The Compass Card Fiasco – Another BC Liberal Boondoggle – Where is the Mainstream Media?

The Compass Card boondoggle is akin to the NDP’s bungled FastFerry program, but where is the mainstream media; where are the so called pundits tut-tutting this fiasco? The Compass Card and fare gate program was orchestrated by the BC Liberals and Liberal government friendly media to cure the fictitious problem of ‘massive’ fare evasion. Yes, […]

Vancouver Metro Region Votes NO.

2015 Metro Vancouver Transportation and Transit Plebiscite Voting Results FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 2, 2015 VICTORIA ai??i?? The voting results for the 2015 Metro Vancouver Transportation and Transit Plebiscite were submitted today to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. According to section 282(1) of the Election Act, the purpose of a plebiscite is to determine […]

Obituary: Ian Allen passes away

Not as well known on this side of the pond, but very well known in the U.K., publisher Ian AllenAi??OBE, FCIT has passed away at the age of 93. Ian Allen Publishing is a prominent publisher of many transit and vehicle magazines and books, with a large range of monthly magazines pertaining to trains, trams, […]

Committee approves Ottawa light rail transitai??i??s $3-billion second phase design

I think $3 billion is a tad too expensive, but I am sure Mr. Haveacow will explain the reasons why. I still maintain that we must plan and build LRT much cheaper than we are currently doing. On another issue, the claim that: ” noise and vibrations ai??i?? both from the construction and trains themselves […]

A Rail Reniassance in L.A.

An interesting read from California. I wish the Provincial Government would read this quote; ai???Realistically speaking, thereai??i??s no new highway building in the future.ai???, when planning for their bridge and highway vanity projects in Metro Vancouver. LOS ANGELES Daily News reports that Southern California planners are making strikes in a rail transit renaissance that owes […]

First look at Nottinghamai??i??s new tram line

Zwei lived in Nottingham in the mid 70’s and is where I first gained interest in urban transit. While waiting for my then girl friend, who was attending night school, I chanced a free public lecture by a Professor of Transportation (forgot his name) and was so entertaining that I still smile at some of […]

Seattle’s Light Metro Too Expensive?

Seattle’s light rail system is really a light-metro system, with over 70% of its route grade separated either on viaduct or in a tunnel (subway), yet ridership is dismal. This not because the system uses light rail vehicles, but because Seattle’s politicians at all levels wanted a ‘world class’ transit system to ensure Seattle’s world […]

Transit Planning in the Vancouver Region ai??i?? The Years The Locusts Have Eaten

    Ai??A repost from 2012 and is as pertinent today as it was three years ago; even more so. Transit Planning in the Vancouver Region ai??i?? The Years The Locusts Have Eaten Posted by zweisystem on Sunday, June 24, 2012 In the beginning, Vancouver was serviced by a sizable streetcar network and several interurban […]

For the benfit of TransLink, the definition of an articulated car.

TransLink is mistakenly calling the new Mk.3 SkyTrain cars articulated, they are not. What Bombardier has designed is a saloon car, gangwayed at both ends; to fit between a married trainset, enabling to make the trainset longer; articulated they are not. Sad to say, TransLink’s planning staff do not understand the basics, such as “what […]

A portent of things to come?

Brisbane Australia has a showcase BRT system, yet transit costs are extremely high. Maybe it is time to get back to basics about modern light rail and forget the capacity and density debates and build LRT for the economic reason, one tram and one tram driver is as efficient as 4 to 8 buses and […]