“We have a demonstration fleet,” explains Jacobsen. “We’re experimenting with six technologies under actual loads. Whereas most systems are tested by the manufacturer.”

The six technologies include diesel-electric hybrid with an Allison transmission, compressed natural gas (CNG), biodiesel, diesel particulate filter, an Orion hybrid and a hybrid+natural gas bus.

The technologies are all being put into practice on 40-foot buses for the next year under actual loads. Jacobsen points out that the GVRD is an excellent place for this as the region has tough terrain, is very hilly with lots of bridges.

Another innovation for TransLink is its NightBus service. No, this isn’t the same thing as in the Harry Potter books, but as in its literary companion, the NightBus can sure be a boon if you are stuck outside after dark.

“It’s a great way to get to work at night,” says Jacobsen. “We used to have in the region a kind of universal NightBus, but it had very low usage. So what we did was we rationalized the service and picked a few corridors and now we run it all night for shift workers and late nighters.”

The service switch paid off as efficiency increased and ridership grew.

And one can’t forget that TransLink’s bus service isn’t just confined to land. Its SeaBus ferry service runs from Waterfront Station in North Vancouver to the North Shore every 15 minutes weekdays and every 30 minutes on the weekend. The Burrard Beaver and Burrard Otter have been in service since the SeaBus began operating in 1977.

I was able to take in the crossing both ways from the bridge of the SeaBus and it was a tremendous sight. As part of its operating plan, TransLink is currently looking to add a third SeaBus to its fleet. This would take the total trip time down from 15 minutes weekdays to around 12 according to the captain I spoke with (also a veteran of 30 years along with his ship).