Mayors face tax dilemma

 More thoughts on the TransLink/regional mayors funding debate. What I do not see is any hint of fiscal responsibility from TransLink, just demands for more money with dire threats on what will happen if funding doesn't come through. In South Delta, three bus routes, the C-84, C-89 and the 609, which operate at 60 minute headways or […]

A Letter From Jacob de Raadt

There is a growing realization from Fraser Valley taxpayers that the South Fraser region should secede from TransLink and even the GVRD. For far too long, the North Fraser cities have used the South Fraser as a 'Milch cow' for taxes to fund politically prestigious light-metro projects such as SkyTrain. Valley taxpayers are waking up […]

Light Rail & Tram systems do not stop for snow!

From Thursday 17 December 2009 to Friday 15 January 2010 the United Kingdom experienced a spell of very low temperatures and significant snowfalls which affected almost the whole country. This was the most widespread and prolonged spell of this type across the UK since December 1981/January 1982. Large areas of England, Wales and Northern Ireland […]

Croydon Tramlink in the Snow

 The bad weather of January 2010 presented an excellent opportunity to photograph Britains premier Tram system coping with the adverse weather conditions. Despite huge amounts of chaos on the roads and railways throughout the south east of England, the trams were running normally and were very well used .   http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/Photoblog_20100106_Croydon.html

The Canada Line Fizzles In The Snow

Ai?? The $2.5 billion Canada line fizzled today in the 10 cm of snow that fell in the Richmond area. Unlike the SkyTrain proprietary light-metro system, which had a small army of attendants stationed on trains and station platforms to prevent the snow shy SkyTrain from stopping, TransLink seemed unprepared with the weather related problems […]

Peak Travel on SkyTrain

Ai??Ai??http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUKa_NnFQHA TransLinkAi??Ai??apparatchiks on their morning commute

Vancouver’s Olympic Streetcar Line Wins The LRTA’s Worldwide Project Of The Year Award!

Good news everyone, Vancouver’s Olympic LineAi??has wonAi??the Light Rail Transit Association’s www.lrta.org Worldwide project of the year award. There were two winners in this category, the Olympic Line and the new LRT line in Kayseray, Turkey, which both came in on time and on budget.. Below, the now disused Olympic Line in Vancouver. Below, theAi??award […]

Rail For The Valley In The International News Again!

Rail for the Valley and the RftV/Leewood report is featured again in an international publication. In the December issue of Tramways & Urban Transit (the official magazine of the Light Rail Transit Association) is a two page feature of the RftV/Leewood report. As the magazine is distributed not only to LRTA members but internationally as well, […]

Surrey’s main issue is simple: better transit – From the Vancouver Sun

Kudos’ for Surrey mayor Diane Watts to think “out of the SkyTrain box” and think light rail, but to do so requires hiring real light rail experts to assist local planners and engineers in planning a usable and efficient LRT/tram network in Surrey. Our local transportation planners still do not get it that the difference […]

Tramway Turnkey Solutions

Alstom Citidas Dualis Tram-Train Combining the best of trains and tramways The challenge The urban fabric now extends well beyond the city centre, with regional and urban networks tending to merge. Users’ needs are changing. They want to be able to move with ease from the city centre to neighbouring towns without having to change […]