Could Hullo Ferry challenge BC Ferries?

Good morning,

Well, all you Lookout readers did it again…

After adding another 50 membership discounts for our Insider membership, we went from just over 50 sold to 98. Crazy!

When we launched this membership drive to fund the Lookout, I had hoped for 50 members. Maybe if we were lucky, 75. But almost 100? I’m shocked, in the best way possible.

Today’s newsletter is somewhat transportation-focused:

• ⛴️ An exclusive review of Hullo Ferry

• 🚆 Some good news about TransLink and getting around Vancouver

• 📅 The best events this weekend

Let’s get to it!

— Geoff Sharpe, Vancity Lookout newsletter writer

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WEATHER

Friday: 27 🌡️ 16 | ⛅

Saturday: 29 🌡️ 18 | ☀️ (potential smoke)

Sunday: 29 🌡️ 17 | ☀️ (potential smoke)

Monday: 26 🌡️ 16 | 🌧️

TRANSPORTATION

The good and the bad of the latest alternative to BC Ferries

What happened: After visiting friends and family in Victoria, I thought trying out Hullo Ferry and reporting back to readers on my experience might be worthwhile.

Breaking it down: The ferry currently travels between Nanaimo Harbour and downtown Vancouver at the Harbour Air docks. Travel time is roughly 1:15 from dock to dock. The ferries leave each harbour every two hours, starting at 6 am. You arrive at the terminal and are sorted into lines based on the tickets you purchased.

Background: This is not the first time a service like this has been created. HarbourLynx launched in 2003 but shut down in 2006 after its one ferry broke down. Hullo ferries are brand new and can take more passengers, according to Business in Vancouver. The new company is also much better financed than previous iterations.

The good: Anyone who takes BC Ferries often as walk-ons knows the challenges of getting into Vancouver from Tsawwassen or Horseshoe Bay. A relatively short ferry trip includes an extra hour of transit time each way. Both terminals downtown make it much more accessible for walk-on passengers.

The ferry was comfortable, boarding was easy, and numerous staff answered questions, making the entire process very smooth. Free wifi and $10 off your first ticket were certainly nice, though those perks are only temporary.

• Unlike BC Ferries, Hullo’s wifi worked well! It’s a great option for those who need to work.

The bad: At just over $75 for a regular-priced return ticket, it’s not cheap for a walk-on compared to BC Ferries at almost $40 for a round trip. The Nanaimo terminal isn’t accessible by walking. You can take a bus nearby, but as far as I can tell, you’d still need to walk about 1 km to the terminal

• The biggest problem? It currently only serves Nanaimo and not Victoria.

The line area had no covering, and the inside terminal was relatively small for the volume of passengers. This may prove challenging with B.C.’s notoriously rainy weather.

What they’re saying: I emailed both BC Ferries and Hullo Ferry with a few questions, but did not hear back by publishing time. I will publish any of the responses I get at a later date if they respond.

Why it matters: The overall experience was dare I say, actually enjoyable. It begs the question of why BC Ferries has not done something similar, given sailing waits for walk-on BC Ferries passengers. The Aug. 23rd 10 am sailing was sold out according to reporter Kenneth Chan, and my ferry was close to full, meaning there is clearly demand. It remains to be seen if Hullo can make it profitable, given the failures of other ferry providers

• Looking ahead: The company says they plan to expand to Victoria, according to Urbanized. I suspect it may prove exceedingly popular.

VANCOUVER NUMBERS

🚌 $20,000: The amount the Transit Museum Society is trying to raise to restore an old transit bus. You can donate here. [Urbanized]

👮 1/3: The amount of homicides that are gang-related in B.C. [Vancouver Sun]

THE AGENDA

🔥 Get ready for more smoky weather today, and potentially into the weekend, as outflow winds move the smoke into the city. It’s unclear how bad it will be on Saturday and Sunday. [Vancouver is Awesome]

🏗️ Developers are increasingly in favour of reducing the amount of parking that’s needed for developments, which would reduce the amount of building supplies needed. Burnaby is looking at this for a development at 3965 North Rd. [Business in Vancouver]

