The+Furture+of+BC+Transit



BC Transit is anticipating the changes to the demographics that will occur over the next 20 years. It is the future goal of BC Transit to make the communities in BC people based. [|'The Complete Street'] as BC Transit calls it seeks to:


 * Improves pedestrian and cycling experiences
 * Connects people to their community
 * On-street parking is relocated to adjacent streets

BC Transit has created the following table to demonstrate the changes they anticipate in British Columbia's future, and how they intend to manage these changes:

In one year, that saves 10,646 litres of fuel and 25 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. || BC Transit. Transit Future. Our Commitment. Retrieved from http://www.bctransit.com/transitfuture/commitment.cfm
 * ~ __Consider these facts… __ ||~ __BC Transit commitments…__ ||
 * **Population:** By 2036, B.C.'s population is expected to grow from 4.4 million to 6 million. || BC Transit carried 49 million passengers in 2009/2010. As our population grows and diversifies, we look to expand and enhance services. ||
 * **Demographics:** Between 2006 and 2036, the proportion of B.C.'s population age 65 or older is expected to grow from 15% to 25%. || Part of our customer service commitment includes accessible transit and ensuring transit is a viable and desired option for all. ||
 * **Fuel Efficiency:** Oil and gas prices have risen dramatically - since 2003, the price of oil has more than doubled. || We invest in - and will continue to support - fuel efficient technology and expanded vehicle options such as double decker and rapid buses. ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: center;">A full city bus can take 40 vehicles off the road:
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: center;">A full city bus can take 40 vehicles off the road:
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: left;">**Environment:** Environmental impacts and concerns continue to be a priority for individuals, communities, governments and businesses in Canada and around the world. || <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: left;">We are actively monitoring our carbon footprint participating in the B.C. Government Climate Action Plan. We are committed to reducing environmental impacts through such options as special filters and catalysts (installed on over 180 diesel powered buses, reducing particle matter emissions by 50%) and blending low-sulphur diesel with biodiesel — an environmentally-friendly and renewable energy source that helps reduce greenhouse gas and tailpipe emissions. ||

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">With the above expected changes to demographics in mind, BC Transit has plans for 4 layers of Service:

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Rapid Transit (RTN)**: These services are designed to move a large volume of people between major regional destinations along the main transportation corridors. The service is frequent with transport coming every 15 min between the hours of 7:00 am and the 10 pm. The RTN service consists of high capacity buss's and light rail vehicles which have access to the Exclusive corridor. This is a right of way designed to reduce the impact of traffic on the transportation vehicles, investments to the RTN service will go to increase system performace, that is time travel and reliability.


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Frequent Transit (FTN): **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">This service is in place to allow transit users to use the services without having to consult a transit schedule. The system will provide medium to high density mixed land corridors with a convenient reliable transit service. The FTN will carry the majority of the transit systems total ridership and thus justifies capital investment like transit stop amenities and right of way improvements.


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Local and Community Transit (LTN): **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;"> This service is in place to connect people in local communities to local destinations as well as connecting them to the FTN and RTN networks. The type, size and frequency of transport provided is all dependent on the demand for that area.


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Specialty Transit: **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">These are services that do not fit into the other three categories, and are usually focused on specific needs of the customer. The services include Inter regional service which is service between cities, the handyDART services that are in place to help people that need them with a door to door service.There is also an express service that would provide the customer with direct non stop travel between destinations, and finally the Rural para-trasnsit service which provides flexible routes in most rural areas.



BC Transit. Transit Future Plan.Executive Summary. Information from http://bctransit.com/transitfuture/pdf


 * T<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">he Network **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;"> Bc Transits Future Transit plan includes four distinct layers of service (RTN), (FTN), (LTN) and Specialty Transit. the new system is designed to be more

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">competitive with automobile travel. They are going to do this by focusing on the directness and reliability of the system. The new network is going to focus on connections between regional centers, cross town movements, connections to other transit lines and local destinations. This means that the new network

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;"> will be less focused on the downtown area, this new network may require more transit customers to transfer from one service to another before reaching their destination, this extra hassle for the customer will be met with more frequent and more direct trips. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">//B<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">C Transit has created this table as a guide to why the Future Transit Plan is an attractive alternative to the use of private vehicles. //

[[image:gameplan.png]]
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">
 * < <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Fast and Direct** ||< <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">- Implement transit priority measures such as

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">exclusive ways, queue jumpers, high occupancy vehicle lanes, bus only lanes, shared lanes, traffic signal priority, preferential turning arrangements. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">- Increase distance between stops on some routes <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">- Reduce the amount of deviations in transit routes || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">-Increase transit service span of operations * hours <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">- Create a network that effectively serves the metropolitan core and provides strong connectivity to popular cross town destinations. || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">-Have consistent headways <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">-Have customer information available in an easy to access manner || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">-Design transit vehicles to provide a comfortable on board experience <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">- Provide sufficient passenger carrying capacity to reduce crowding and standing. || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">-Implement visual and audible stop announcements <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">-Consider the affordability of fares to the majority of the regions population when making fare level decisions. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">-Provide targeted transit services for those unable to use the conventional transit system. || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Table from BC Transit.com/transitfuture
 * < <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Convenient and Reliable** ||< <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">- Increase frequency on key corridors to a level where passengers are able to use transit with out consulting a timetable
 * < <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Easy to use** ||< <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">- Create simple route structures and schedules
 * < <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Comfortable** ||< <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;"> - Provide a high level of customer amenities at major transit stops.
 * < <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Accessible to everyone** ||< <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">- Build transit infrastructure and vehicles that are universally accessible