraged to pre-purchase their return fare prior to the event.  This will avoid long lineups at ticket vending machines afterwards and facilitate boarding.  Portable fareboxes wil be set up at:

 *   Granville
 *   Burrard
 *   Bridgeport (before the event only)
 *   Yaletown-Roundhouse
 *   Vancouver City Centre
 *   Waterfront – Canada Line and Howe Street Entrance (after the event)

There will be no access to Waterfront Station through the main entrance on Cordova Street except for persons with wheelchairs or strollers and the only access to Granville Station after 10pm will be through the Dunsmuir Street entrance.

Cyclists riding the train should arrive early, and bikes will not be allowed on any SkyTrain line leaving downtown Vancouver from 10pm until the lineups have cleared, which may be as late as 1am.  Transit staff and police may restrict bikes at any time in any direction, depending on crowd conditions on the trains.  This is for the safety and comfort of all our passengers.

SeaBus will put all three vessels into operation for the evening, providing 10-minute service from 6:30pm until 12:45am; then every 15 minutes until the final departure from Waterfront station at 1:31am.

West Coast Express will run a special train for the finale, Saturday, July 31, leaving Mission City at 7pm and returning from Waterfront at 11:30pm.

Have fun, and play safe!

M

UPDATE!

posted on July 19th, 2010 - Filed in Uncategorized - No comments »

Police incident at Main and Hastings is now clear. Buses are back on their regular routes.  Do expect delays through the area for the next hour.

M

Police Incident in Vancouver, Bus Re-routes.

posted on July 19th, 2010 - Filed in Uncategorized - No comments »

Due to an ongoing police incident on Hastings in the Downtown East Side, bus service is being diverted for the time being.

#135/#160 is routing via Powell (westbound) as far as Main and then back to Hastings.  Eastbound, they’re going along Cordova as far as Clark.

Trolley buses — #10, #16 and #20 are going westbound via Commercial and Powell to Main Street, then up to Pender.
Eastbound trolleys are turning down Seymour to Cordova and then along Cordova to Commecial and back to Hastings.

This means bus stops are closed temporarily on Hastings westbound between Heatley and Main, and eastbound between Clark and Main.

The #135 and #160 will do local service on the portions of Hastings where the trolleys can’t go.

No word on how long this incident will take to clear.

Little changes to your commute, are you aware?

posted on July 16th, 2010 - Filed in Uncategorized - 1 comment »

Hello all,

I’m sure you all have heard on the news yesterday that the tolls for the Golden Ears Bridge went up.  For cars an extra 5 cents, and for unregistered trucks up to 15 cents.

More change is on the way for traffic on Highway One on Monday from Langley to Vancouver’s Grandview Highway. Now, we have all seen the construction in different areas of the Trans Canada of late, and the changes in the HOV lane hours. Well, now you will really have to pay attention to the new posted speed limits in certain parts. In some areas we’ll see the speed limit go from the normal 100km/hour to 80km/hour. Even more of a drastic change through the Grandview Highway area as the maximum speed as of Monday will be down to 70km/km.

Obviously these areas will be heavily patrolled and violators will be heavily fined too. If you’re caught speeding the maximum fine is well over $400.00. 

These reduced speed limits are put in place for a reason, for your safety as well as for those who are working in those areas. Anything can happen in construction zones, you need to have full control of your vehicle at all times and be able to stop at a moments notice.  Please PLEASE slow down, and drive cautiously at all times, but especially in construction zones.

Have a great and safe weekend,

M

Heading to Empire Field for the game?

posted on July 15th, 2010 - Filed in Uncategorized - 1 comment »

If you do have plans to take in the Lions game tomorrow night, here a way you can travel smarter, with Translink…

In order to encourage football fans to continue to TravelSmart to BC Lions’ games, TransLink and its operating subsidiaries, Coast Mountain Bus Company and BC Rapid Transit Company, are increasing the amount of Game Day service directly to and from Empire Fields. 

 

Most fans will likely use the combination of SkyTrain and “Football Special” buses, taking SkyTrain to either 29th Ave or Renfrew SkyTrain Stations and transferring to the shuttle buses.  These shuttles will begin operating approximately three hours before kickoff, more articulated buses will be in service; some will leave from Renfrew only, to reduce the chances of passups.  

 

A standard-sized bus will also run shuttles between Phibbs Exchange and Empire Field, supplementing service on the #28 Joyce Stn/Phibbs Exchange, and an additional bus will be added to the #135 SFU/Burrard Station and the #160 PoCo Stn/Burrard Station.

