Groundbreaking report on Interurban light rail

The Rail for the Valley/Leewood study is indeed historic, for it is the first time in over 30 years that a truly independent transit study, free of political and bureaucratic influence,Ai??Ai??has been done in the region. The studyAi??Ai??showsAi??Ai??that the region canAi??Ai??build a large ‘rail’ network cheaply, with an affordableAi??Ai??vision for future, cost effective extensions. SkyTrain’s […]

Groundbreaking report on Interurban light rail A?ai??i??ai??? released TODAY

Rail For The Valley is extremely excited to announce the release of a comprehensive independent analysis of the potential for light rail service on the existing and publicly owned Interurban Rail Corridor, connecting communities from Chilliwack to Vancouver with an affordable, sustainable public transportation system. The study, now complete, was performed by Leewood Projects. About […]

A Must Read For Regional Mayors Before They Talk Transit Funding!

SinceAi??Ai??the spring of 2008, the Light Rail Committee has circulated an E-Mail sent by American transit and transportation expert, Gerald Fox to a Victoria transit group that wants to promote LRT and TramTrain in the Capital Region. Mr. Fox easily shreds TransLink’s business case for the Evergreen Line which shouldAi??Ai??forewarn transit groups and regional politiciansAi??Ai??in […]

Light Rail News Round Up

Some news about LRT and transit from the USA and Europe. Houston http://triptotheouthouse.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/metrorail-houston.jpg Ai??Ai??http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kC5MT2r5U8s/Sl4F-NXBl6I/AAAAAAAALDo/Xc0hZryKsgk/s1600-h/Houston+METRORail.jpg Ai??Ai??http://www.flickr.com/photos/16638697@N00/186998827 Ai??Ai??Oslo http://i46.tinypic.com/11j43s4.jpg Ai??Ai??http://lh6.ggpht.com/_-sUKhyFR7PM/RrxuaQKw-FI/AAAAAAAABus/hVt9hZCtBaw/IMG_1897.JPG TAMPA – More than a decade ago, Phoenix baseball officials showcased a video of their state of the art ballpark during a lavish Tampa Bay reception, overwhelming the home team’s introduction of Tropicana Field. Local business and […]

Transit Blogs

Well, if you are stuck inside due to our heavy rain, here are some interesting transit blogs to peruse. You may not have come across some of these before: http://www.andrewgrantham.co.uk/ Ai??Ai??http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2010-05-04/article/35212?headline=Against-BRT-Streets-are-for-People-Not-Buses Ai??Ai??http://www.cahsrblog.com/ Ai??Ai??http://capntransit.blogspot.com/2009/03/feds-relax-restrictions-for-light-rail.html Ai??Ai??http://www.friendsoftheotrain.org/ Ai??Ai??http://urbanmilwaukee.com/2008/07/14/milwaukee-transit-the-technologies/ Ai??Ai??http://www.pdxtransit.com/index.php/2009/08/14/the-o-train-ottawas-light-rail/ Ai??Ai??http://theoverheadwire.blogspot.com/ Ai??Ai??http://melbpt.wordpress.com/tram-construction-costs/ Ai??Ai??http://stevemunro.ca/ Ai??Ai??http://transport514.wordpress.com/

As Predicted – "Mayors consider raising taxes to pay for TransLink"

Ai??Ai??As predicted yesterday: TransLink is in a conundrum; there is no money for new metro expansion and the bureaucracy refuses to plan for much cheaper light rail. There is no way out, either taxes must increase to pay for metro constructionAi??Ai??or the transit system stagnates and becomes even more unattractive product for customers. It seems […]

Mayors, Premier and Transportation Minister to meet next week – The Blind Leading the Blind

Talk about the blind leading the blind. BC Transportation Minister, Shirley Bond (who knows little or nothing about transit), the besieged premier (who knows that building glitzy metro lines buys votes), and regional mayors (who are equally unread on transit) are going to have a private meeting regarding TransLink’s ongoing financial crisis. The first hing […]

European News

ALSTOM ORDER FOR RATP LINE T3 Alstom has received zamA?A?wnienie for 25 tramsAi??Ai??for Paris.Ai??Ai??Twenty-fiveAi??Ai??Citadis trams ordered a French Alstom RATP – the operator of public transport in Paris. Warehouses to be delivered in 2012.Ai??Ai?? The Alstom order was announced today an option agreement signed in December 2003 . Its value is EUR 77 million, along […]

Toronto’s Transit Follies – It Must Be Election Time!

Vancouver is not the only Canadian City to suffer political silliness before election time, asAi??Ai??regional councilAi??Ai??candidates are all tabling their transportation plans, if elected. The subway lobby is preaching their gospel of underground railways to everywhere, but come up short on how to pay for such extravagance. It seems like TransLink’s grand SkyTrain plansAi??Ai??most of […]

Off The Rails – From the Abby Times

An interesting tome in the Abbotsford Times. Anyone wanting to put ‘rail’ transit down the median of the number 1 highway forgets that it would be hugely expensive and the curvature and gradients along the route would mean very expensive engineering would have to be done. Going ‘greenfields’ construction is always an expensive propositionAi??Ai??which knowledgeable […]