🚌 On Wednesday a pedestrian was hit by a commercial bus in North Vancouver and is now in critical condition. The crash happened at the 2000 block of Marine Drive. Another person was hit by a TransLink bus in South Vancouver. [CTV]

🏘️ As housing increasingly dominates the agenda of governments across Canada, more groups are calling for the federal government to end the GST on secured purpose-built rentals, as a way to spur their development. [Urbanized]

❌ A tenant is calling out the owner of her rental unit who is trying to evict her so his daughter can move in. She says the landlord owns a mansion and the entire apartment building, and says it’s unlikely the daughter would live in such a cramped space given their wealth. [CTV]

🧑‍🚒 As fires get worse in B.C., Premier David Eby says his government is looking into establishing a year-round emergency response, and especially incorporating local knowledge into the organization. [CTV]

TRANSIT

Some good news for transit users

New app: TransLink is planning to roll out a simplified app to make multimodal transportation easier throughout Vancouver, according to Business in Vancouver.

The problem: Transit doesn’t service every area of Vancouver. And in some cases, it makes more sense to move around on a bike or car share. Viewing how all these work together, in terms of mapping and transportation time, can be a real challenge.

How it works: The app will bring together TransLink, Evo, Modo and Mobi Bike Share, to make it easier to get around. The initial test included a single-user card, which Business in Vancouver indicated could be coming in the future, but for now, it’s just an app.

• A single card to use on all transportation options, from transit to bikes, to cars, would make getting around much easier.

It could also include the Aquabus and potentially Hullo Ferry in the future. The CEO for Modo said they’d have more details on it in the coming months.

How SkyTrain usage compares to North America

Meanwhile, here’s something Vancouver can be proud of — a new report shows that Vancouver’s subway usage extremely high, according to Urbanized, placing fourth out of all subways in North America.

The study from the American Public Transportation Association shows that Vancouver has surpassed every American city except for New York. The city also places 3rd in Canada, behind Montreal and Toronto, with 400,000 average weekday ridership.

• Fun fact: Vancouver’s SkyTrain has more than 3 km more track than the Toronto Subway, at 80 km versus 77 km.

Vancouver has also recovered faster after COVID than every other transit system in North America, with 81 percent of 2019 ridership returning.

EVENTS

Granville Block Party | Robson & Granville intersection | This Saturday and Sunday, 1 pm-7 pm | Musical performers, street performers, market vendors, arts and crafts workshops for the whole family | Free

Summer Nights At Southlands | Market Square - 6388 Market Ave, Delta | This Saturday, 4 pm-9 pm | Food trucks, art, beer garden and a general all-around fun time | Free

Jewish Strathcona Walking Tours | 700 East Pender at Heatley | This Sunday, 10:30 am | Discover Vancouver’s historical Jewish community | Tickets $23

Vancouver Fast Friending age 25-35 | Sande's Lounge and Banquet Hall, Burnaby | This Saturday, 7 pm | Come meet new friends, both men and women | Tickets $12

Art in the Park | Second Beach | This Sunday, 12 pm | Join Vancouver’s creative community for an art party and picnic | Free

End of Summer Market | 3102 Main Street | This Sunday, 11 am- 5 pm | Come check out local small brands and businesses, including food vendors | Free

Mount Pleasant Farmers Market | 2300 Guelph Street | This Sunday, 10 am | 35+ farms and producers to check out | Free

Strathcona Street Art and Mural Tour | Discover the stories and history of the East End, including checking out over 20 pieces of street art | Free

TWEET OF THE DAY

You may support or oppose the Stanley Park bike lane. But this tweet illustrates, to me anyway, how city bureaucracy can get in the way of making improvements or changes to cities.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• The biggest tourist traps in Metro Vancouver are the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mountain, according to USA Today. What do you think? [Daily Hive]

• There’s a new Turkish street food truck around town called Patso. [Dished]

• Reddit users are debating what is the real South Granville. It’s either between 41st to 60th-something, the area under the bridge to 16th or some other spots! [Reddit]

• Here’s some PNE foods worth trying. [Disched]

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GAME TIME

Congrats to Tyler, Carrie and Azim who correctly guessed the answer to Wednesday’s GeoGuesser. The answer was Sunset Beach.

Can you guess today’s Vancouver Wordle? Play it now.