 

The experience of the first two Lions’ home games in their new “den” has shown that a surge of customers started arriving about 90 minutes before game time.  For Friday’s 7pm start, one might want to plan to arrive at the SkyTrain stations around 5, to help spread out the crowds. 

 

After the game, SkyTrain will increase the frequency of Expo and Millennium Line trains after the game, to minimize waiting time and avoid crowding, and will add additional trains if necessary.  More shuttle buses will be available and will be lined up on Hastings Street westbound, just east of the regular bus stop at Hastings and Windermere.  To facilitate boarding, three-door-boarding will be in effect.  Customers must remember that all TransLink buses are Fare Paid Zones, and must show a valid proof of payment on request.  

 

In order to make bus loading more efficient for the trip home, portable fareboxes will be set up to sell return tickets prior to the game at King George Station, 29th Ave. Station and Renfrew Station  These tickets will be valid until end of the service day.   Customers will need exact cash fare (coins or bills or both); bus fareboxes accept exact fare in coins only.  (Single cash fares are $2.50 for adults; $1.75 for seniors, children, and students with a valid GoCard.)

 

TravelSmart can help fans make an end run around the traffic rush and spend more time roaring with the Lions.  If public transit is not the best option for you, consider Ride-Sharing.  Fans can log onto http://ride-share.com and match up with other football fans to team up on costs and camaraderie.

So there you go,  leave the car at home!

Enjoy!

M

Are you planning a road trip?

posted on July 13th, 2010 - Filed in Uncategorized - 1 comment »

If  you are, then there are some websites you need to know about to make sure you get where you’re going on time, and safely.

If you are planning on travelling using the BC Ferries here is their website with a lot of helpful information. www.beferries.com . Make reservations if you are heading out on a Friday to stay over for the weekend. The Ferries are extremely busy during the summer months, but even more so over the weekends understandably. Get to the terminals nice and early to leave enough time to navigate around or sit in line-ups.  It’s always great to check the “current conditions” page on the BC Ferries website to see how full your boat is, and if there are any delays on your route before you leave the house.

Are you driving into the interior for some time away with the family? Summertime is FAMOUS for construction. Not just in the Lower mainland, but throughout the province, and on some pretty major routes too. Who wants to be sitting in 2 hour traffic line-up with 3 screaming kids “are we there yet?” in the back seat?? All preventable. Familiarize yourself with the Drive BC website.  www.drivebc.ca. Forest fires are always a concern in the summer months; could your route be disturbed? What are the reroutes? You can find out all of this information on this website by clicking on “Major Events”.  You can also click on their selection of web cameras to see exactly what your route looks like. Very helpful during the winter to see how snow covered your route is.

That should get you started! I will be posting more “must have” links over the next few weeks to get you through your summer travel plans. Stay tuned!

Have fun, drive safe!

M

Summer is here??

posted on July 5th, 2010 - Filed in Uncategorized - 1 comment »

 

Hello all!!

It looks like summer has finally decided to make an appearance, and you know what that means…

We’ll obviously see an increase in construction zones on our major routes bringing volume delays. We will also see a lot more motorcycles out on the roads as well.  Please make sure to check your blind spots before you change lanes, and make turns. Make sure to allow lots of space between you and the motorcyclist to allow for any last minute maneuvers.  Never assume that the motorcyclist knows you are there. Be cautious.

Watch for cyclists as well on the major routes and downtown areas.  Always make sure when driving routes with bike lanes that the way is clear before making turns, or taking corners.

With the nice weather coming, our ditches and grassy areas on the side of our roads will become dry. PLEASE, if you smoke, keep your butts inside your vehicle. Do not discard your cigarette butts out your window. Every summer our emergency crews respond to brush fires because of careless commuters. Not only does it put a strain on our emergency responders, and endanger surrounding structures, but it can also tie up traffic for hours.

Just be considerate, and enjoy, but most of all play safe!

See you tomorrow!

M

Summer=Roadwork!

posted on June 11th, 2010 - Filed in Uncategorized - 1 comment »

Yes its true.  Summer hasn’t even officially arrived yet, but the roadwork on our major routes sure has.

Here are a couple of areas that you need to be aware of…

Hastings Street in Vancouver between Cassiar and Boundary Road, expect slow downs throughout the summer into September.

Capilano Road in North Vancouver south bound at Fullerton south of Garden. Traffic is down to single lanes for construction. Use Garden to get you down to Marine Drive as an alternative. 

Construction will continue of course along Highway One from Langley right through to Vancouver for ongoing upgrades and construction for the new Port Mann Bridge.

This is just a small taste  of what we can expect over the next few months. Keep checking in here for more construction updates throughout the summer and into the fall.  Plan ahead!!

Have a great weekend!

M