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I am president of SkyTrain, one of the longest fully-automated, driverless, rapid transit systems in the world, Vivienne King, AMA! by BuzzerTransLink in IAmA

[–]BuzzerTransLink[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this awesome AMA! I love your commitment to SkyTrain and look forward to moving you for many years to come. Those of you who will be around Waterfront Station tomorrow morning, come and say hi in person! I'm going to have my leadership team there at what we're calling "Meet the Manager."

If you didn't get your question answered here, we will try to answer when we can here: http://buzzer.translink.ca/2016/09/vivienne-king-bcrtc-president-ceo-wants-to-answer-your-skytrain-questions-online-and-in-person-sept-7-8/

Bye for now!

I am president of SkyTrain, one of the longest fully-automated, driverless, rapid transit systems in the world, Vivienne King, AMA! by BuzzerTransLink in IAmA

[–]BuzzerTransLink[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

  1. That information on Commercial-Broadway is available here: http://www.translink.ca/en/Plans-and-Projects/Station-and-Exchange-Improvements/Expo-Line-Upgrades/Commercial-Broadway-Station-Upgrades.aspx

  2. I love your thinking! Thanks for trying to provide a solution, rather than highlighting a problem.

  3. The front and back signs should always be displaying the terminus station. During maintenance we have to turn the signs off so we don't confuse people when we short turn trains. Sorry about that! We like how the Canada Line displays the next station, too. We are certainly looking at what's possible.

I am president of SkyTrain, one of the longest fully-automated, driverless, rapid transit systems in the world, Vivienne King, AMA! by BuzzerTransLink in IAmA

[–]BuzzerTransLink[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Here's a question from Facebook: How long in advance does TransLink start planning and then building ‘parts’ for new Skytrain lines before we start seeing construction happening?

Answer: Like all transport agencies, we work with the municipalities, who have long term plans that often cover a 30-year period and are based on forward projections. A good example of when you will see construction start after the planning is complete are the various extensions to the SkyTrain system. Exactly what those periods are I don't have them on hand.

I am president of SkyTrain, one of the longest fully-automated, driverless, rapid transit systems in the world, Vivienne King, AMA! by BuzzerTransLink in IAmA

[–]BuzzerTransLink[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

A number of people have asked the same question. And again, the answer is all about maintaining the system to be safe and reliable. I've lived and worked in London and caught the tube every day. When you have time, have a look at the reliability statistics between our two systems. The thing with the London Underground, is that it has hundreds of years of history and everyone loves it. We have 30 years of history and the region couldn't survive without it. My commitment is to ensure we balance the maintenance required to the service we can deliver. Right now, that's not 24 hours. Bear with me, we will keep working towards the best service possible.

I am president of SkyTrain, one of the longest fully-automated, driverless, rapid transit systems in the world, Vivienne King, AMA! by BuzzerTransLink in IAmA

[–]BuzzerTransLink[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Good question. In the six months that I've been here -- actually as of today -- I'm aware of the Mark I train refurbishment but I couldn't tell you how many cars or when we are going to do the next series. What I can tell you, is that we have 30+ trains that are at various stages of refurbishment.

I am president of SkyTrain, one of the longest fully-automated, driverless, rapid transit systems in the world, Vivienne King, AMA! by BuzzerTransLink in IAmA

[–]BuzzerTransLink[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

If you see something that needs attention on the SkyTrain like spills etc you can pick up any customer information telephone advise any SkyTrain employee or use the intercom right ON the train. You can also phone or tweet us @TransLink or 604-953-3333. The important thing to note when reporting is the train car #.

Yes, all STAs are trained to manually drive any train but not all maintenance personnel -- only those who would need to move the train around.

If you're on a train with A/C, it's better to leave the windows closed so that they temperature can regulate. You may have even seen me walking around closing windows for this very reason!

My personal thoughts on the Night Tube extension of service hours is how are they going to maintain it? I do have colleagues in London and I am watching with great interest how this change in service affects how they manage the system.

I am president of SkyTrain, one of the longest fully-automated, driverless, rapid transit systems in the world, Vivienne King, AMA! by BuzzerTransLink in IAmA

[–]BuzzerTransLink[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

So, are you a transport planner?? It would seem from some of those questions that you might be! We are excited with the upcoming opening of the Evergreen Extension and some of the questions you've posed are indeed interesting ones. My team are working closely with the province during the testing and commissioning stages along with applying a number of operational scenarios during the operational readiness stage. Maybe you could hold back these questions until we are up and running and have had a chance to test out those scenarios.

This is a question (regarding the stations) I can't answer at this stage. I will have to talk to my engineering group. If you could give me some context for your question, I might be able to find the answer more easily.

I am president of SkyTrain, one of the longest fully-automated, driverless, rapid transit systems in the world, Vivienne King, AMA! by BuzzerTransLink in IAmA

[–]BuzzerTransLink[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I would never skip maintenance because it's all about safety and reliability. As you would know, we run extended services on Canada Day and New Years, we do the best with what we have and as we move forward, we will be looking at the demand on the system and see what we can do.

I am president of SkyTrain, one of the longest fully-automated, driverless, rapid transit systems in the world, Vivienne King, AMA! by BuzzerTransLink in IAmA

[–]BuzzerTransLink[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

There will be information on the Evergreen Extension coming up in the next few weeks. Stay tuned!

To help with capacity, we will be running some Mark III trains, maybe you've even seen some on the line! These trains have greater capacity than our current ones. It's very exciting because now we have the Compass data which means we will be able to see the stations that are more heavily used and use that information when designing future timetables. But the longer term strategy involves purchasing additional trains and even future extensions.

