Get On The Bus

It's entirely possible that the word TransLink could be perceived as an information source on gender reassignment. But for Vancouver, it's the name of our public transit system.

And the good news about TransLink is that it has released an innovation which should be a big help to anyone taking the bus in this town - whether you're planning a trip here or you're lucky enough to live here.

I can't tell you how many times I've been waiting for the bus and someone who isn't from here or rarely uses public transit has asked me if I know when the bus they're waiting for will actually arrive. Despite my best efforts to memorize every bus schedule for the benefit of total strangers, I'm often unable to accurately respond to the query.

However, if anyone at the bus stop wants to know how unwatchable The Young and the Restless has become, or what it's like to walk through the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia - I'd be delighted to chat with you.

Back to TransLink, finally it has provided a way for transit users to easily figure out when the bus will come. I'll let a picture I took at a downtown bus stop do the talking:

Easy as pie, n'est-ce pas? All you need is your cellphone.

Also, a recent innovation by Google should make it easier to figure out transit in Vancouver. Plus, the service is apparently available in several languages. It's super easy to use (what by Google isn't?). Just put Google Transit Vancouver into your search engine.