TransLink prepares for next round of snow
Posted February 7, 2017 11:05 am.
Last Updated February 7, 2017 11:39 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Last night’s snow and this morning’s ice caused some delays for the region’s buses and trains. Again.
“We had some challenges with bus operators getting in to work and getting to their buses in the first place just because some of them live in the problem areas, so there were some [early] gaps in bus routes across the region,” says Chris Bryan with TransLink.
That was followed by gaps in the Millennium Line SkyTrain schedule through much of the morning, but Bryan characterizes today’s transit service as “generally just a bit slower than usual.”
TransLink is now getting a short breather as it resets its “snow plan” for the next storm system, due in late tomorrow. “We will have extra staff out there, extra vehicles and transit supervisors to help dig out buses,” he tells NEWS 1130. “Some of those transit supervisor trucks can actually push buses and we do have push trucks out there as well that can help with stuck buses.”
Bryan adds that TransLink is prepared to make more operational changes when the next storm system hits. “We do things like running shuttles, we will run shorter buses up to SFU because they run better on those slippery hills, we will run detours as well, but these are things we do on the fly as we watch the conditions and respond accordingly.”
The transit authority is also thanking passengers for their patience as the transit authority deals with an unusual season. “I think most people are pretty understanding. They understand it’s an extraordinary winter that we have had so far and that we are doing a lot of things to get customers where they need to go,” adds Bryan.
You are encouraged to check TransLink’s alert page on its website and follow TransLink on Twitter to access the latest information on service.
Tomorrow’s storm is predicted to bring more heavy snow through the evening, eventually mixing with rain.
