It’s been a particularly bad week for TransLink and angry commuters…but on the bright side there’s nowhere we’d rather be on Earth right now!
Bad Week For: TransLink
From breakdowns to falling ridership numbers, Metro Vancouver’s controversial and oft’ blamed aging SkyTrain system has had a tougher than usual week. And that’s saying something.
First, who can forget those crazy scenes of impatient commuters taking the law and their lives into their own hands, and escaping along live tracks due to the second shutdown in four days on the Expo and Millennium lines. During rush hour of course, perfect timing as usual.
From electrical to human error, people just aren’t buying it and the seeming lack of communication from all sides has been really grinding everyone’s gears (metaphorically speaking, of course, because the entire debate about Vancouver’s flawed infrastructure isn’t going anywhere.)
The question of exactly where taxpayers’ money is going on “upgrades” has been on everyone’s lips, with cynical whispers of top paid execs laughing into their bonuses while they drive off into the sunset in their convertibles while we cram on transit like sardines in a can. Oh, for a bit of air con!
Hm, probably not the best idea to hire an independent investigator to look into issues for $1,200 a day.
To make matters worse, ridership for 2014 is estimated to have sunk 2.9% lower than last year, meaning TransLink has lost $6 million more than anticipated already this year. That will lighten the wallet alright!
And let’s not mention the poorly timed sexual assault awareness poster campaign that TransLink was forced to quickly remove – several hundred of which were rolled out last week inside SkyTrain cars — after a social media backlash complaining that the ads implied the victims were to blame. Can anyone say “PR nightmare”! Someone needs to wake up around here, that’s for sure.
Good Week For: Vancity
There’s no better way to describe it…Vancity is buzzin’!
Whether you’re lucky enough or not to beat the heat and enjoy the vibes at the Pemberton and Squamish music festivals, closer to home the KHATSAHLANO! Music + Art Street Festival and Vancouver Folk Music Festival wet everyone’s whistle and put us straight into summer party mode!
From the Celebration of Light to Colour Me Rad Vancouver and, the highlight of festivities, Pride Week, our beloved Vancity is awash with colour, colourful characters and the one thing so often criticized as lacking in our diverse community – charisma.
Even the Summer Cinema Series, free dance classes in Robson Square, Food Cart Fest (three little words bound to make you salivate) and our popular night markets, whoever dubbed Vancouver ‘No Fun City’ needs to get a reality check.
Look around people – what more could we ask for?
Check out 50 things to do in Vancouver Summer 2014 here. Heaven.
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