A Replacement For the Fraser River Rail Bridge?

Interesting article in the Vancouver Sun that Surreyai??i??s light rail bid could have edge in federal funding over Vancouverai??i??s Broadway subway line.

What is of more importance for Rail for the Valley is the replacement of the decrepit Fraser river rail bridge which lies in the shadows of the Patullo Bridge. The present single track Fraser river rail bridge must be replaced by a minimum three track span to cater to three railways, Amtrak, and future RftV tramtrain service from Vancouver to Chilliwack.

Zwei has always advocated for a combined road/rail bridge to replace both the Patullo and Fraser Rial bridges and now with Federal financial input, our regional politicians must vigorously advocate for it.

Then how about some federal dollars, say $500 million or soAi?? and invest in a start-up Vancouver to Chilliwack Interurban service using diesel tramtrains, using the new rail bridge. In other words, a new TramTrain service to connect all those Torry ridings in the Fraser Valley to Vancouver, so people can easily access sporting venues; medical facilities; YVR; etc.

Simple and affordable is the hallmark of a good transit project and a new combined road/rail bridge could do just that..

Surreyai??i??s light rail bid could have edge in federal funding over Vancouverai??i??s Broadway subway line

Conservative-friendly Metro suburbs may have advantage over Vancouver for new project dollars

By Peter O’Neil, Vancouver SunJanuary 21, 2014

Foreground and lower in the photo, the 100-year-old railway swing bridge in Westminster, which could end up on Ottawaai??i??s infrastructure list. Behind it are the Pattullo Bridge and the SkyTrain bridge.

Photograph by: ian lindsay, Vancouver Sun

OTTAWA ai??i?? B.C. municipal leaders are gearing up for an announcement on how the Harper government plans to spend its $14-billion, 10-year, Building Canada Fund that starts April 1.

Metro leaders have a pretty good idea what Ottawa wonai??i??t fund.

The Harper government has signalled disdain for having federal taxpayers subsidize projects like the proposed new $350-million Vancouver Art Gallery.

Instead, look for projects that play into the Conservative focus on economic growth and international trade ai??i?? bridges, tunnels, other transportation projects, sewage treatment.

Politics could play a role, given the addition of five new House of Commons seats in the communities around Vancouver. The Conservatives hope to win those seats as part of their plan to secure another majority in 2015.

That means Surreyai??i??s request for federal help for $1.8 billion in light rapid transit could have an edge over Vancouverai??i??s bid for a $2.4-billion subway along the Broadway corridor (in a relatively Tory-unfriendly city).

ai???In the end, thereai??i??s only so much money and thereai??i??s always somebody who will go first and someone who will go second,ai??? said Vancouver councillor Raymond Louie, who is also vice-chair of Metro Vancouver and second vice-president of the Canadian Federation of Municipalities.

Louie said, for instance, that proponents of the new art gallery may have trouble finding a suitable federal funding mechanism.

“I’m not sure where the money would be pulled from,” he said.

Louie said heai??i??s confident, after discussions with federal ministers, that merit will trump politics when the federal government chooses projects to fund.

A spokeswoman for Infrastructure Minister Denis Lebel, Michele-Jamali Paquette, would only say Tuesday that the government will make an announcement ai???soonai??? on how the Building Canada Fund will work.

Of the $14 billion, $10 billion is expected to go, on a per capita basis, to provinces and territories for ai???highways, public transit, drinking water, waste water, connectivity and broadband, and innovationai??? projects, according to the federal budget.

The other $4 billion will be for projects of ai???national significance.ai??? B.C. ai??i?? as the transportation corridor serving the governmentai??i??s Asia-focused export strategy ai??i?? is expected to get at least a per capita share.

