Six Minutes

There are a few things which I could write about today. For example, this was the first smokey day in the Lower Mainland due to wildfires. I hope this situation is shortlived. Also, Translink stated playing 'public service' announcements featuring Seth Rogan. He's a local boy and I love his humourous transit messages. However, rather than just playing in the buses and SkyTrain cars, these are broadcast over the PA system in SkyTrain Stations too. Columbia Station, and therefore Translink, has constantly proven to be a horrible neighbhour because of the high noise level of non-emergency announcements. We have now seen complete decades with no improvement!

Rather than a daily, local issue though, I will post two, short YouTube tourist videos. They were produced for two very famous travel websites. I want to try to get friends interested in visiting us this winter while we're based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Which of these might be more persuasive?

Windows Open During Summer?

@Translink I am so happy the Morgan Freeman / Visa adverts were dropped as soon as they started. Anything other than emergency directions from a SkyTrain station PA system are simply noise pollution. Keep our cities quiet!

— DennisSylvesterHurd 🇨🇦 (@DennisSHurd) June 2, 2018

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Our building is attached to the Columbia SkyTrain Station. Consequently, noise from there travels up the wall and into all both buildings' apartments. We have read of all sorts of extensive renovations for the original SkyTrain stations. Yet we've witnessed nothing about noise mitigation for us. When we moved here 20 years ago, there was just one Expo line with drastically fewer trains. So until you get things straightened out for those who live beside Columbia Station, keep those advertisements on hold.

I Used Canada Post!

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Select the image to access a PDF copy of this letter about our Columbia SkyTrain Station noise problem.

Help Ban Unnecessary Noise

See directly on YouTube

PLEASE LISTEN TO THE AUDIO FROM THE 46 SECOND MARK.

I heard this 73 times yesterday. I can hear the announcements when the TV is on and the windows are closed. I can hear from my bed. I live on a high floor behind the open Columbia Station. The PA system was used only for emergency instructions from 1998 to 2014. For example when there was a problem train or medical emergency. Now, it is a constant battle to try to turn off unnecessary pre-recorded 'informational' messages. Since Friday, these new ones have been playing every 10 minutes or 6 times per hour between 8AM and 8PM. We are retired and manage to hear all 73 on some days.

#Stopthenoise at SkyTrain Stations

This email was just sent to my city.

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TO: bylawenforcement@newwestcity.ca

SUBECT: Annoying Columbia Station "Attn. Passenger" SkyTrain Announcements

DATE: July 5, 2015 3:30 pm


Dear sir / madam,

We live directly behind (over) the Columbia SkyTrain Station at 420 Carnarvon Street. It is personally convenient, but now recent public address announcements have become the norm.

Whereas, during our first 16 years here the PA system was used only during emergencies, now "friendly reminders" are broadcast throughout the day from 8am to 8pm and on every single day of the week. It seems that there is very little consistency but often I hear at least 5 per hour. Approximately a decade ago noise from the trains themselves were deemed a problem and the speed of trains approaching from the tunnel were modified. Sound samples were taken. This is much more of a problem. The broadcasts can be shrill and startling but some others are hardly audible from our 10th floor apartment.

I would like to involve you, over the mess of trying to find out how to contact someone helpful through Translink's Customer Service.

We are now retired and this unnecessary noise has become a real nuisance. Can you suggest any course of action, we should pursue in order to restore a peaceful environment?


Dennis Sylvester Hurd


Sent by Gmail via a browser.
Web: www.dennissylvesterhurd.blogspot.ca/

New Skytrain Shouting an Annoyance

Living in a building which is attached to the Vancouver Skytrain system has many advantages. I love being able to jump in a train and get to downtown Vancouver in a half hour. This means my truck often stays parked in my stall.


The Skytrain system has grown since we bought the apartment. We were here before the Millennium Line was built. This means that roughly twice as many trains pass through everyday. The biggest concern is noise. Once trains were slowed down in the approaching tunnel to mitigate noise for our building. That trouble been compounded over the summer as now non-essential announcements are being added to the mix. Reminders such as warnings to leave the doors clear are very audible even when my windows are shut tightly.

I am not sure what prompted the addition of these "friendly messages" this year but I fail to see that they are going to enhance rider safety. They didn't seem to be necessary for the last 16 years! For a few recent months this shrill advice occurred about once an hour. Today, I heard that they've increased by several fold. It is impossible to get any meaningful action through Translink Customer Service. The problem always is trying to pin down someone within the organization that can actually help.

This is a fix that is going to require a little more force. I think I will have to get my apartment building and the City of New Westminster involved.

On the Record

Date: Thu, 2 Jun 2005 05:20:11 -0700
From: Dennis Sylvester Hurd (Google Mail)
To: rick_kams@bcrtc.bc..ca
Subject: NOISE LEVELS from SKYTRAIN ANNOUNCEMENTS at COLUMBIA STATION
Cc: kcoueffin@city.new-westminster.bc.ca, custrel@translink.bc.ca, editorial@royalcityrecord.com, mike_richard@bcrtc.bc.ca, amelita_quizon@bcrtc.bc.ca

The last letter below was sent last fall. I have copied an entire history of complaints about the Skytrain system announcement VOLUME LEVELS. You will discover that this situation dates back to 2003.

I am writing this at 5:20 because I was rudely awoken this morning by an announcement at 5:00 am. Last weekend was an especially trying time as I was unable to get to sleep until after 2:00 am on Saturday morning. This was the same day that I started teaching day-long classes at BCIT beginning at eight. I know announcements will be necessary ... but there has to be control over the sound levels.

