Snow brings major delays to Metro Vancouver transit (PHOTOS/VIDEO)
Delays and cancellations punctuated chaos for Metro Vancouver transit users this morning.
The snow fell in droves over Metro Vancouver overnight, and residents had a cold and rude awakening on the roads and transit.
Yesterday, Environment and Climate Change Canada predicted 10 to 20 cm of snow for Metro Vancouver, and it seems that its prediction has panned out.
Buses were stranded, routes have been cancelled, and trains have been stuck in place for upwards of 10-15 minutes at a time.
The bad news is there could be more on the way.
TransLink’s morning alerts should give transit users pause when deciding on whether to take a bus today.
#RiderAlert Due to heavy snowfall, we are advising customers to expect considerable delays, particularly on the bus network, and to avoid travelling where possible. Minimal bus services are available in some areas. ^ns
ā TransLink BC (@TransLink) December 20, 2022
The situation on SkyTrain hasn’t been much better, with trains experiencing severe delays.
#skytrain omg š² pic.twitter.com/Ao2lNPtIbw
ā Balcony Speech (@BalconySpeech) December 20, 2022
Jack Frost coming in. #SkyTrain pic.twitter.com/R7AhwocsmW
ā Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) December 20, 2022
Meanwhile, the road situation is also a mess, with warnings on nearly every highway.
The last time this happened, BC’s ministry of transportation suggested that people leaving work early to avoid the rush may have caused unexpected congestion. Unfortunately, if that was the case, BC and its contracted plowers, Mainroad Group, didn’t do much to mitigate the damage this time.
After the last storm, Daily Hive spoke to the head of Unifor Local 111, who placed blame on the ministry, suggesting there wasn’t enough done to prep the roads.
There’s more snow in the forecast, so there could be more chaos on the way.
Did you experience transit chaos in Metro Vancouver today? Let us know how it went in the comments.