Among the big-ticket items that could receive federal funding in the Lower Mainland:

ai??? The proposed $560-million Lions Gate sewage treatment plant is probably the least contentious, as it has the support of all members of the Metro Vancouver government.

ai??? Replacement of the 110-year-old rail bridge next to the Pattullo Bridge in New Westminster, projected to cost more than $100 million, is expected to get serious consideration given the growing profile of rail transport and rail safety.

ai??? Premier Christy Clarkai??i??s proposed bridge to replace the George Massey tunnel is estimated at $3 billion, and Louie said there are concerns among municipalities that it will drain money away from municipal priorities.

Bickering aside, Canadaai??i??s increasingly influential big-city mayors have to be at least somewhat satisfied in succeeding, after years of lobbying, in getting a commitment to stable long-term funding.

Including the Building Canada Fund, Ottawaai??i??s infrastructure program is worth $53.5 billion over $10 years. If spent on a per capita basis, about $6 billion would come to B.C.

Another major part of the program is the $32.2 billion Community Improvement Fund. Two thirds of it comes from the gas tax fund that funnels $2 billion a year to provinces and territories. The federal government, according to the 2013 budget, wants this money targeted towards ai???highways, local and regional airports, short-line rail, short-sea shipping, disaster mitigation, broadband and connectivity, brownfield redevelopment, culture, tourism, sport, and recreation.ai??? Specific decisions on which projects get money is in the hands of the provinces and municipalities.

Most of the remaining money, $10.4 billion over 10 years, comes from the GST rebate for municipalities program for general infrastructure needs.

While the Conservatives boast that it is the largest infrastructure investment in history, the parliamentary budget officer did a report last spring that suggested the increases are modest compared to past spending. The report, which found that infrastructure spending peaked at $5.2 billion in 2013-14, said it would take $45 billion over the next 10 years just to maintain that spending ai??i?? a figure marginally less than $47.5 billion committed in the 2013 budget.

poneil@postmedia.com

The Politics of Fear

It seems if all else fails for the TransLink referendum, scare the people to vote for yes for more money. This is called the politics of fear.

The harsh facts are that three LRT lines in Surrey and a SkyTrain subway under Broadway will not alleviate traffic congestion in the region!

To be successful, transit must attract the motorist from the car and if the present $9 billion SkyTrain/Canada Line mini-metro system hasn’t, doing more the same with a Broadway subway and ill planned LRT in Surrey, will not as well.

Transit is a consumer product and yet, no one at TransLink, nor the Cities of Vancouver and Surrey have asked the consumer what he or she wants and for good reason because the transit consumer will want transit investment that will not be in the best political interest.

The Broadway SkyTrain subway is just daft, designed solely for political prestige and the three surrey LRT lines really do not satisfy transit needs. For LRT to succeed in Surrey it must access directly into Burnaby and Vancouver and for a SkyTrain subway under Broadway, there must be at least an average of 15,000 persons per hour per direction to make it viable.

Here is TransLink’s problem, instead of embarking on a radical change to regional transit planning, it is sticking to the script of building massively expensive subways and over engineering LRT to such an extend it can barely be recognizable as light rail, paid for of course, the rubes that Translink perceives what the taxpayer is.

Let’s scare TransLink and provincial and civic politicians by demanding a royal commission on regional transit.

By Kelly Sinoski, Vancouver Sun January 16, 2014

METRO VANCOUVER — The mayors of B.C.’s two biggest cities say a failed referendum on TransLink funding would ‘imperil the economy’ and make Vancouver uncompetitive, noting major cities around the world are putting investments in transportation.

Both Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts and Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson raised concerns that the province has yet to provide a specific question or campaign around the referendum, which is slated to be held during the municipal elections in November.

Robertson said not only does he expect the referendum to fail, but it would likely pit communities against each other during the upcoming election campaign.

“Right now we’re in a slow state of decline,” he said during a panel discussion at the Vancouver Board of Trade on Thursday. “We’re in trouble enough. There’s urgency. It should not be on the local ballot.”

Robertson added there’s a desperate need for TransLink funding, particularly for three rapid transit lines in Surrey as well a connection from the Millennium Line to a new subway along Broadway to the University of B.C. but the issue should be considered separately from the election.

