Eric Chris on the West Coast Express and TransLink Ridership in General

Eric Chris takes on TransLink’s appalling history of exaggerating ridership on Vancouver’s metro transit system. Zwei has known since the mid 1980’s that BC Transit exaggerated ridership on the SkyTrain Expo Line to impress visiting transit types, but they were not fooled as they could see that the light loadings on the mini-metro did not […]

TramTrain Trial OK’ed in the UK

TramTrain is coming to South Yorkshire, in the UK. If TramTrain passes muster with her Majesty’s Railway Inspectorate, it would past muster in BC for operation in metro Vancouver. The real question, of course, is why TransLink must be forced kicking and screaming to accept TramTrain as a 21st century transit mode? From the LRTA […]

Provincial Auditors Ignore SkyTrain – TransLink’s Financial Chaos Will Continue

What is interesting about this item in the Vancouver Sun, is that provincial auditors, looking for maintenace cost savings in TransLink, are ingoring the SkyTrain light-metro system and I wonder why? “The report, which didnai??i??t examine maintenance costs for SkyTrain ai??i?? run by BC Rapid Transit Co. ai??i?? suggested TransLink must ai???re-evaluate maintenance services and […]

BC’s Forgotten Streetcar – Nelson’s Streetcar by The Lake!

BC has an almost forgotten heritage streetcar in operation and may be the only heritage streetcar in operation in the province if Vancouver’s heritage streetcar does not operate this year, and that is the charming Nelson streetcar. Nelson Streetcar rolls out for 20th season on tracks beginning Wednesday by Nelson Daily staff Streetcar #23 is […]

From the BBC – Subways ‘share universal structure’, research suggests

Interesting item from the BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18072627 Of course SkyTrain neither being a real subway, or a transit system built by coherent planning, probably would be outside the realms of this study – a one off so to speak.   Subways ‘share universal structure’, research suggests A study of the world’s largest subway networks has revealed […]

Eric Chris on Fare Evasion and Opens A Pandoras Box

It seems from TransLink’s ownAi??numbers that it will be extremely difficult if not impossible for TransLink to reach ridership goals set for 2020. Eric Chris, has done some very good research on the fare evasion issue and heAi??brings up some very important points. Focusing on the light-metro network, is TransLink doing a good job moving […]

“Lightness” of light rail

TransLink, BC Transit, SNC Lavalin, UBC, SFU, and a host of North American Engineering firms, please take note! ThisAi??”lightness” of light rail – a combination of flexibility, low impact,Ai??modest cost, and environmental softness – is ephemeral. It mustAi??be carefullyAi??guarded. Ignorance orAi??ineptitude during the planning, design, specification writing, engineering, orAi??construction phases of a project can lose […]

Eric Chris’s Broadside At TransLink

Transit advovate, Eric Chris, again tackles TransLink on various trolleybus related issues in the City of Vancouver. Electric buses are quiet, pollution freeAi??and able to tackle steeper grades than diesel buses, are used on many Vancouver transit routes. Haydn Acheson, President and General Manager, Coast Mountain Bus Company:   Coast Mountain Bus Company (CMBC) under […]

City ordered to address railway-crossing safety

It seems the City of Abbotsford can’t deal with a simple rail crossing in the city and is hiring flaggers at a cost of $500 a day to control the railway crossing. This is something reminiscent of 1820’s England where a man on a horse waving a red flag had to precede early trains. My […]

Adios South Fraser Rapidbus

One has to laugh at the mind games being played by TransLink. First, they call express bus service Rapidbus, then theAi??so called rapid bus isn’t so rapid as one would think as South Fraser transit users will be dumped onto the Skytrain Line, reminiscent of South Delta and South Surrey express bus passengers are dumped […]