Canada Line Hype and Hoopla

One wonders why all the hype and hoopla is about with the new cars for the Canada Line? The recently delivered cars are standard ROTEM electrical multiple units, used by several transit systems, unlike the proprietary Movia Automatic Light Metro cars, used on the Expo and Millennium Lines. Also, very explicit is that there are [...]

The SkyTrain Dream Collapsing

So, despite the hype and hoopla of SkyTrain being a driver for increased density, it is now being seen as the harbinger of urban sprawl as affordable housing is demolished and in its place unaffordable condos in towers are built. As rents exceed income and combined incomes of families (one now needs an income of [...]

Trams At The Heart Of The 21st Century Metropolis

With nearly 600 tram and light rail systems in operation around the world, this is hardly surprising. With Vancouver being the odd-ball city, insisting that the light-metro is the way to go, taxpayers have to have extremely deep pockets, to pay for the politicians  foolish financial excesses. During an era of record investment in urban [...]

No, It Does Not Make Sense

It is as I predicted, the people in the Fraser Valley are awakening to the realities of TransLink, poor transit and high taxes. Politicians have such poor memories of the 2015 plebiscite. For too long TransLink has done what the City of Vancouver’s wants, continuing the city’s perverse desire to have a gold plated, Edsel [...]

Vancouver Will Need To Adopt Lower-Cost LRT In Its Lesser Corridors

But, eventually, Vancouver will need to adopt lower-cost LRT in its lesser corridors, or else limit the extent of its rail system. And that seems to make some TransLink people very nervous. Gerald Fox, 2008.   Here is the big crunch which TransLink seems deathly afraid of, do they continue with the now obsolete and [...]

Why Not Battery Powered EMU’s For A Vancouver To Chilliwack Rail Service?

As technology advances, the benefits of a “green” electric rail service will greatly increase. The long distance battery powered train is now upon us. A FLRT Akku battery powered train could be the answer for a regional passenger service in the Fraser Valley as Battery powered trains could be recharged from strategically placed sections of [...]

Valley Rail: Why Do We Not Do What Is Right?

Here we have another try in doing what is the right thing to do, reinstate the Vancouver to Chilliwack rail service, using the former and intact BC Electric rail line. Using existing tracks greatly reduces the cost of a transit project. TransLink is going to build a 5.7 km subway under Broadway for a cost [...]

More Comments On TransLink’s Anti Valley Rail Screed

This reply by our friend, Mr. Haveacow is very much worth reading. There are big problems extending SkyTrain; big problems equals lots of ta money, which equals more taxes and user fees. Like high gas prices, just continue building with SkyTrain. I will add to the professors point, the Hydrogen powered I Lint54, is a [...]

A Reply to TransLink’s Anti Valley Rail Screed

Zwei will comment on this and Translink’s rebuttal in the next blog post. Translink has released a report dated June 6 to the Joint Regional Transportation Planning Committee later share with the Mayors Council on Regional Transportation. https://www.peacearchnews.com/news/service-on-interurban-rail-would-be-expensive-miss-key-destinations-translink/?fbclid=IwAR2DqlC_P9oF_JLVhqovE2w9G-BiyITd6xt097Hto5FfPAvy8TA9q6qVpcI It contains a number of misunderstandings and factual errors, some of which are addressed below. * Preamble: [...]

Nonsense From The Langley Times

Such an ill informed column in the Langley Advance Times, that one would think it is a plant, by those who want to spend billions on SkyTrain, which is well past its “Best Before” date. Just who builds with ART Movia Metro (Expo and Millennium Lines) any more? Not one of the proprietary mini-metros sold [...]