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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 13h

I was thinking it would be your own more correct list, but it looks like the Economist list

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 13h

It's the same list, though en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_qu...

en.wikipedia.org

City quality of life indices - Wikipedia

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

This sign is ruining a lot of photos

A Ken Sim sign in front of the Sylvia Hotel, which is covered in red ivy up top and green ivy near the bottom

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

It fits if you turn it sideways, which is what I did

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Making Edmonds an all-stop station produces a big jump in overall job access, and it's far enough from Metrotown and Columbia that it can be fit without expresses catching up to locals Adding Edmonds alone does more for job access than reversing services on the Canada and Millennium branches

A string diagram of Expo Line express and local services including an all-stop station at Edmonds. The speed is slowed so that the end-to-end time matches the estimated trip time used for the model, 53 minutes for express and 63 minutes for local.

A map of job access with Edmonds Station added as an all-stop station.

(The map removes the reversing service on the Millennium and Canada branches.)

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

The difference between the 25 and the R4 is surprisingly strong The 25 connects at King Edward and Nanaimo, both local-only stations in this network, and trip times are longer along the route The R4 and 41 connect at Oakridge and Joyce, both all-stop stations, and trip times are shorter there

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

There are a lot of limitations with this model It uses average speed for the trip time calculation, and actual speed varies over the lines with stop spacing and curves It doesn't time the transfers that would be timed for expresses to pass locals (so there's some upside for local/express)

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

With the local/express operating pattern, the average resident is within 45 minutes of 2700 more jobs People benefit if they live near an all-stop station or a more-distant local-only station Trips are longer for people living near local-only stops like Nanaimo, 29th Ave, Edmonds, Renfrew, Holdom

A map showing the change in number of jobs within 45 minutes for a local/express stopping pattern vs the existing local-only stopping pattern on SkyTrain

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

The City tried to keep everything on Kingsway through policy when the SkyTrain was built (they banned all but some apartments on specific lots that could act as noise barriers)

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

It probably didn't help that the City tried to keep grocery stores away from Expo Line stations Are we still doing that?

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Also, I cut the dwell time to I think 10 seconds on locals (because it should be less busy than express) It might be too short? The dwell times really add up across this many stations

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

This doesn't have slowdowns for curves, just a simple model of acceleration to top speed You have to slow it down accordingly

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

You might be wondering if this complex set of service patterns results in low frequencies, and maybe slightly, but the Keikyu airport branch and main line are both operated frequently Timetables, from Haneda (11 t/h, 7 going north on the main line and 4 south) and from Shinagawa southbound (24 t/h)

The timetable in the hour from 3 PM from Haneda on the airport branch
15:00 Express Zushi/Hayama
15:06 Airport Limited Express Narita Airport Terminal
15:09 Limited Express Imba Nihon Idai
15:20 Express Zushi/Hayama
15:25 Limited Express Aoto
15:29 Limited Express Imba Nihon Idai
15:39 Express Zushi/Hayama
15:44 Limited Express Imba Nihon Idai
15:49 Express Zushi/Hayama
15:53 Limited Express Narita Airport Terminal
15:58 Express Inzaimakinohara

The timetable in the hour from 6 PM from Shinagawa on the main line showing 24 trains per hour running 5 service patterns (just in this hour, local, express, and three types of limited express) with 4 destinations (just in this hour).

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Maybe not, but if express stations aren't optimized to minimize dwell times then both the local and express are going to have to sit there longer - the local has to wait for the express to leave That's going to eat into capacity and it's going to slow the local even more than this already does

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Basically, I didn't come up with the idea - it exists somewhere This is enabled by the stacked platforms at Keikyu Kamata (analogous to Bridgeport), two platforms (actually more, but they're not relevant) above two platforms, with both platforms on one side (top and bottom) branching to the airport

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Keikyu runs a still more complex pattern on its airport branch, with trains that run from Haneda direct to Kamata and on to Shinagawa and trains that run all stop to Kamata then reverse to Kawasaki and trains on other patterns This is alongside the various stopping patterns on the Keikyu Main Line

A sign on a column at Haneda airport showing that trains go to Shinagawa and Yokohama and an Express train at the platform that reverses at Kamata to go through Yokohama to Zushi

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

The Expo Line is such a good diagonal, it's really hard to beat it in trip time with anything but a parallel line or a somewhat less-direct express metro like GTX (e.g. in the Central Valley) A new line might be more expensive, but it would be less disruptive, add capacity, and add new connections

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

I probably should have depicted Columbia with an extra platform It's needed to avoid Millennium Line trains from interfering with the Expo Line

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

The other reason for introducing express services is that it could reduce the cost of increasing capacity Only the express stations would need to be extended to extend express trains, reducing the number of stations that would need to be extended Or we could build a new line instead..

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

The benefit is that it cuts Langley-Vancouver trip times by about 10 minutes, but at the cost of new stations and reduced frequency at local stations It's probably not worth it, but it's a concept that can be assessed to see if it can result in overall travel time savings

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

An additional service is shown running all stops from Airport to Bridgeport and then non-stop to Brighouse The express has to leave the airport single track before the next local arrives and then return to Bridgeport just after the previous local It's way too complicated for probably no benefit

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

The Canada Line is more complicated because its branches are single track to the last station Additional platforms would be needed at Bridgeport Express trains would stop at all stops from Waterfront to Broadway, then only at Oakridge, Bridgeport, and Airport Local trains would go to Brighouse

A string diagram showing where all Canada Line trains would stop and where a complex set of switches would happen at Bridgeport.

