Brisbane Reality Check: The high cost of "cheap" busways – From the Light Rail Now Folks

The following is from the Light Rail now folks in the U.S.A. It certainly blows the lid off the BRT crowd, when it comes to the claim that BRT is cheaper than light-rail. When one hears Kevin Falcon or other Valley Liberal MLA’s claim that BRT must come first because it is cheaper than LRT, […]

U.S. seen "squandering" infrastructure funds. Is the same happening here?

It seems the big push is on, spending stimulus money on transportation projects, but Rail for the Valley doubts that the massive Gateway highways and bridge project is a good investment. More highways, means more cars and more cars means more congestion and pollution; a message that Premier Campbell and his transportation minister refuse to […]

US Fed Funding Policy Heavily Favors Roads Over Transit – From the Light Rail Now Folks

Tipping the Playing Field: How America’s Federal Funding Policy Heavily Favors Roads Over Transit Susan Pantell with Light Rail Now Project Team Ai??Ai?? May 2009 It should come as no great surprise that the federal government gives substantially more financial support to roads than to transit. However, what’s really disturbing Ai??Ai?? especially in a new […]

Debunking the SkyTrain myth A?ai??i??ai??? Part 3 ~ So who operates SkyTrain and why?

Ai??Ai?? Detroit’s ICTS Two previous postings Ai??Ai??http://railforthevalley.wordpress.com/2009/04/23/debunking-the-skytrain-myth-rail-for-the-valley-answers-the-ubc-skytrain-lobby/ “Ai??Ai??Debunking the SkyTrain myth……. “Ai??Ai??and Ai??Ai??http://railforthevalley.wordpress.com/2009/05/12/debunking-the-skytrain-myth-part-2/Ai??Ai?? ” Debunking the SkyTrain myth Part 2 “Ai??Ai??has sent the SkyTrain lobby into apologetic fits. The cries of “shock and disbelief“, untrue, and cherry-picked information fill the comments postings, yet the SkyTrain lobby fail to answer one question: “Why after three decades […]

From the Light Rail Now folks – Portland: The freeway city that might have been A?ai??i??ai??? without light rail

The following is from the Light Rail NowAi??Ai??http://www.lightrailnow.org/index.htmAi??Ai?? folks in the USA and gives an interesting insight on how Portland’s LRT stopped highway expansion in the city, giving some valuable lessons for those advocating the return of the interurban. Portland, Oregon is certainly a model of the benefits a good light rail transit (LRT) system […]

The Tyee, on passenger rail for the Fraser Valley

An interesting article in The Tyee, on passenger rail for the Fraser Valley, By Monte Paulsen …and how it could mesh with express passenger rail service to Seattle and points south. Yet another reason for a new rail bridge…

The Light Rail Committee’s position for Valley Rail from Vancouver to Chilliwack

The followingAi??Ai??Ai??Ai??is the Light Rail Committee’sAi??Ai??proposal for ‘rail’ transit,Ai??Ai?? from Vancouver to Chilliwack. Overview: Diesel powered TramTrain, track-sharing with mainline railways, except for portions of the route in Langley and Chilliwack.Ai??Ai??TramTrain is aAi??Ai??proven concept pioneered in Karlsruhe GermanyAi??Ai??in1992 andAi??Ai??now used in many cities in Europe and North America. Track-sharing enables light rail vehicles to extend […]

A 54 metre tram from Budapest

A new 54 metre Combino tram for Budapest Hungary, capacity 350 persons!

Ex-Cambie merchant’s court victory linked to defendants’ failure to mitigate effects of Canada Line by Charlie Smith & The Georgia Straight

Publish Date: May 28, 2009 B.C. Supreme Court Justice Ian PitfieldA?ai??i??ai???s decision to award $600,000 to a Vancouver businesswoman was based, in part, on the fact that three of the six defendants didnA?ai??i??ai???t take sufficient action to mitigate the effects of Canada Line construction. Susan Heyes, owner of Hazel & Co., will also be entitled […]

Urban Transit News from the Light Rail Transit Association ~ Oregon streetcar gamble starts to pay off

Oregon streetcar gamble starts to pay off : The project to set up a US tram manufacturing capability in the Oregon city of Portland seems to be paying off. After last month’s order for six Czech-licensed cars for Portland, Oregon Iron Works has announced a USD 26 M order for seven trams of the 10T […]