Watts said she’s not even sure what the provincial objective is to go to a referendum. She argued the region’s transportation system should be a collective effort from all three levels of government, and involve a fair and equitable road pricing and land-use policy for the next 20 to 30 years.

Different cities have different reasons for more transit, she added. Vancouver needs transit to serve demand, while Surrey needs it to shape it. Yet the Port Mann Bridge and Massey Tunnel, for example, are a provincial responsibility, while TransLink has control of the Patullo and Golden Ears bridges.

“It’s a mishmash of nonsense,” she said. “There has to be a master plan that brings together all the plans in a comprehensive way forward for infrastructure and sustainable funding for it.”

Watts said if she were drafting the referendum question, it would likely ask if the public was interested in reducing gas taxes, capping the three per cent property tax for TransLink and supporting a fair and equitable road pricing policy that would likely see $1 tolls on every crossing rather than “tolling single pieces of infrastructure at a high rate.”

“It is not fair, it is not equitable and it penalizes people,” she said. “Everyone uses the infrastructure regardless of where it’s at in the region.”

Dr. Peter Hall, associate director of urban studies at Simon Fraser University, warned a failed referendum “it could have negative consequences for the entire province.”

Economist Ken Peacock said there is still some time to get the funding sources in place but acknowledged some of the decisions made this year will have “long-term impacts.” If don’t get new revenue sources will see more congestion and waits at bus stops.

But he said the politicians should not rule out the public savvy. “We may be surprised. The public is a lot more in tune than politicians give them credit for,” he said. “They drive the roads every day.”

More to come

Ai?? Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

Clarity With Transit and TransLink ….. Ha, Ha, Ha!

The TransLink referendum continues to provide angst with politicians and TransLink and so it should, because both parties really haven’t a clue about public transit.

The new Chair of TransLink, Marcella Szel.Ai?? A former Canadian Railway executive and Port Authority director, has absolutely no background in urban transit and seems to have been chosen because, jolly gee-whiz, she was with a railway company and Skytrain is a railway, she must be an expert. Zwei thinks it just a patronage position and given so the “good ole’ porker” can feed off the public trough.

Here we demonstrate the real problem with Translink and the TransLink Board, they are not urban transit experts, nor do they seem to even understand urban transportation issues and are there to ‘rubber stamp’ the provincial governments desires.

Memo to Ms. Szel; “ The real problem is Skytrain and light metro and when Translink ceases planning for SkyTrain orAi?? heavy-rail metro designed as light-metro, or LRT designed as a light-metro, and only plan for light rail, only then will TransLink’s finical ills will ease.”

Until Szel and the rest of the TransLink board understand the problems, a fencepost with hair could do an adequate job as Translink Chair.

A fencepost with hair could do an adequate

job as Chair of Translink.

Waiting for clarity on transit referendum: TransLink Chair

Province has yet to give any details

Jason Howe January 16, 2014

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) ai??i?? The longer we wait, the harder it gets, that is from TransLink, as we continue to wait for any sign of clarity about a plan by the provincial government to hold a transit funding referendum.

Publicly, itai??i??s mostly been a disagreement between the mayors and the province, from the date of the referendum, to the type of question, to whether we should even have a referendum at all.

Amid all this, Marcella Szel has come in to take over as TransLinkai??i??s new chair.Ai?? She says her group is on board with everyone else who wants details.

ai???I think itai??i??s frustrating for everybody who is waiting to try to understand what exactly the question might be and what exactly you have to think about.Ai?? What are the issues on the table that people are going to have to decide?ai???

Szel says timing is important.Ai?? ai???Waiting is not helpful because the more lead time you have in understanding what the issues are that you can deal with, the more time you have to make sure you understand those issues.ai???

The Transportation Ministry says details are still being worked out.Ai?? The mayors are meeting next week.