The express and local both reach Bridgeport at the same time. Also a shuttle to Airport and direct to Brighouse arrive at the same time.

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

IIRC, Lougheed was planned (3 platforms) for trains to reverse so that a service could be run directly between Columbia and Lafarge The Columbia-to-Lafarge would fit in between trains that ran express from Brentwood, leaving Lougheed just after the Millennium local (to Columbia) for fast transfers

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

On the Millennium Line, additional platforms to allow express trains to pass local trains would be needed at Brentwood Express trains would stop at all stops from Arbutus to Mount Pleasant, then only at Commercial, Brentwood, Lougheed, then all stops to Lafarge Local trains would go to Columbia

A string diagram showing where all trains would stop on the Millennium Line and where expresses would pass locals while they wait at stations.

An additional service is shown between Columbia and Lafarge

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

The stations that are all stop are mostly in the right spots, but some of them are not ideal Willowbrook would be a better all-stop station than Clayton to connect to the planned RapidBus, but the express catches up too soon Scott Road's RapidBus gets skipped by express trains There are tradeoffs

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

On the Expo Line, additional platforms to allow express trains to pass local trains would be needed at Metrotown and Surrey Express trains would stop at all stops from Waterfront to Commercial, then only at Joyce, Metrotown, Columbia, Surrey, 152nd, Clayton, and Langley Local trains are all stop

A string diagram showing where all trains would stop and where expresses would pass locals while they wait at stations.

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

With the increasing length of the Expo Line, people often bring up the idea of making the SkyTrain faster by adding skip stop or local/express service patterns In short, local & express services should be possible with additional platforms at 4 stations This thread explores one way to do that

A map depicting Vancouver's SkyTrain network showing all lines with some form of local & express stopping pattern, also showing connecting RapidBus, planned RapidBus, B-Line, SeaBus, and SFU Gondola

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Reposted by Mike F

Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

22nd Street and Scott Road could be removed from the express to speed it up a bit In that case, the express would also pass the local again at Surrey Central (or the local would turn around) This saves about 5 minutes from today's all stop trip time

A string diagram showing an express and local service on the Expo Line with passing stations at Metrotown and Surrey Central and with all stop stations at Joyce and Columbia

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Luckily these lines are automated with moving-block signaling and already run more frequently than every 2 minutes, especially after events The local is delayed There may be limitations on how quickly the switch switches and how close the express can get to the local at the passing stations

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

The express ends up with more ridership because people transfer to the express at the passing stations to speed up their trip Increasing capacity is possible by extending the relatively few platforms where the express stops

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

The Expo Line could run 4-minute headways on both a local and express with just a second set of platforms at Metrotown All stops west from Commercial, express only at Joyce, Metrotown, 22nd, Columbia, Scott Road, and Surrey (Let's assume there's a separate Millennium Line platform at Columbia)

A string diagram showing local and express services on the Expo Line between Commercial and Surrey, with a passing station at Metrotown

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

These are the same 6-minute headways I didn't do anything fancy to make this accurate, like look at curves since those should mostly get nulled out by both types running on the same curves It takes 15.3 minutes with express and 20 minutes for the local, a bit more with the long dwell at Brentwood

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

It's also possible to fit an express in between locals, but trains would have to arrive staggered at Mount Pleasant and Lougheed Operations on the adjacent segments would be awkward with uneven headways, but it wouldn't require any infrastructure on the existing Millennium Line

A string diagram showing that an express train could leave just before a local train at Mount Pleasant and arrive just after the previous local train at Lougheed

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

To run 6-minute headways on both a local and express, the Millennium Line would only need a second set of platforms at Brentwood Trains would have even headways entering and leaving at both ends All stops west from Mount Pleasant, express only at Commercial, Brentwood, and Lougheed, then all stops

A string diagram showing that expresses would pass locals at Brentwood and have even headways at Mount Pleasant and Lougheed

Of course, all this would break down at any other headway

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

The markings on the floor so that people line up for the right train when trains go to different places and have different stopping patterns It's especially bad here because of the single southbound platform bsky.app/profile/mike...

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

With a name like Canada, they could at least choose the right colours

A Keikyuu train at Shinagawa with a platform with silly gates because they're gonna rip this whole place out soon

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

The old SkyTrains are better (are those just socred colours?) At least they did up the whole train

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Is there such a thing as worse livery than what's on the Canada Line?

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Those power line corridors are pretty interesting

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

People are still complaining about dentists on the ground floor

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Just 6.3 km to make it not too out of the way to take those expresses from Langley

A map of trains in Metro Vancouver with a distance of 6.3 km measured between Lougheed and half way up the hill to Gateway in Surrey

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Just need to shift it south a few kilometres so it goes to more than one place or at least has transfers to lines that do

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

I joked about this a while ago Use Lougheed as the first passing station, add a couple platforms at Brentwood, then let most trains express through the wilds of Burnaby

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Mike F @mikefeaver.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

It would be so disruptive, I'm not sure it's worth considering beyond a fun thought experiment But on legacy mostly surface lines, it requires widening only near stations with limited acquisition compared to widening a full line

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