Merry Christmas from Rail for the Valley

A Merry Christmas, From Rail for the Valley and a Very Happy New Year

Common Sense Transit Planning From Patrick Condon. Oh, Yes And From Rail For The Valley

Hats off to Professor Patrick Condon for this! The mayor of Surrey may wish he had kept his mouth shut about light rail and SkyTrain. Oh, he will get his toy train to Fleetwood, no doubt, but after that fiscal reality will hit like a Tsunami. From the Tyee Dear Surrey Mayor McCallum. Congratulations on […]

Transit, Past The Point Of No Return

The mayors council has now voted to proceed with SkyTrain. “What fools we mortals be”, quoting the great bard. What the Mayor’s Council on transit did vote for is a mediocre SkyTrain extension, that really goes nowhere , demanded by the ravings the aged mayor of Surrey. What has happened is that SkyTrain may be […]

SkyTrain to Nowhere

SkyTrain built for the same price as light rail, think not. The real cost, will be somewhere around $3 billion, but then include the Expo line rehab, the cost will be orbiting around $6 billion. If the regional mayors cave in to the demands of Surrey’s mayor, they will set back transit expansion by a […]

And the Weather Does Not Affect SkyTrain, Or Does It?

Contrary to the constant spin that the grade separated SkyTrain is not bothered with weather or such problems, today’s rain caused several stations to close. Despite all the recent hype and hoopla, SkyTrain operation is affected by circumstances beyond its control. For all the extra costs associated with SkyTrain, service does cease when problems happen. […]

TransLink Fails Transit 101: Articulated Cars

True to form, TransLink and the mainstream media haven’t a clue about SkyTrain or SkyTrain vehicles. A news story on CKNW radio as well as other media sources claimed erroneously that the MK.3 rail cars are articulated. The new MK. 3 cars are not articulated, they are gangwayed, allowing communication throughout the four car train […]

Remember, Remember The 13th Of December

The next Mayor’s Council on Transit meeting is on December 13 and a very important meeting indeed. At this meeting the Mayor’s Council on Transit will decide on the fate of Surrey’s LRT project. The SkyTrain Lobby is worried (the number of spam emails has increased tremendously) that common sense may reign and the decision […]

A Stationless SkyTrain In Surrey

Charlie Smith of the Georgia Straight gets it, but that is no surprise, Charlie Smith and the Georgia Straight has always been the newspaper of note when it comes to SkyTrain? Why, you say? Because he asks real questions. By building SkyTrain, the new mayor of Surrey wants a funnel to take commuters out of […]

Has The SkyTrain Flip-Flop In Surrey Derailed?

Ah, the realities of political promises as the new Mayor of Surrey has now discovered; a very big $514 million problem. Even the most ardent of SkyTrain supporters, except for the tin foil hat brigade, realize SkyTrain costs a lot more to build than light rail and even may concede it costs more to maintain […]

Dated Thinking From A Dated Mayor

Dated transit thinking comes from SkyTrain, because light-metro is a dated transit system. There is no backbone for transit, except for a network of transit lines and only if it is designed properly, designed for the needs of its customers and not the electoral needs of politicians. One $2.95 billion SkyTrain does not a backbone […]