Good point about the waste of paper that this is causing! Not very "green" to me.
I received my cheque the other day, and I guess I can use it to buy a bus pass. Since I only have to buy a one zone pass, which is $73, the cheque will cover the entire amount. However, if I had to buy a two zone bus pass, the cheque would barely cover it (a two zone pass is $99), and it would not cover a three zone pass ($136). Transit is so ridiculously expensive, so if they want to encourage people to "go green", how about making it affordable for people to take transit? Or, at the very least, make it convenient (have better connections, less wait times, skytrain running later, etc). I just saw on the news a clip about how Translink is going to have a shortfall next year. You can bet they will increase the fares! I can't wait until I get my U-Pass in the fall!
Addendum: currently, it costs $2.50 (if paying by cash) for a one zone bus ticket. If someone bussed to and from work, that is $5. And minimum wage is $8. Something is very wrong
There shouldn't be any "zones" I don't think. It should be one flat rate for like $3 or so, for a 2hr ticket (none of that 90 minute BS) and freebies in the downtown core at all times, like other cities do (Calgary, Edmonton, etc). Also, installing turnstiles at all Skytrain stations would be good for safety and it would force people to actually pay their fares. (And I don't believe the BS about how the cost of installing said turnstiles is worth more than the fares lost).
More people WILL take transit if it was a bit more affordable and more accessible for people in the outlying areas. In Vancouver itself it's definitely workable - but as soon as you enter zone 2 and beyond, it's absolute hell.
I've always wanted more and better mass transit options around here. God knows I'd get out of the house more if buses were safer.
But, bottom line, we love our cars, and the sense of independence that comes with them. Learning how to drive is a rite of passage, practically. I'm afraid things are going to have to get a lot worse, gas-price wise, before most people would even think about using mass transit regularly.
Transit in Vancouver is pretty fucking terrible. I've lived in Toronto, Ottawa and used it extensively in Montreal and I have to say it is the worst here; which is odd because it's the third major Canadian city and, also, the Olympics are coming soon.
That's why I said "practically." Maybe I should have said "in many cases" or something like that instead. An in, not all the time. I know not everyone can drive a car, I'm not stupid. I'm just saying, that's how much having a car means to a lot of people, and why I think things will have to get a lot worse before most of them will seriously consider alternatives.
I have a weak theory.bunnychickenJune 29 2008, 12:59:13 UTC
Coming from the States, I wonder if BC isn't sending out those cheques to "keep up with the Joneses" . . . I mean the US sent out "Economic Stimulus checks" to taxpayers who qualified . . . I got about $600 American. Of course I did pay some bills with it, but part of the money I DID splurge (I bought a 15-volume cooking anthology I've wanted badly for YEARS) so to be fair, I WAS stimulating the economy with their free money
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Re: I have a weak theory.timtwofaceJune 29 2008, 17:22:41 UTC
I think those Economic Stimulus Cheques are ridiculous, too. Any cheque like that is just a pale attempt by any government to get a quick vote. It's a lot easier for the average joe to understand something "good" the government is doing for them if they can actually hold a cheque in their hand, rather than doing what should be done - lowering income taxes and various other taxes if at all possible. I mean, free money like this is fine but it's such a pitiful band-aid solution it's ridiculous
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Comments 8
I received my cheque the other day, and I guess I can use it to buy a bus pass. Since I only have to buy a one zone pass, which is $73, the cheque will cover the entire amount. However, if I had to buy a two zone bus pass, the cheque would barely cover it (a two zone pass is $99), and it would not cover a three zone pass ($136). Transit is so ridiculously expensive, so if they want to encourage people to "go green", how about making it affordable for people to take transit? Or, at the very least, make it convenient (have better connections, less wait times, skytrain running later, etc). I just saw on the news a clip about how Translink is going to have a shortfall next year. You can bet they will increase the fares! I can't wait until I get my U-Pass in the fall!
Addendum: currently, it costs $2.50 (if paying by cash) for a one zone bus ticket. If someone bussed to and from work, that is $5. And minimum wage is $8. Something is very wrong
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More people WILL take transit if it was a bit more affordable and more accessible for people in the outlying areas. In Vancouver itself it's definitely workable - but as soon as you enter zone 2 and beyond, it's absolute hell.
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But, bottom line, we love our cars, and the sense of independence that comes with them. Learning how to drive is a rite of passage, practically. I'm afraid things are going to have to get a lot worse, gas-price wise, before most people would even think about using mass transit regularly.
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However, not everyone has the physical ability to drive a car.
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