11:00
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Dear Mr. Chen,
I am writing about the Westside Transit pilot announced on October 12 and scheduled from November 9 to January 5. The notice posted at Main Street–Science World indicates that after 7:15 p.m., Routes 14 and 22 will shift from every 10 minutes to every 20 minutes, and that the last eastbound trip on Route 22 will depart at 10:40 p.m. instead of 11:30 p.m. In addition, the fare transfer window will be reduced from 90 minutes to 60 minutes for all boardings after 7:00 p.m. The stated goals are to reduce bunching, match service with demand, and improve on-time performance during the winter period.
I understand the need to experiment and to make service reliable. However, the combination of lower frequency and a shorter transfer window may unintentionally penalize evening riders who depend on timed connections. I supervise closing shifts at Kitsilano Market and finish around 8:20 p.m. Two nights a week, I transfer at Main Street from Route 14 to Route 22 to get to my parents’ place on Victoria Drive. With a 20-minute headway, a late departure or a missed light can easily turn a 5-minute transfer into a 22-minute wait. Under a 60-minute transfer, a single delay can push the connection past the fare limit, forcing riders to pay a second time for the same trip.
Evening demand is not negligible. College classes at VCC and Langara let out between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m., and many service workers finish shifts at similar times. On wet winter nights, asking people to stand at unprotected stops for 18–22 minutes encourages ride-hail use, which undermines your goal to retain ridership. The earlier last trip at 10:40 p.m. also creates a gap for people leaving late labs, community league games, or hospital visits.
I am not criticizing the intent of the pilot; I am asking that it measure the right outcomes and protect essential trips. Could you keep a 90-minute transfer **after 7:00 p.m.** for the duration of the pilot? Would Transit Operations consider a scheduled 5-minute “hold” at Main Street–Science World so Routes 14 and 22 can make a safe, reliable connection each hour? Restoring a single late eastbound departure at **11:10 p.m.** would cover most class nights without adding an entire late block. Finally, real-time displays at the eastbound platform (or at least temporary laminated signs that show the new timed meet) would help riders plan.
Thank you for considering adjustments that keep trips affordable and predictable while you test changes. If helpful, I can provide screenshots of missed transfers from last winter and speak with your planning team at a community session.
Sincerely,
Priya Sharma
Resident, 8th Avenue
I am writing about the Westside Transit pilot announced on October 12 and scheduled from November 9 to January 5. The notice posted at Main Street–Science World indicates that after 7:15 p.m., Routes 14 and 22 will shift from every 10 minutes to every 20 minutes, and that the last eastbound trip on Route 22 will depart at 10:40 p.m. instead of 11:30 p.m. In addition, the fare transfer window will be reduced from 90 minutes to 60 minutes for all boardings after 7:00 p.m. The stated goals are to reduce bunching, match service with demand, and improve on-time performance during the winter period.
I understand the need to experiment and to make service reliable. However, the combination of lower frequency and a shorter transfer window may unintentionally penalize evening riders who depend on timed connections. I supervise closing shifts at Kitsilano Market and finish around 8:20 p.m. Two nights a week, I transfer at Main Street from Route 14 to Route 22 to get to my parents’ place on Victoria Drive. With a 20-minute headway, a late departure or a missed light can easily turn a 5-minute transfer into a 22-minute wait. Under a 60-minute transfer, a single delay can push the connection past the fare limit, forcing riders to pay a second time for the same trip.
Evening demand is not negligible. College classes at VCC and Langara let out between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m., and many service workers finish shifts at similar times. On wet winter nights, asking people to stand at unprotected stops for 18–22 minutes encourages ride-hail use, which undermines your goal to retain ridership. The earlier last trip at 10:40 p.m. also creates a gap for people leaving late labs, community league games, or hospital visits.
I am not criticizing the intent of the pilot; I am asking that it measure the right outcomes and protect essential trips. Could you keep a 90-minute transfer **after 7:00 p.m.** for the duration of the pilot? Would Transit Operations consider a scheduled 5-minute “hold” at Main Street–Science World so Routes 14 and 22 can make a safe, reliable connection each hour? Restoring a single late eastbound departure at **11:10 p.m.** would cover most class nights without adding an entire late block. Finally, real-time displays at the eastbound platform (or at least temporary laminated signs that show the new timed meet) would help riders plan.
Thank you for considering adjustments that keep trips affordable and predictable while you test changes. If helpful, I can provide screenshots of missed transfers from last winter and speak with your planning team at a community session.
Sincerely,
Priya Sharma
Resident, 8th Avenue
Choose the best option according to the information given in the message:
1. What is the main purpose of Priya’s message?
2. According to the notice, what change is planned for Routes 14 and 22 after 7:15 p.m.?
3. Why does Priya object to reducing the transfer window to 60 minutes after 7:00 p.m.?
4. What is implied about evening ridership?
5. In the sentence, “On wet winter nights, asking people to stand at unprotected stops for 18–22 minutes encourages ride-hail use,” the phrase “encourages ride-hail use” most nearly means …
6. Which suggestion does Priya NOT make?
Here is a response to the message. Complete the response by filling in the blanks. Select the best choice for each blank from the drop-down
Dear Ms. Sharma,
Thank you for 7.... on our evening pilot. Your examples show how lower frequency and a shorter transfer window 8.... riders who rely on timed connections. Our early data indicates demand 9...., particularly around class dismissals and closing shifts. In response, we will maintain a 90-minute transfer after 7:00 p.m. during the pilot, schedule a 5-minute timed meet between Routes 14 and 22 at Main Street–Science World each hour, and add an eastbound trip at 11:10 p.m. We will also post temporary wayfinding signs at the platform. These adjustments 10.... our goal of keeping trips predictable and affordable while we test reliability measures.
We appreciate your offer to share screenshots and attend a session; our planning team will follow up. Clearly, 11....—to keep the network useful for evening riders.
Respectfully,
Daniel Chen
Manager, Service Planning