Vanouver 2010 Winter Olympics: Day 8 - Transportation

One of the major successes of the games thus far has been public transits. I have seen a major improvement in the frequency of buses. My wait times, no matter what time of day, have decreased substantially. Although there are more people trying to take the Skytain, Canada Line and buses, the frequency, especially of the buses, has compensated for this. Local Vancouverites can save lots of time if they know and use the bus network instead of just relying on Canada Line and Skytrain. I hope greater appreciation for public transit is a legacy of the Olympics for Vancouver.

Where is my bus, cowbell and flag? I need them for the Olympics !

With only 10 days left to the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, it seems everyone is putting the last minute touches in preparation for the Games.

The Live City is still under construction and I can't wait to see it completed.

I keep seeing Olympic buses more often now. I think there have been some drivers who have come from out of town and are practising their routes.

Canada Post has errected a HUGE flag on the side of their building. I got to get me one of those!

The Vancouver Public Library -Central Library Branch looks great. It is encouraging people to purchase a special red Library cowbell to cheer on Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes. The red cowbells inscribed with the Library logo and ‘Go Canada’ were created to honour Canada’s legendary Crazy Canucks ski team who were the subject of the Library’s 2009 One Book.

The Aboriginal Pavillion at Hamilton and West Georgia will open on February 12 but you can get a sneak peak before it opens to the world. Although there is still finishing touches happening, you can see most of the structures completed.

What the V?

I walked around downtown and noticed so much activity going on. I was surprised to see that Vancouver's waterfront has been blocked by a fence and decorated with Olympic themed material. Why was I surprised? Well, this is one of my favorite parts of Vancouver and now that it is being blocked, I think alot of people visiting the city will miss out on seeing the beautiful view from the area around Canada Place and the Convention Centre. On the positive side, the material looks fabulous.


It seems the new Fairmont Hotel is almost complete and it's ooking great.


The Olympic signage is also becoming more apparent. Olympic bus routes and maps are popping up. I think signage is essential for the success of the Olympics.

Lastly, late into the evening I noticed an artistic demonstration in a window on Seymour Street between Pender and Dunsmuir. I am uncertain who was hosting this item or if it was part of the Cultural Olympiad but it was looping and really caught my attention. All these changes are making Vancouver a more exciting place to live.

Staycation...Vacation...Whatever, let's just have some fun.

This summer has been a staycation and I have been enjoying what the beautiful city of Vancouver has to offer along with other Vancouverites. I have been looking to travel somewhere nearby for a few days for almost three weeks but have not found what I would like to do. However, good news ... I think I have found the perfect trip. More details coming shortly.

Vancouver is Triple the Fun

It was a "little person's" birthday today so I ended up at Crash Crawly. Their indoor playground is great for kids. It was lots of fun.

Then travelled across the Burrard Bridge to witness the new bike lane. It was almost 9pm and I was on a bus because I was in a rush to make it to Vancouver Museum's outdoor movie at Vanier Park, Triplets of Belleville. I was glad to see the movie which incorporated a bike theme and French, our other official language.

Are you part of the plan?

I visited BePartofthePlan.ca and filled out the online questionaire. I selected my transport priorities for the region, then my preferred existing funding options, and lastly ranked the future funding options that should be used. The consultation for Translink 10-Year Plan closes on June 30 and I wanted my voice to be heard. I hope Vancouverites express their interest in maintaining and improving a vibrant public transportation system.