Hot topic

Meanwhile, the issue of transit on the Lower Mainland will be among the topics at the Vancouver Board of Tradeai???s annual economic outlook forum today.

Anne McMullin from the Urban Development Institute says politicians seem to be putting the cart before the horse when it comes to the funding referendum.

ai???We seem to be focusing so much on the referendum itself rather than what does transportation look like for the region and then perhaps a question comes out of that.Ai?? But itai??i??s difficult to say will it pass or fail when we donai??i??t even know what it is.ai???

She adds itai??i??s hard to get cities that are focused on their own needs to agree to a regional plan.

The Novice’s Guide toTransit Updated

or cutting through the BS about light rail, SkyTrain and BRT.

The following is a guide plus definitions about transit.

ALM: Automatic Light metro, the fourth marketing name given for the SkyTrain family of light-metros, when Lavalin briefly owned SkyTrain before gong bankrupt.

ALRT (1): Advanced Light Rail Transit, the second marketing name for SkyTrain.

ALRT (2): Advanced Light Rapid Transit, the third marketing name for SkyTrain, when Advanced Light Rail Transit failed to find a market.

ART: Advanced Rapid Transit, the fifth marketing name for SkyTrain, used by its current owners, Bombardier Inc.

Automatic (Driverless) Operation: A signaling system that permits train operation without drivers. Contrary to popular myth, automatic operation does not reduce operating costs because there are no drivers, because attendants must be hired insteadAi??to permit safe operation. Automatic signaling was signed to reduce signaling staff, not operation staff.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT): Generally means ai???Express Busesai???, a true BRT needs a very expensive and land consuming busway or highway or be guided.

 

 

 

 

Ai??Bored tunnel: A tunnel boring machine also known as a “mole”, is a machine used to excavate tunnels with a circular cross section through a variety of soil and rock strata. They can bore through anything from hard rock to sand.

Busway: A route needed for BRT. Busways can be conventional HOV lanes or exclusive roads for buses. Busways can be equipped with raised curbs or rails for bus guidance.

Canada Line: Vancouverai??i??s third metro line which is a grade separated EMU operation and is not compatible with the rest of the SkyTrain systemAi??in operation.

Capacity: A function of headway multiplied by vehicle capacity, which in turn is dependent on station station platform lengthAi?? measured in persons per hour per direction.

Consultation: To sell a transit decision to the public after the decision has been made.

C-Train: The Calgary light rail system.

Cut and cover: A method of building a tunnel by making a cutting, which is then lined and covered over. (Civil Engineering) designating a method of constructing a tunnel by excavating a cutting to the required depth and then backfilling the excavation over the tunnel roof

Evergreen Line: The 11.4 km unfinished portion (under construction since 2013) of the old Broadway/Lougheed Rapid Transit Project. When the NDP forced the SkyTrain Millennium Line onto Translink, there was not the money left order to complete the line to the Tri-Cities.

Expo Line: The first SkyTrain line built, completed in late 1985. The ExpoAi??was built inAi??in three sections. The Waterfront to New Westminster section (cost a much as LRT from Vancouver to Whalley, Lougheed Mall and Richmond Centre), theAi??SkybridgeAi??section across the Fraser river to Scott road Station, and the final section to Whalley in Surrey.

Grade: The vertical rise of a railway track, normally given in a percentage (1% grade = a 1 metre rise in 100 metres). Industry standard grade for LRT is 8%; Sheffieldai??i??s LRTAi??operates onAi??10% grades; the maximum grade for a tramway is located in Lisbon, where the streetcars operate, unassisted, on 13.8% grades.

 

 

 

Goebbels Gambit: The fine art of repeating a lie often enough that it is perceived as the truth.

Guided Bus: A BRT that is physically guided by either a raised curb or a central rail. Some guided buses are considered monorails.

Headway: The time interval between trains on a transit route.

Hybrid: A transit system that is designed operated asAi??a LRT/light metro mix. Generally very expensive as it uses the most expensive features of both modes.

