Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,171
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Post by Neil on Aug 1, 2016 22:14:31 GMT -8
I should find my old post on the topic because I'm not wanting to rewrite it all. But in short: - airline pricing maximizes profit first, and then balances capacity second. I have no doubt that's what BC Ferries will do even though they pound the "capacity management" drum. - those that cannot pre-plan trips will be penalized financially. This is often a group I fall into but our tax dollars pay for most of my trips so at least it won't hit my wallet directly. - purchasing airline tickets is an unpleasant - unpredictable - process. I am a believer that BC Ferries is a utility, and should have a set access rate. The complications of a variable fare structure come at the expense of convenience for what seems to be rather minor "improvements" since there isn't flexibility, unlike an airline, to make durastic changes in capacity type and scheduling. Dane, I agree with the basic thrust of your comments, but I disagree that uniform pricing has to be sacrosanct in the context of a public utility. Even Translink has peak and non-peak fares. Some European ferry companies (granted, not public utilities) have varying fares depending on when you travel, so it's not just airlines. I would not be against a modest fare variation that encourages people to travel in non-peak times. The tricky thing is- and here I concur with your concerns- to keep it from turning into a cash grab. If it is indeed capacity management, then I'm not against it, completely.
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Post by Dane on Aug 2, 2016 16:32:21 GMT -8
Just as a casual observation, today I made a reservation at 130pm for the 4pm sailing from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay; the sailing was 90%ish full according to current conditions when I did that.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Aug 31, 2016 16:15:54 GMT -8
Route 3 news: - berth 1 will be closed for upgrade in January-April 2017 - 2 ship hourly service using berth 2 at Langdale (Q-Surrey only using main & gallery deck) - Island Sky as 2nd ship for part of this time. The story: HERE
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Post by WettCoast on Aug 31, 2016 18:32:45 GMT -8
Route 3 news: - berth 1 will be closed for upgrade in January-April 2017 - 2 ship hourly service using berth 2 at Langdale (Q-Surrey only using main & gallery deck) - Island Sky as 2nd ship for part of this time. The story: HEREMaybe they should upgrade berth 2 FIRST and make it a fully functional double deck berth?
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Post by Kahloke on Aug 31, 2016 18:34:24 GMT -8
Route 3 news: - berth 1 will be closed for upgrade in January-April 2017 - 2 ship hourly service using berth 2 at Langdale (Q-Surrey only using main & gallery deck) - Island Sky as 2nd ship for part of this time. The story: HEREMaybe they should upgrade berth 2 FIRST and make it a fully functional double deck berth? Now that's just crazy-talk!
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Koastal Karl
Voyager
Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
Posts: 7,747
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Post by Koastal Karl on Aug 31, 2016 21:11:20 GMT -8
why are they moving the Island Sky?? What about the Jervis Inlet route during that time??
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,171
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Post by Neil on Aug 31, 2016 22:03:31 GMT -8
why are they moving the Island Sky?? What about the Jervis Inlet route during that time?? Karl, are you forgetting how well Quinitsa filled in at Saltery Bay recently?
Actually, they may have a Salish vessel available by that time (late March). Or the Bowen Queen.
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Sept 1, 2016 19:50:52 GMT -8
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Post by hwy19man on Sept 5, 2016 17:19:20 GMT -8
Route 3 news:
- berth 1 will be closed for upgrade in January-April 2017 - 2 ship hourly service using berth 2 at Langdale (Q-Surrey only using main & gallery deck) - Island Sky as 2nd ship for part of this time.
The story: HERE I was wondering what the strange schedule was all about. There is a discrepancy here as the BCF website shows that this schedule will go until March 31. The Coquitlam will also be using the main & gallery decks only. It will have been a long time that two C-class vessels will be docked overnight (home port) at HSB on a full time basis. I wonder what the route 3 changes will be?
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Post by roeco on Sept 7, 2016 8:22:47 GMT -8
why are they moving the Island Sky?? What about the Jervis Inlet route during that time?? Karl, are you forgetting how well Quinitsa filled in at Saltery Bay recently?
Actually, they may have a Salish vessel available by that time (late March). Or the Bowen Queen.
Quinitsa on Jervis Inlet...she doesn't even have a snack bar. I'd think Bowen Queen would be a more suitable Sub at least those expecting at least some kinda remote level of service as Island Sky the Bowen Queen at least is somewhat of a better fill in.
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Post by hwy19man on Oct 22, 2016 21:28:01 GMT -8
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Post by WettCoast on Nov 2, 2016 19:35:21 GMT -8
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Post by Starsteward on Nov 3, 2016 6:01:42 GMT -8
At a time when social media dominates every waking minute of our day, one may be excused for missing some of the positive 'GEMS' that dominate the airwaves: This savvy ferry passenger's tip shines most significantly: " IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING"! We are, after all, our brothers' keepers.
