Transit Service to Caribbean Days and Celebration of Light

July 19, 2012

Taking transit to summer celebrations
Extra service, crowd management procedures, make a smooth trip there and back

Two of Metro Vancouver’s more popular – and populous – celebrations return later this month, and the TransLink family is gearing up to help you get there and back safely and conveniently. Caribbean Days in North Vancouver, Saturday, July 28 and Sunday, July 29 and the Honda Celebration of Light at English Bay, Saturday, July 28, Wednesday, August 1 and Saturday, August 4 will add tens of thousands of people to the transit system on those days.

SkyTrain

• Expo, Millennium and Canada Lines will provide “rush-hour” service on all three nights beginning in mid-afternoon, with every available train in service after the show to clear people out of the area as quickly as possible.
• The last Expo/Millennium Line train will leave Waterfront Station for King George at 1:16 am
• The last Canada Line train will leave Waterfront for Richmond-Brighouse at 1:15 am.
• Trains will continue to run until everyone has been picked up from the downtown platforms (customers must be inside the stations when the gates are closed).

Certain crowd-management procedures will be in effect. These are designed to move people along the transit system as efficiently as possible, and we appreciate everyone’s cooperation.

• PRE-PURCHASE RETURN TICKETS: In order to avoid lineups at ticket vending machines, buy your return tickets en route to the fireworks. Portable fareboxes will be at:
o King George
o Granville (The Bay concourse)
o Burrard
o Bridgeport
o Yaletown-Roundhouse
o Vancouver City Centre
These fareboxes only accept exact cash fare; tickets are valid until the close of service.
• WATERFRONT STATION:
o As of 10:30 pm, access via Cordova Street (main entrance) will only be for Canada Line and SeaBus customers, as well as persons with mobility devices and strollers.
o Expo/Millennium Line customers will enter via the Howe Street entrance on the west side (nearest Canada Place).
o Customers going to Canada Line may also enter Waterfront Station via the entrance at Granville and Hastings Streets.
o Customers transferring from SeaBus to any SkyTrain line will need to leave the station and join the lineup outside.
• YALETOWN-ROUNDHOUSE STATION: customers will line up along Mainland Street.
• NO “SEAT CAMPING”: As of 10:30 pm, trains heading to Waterfront will not pick up passengers (except those with disabilities and families with strollers) at Yaletown-Roundhouse, Vancouver Centre, Burrard and Granville Stations. This is to prevent people from staying on the train at Waterfront to grab a seat for the return trip. Other passengers arriving at Waterfront will have to leave the train and either transfer to SeaBus or leave the station and line up outside the Howe Street or Granville Plaza entrance.
• At Granville Station, the Seymour Street and Granville Mall entrances will be closed at 10 pm. Customers are to line up along Granville Mall and enter via the Dunsmuir entrance.
• BICYCLES may be restricted inbound on SkyTrain during the evenings, and there will be no bikes permitted on SkyTrain at all from 10:30 pm until the crowds have cleared – generally between midnight and 1 am.
• Elevators are available at all downtown stations: priority is given to persons with mobility devices and families with strollers.

Coast Mountain Buses – will have additional coaches available on all three nights, with transit supervisors monitoring the situation to deploy the buses as needed.

Customers arriving by SkyTrain may transfer at Burrard Station to the #5 or #22; however, due to the traffic restrictions in the West End during that time, the #5 will only go as far as Robson and Denman, then turn back via Georgia to the regular route; the #22 will go as far as Burrard and Davie. The #6 will also turn around at Burrard and Davie.

West Vancouver Transit – will have additional coaches running from Horseshoe Bay and 25th/Marine; although the majority of special buses will go to and from Park Royal, where there is ample free parking. For return trips, buses will be staged at key locations along Georgia Street from approximately 10:45 pm.

Blue Bus will also provide shuttle bus service to the smaller celebration area at Dundarave in West Vancouver.

SeaBus – in order to handle traffic for both Caribbean Days and the opening night of Celebration of Light, SeaBus is pressing all three vessels into action on July 28-29. Ferries will run every 10 minutes from each side between 10am and 8pm on Saturday and 11am and 7pm on Sunday. Ferries will run every 15 minutes on Saturday from 8-9 am and from 8pm until midnight; on Sunday from 9:30-11am and 7-9pm. Last sailings leave Waterfront at 1:22 am Monday to Saturday; 11:16pm on Sunday.

On the last two days of Celebration of Light, SeaBus will extend its two-ferry (15-minute) service until midnight.

West Coast Express – will provide service on final night – August 4 – only, leaving Mission City at 7pm and returning from Waterfront at midnight.

Transit Police – will be on-hand throughout the system to assist local police and maintain order. They have some hints for safe enjoyment of the fireworks:
• Be aware of your surroundings and keep your personal belongings safe by closing purses and keeping wallets in inside pockets. Don’t display personal devices like iPhones and tablets in the open.
• Inappropriate conduct (intoxicated or not) and open alcohol are not permitted on the transit system.
• Have a plan in place with the family or friends you are traveling with. Have a ‘go to’ location in case you are separated.
• Go before you go - there are no restrooms at bus stops or SkyTrain stations
• Be prepared to present your proof of payment, if requested. Transit is not free on fireworks nights.

To help ease the flow of pedestrian traffic after the fireworks shows, the City of Vancouver is establishing additional exit routes to supplement the main streets. These routes follow Gilford, Burnaby and Beach Drive.

If there are any unexpected changes to transit service, information will be broadcast via Twitter. Follow TransLink on @translink.