ICTS: Intermediate Capacity Transit system, the first name SkyTrain was marketed by.

 

 

 

 

 

Interurban: An early streetcar which operated at speed on its own R-o-W connecting urban centres.

Light Rail Transit (LRT): A steel wheel on steel rail transit system that can operate economically on transit routes with traffic flows between 2,000 pphpd to over 20,000 pphpd, thus bridging the gap on what buses can carry and that which needs a metro. A streetcar is considered LRT when it operates on reserved rights-of-ways or R-o-Wai??i??s for the exclusive use of the streetcar/tram. Number of LRT/tramways in operation around the world 461; light railways (many use LRVai??i??s) ai??i?? 119; heritage lines ai??i?? 60.

Light Metro: A transit mode, generally a proprietary transit system, that has the capacity of LRT,Ai??at the cost of a heavy-rail metro.

Light Rail Vehicle (LRV): A vehicle that operates on a LRT or streetcar line. Also called a streetcar, tram, TramTrain or interurban.

Mass Transit: A generic term for heavy-rail metro. See rapid transit.

MAX: The Portland Tri-Met LRT system.

Metro: An urban/suburban railway that operates on a segregated R-o-W, either in a subway or on a viaduct, due to long trains (5 cars+) and close headways. There are 174 heavy/light metros in operation around the world.

Millennium Line:Ai?? The second SkyTrain Line built, using the new Bombardier ART cars.

Monorail: A transit mode that operates on one rail. There are two general types of monorail: 1) hanging monorail and 2) straddle beam monorail (not a true monorail). Some proprietary BRT systems are also classed as monorail.

 

 

 

Priority Signaling: A signaling system that gives priority to transit vehicles at intersections.

Proprietary Transit System: A transit system who rights are exclusively owned by one company. Transit operations who operate proprietary transit systems must deal with only one supplier.

Rapid Transit: A generic term for metro. See mass transit.

Reserved Rights of Way: An exclusive R-o-W for use of transit vehicles, can be as simple as a HOV lane (with rails for LRT) or as elaborate a a lawned boulevard or a linear park complete with shrubs.

SkyTrain: An unconventional proprietary light-metro, powered by Linear Induction motors, marketed by Bombardier Inc. Currently there are 7 SkyTrain type transit systems in operation around the world. ICTS ai??i?? 2; ALRT (1 & 2) ai??i?? 1; ART 4.

 

 

 

 

Streetcar: A steel wheel, on steel rail electric (also can be diesel powered) vehicle that operates in mixed traffic, with little or no priority at intersections. Also known as a tram in Europe. Streetcars become LRT when operating on reserved R-o-Wai??i??s.

 

 

 

 

Subway: An underground portion of a rapid transit line. Subways may either be bored or cut and cover or a combination of both construction methods.

TTC: The Toronto Transit commission.

Tram: European term for streetcar, as the Europeans do not use the term LRT.

TramTrain: A streetcar that can operate on the mainline railways, operating as a passenger train.

 

 

 

 

TransLink Speak: The lexicon used by TransLink to mask problems. Example: medial emergency on SkyTrain means a suicide.

Viaduct: A viaduct isAi??a bridgeAi??composed of several small spans.

Bus Stops

From the well duh department, that getting rid of some bus stops can improve service, has been well known for decades.

In Europe bus stops tend to be 350m to 400m apart, but in Vancouver bus stops tend to be 250m to 300m apart, with some examples no more than 100m apart. It is easy to see why TransLink’s bus service is ranked as a “loser cruiser”, which stops at every lamp post. Simple logic dictates longer distances between stops increase commercial speed and increases capacity at no cost.

The question is: Why does Translink still operate buses with stops so close together?

By comparison tram routes in Europe have stops averaging every 400m to 500m apart and LRT with stops every 500m to 600m apart.

The bus stops in your court TransLink!

