From the Trenches: Transit and Traffic.
Ok, I admit it. I cried during the opening ceremonies when Rick Hansen brought the flame into the stadium. And thanks to Rachel for taping the stuff I missed. A pretty good ceremony, minus the glitches. When I can talk to Russell, who was under the stage at the ceremony, I’ll let you all know what happened with that fourth torch-arm fail.
Patriotic pride aside, this city is not equipped for this many people. I know we have all been admonished to cycle or take transit, but there’s a lot of flaws in that. Translink added buses and Skytrains and extended times. However, they seem to have completely overlooked the fact that some of the thousands of people coming from the LiveCity venues downtown after the show’s over at 11PM don’t need Skytrains or Sea Buses. They are trying to get to places within the city itself, and with the exception of the 16 up into Kerrisdale (K-Nec’s doing, Rachel?), and the night buses, none of the local routes get extra buses. People coming, oh, let’s say from Livecity Yaletown to Kits at 11:30PM get two buses blowing by them til one lets them on. Ken Hardie, if your Google bots flag this post, how ‘bout a couple of extra 22s, 7s, and 3s coming through downtown between 11 and midnight? Just to sweeten the pot.
Transit is strapped, but actually driving is presenting its own unique challenges. People from other cities with other rules are now wending their dangerous way through our streets. Turning left from the far right lane? Not OK here. Driving the wrong way down a one-way street? Nope. U-turns at Granville and Davie? Also Not Done. I have become Eagle Eye Liz over here, keeping out of harm’s way.
Those big white buses, though? The ones to carry athletes around? I have to say, those drivers are pretty aware and considerate. I am liking the white buses (with the exception of the guy who almost hit me because he was picking his nose so hard!)
I sort of feel like we’re up on the World Stage, and we totally blanked on our lines.
Some Stuff | Liz February 14, 2010
By Arwen, February 14, 2010 @ 9:31 pm
Also, the 49 is always sardinesville. Moar 49s, plz.
By Deb, February 14, 2010 @ 10:50 pm
Don’t get me started on the 99 B-line, and those run like every 3 minutes during rush hour. We’re going to need some of those white-gloved attendants, like they have in Japan, to mash us in there.
By rachel, February 15, 2010 @ 1:47 pm
Those attendants don’t just have white gloves: they’ve got nightsticks. They will bash your fucking head in, no mistake. Scott and I were like, shielding Byron with our bodies the whole train-ride through Tokyo.
And Liz: it was easy! And fun! And Bryon was just tickled to death that E liked his picture.
And the Kerrisdale Necromancer, in charge of transit? It’s a very real possibility.