Departure Bay - improving crowd movement

[Scott]

I was on the 7:00 (actually 7:08) from Horseshoe Bay. It was 100% full - just like a summer sailing - probably partly due to the Esquimalt being out of service on Tsa-Duke Pt. There were a couple hundred walk-ons I'm guessing. At Horseshoe Bay, we actually loaded the Queen of Oak Bay in Berth 2 from the Langdale waiting room. The ramp accessed the ferry on the upper outside passenger deck.

Anyways, to the point. Tonight, as I've noticed before, as one or two hundred people walk off the ferry, down the ramp and stairs - then everyone has to walk single file through one doorway. I think they need another door there. I realize it's almost the same coming off the ferry (maybe that could be improved in the future too), but by the time everyone has walked down the stairs, people aren't in single file anymore. It usually results in crowding on the stairs and at the bottom of the stairs.

[Koastal Karl]

I was in Van for the day Friday and I took the 10:25am Queen of Esquimalt sailing from Duke Point to TSA and they never used the overhead walkway at TSA. Foot passengers unloaded via the lower car deck. Tide was really low Friday as I could see by the steepness of the ramps driving off. Me and Graham were at HSB yesterday and the afternoon sailings looked busy. The Bowen Queen was also full right up! I came back on the 9pm Queen of Saanich from TSA and it was full, they added a 10pm sailing on the Queen of Vancouver as the 9pm at like 7:20 was about 70% full. And the Esquimalt was sitting at TSA till her last sailing at 11:50pm!

[Scott (Former Account)]

Most of the public buildings at Departure Bay terminal have seen very little to no improvement to passenger flow in the last 20+ years... Hopefully once the new terminal buildings and expansion of current buildings is complete, it will be a lot easier and faster to make your way to and from the arrivals/ departures building...

[Low Light Mike]

re Scott's comment:

In comparing the major terminals, Departure Bay seems to have the longest passenger-walking-distance, between the ticket booth and the berth.

- Tsawwassen's footie drop-off and ticket booth is very close to Berth 2 & 3.....right even with the front of the vehicle lanes.

- Horseshoe Bay's ticket centre is again near the front end of the vehicle-lanes....resulting in a quick walk to the berths (although a bit longer than at Tsawwassen).

- Duke Point's footie drop-off and ticket booth are way in front of the vehicle lanes, and even with the berths, resulting in a short walk to the berth.

- Swartz Bay: I've never been a footie there, so I have no idea of the footie dropoff is set up.

- So Departure Bay's long-march seems to be because of the placement of the footie-dropoff and ticket booth at the rear of the vehicle lanes. This is because of geography, as there's no other land where footie dropoff & pickup lanes can be run down towards the berths. A result of Departure Bay being built out onto the bay with filled-in land.

[kylefossett]

swartz bay and tsawwassen have both been improved from what they were years ago. swartz bay used to have the ticket booth near where the cafeteria is and tsawwassen was over near what is now the maintenance building. so yes they have definately improved the walk.

[Ferry Rider 42]

Ah, Swartz Bay; there really is no better terminal to be a footie. First the essentials, the arrivals and Departure areas are separated to ensure they don’t interfere with each other. You also have plenty of room to line up inside during the busy X-mas season. What’s more you also have access to those cool new automated ticket dispensers.

Sure, pretty run of the mill for any major terminal but were just starting. The Spirits typically dock at berth 1. And, what would you know; this is the closet dock to the ticket area. A mere 100 feet from the ticket area, in fact you ride an escalator the entire time. This place must have been designed for the lazy, or the hung over; a marvel of planning.

The waiting area is new, modern and bright courtesy of an entire wall of windows overlooking the dock. I would estimate the waiting area is about twice as large as the berth 5 lounge at Tsawwassen. Like Tsawwassen, you are able to go outside on a balcony, and there is a cute grassy area accessible via the balcony. (I’m not entirely sure how often the grassy area is open, I am pretty sure access is prevented in the winter).

The only problem with Swartz Bay footie terminal is the traffic pattern for drop off and pick up. It has gotten much better now that traffic dudes harass people who try to park in the drop off zone and wait for pickups. Still, there must be some way to redesign the space so people don’t even try doing this. Think of airports; where for some reason people don’t try to park and wait for arrivals in the drop off zone. What are airports doing right that BC Ferries isn’t? A final idea, perhaps BC Ferries is doing everything right having already started enforcement. Maybe, it is just going to take some time to break people’s old habits.

Anyways; that was my two cents along with a little rant.

[Scott (Former Account)]

Here is the layout of projects that have, or are in the process of taking place during the next long while at Departure Bay Terminal. This project should greatly improve the flow of passengers inside the terminal, as well as vehicle traffic in and around the terminal.

[Curtis]

Once again thank you for taking the time to scan and post that info, Scott

[Scott]

Thanks Scott, that's interesting. Does anyone know if it's possible to expand the terminal "westward"? If you're walking down towards the ferry berths - I'm referring to the area on the right. Would it be possible to infill part of that area and bring the passenger ticket booths closer to the cafe/waiting room?

[Balfour]

I'd like to see the passenger facilities raised to the level of the upper ramps at Dep bay. It's best to make it consistent with the other major terminals and for convenience so that the passengers don't have to walk up a long flight of stairs when the ferry arrives.