Getting rid of some bus stops can improve service: study

Suggests it reduces travel time without too much of an impact on travelers

Mike Lloyd and Dean Recksiedler January 10, 2014

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) ai??i?? As Translink continually struggles to find more funding, a recent study out of the US may have found a very simple way to cut costs, improve service, and boost bus ridership.

The researchers suggest getting rid of some bus stops reduces travel times significantly without drastically affecting the number of people served along a route.

It sounds counter-intuitive, but that is what happened when they cut out 43 per cent of the stops along a university bus route in Fairfax, Virginia; travel times were reduced by 23 per cent and operating costs were reduced by almost a quarter.

Study co-author Edmund Zolnik, a public policy professor at George Mason University, says one of the reasons bus service is unpopular is it is slow, and one of the reasons it is slow is because bus stops are densely placed.

In this particular case, the study found riders didnai??i??t have a problem with walking a little farther to a bus stop when a one-way trip on the route dropped from 2 hrs, 4 min to 1 hr, 36 min.

As travel times drop, Zolnik believes it encourages more people to use the system since it could be more useful for them.

ai???Time is often a reason people will cite for not using public transportation. This is not inconsequential; thatai??i??s a big difference in time for people using the bus,ai??? Zolnik tells News1130. ai???Itai??i??s ironic that by limiting some stops, we might get more people on the bus in total.ai???

Would it work for Translink?

The 99 B Line ai??i?? serving one of the busiest transit corridors in North America ai??i?? uses a similar principle, but Zolnik suggests it could also be used on less busy routes to improve efficiency.

ai???The results seem to indicate there would be a net benefit for any system that did try this,ai??? he says, but adds more studies need to be done. Not everyone can easily walk a longer distance to their bus stop.

ai???It would be difficult to translate this to other kinds of communities where you have more people aging in place, more seniors. The system may benefit, but there would be people who would not be happy with losing their stops,ai??? says Zolnik. ai???How do you balance the efficiency of the system with very, very local demands for service?ai???

Zolnik notes savings could be used to fund things that might encourage transit use, such as cheaper fares or added capacity on other routes.

TransLink Referendum Mayhem

Welcome to the BC Liberal world of transit, where transit or should I say transit mega-projects are a means for winning elections, nothing more.

The Canada Line is a good example, where ten BC Premier wanted to showcase a transit P-3, but the problem arose that SkyTrain, being a proprietary railway, made near to impossible to have a real P-3.

The project soon went “South” when the SNC Lavalin (also was on the Bombardier bid) lead consortium underbid Bombardier and SkyTrain to win. The problem was, the consortium were never allowed to do any real engineering before the bid process and TransLink’s incompetence over the subway section of the Canada Line, lead to costs spiraling ever upwards.

The concessionaire of the Canada line then “reneged” on assuming risk on the project, leaving the provincial government hold the bag, so to speak for cost overruns. Real P-3’s, the concessionaire assumes risk on the project.

As the Canada Line’s costs increased ever upward, the scope of the project was reduced; single track construction was used in Richmond and YVR; stations were made smaller, excluding escalators and elevators and some even omitted; station platforms were designed with a length of only 50 metres (some stations only have 40 metre platforms); a switch was made from bored subway construction to cheaper cut-and-cover subway construction; and no compensation was to be paid to merchants and businesses disrupted by cut and cover subway construction.

Still the final cost of the Canada Line was in excess of $2.5 billion a far cry from the original budget of $1.3 billion. No one really knows the real cost of the Canada Line though media reports put the cost from $1.9 billion to $2.3 billion depending which politician or bureaucrat they were interviewing. It is interesting that the Susan Heyes (losing) lawsuit against TransLink for compensation had evidence that the final cost of the Canada Line was in excess of $2.7 billion! The presiding judge, the Honourable Judge Pittfield, called the Canada Line P-3 a charade!

And a charade the Canada line was, the only heavy rail subway in the world, built as a light metro and having less capacity than a simple streetcar line.