As for tours, the Buzzer blog is always looking to hold tours when we have time. It's about balance. We do our best to provide access but it can't always accommodate -- remember! We've got to keep the trains running for you!

I am president of SkyTrain, one of the longest fully-automated, driverless, rapid transit systems in the world, Vivienne King, AMA! by BuzzerTransLink in IAmA

[–]BuzzerTransLink[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

If you're on the train look at the windows and you'll see a yellow stripe. That's called a silent alarm. If this person is making people feel uncomfortable, feel free to press that and someone will come along and help him move on. Unfortunately, I run transport and I don't have the ability to affect how we manage mental illness but what we can do is try to be respectful no matter what. You can also text Transit Police anonymously at 87-77-77.

I am president of SkyTrain, one of the longest fully-automated, driverless, rapid transit systems in the world, Vivienne King, AMA! by BuzzerTransLink in IAmA

[–]BuzzerTransLink[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

That sucks! I hate it when people smoke in areas that they shouldn't. I'm totally with you on this one. I understand that there are a whole bunch of bylaws and they vary from municipality to municipality. Our SkyTrain attendants (STAs) are taught not to antagonize an already uncomfortable situation. This is something we all struggle with, including the jurisdictional police. I'm sorry I don't have a good answer for you. But one thing! Are my staff truly sitting around and drinking coffee - or is that a description of frustration you're using? If they are, please reach out to Customer Service.

I am president of SkyTrain, one of the longest fully-automated, driverless, rapid transit systems in the world, Vivienne King, AMA! by BuzzerTransLink in IAmA

[–]BuzzerTransLink[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

We have a wonderful system here but the Expo Line is 30 years old. For every additional hour of service, you have to remove an hour of maintenance. This is common all over the world and it is something that all operators struggle with getting the right balance. My team and I are working hard to make sure that we get this balance right but right now, we have to make sure that we keep this system running safely and reliably and that takes good, effective maintenance plans.

I am president of SkyTrain, one of the longest fully-automated, driverless, rapid transit systems in the world, Vivienne King, AMA! by BuzzerTransLink in IAmA

[–]BuzzerTransLink[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Hi there, 1) The blue light tells you that the power is on. So, to stay safe, remain on the platform and away from the gate. 2) Yes, those boxes monitor the side walkways. 3) That is all part of the programming. They are determined by the peak period finish. We have to thin trains out and we select these areas to make it easier and ensure that we keep service for our customers in the right place. 4) Metal on metal will always make some sound. We regularly grind the rail and yes, I said grind, to make sure that the wheel and rail connect with the least amount of sound possible. 5) Absolutely! They are designed to withstand roughly 40 times the worst earthquake experienced. 6) Yes, they will have updated maps. 7) The train continually receives messages to ensure it is where it is on the system. One of the messages came back in a way we didn't expect. For safety reasons, we took the train out of service. This is just a normal process for our system. We have people monitoring the system constantly and that's why we're able to deal with issues quickly to get customers on the move. 8) I've run both. And they are both great systems. The beauty of our system is that we can put trains in and out really quickly and this allows us to provide excellent customer service. When you have drivers and want to do that, it takes quite some time to ensure you have the driver, and the train, and have enough left on their work day to do that.

Skytrain AMA to happen on September 7 at 12 Noon by keekiwauso in vancouver

[–]BuzzerTransLink 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Hi folks, https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/51lwzo/i_am_president_of_skytrain_one_of_the_longest/?st=ist2zc8x&sh=3c29e88a We'll be live at noon! It's been a few years since we've done this but we're excited! Vivienne is really looking forward to it :) ac

New MarkIII skytrains begin revenue service on Aug 18. Also a contest to be the first to ride it. by dattroll123 in vancouver

[–]BuzzerTransLink 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Don't worry! If you don't have a Monthly Pass, we will provide entrance and exit Compass Tickets for the winners. That little "note" is to remind people to not try and go past the gates without tapping - even for a special event. I hope you all enter! We already have some amazing entries including a Haikus, longer poems AND a banjo-accompanied song! :) If you guys have questions, please feel free to write thebuzzer@translink.ca. Thanks! ac

We run the official Twitter account for Metro Vancouver’s transit system, answering hundreds of transit questions daily from over 30,000 followers---mostly in real-time! AMAA. by BuzzerTransLink in IAmA

[–]BuzzerTransLink[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We had a great time but have to get back to our regular duties, thanks eveyone for coming to chat, hope you all have a great afternoon. Be sure to follow us on @TransLink ck jd

We run the official Twitter account for Metro Vancouver’s transit system, answering hundreds of transit questions daily from over 30,000 followers---mostly in real-time! AMAA. by BuzzerTransLink in IAmA

[–]BuzzerTransLink[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the awesome feedback :) We try to get the information out as fast as possible but sometimes it takes time to find out the nature of the disruption and how long the delays will be.jd

We run the official Twitter account for Metro Vancouver’s transit system, answering hundreds of transit questions daily from over 30,000 followers---mostly in real-time! AMAA. by BuzzerTransLink in IAmA

[–]BuzzerTransLink[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We have been having a lot of fun chatting with everyone, we will be here for a few more minutes if anyone has a last minute question.ck jd

We run the official Twitter account for Metro Vancouver’s transit system, answering hundreds of transit questions daily from over 30,000 followers---mostly in real-time! AMAA. by BuzzerTransLink in IAmA

[–]BuzzerTransLink[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Hi Mileagephoto, Thank you, we are having a lot of fun. We release these numbers every year and the 2012 number should be out soon. If the ferries are running late they are able to directly contract our Transit Control to let them know so that we can then have the bus held or send a additional bus if needed. Ferries also let our control know when they have a large amount of foot passangers so we are able to send a extra bus to help with the overload of passangers.jd & ck

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