I demand that studies take place in order to get the announcements to acceptable decibel levels. If the Skytrain station were a neighbor, then municipal noise regulations would be preventing the headache that you are causing. I'd like to to be personally acknowledged as to the plans to prevent this constant interruption to my life.

==Dennis Hurd
#1001 420 Carnarvon Street
New Westminster, BC V3L 5P1
tel: 604.524-6197

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Dear Quizon Amelita,

As you will note on the previous correspondence, it has been about five months since I last wrote about excessive announcement noise from the Columbia Station Skytrain Station. However, I would like for you to keep a constant eye on the situation.

Last night between 12:45 and 1:45 am, I was again awoken from a sound sleep. Please bear in mind that I live on the tenth floor of the building behind the station. Announcements were made in both a female and male voice at the arrival of each train.

It goes without saying that I know the system will encounter times when announcements need to be made. Yet, they should not prevent sleep for neighbours of the stations. TURN THE VOLUME TO ACCEPTABLE LEVELS, PLEASE.

I will provide and early thank you for your understanding and action on this matter.

== Dennis Hurd


----- Original Message -----
From: Dennis Sylvester Hurd
To: QUIZON AMELITA ; Keith
Coueffin ; custrel@translink.bc.ca
Cc: KAMS RICK; editorial@royalcityrecord.com; RICHARD MIKE
Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 3:33 PM
Subject: Re: Oct. 30 AM SkyTrain Announcements Too Loud

Dear madam,

I'd like to thank you very much for the prompt response to my email message. Unfortunately, I must have been unclear in the original as you were unable to address my major concern.

You told me the reason for the service interruption. I was well aware the reason. I wasn't able to avoid hearing the announcements repeated this morning while trying to get back to sleep. You continued by telling me that you needed to communicate with customers and I can certainly accept that without condition. I am sure the on a system as advanced as the SkyTrain that technical issues will occasionally develop and announcements will need to be made.

What I was trying to address was the extreme volume in which the message was broadcast. The subject line in my original message read, "AM SkyTrain Announcements Too Loud". I live on the 10th floor and my windows were tightly shut. I was sound asleep but the announcements forced me and my partner to awake.

That type of 'inconvenience' should have a solution and, unfortunately, you did not address that concern at all.

== Dennis Hurd

----- Original Message -----

From: QUIZON AMELITA
To: Keith Coueffin ; Dennis Sylvester Hurd ; custrel@translink.bc.ca
Cc: KAMS RICK ; editorial@royalcityrecord.com; RICHARD MIKE
Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 11:50 AM
Subject: RE: Oct. 30 AM SkyTrain Announcements Too Loud

Dear Mr. Hurd:

The announcements that occurred this morning were required due a system failure to a major safety system which prevented our ability to begin revenue service at our normal time.

We apologize for the inconvenience you experienced this morning, but such cases we are required to communicate with our customers thus the announcements you heard. Be assured that every effort is made to minimize any inconveniences to our passengers and surrounding neighbours, but on occasions such as this it may not be possible.

Once again, we do apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for allowing us to address your concerns.

BCRTC: 2003-01493 TransLink: 25337

Amelita Quizon
Customer Service & Operations Support
SkyTrain-BC Rapid Transit Company Ltd.
6800 14th Avenue
Burnaby, BC V3N 4S7
Tel. (604) 520-3641
email: amelita_quizon@bcrtc.bc.ca


-----Original Message-----
From: Keith Coueffin [mailto:kcoueffin@city.new-westminster.bc.ca]
Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 9:57 AM
To: Dennis Sylvester Hurd; custrel@translink.bc.ca
Cc: KAMS RICK; editorial@royalcityrecord.com; RICHARD MIKE; QUIZON AMELITA
Subject: RE: Oct. 30 AM SkyTrain Announcements Too Loud

Mr Kams
(Rick),

Will you be able to investigate the concerns noted by Mr.Hurd?

kc Keith Coueffin
Assistant Director of Strategic Services
Phone 604-527-4645


-----Original Message-----
From: Dennis Sylvester Hurd [mailto:DennisSylvesterHurd@hotmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 9:29 AM
To: custrel@translink.bc.ca
Cc: rick_kams@bcrtc.bc.ca; Keith Coueffin; editorial@royalcityrecord.com; mike_richard@bcrtc.bc.ca; amelita_quizon@bcrtc.bc.ca
Subject: Oct. 30 AM
SkyTrain Announcements Too Loud

To: Translink, BCRTC
cc: FYI - K. Coueffin, New Westminster City Hall
Royal City Record -- Please consider for editorial page or as a topic assignment for an article.

==================================

A female voice advising a 'service disruption' blasted from the Columbia Street Skytrain station at 5:05 this morning and was repeated for about 10 minutes.

This was several hours before I had to be awake. Our building is directly in back of the station. Although most won't have time nor drive to complain, I am sure that all residents in the south-facing apartments were awoken. The volume of these announcements was inappropriately loud. Columbia station surely doesn't seem like a good neighbour this morning!

Unfortunately this is not a one-time occurrence. Over the years, even the city of New Westminster has been involved in requests for sound-level monitoring. It was six months ago, I wrote to complain about excessive speaker volume and the accompanying 'beep'.

We moved here well aware of the convenience and well as drawbacks of living so close to the station. Since that time, the Millennium Line has vastly increased the number of trains, announcements, and people through the Columbia Station.

The station's exposed roof opening is not very large. I would like to propose that Translink begin to study the cost of the installation of a glass-pyramid covering for it.

==Dennis Hurd