My thoughts on this article: Free rides approach end of the line on SkyTrain
There may be no more free rides for fare-evaders on the Lower Mainland’s SkyTrain system now that B.C.’s transportation minister is pushing to have gates or turnstiles installed at all stations.
There is still no official plan is place, but Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon said Thursday a system could be up and running sometime in 2008.
There’s no official plan in place, but it will be up and running sometime in the next 13 months. Why do I find this hard to believe? Hmm…. perhaps because even when they do have an official plan, projects routinely take years longer to complete than they are supposed to. Translink and UBC were supposed to have an underground bus loop at UBC finished like two years ago and they’ve only just started it this fall. Or I think they’ve started it. They put up a fence around the area at least.
Turnstiles would make the system safer by keeping those who don’t pay out, said Falcon.
“Young women in particular feel much safer when they’re in what’s called a controlled area, an area which has controlled access through gates or turnstiles,” said Falcon.
Awesome. Now I can only be attacked by someone who has $2.50 to get passed the turnstile. Because you know if someone has $2.50, they are good people.
“Generally, thugs, punks, whatever they may be, [who] don’t pay to go cause trouble for other people,” he said.
Damn thugs and punks. And don’t even get me started on ne’er do wells.
Falcon said the new plan is to have a company install the barriers for a share of the revenue.
Great. So now the overburdened, underfunded public transit system will be giving up some of the money to a private company to put in turnstiles. And/or they will jack up the cost of using public transit to make up the difference of what they have to give to the private company.
Oh yes, and speaking of Skytrain, go to Mayor Sam Sullivan’s website to vote on if you think the Skytrain should be extended to UBC campus!
Wicked cool pic taken from the Skytrain by this guy, from here. Hooray for Creative Commons licenses!