Enter the TransLink referendum, which is supposed to extort more money from the taxpayer to fund Liberal transit mistakes and even maybe a SkyTrain subway under Vancouver. Enter transportation Minister Todd Stone, from the “Hurtlands”, who hasn’t a clue about regional transit issues, hasn’t a clue about SkyTrain; hasn’t a clue for what is needed for transit to improve, leading the charge for a “yes” vote in a referendum that we still don’t know what the question or questions will be?

It certainly looks like the current premier wants a no vote so she can continue the great BC practice of highway and new bridge construction. BC politics at its best!

 

Vaughn Palmer: Will transit referendum sink like a Stone without the bossai??i??s support?

Transportation minister Todd Stone is committed to success; but it sounds like the premier is hedging her bets on vote outcome

By Vaughn Palmer, Vancouver Sun columnist January 9, 2014

Cuiaba, Brazil – new LRT won’t be ready for World Cup

Light rail in Brazil not ready for World Cup

The Associated Press

RIO DE JANEIRO — The head of World Cup projects for Brazil’s far-western Mato Grosso state has acknowledged a light rail system in the city of Cuiaba meant to help football fans move around the city during World Cup matches there won’t be ready in time for the tournament.

Mauricio Guimaraes has said the 13 mile-long train lines won’t be completed until December, more than five months after the end of the World Cup.

Speaking Monday in an interview with TV Centro America, the Globo television network’s local affiliate, Guimaraes blamed “various delays” for the setback, adding that “from now on, it will be fast.”

Brazil has faced harsh criticism from world football’s governing body FIFA over delays in delivering the 12 stadiums that are to host World Cup matches.

The Future through Zwei’s (not so) Crystal ball

There is not much detail given as about the proposed referendum or even if a “no” vote will be allowed and it may be condemned prisoners Hobson’s choice of death by firing squad, electrocution, or hanging. In other words we may get choice of road pricing, higher property taxes or an auto levy or a combination of all three.

Zwei believes the referendum is merely a funding formula for the $3+ billion Broadway SkyTrain subway as there are no more schools, hospitals and such left to be closed as what happened coincidentally with the past SkyTrain lines built. The cupboard is bare for transit.

What I do think will happen is that the Millennium Line will be extended to Arbutus then an enhanced B-Line will continue to UBC. A shorter subway would suit the likes of Bombardier and SNC Lavalin for now. If this option is chosen, it spells a transit disaster for the region; a very expensive and user unfriendly transit service to TransLink’s top transit destination.

Nothing is going to happen in Surrey unless the present mayor. Dianne Watts, flexes her political muscle and gives TransLink and the province an ultimatum, either fund our LRT or we will split. Dianne Watts is seen as a future Liberal Premier and as the love affair with our current Premier, Christi Clark is waning thin, there well may be a another Liberal coup d’etat with Watts dumping Clark over transit, in the not too far future. With the City of Surrey overtaking Vancouver in population by the end of the decade, there just may well be enough political muscle to build light rail.

Out of this mess we may get some sound transit planning because the south of the Fraser can only afford LRT (seeing that SkyTrain as a Vancouver/TransLink debacle) and with LRT will come real P-3’s as well as other funding options building affordable light rail and hopefully a realized Vancouver to Chilliwack TramTrain.

New Prague streetcars reverse noise pollution

An overlooked benefit of streetcars is the reduction in noise pollution associated with bus and car traffic. In fact, some pedestrians in Prague say the newest streetcars from Skoda are too quiet!

Latest streetcars in historic Prague.

An article from iDnes, a Czech news portal, describes the experiences of operators of the new 15T streetcarsbuilt by Skoda for the Czech capital’s tram system. Operators of the new streetcars have to be alert to pedestrians who may not hear them approach.

http://tinyurl.com/nju9g4f

Other improvements include cruise control and the addition of an electric motor for each wheel. Operators can also now control each motor individually.

Tram Train

A summary of the latestAi??EuropeanAi??Tram Train developments at the end of 2013.

UK – Manchester: