The Cost of Transporting People in the British Columbia Lower Mainland – Revisited

In 1993 the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD), now known as metro Vancouver,Ai??and the province of British Columbia released a report entitled “Transport 2021“, part of the 2021 study was the study, “The Cost of Transporting People in the British Columbia Lower Mainland“. On page 15 of the “The Cost of Transporting People in the […]

The Noviceai??i??s Guide to ai???Railai??? Transit Orai??i??ai??i??ai??i??ai??i?? (Updated)

ai??i??ai??i??ai??i??ai??i??..cutting through the BS about light rail, SkyTrain and BRT. The following is a guide plus definitions about “rail” transit for this coming May’s provincial election. 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, […]

Bait and Gate – The Fare Gate Scandal Unfolds

Well, Rail for the Valley told you so, but with the hoopla in the mainstream media and on certain radio station, to a certain lobbyist’s delight, fueledAi??a public frenzyAi??on the subject of fareAi??evasion. So much so, was the public’s anger over fare evasion, the public demanded fare gates be installed at all SkyTrain stations. The […]

Liz James UpsetsThe SkyTrain Lobby

It seems North Shore News weekly columnist, Liz James has upset the SkyTrain Lobby with her most recent article, “No shortage of projects for the new AGLG“.Ai??Ai??So much so, that an email to Ms. James, from a SkyTrain lobbiest comes very close inAi??libeling her good name.” The fact that Ms. James has been on the […]

How About A TramTrain Link To Abbotsford Internationl Airport

One major destination for the RftV Vancouver to Chilliwack TramTrain is the Abbotsford International Airport and having a TramTrain connections would mean YXX could be directly reached from Vancouver, Surrey,Ai??Langley, Abbotsford, and Chilliwack. A bonus withAi??a YXX TramTrain connection would be Abbotsford’s Tradex, trade fair complexAi??would also be served by rail. Reaching the airport could […]

Quebec Corruption Inquiry: SNC-Lavalin Linked To Scheme To Raise Construction Project Prices

What happens in Quebec must surely happen in BC, asAi??SNC Lavalin has been involved with the heavily engineered SkyTrain and Canada Line light-metros. The question that must be asked; “Has the very expensive SkyTrain and Canada line light metros part of a provincial scheme to ensure healthy profits for corporate friends of the government by […]

Regional Politicians Mull Political Oblivion

Well, here we go again! “Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble“, the dreaded TransLink auto levy again has raised its ugly head. Here we have a largely incompetent transportation agency, which doesn’t run our transit system, which has absolutely no public scrutiny, and is in constant financial peril, demanding more taxpayer’s money. TransLink’s mission statements seems […]

Mainz’s Trams Climbing 9.5% Grades

Mainz, Germany has rebuilt its metre gauge tramway as modern LRT, with new low floor cars, etc. Mainz’s LRT has three route with a total mileage of 20 km. Please cue to 5:00 on the following U-Tube video of mainz’s trams climbing 9.5% grades with ease. Mainz Germany  

13.9% Grade in Lisbon – Impossible Claims the City of Vancouver!

Ever see a tram climbing a 13.9% grade? Well now you have! A Lisbon tram climbing the famous 13.9% grade in the city. Please don’t tell the City of Vancouver or its Engineering Department, because they will just just believe you.

TransLink’s Subway Fiscal Time Bomb

The SkyTrain/metro Lobby remain mute on the long term fiscal effects of operating subways, especially on routes that have low ridership, say less than 15,000 pphpd. Building a subway is a very expensive proposition and many factors should be considered before embarking on such a costly investment. The first questionAi??any knowledgeable transit planner must ask […]