The SkyTrain Lobby Just Can't Debate Transit Issues

The following letter to the Georgia Straight sums up transit planning in Vancouver and the region, an almost mythical blind faith in the SkyTrain light-metro and the complete inability to debate transit issues. The SkyTrain lobby’s preference is based purely on mass hysteria not technical merit and the comments following letter clearly illustrates a hysterical response; there is [...]

The Broadway Follies Part 3 – Questions & Answers about SkyTrain

We continue with the question and answer format about Broadway’s transit issues, with a focus on SkyTrain. Vancouver is the only city in the world that continues to plan and build solely with automatic (driverless) light-metro and many people would like to know why. First, we must tackle the issue of SkyTrain and answer questions posed [...]

Stephen Rees's blog – Bond shies away from major TransLink reforms – well worth a read.

Many who read the Rail for the Valley blog also read Stephen Rees’s blog, but for the growing number of overseas visitors, his most recent post; “Bond shies away from major TransLink reforms” is well worth a read. http://stephenrees.wordpress.com/2010/05/02/bond-shies-away-from-major-translink-reforms/

Seattle Transit – Kemper Freeman is suing to stop light-rail expansion to Eastside

The transit debate in Seattle is very interesting and far more entertaining than anything here in Vancouver. Unlike Seattle, Vancouver’s business elite’s glad-handed the hugely expensive RAV/Canada line because they knew some of the over $2.5 billion spent on the metro would find its way into their businesses pockets. The LRT and metro debate in Vancouver  has [...]

Campbell's "Reshuffling of The Deck Chairs on TransLink" Can't Hide The fact That TransLink, is Steering Directly Into a Financial Iceberg!

The provincial government has in effect (to use that old cliché) “Rearranged the deck chairs on the Titanic“. Unable and/or unwilling to admit to the real problem with TransLink and regional transit is that building hugely expensive metros on routes that do not have the ridership to sustain them, requires large subsidies and those subsidies takes monies from [...]

Two Tram projects planned in northern France. What no VAL?

What is interesting about this announcement is that the new tram projects are planned near Lille France, which operates the VAL automatic mini-metro. The two approved tram or light-rail lines are very close to the City of Lille and the VAL mini-metro system. This poses the question: Why not build with VAL? French cities that [...]

Light Rail & Tramways Growth Continues With new Openings in 2010

From May’s issue of Tramway’s & Urban Transit comes a list of new LRT openings in 2010, almost one every six weeks. The following is a partial list of new LRT/tram and TramTrain systems. It is interesting to note the increase of TramTrain expansion, both in Europe and in North America. Also, when compared to metro [...]

The Broadway Follies – TransLink does the Gong Show

Here we go again, TransLink’s famous planning exercises that in the end will please no one and achieve very little. There is no bold ‘grand plan’ but more of the same, a little BRT here; a little SkyTrain there, with a hint of LRT thrown in to keep the trolley-jolly types happy. With all the [...]

Some Sunday Reading – The "Automatic Metro" or AGT Debate – Too Much Bunkum By The AGT Lobby

In various other transit oriented blogs, the myth that automatic operation of trains saves operating costs is perpetuated ad nauseum. Those who try to set the record straight are subjected to a sort of ‘Spanish Inquisition’ and are treated as latter day heretics. What is so Monty Pythonish about this is that back in the [...]

From Seattle – A light-rail tunnel is best solution for Bellevue and region – NOT!

I see that the city of Bellevue, located directly East of Seattle across Lake Washington, wants to put the proposed LRT in a tunnel under the city. This extremely expensive bit of transit planning reflects the power of the auto lobby to push public transit underground, thus greatly increasing costs, while at the same time deterring ridership. This blinkered [...]