VANCOUVER -- TransLink is warning transit users they could see impacts to service on Tuesday because of anticipated snowfall.
Environment Canada issued a special weather statement on Monday, which says Metro Vancouver could see five to 25 centimetres of "heavy, wet snow" starting on Tuesday morning.
"We're doing what we can to prepare to keep this city moving," said TransLink spokesperson Jill Drews. "But we do ask our customers to check transit alerts, check our Twitter account, and make sure that you know before you go because you could find that there may be some delays related to weather." Passengers are also encouraged to leave lots of extra travel time.
The transit agency said it is setting up a snow plan and is suggesting passengers "bundle up in case there are issues around the system" that delay them.
The Millennium Line will operate with four-car trains to increase capacity but will run at a reduced frequency. There are no capacity changes planned for the Expo Line at this point, according to TransLink.
Extra TransLink staff will be working to help customers and co-ordinate with municipalities on snow clearing if any "priority routes" are impacted. Special trucks will be out spreading de-icing solution on the trolley wires, and brass cutters will be installed on some trolley buses so they can be used to cut through ice on the wires.
"Our buses rely on city crews to clear the streets. If they're not clear and you'd have difficulty in a vehicle, you're going to have difficulty on a bus," said Drews. "We work closely with cities to make sure bus routes are priority when it comes to street cleaning."
If weather conditions deteriorate even further, TransLink said it will replace articulated buses with 40-foot conventional buses since they can be more agile on steep and slippery areas. They'll also use tire socks on buses on Burnaby Mountain and on North Shore routes where traction is an issue. Attendants could also be stationed at the front of each Expo and Millennium Line trains in order to limit emergency braking triggered by heavy snow. HandyDART vehicles will be sent out with two staff on board to make sure customers can get to the door safely and to help with digging out the bus, if necessary.
During January's snowstorm, service on more than 140 bus routes was impacted, and snowy streets left more than a dozen buses stuck at the bottom of the hill on the south end of the Granville Street Bridge.
Video posted to Twitter also showed several passengers pushing a bus that got stuck near Broadway and Willow Street in Vancouver.
There were also widespread delays on SkyTrain because of stuck doors and switch issues, which TransLink attributed to the below-freezing temperatures. Trains moved at slower speeds, and many SkyTrain platforms were crowded as people moved throughout the system.
