Sound Transit to invest $2.1M in rail, bus ridership research

Seattle's LRT is grossly overbuilt for what it does. Seattle has built a grossly over-engineered light rail line which has more in common with Vancouver's SkyTrain light metro than LRT and ridership is flagging. Having failed to meet forecast ridership comes as no surprise as the hybrid light rail/metro is trying to be all things to all […]

Aging Pattullo Bridge needs to be replaced – Why Not Build A New Combined Road/Rail Bridge Instead?

Ai??The decrepit Pattullo Bridge, with the rickety Fraser River Rail Bridge under it There is no surprise over this decision at all, the aged Pattullo Bridge needs to be replaced and so it should as it is literally falling apart. The Pattullo wasAi??originally built as two lane bridge in the 1930’s, like the Lions Gate […]

Taxpayers Beware – Seattle’s Newest Subway Is Costing $400 Million A Kilometre

This story should be sounding alarm bells everywhere, Seattle's newest subway, a mere 4.8 km long, is set to cost a massive USD $2 billion or about USD $400 million per km to build, making this insane project one of the worlds more expensive subway projects! 'Zwei' never supported Seattle's so-called LRT line because it is really a very expensive […]

Coast Mountain buses passed by stops more than 200,000 times in 2010

The following story, “Coast Mountain buses passed by stops more than 200,000 times in 2010“, is one of bad management rather than anything else. What we see is TransLink’s policy of “to hell with the customer“. What is sad is that there areAi??many politically inspired bus routes, designed specifically to placate civic politicians in the […]

To Simon Fraser University by funicular!

Last year there was much talk of an aerial tramway, linking theAi??Millennium Line to Simon Fraser University, but like all transit projects in the region, it has stalled for lack of funding. The SFU aerial tramway project is projected to cost nearly $70 million, which breaks down into $38.2 million for manufacturing the actual lift […]

Trams are good for your health – 3

postedAi??from: The Regional Transport Strategy role of Tramways & Light Rail http://www.applrguk.co.uk/files/lruk%20v.1%20role%20of%20light%20rail%20&%20tramways%20v.%20150610.pdf Health Impact of Airborne Pollutants Evidence has now emerged which confirms that the long-term effects of particle air pollution are considerably more significant in damaging Public Health than heart disease. The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants Report published May 2001, […]

Trams are good for your health – 2

Public transport is good for your health and your wallet, according to scientists Switching to public transport could help you lose nearly half a stone a year in weight, new research suggests. Daily Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7861343/Public-transport-is-good-for-your-health-and-your-wallet-according-to-scientists.html  Nantes Light Rail Taking the train, tram or bus instead of your car increases physical activity so much that the […]

Trams are good for your health

Woman gives up car to avoid buying gas http://www.azfamily.com/news/local/Woman-gives-up-car-to-avoid-buying-gas-121424504.html PHOENIX – Two months ago, Nicole Underwood had an epiphany. ai???When gas prices hit $3.50 I was like, thatai??i??s it!ai??? she said. She realized that at $3.50, gas stations were charging the same for one gallon of gas as it costs for an all day pass […]

At least they’re considering it

The `it' is Light Rail, the `they' include:  Nashville http://www.nashvilleledger.com/editorial/Article.aspx?id=52855 Ottawa http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/csedc/2011/05-12/03%20-%20ACS2011-ICS-RIO-0001%20-%20LRT.htm Minnesota  http://www.metro-magazine.com/News/Story/2011/04/FTA-awards-Minnesota-474M-for-light-rail.aspx which is more than you can say about Vancouver British Columbia, Covered in Price Tags http://pricetags.wordpress.com/2011/04/26/transportation-transformation/ This Policy Study is published by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives CCPA http://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/BC%20Office/2011/04/CCPA-BC_Transportation.pdf http://www.policyalternatives.ca/transportationtransformation   

All about funiculars!

FlA?ibanen The FlA?ibanen in Bergen Norway   Zwiesystem has always been interested in alternative transit modes and this web site on Funiculars has peeked Zwei’s interest. http://www.funimag.com/index.htm I can think of two or three locations in the lower mainland where Funicular operation could be an asset …… how about SFU for a start?