How more appealing has riding rapid transit become since the ban on hand-held devices while driving?
This is not a small thing. The time spent in travel, when it’s used for reading email and all things you can get apps for, that time is really valuable – a time when it’s just you and the little computer. It also makes time go by faster and productively. And on the whole,being on transit in Vancouver is pleasant enough – warm, dry, maybe crowded, but usually polite.
The Canada Line has made a huge difference in the consciousness of West Siders, both Vancouverites and Richmonders – in how they can get around. Litttle wheels on luggage has made the transit trip practical and appealing for those travelling by air, and you can see the difference in the stations. Now that people are making the connections, use of transit is growing – in part, I’d argue, because they can spend their time interacting with little screens.
You can do a lot of useful things while on transit that you can’t do at all by car, unless you’re a passenger. Advantage: transit.
Canada Line put wireless service in its tunnels. Because it’s mostly open air, SkyTrain is accessible to cells and wireless computers – except in its tunnels. It’d be worth the expense to continue coverage seamlessly through the whole transit system. And then market the hell out of it.
Interesting in that I was one of the many well-intentioned people who said the whole Canada Line was too far west to serve a real good. And of course, certain “creme deal a creme” were against it.
Our family outing with three young boys today was amazing. We took the Canada Line to Olympic Village, where we caught the streetcar to Granville Island. We played at the Kids’ Market, then we had a great meal at Bridges, which is Switzerland House for the Olympics but still open to everyone – go check it out!
Then we came back on the streetcar and took the SkyTrain back to our car in the suburbs. What could be more civically responsible than that?
I digress somewhat, but if Vancouver doesn’t make this streetcar permanent and work to expand it, we are missing a golden opportunity.
I agree that use of transit is growing – because it free time for other thing that driving.
(European, and Eastcoster (on Acela corridor) will often weight for the train over a flight for this very reason. )
And it is something Translink should work at, be able to enjoy traditiona wireless network including 3G is one thing, but it is not good enough for numerous of us.
We really need WiFi…
Not necessarily everywhere, but where condition make this addition valuable (suburban route like the 601 and other where the user seat often more than 30mn if not one hour on bus, and busloop where bus frequency means long wait)
And according to this article http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/2008-04-10-wifi_N.htm, it cost not much more than $1000 to outfit a bus (a bus tire is way more expensive)…