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Post by bigcountry on Nov 24, 2016 8:05:09 GMT -8
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Post by Kahn_C on Nov 27, 2016 19:41:36 GMT -8
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Feb 6, 2017 22:07:56 GMT -8
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,171
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Post by Neil on Feb 7, 2017 0:17:56 GMT -8
Great idea. I've always thought that one of the problems with our land, marine, and air based transportation systems is that they haven't developed in concert with each other. As in, Duke Point having no transit connections. This is a small step in the right direction.
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Post by mybidness459 on Feb 7, 2017 16:28:29 GMT -8
Disabled passengers already use TransLink's Compass cards system ride throughout the province on BC transit buses. This is a great Idea.
This brings up another thing to consider, any new passenger ferries that would use TransLink's Waterfront seabus terminal in Vancouver will their passenger need to purchase a compass card to go through the fare paid zone? I used the seabus last November remembering that I need to tap in and tap out.
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Post by articulated on Feb 7, 2017 20:26:12 GMT -8
Disabled passengers already use TransLink's Compass cards system ride throughout the province on BC transit buses. This is a great Idea. This brings up another thing to consider, any new passenger ferries that would use TransLink's Waterfront seabus terminal in Vancouver will their passenger need to purchase a compass card to go through the fare paid zone? I used the seabus last November remembering that I need to tap in and tap out. What other passenger ferries might be using the SeaBus terminals? They're rather busy as it is with SeaBus service every 15 minutes, and the terminals are pretty customized for the SeaBus vessels. The SeaBus now operates the same as the SkyTrain in Vancouver. You have to tap in with a Compass Card or purchase a single-ride Compass Ticket from a fare machine. You also have to tap out in order for the fare gates to open when exiting - this tap out allows the system to calculate the appropriate zone fare. The fare gates are in the terminals and not on board the vessels, so yes anything that could feasibly dock at the SeaBus terminals would be emptying out into the fare-paid zone. Without a valid tap-in though, the system would get screwed up and not know how to calculate the fare.
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Post by Mike C on Feb 8, 2017 11:49:47 GMT -8
Disabled passengers already use TransLink's Compass cards system ride throughout the province on BC transit buses. This is a great Idea. This brings up another thing to consider, any new passenger ferries that would use TransLink's Waterfront seabus terminal in Vancouver will their passenger need to purchase a compass card to go through the fare paid zone? I used the seabus last November remembering that I need to tap in and tap out. What other passenger ferries might be using the SeaBus terminals? They're rather busy as it is with SeaBus service every 15 minutes, and the terminals are pretty customized for the SeaBus vessels. "mybidness" could potentially be referring to Harbourlynx, which operated out of the western side of the Waterfront SeaBus terminal, during it's brief reign.
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Post by WettCoast on Feb 8, 2017 13:13:17 GMT -8
What other passenger ferries might be using the SeaBus terminals? They're rather busy as it is with SeaBus service every 15 minutes, and the terminals are pretty customized for the SeaBus vessels. "mybidness" could potentially be referring to Harbourlynx, which operated out of the western side of the Waterfront SeaBus terminal, during it's brief reign. So to did the Royal Victoria passenger only ferries of ~20 years ago. Also, how do you access the WCE trains. Do passengers for those trains have to pass through TransLink's fare gates?
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Post by Mike C on Feb 8, 2017 13:18:51 GMT -8
"mybidness" could potentially be referring to Harbourlynx, which operated out of the western side of the Waterfront SeaBus terminal, during it's brief reign. So to did the Royal Victoria passenger only ferries of ~20 years ago. Also, how do you access the WCE trains. Do passengers for those trains have to pass through TransLink's fare gates? West Coast Express is indeed accessed beyond the fare-gates - the same gates you would go through to access the SeaBus, and the Expo line platforms of the SkyTrain. After passing through the gates, you would tap your Compass card again on the readers next to the escalators down to the WCE platforms, so that the charge on the card is corrected to the WCE fare structure. WCE single-ride tickets are now available in the CPR station building, before the fare-gates.
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Post by mybidness459 on Feb 8, 2017 13:43:31 GMT -8
Yes, I was referring to Harbourlynx and any Passenger only ferries that could use the Seabus terminal for service to Vancouver Island. I believe there is one company that wants to use the Seaplane terminal for service to Victoria and another company wants to offer service to Nanaimo. Can both passenger only companies (V2V) and Sealink ? use the Seaplane terminal? Or is one going to use the Seabus terminal? That is IF the Nanaimo service ever starts.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Apr 8, 2017 10:02:45 GMT -8
We are losing a gem of a reporter, and one of the few remaining media voices for ferry & coastal-community sustainabily issues. Stephen Hume is leaving the Vancouver Sun. He took a layoff, so that a younger colleague could keep his job. That's a beautiful gesture in a sad situation. Signing-off column HERE
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Post by Mike on Apr 8, 2017 10:14:03 GMT -8
We are losing a gem of a reporter, and one of the few remaining media voices for ferry & coastal-community sustainabily issues. Stephen Hume is leaving the Vancouver Sun. He took a layoff, so that a younger colleague could keep his job. That's a beautiful gesture in a sad situation. Signing-off column HEREThat really is a shame. I was looking forward to reading his thoughts on the "new" Route 28.
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