Trondheim – A template for light-rail in the valley? It's a cert!
| Population (2009) | |
| Â -Â Total | 168,257 |
|---|---|
|  - Density | 480/km2 (1,243.2/sq mi) |
Trondheim, Norway boasts the northernmost tramway line in the world: the Gråkallbanen, the last remaining bit of the Trondheim Tramway is an 8.8 km (5.5 mi) route (which is mostly single-track outside the inner most parts of the city; except the stretch between Breidablikk and Nordre Hoem stations) which runs from the city centre, through the Byåsen district, and up to Lian, in the large recreation area Bymarka.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxG2-ffA_xw&feature=related]
Please note single track and on-street operation.
With four major urban centres, Vancouver, Langley, Abbotsford, and Chilliwack and an area population of just under 3 million, the success of a Vancouver to Chilliwack interurban would be, as they say in the trade, a cert!
I love the curb lane operation that makes the tram just as convenient as a bus. Stations are then little more than large bus stops. There’s quite a lot of infrastructure needed to support tracks that are located in the middle of the street.
I’d love to see trams replace the B-Line and maybe even local buses on Broadway in place of the current SkyTrain proposal. Such a line could extend beyond Broadway and Commercial to increase capacity in other areas and provide a new direct route linking Vancouver to Burnaby. I’d give more detail but, while it’s a light rail idea, it’s rather off-topic for a Fraser Valley centric blog.