The 2024 Provincial Election And Transit

How will the 2024 provincial election impact transit? Hard to answer but, the current major “rapid transit” (Expo and Millennium Lines) projects are seeing a funding shortfall of around $4 billion and it is hard to see the new Parliament in Victoria approving funding, for what is now largely seen a “prestige” transit projects. Oh, […]

JOHN RUSTAD’S HIGHWAY TO HELL

This will be John Rustad’s highway to hell. The Conservatives, true to their ignorance of all things transit, have set forth a program, that if implemented will cost tens of billion of dollars, yet do little, if anything to alleviate congestion and gridlock. In fact it will create massive gridlock in the region. It is […]

Passenger Rail – Mexico Gets It, Why Doesn’t Canada?

Mexico’s politicians get it, to mitigate the effects of global warming and climate change, rail is the only option to reduce both personal and commercial vehicle use. 3,000 km of revitalized passenger rail route is ambitious, but at least Mexican politicians seem to understand the need of a modern passenger rail service, unlike their Canadian […]

TransLink’s BRT – What Is The Real Story?

BRT – A View From a Canadian Transit Expert – A Repost from 2015 Today’s post is a re post from 2015  and 2023, is an an interesting piece offered by Mr. Haveacow, a transit specialist from Ottawa who has good knowledge of Canadian public transit. He wishes to be anonymous because of Canada’s arcane […]

The Upcoming SkyTrain Mk.5 Train Fiasco

Zwei told ya so! First, the 16 km Expo line extension cost is now put at $6 billion; $7 billion if one includes the operations and Maintenance Centre Number 5. The next shoe to drop will be the announcement that the 5.7 km Millennium Line (Broadway subway) extension to Arbutus, will top $4 billion. And […]

OMC #5 – Who Made $8 Million?

An interesting passage from Bob Mackin’s Breaker News has peaked my interest concerning the the Operations and Maintenance Centre #5. “A Dec. 11, 2023 NDP cabinet order, signed by Surrey-Green Timbers MLA Rachna Singh, took a nearly 37-acre parcel of land at 176th and the Fraser Highway out of the Agriculture Land Reserve on which […]

The NDP Just Love FastFerry Projects!

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” George Santayana, an early 20th century writer and philosopher. Well, the NDP certainly do not remember their past because the $6 billion, 16 km Expo Line extension to Langley is turning into another “FastFerry” fiasco! Well done, Premier Eby, well done! The fast ferry […]

News Flash – Expo Line Langley Extension Now $6 Billion

Rail for the Valley Vindicated! Despite the name calling and insults, for Rail for the Valley’s estimate of $5 billion for the 16 km Expo Line Extension to Langley, as it now seems it was $1 billion off. Today, the provincial government has put the cost of the extension at $6 billion! So, where is […]

Rubber On Asphalt – The NDP’s Coward’s Way Out!

One just has to shake ones head in disbelief, as the NDP’s solution for Global Warming and Climate change is building more highways. $2.65 billion (the amount of money the NDP are adding to the expansion of the Hwy.1) would build a deluxe Marpole to Chillwack regional railway, including a new rail bridge across the […]

FLASH – Is TransLink Buying ALR Land For OMC#5?

News flash! It now seems that TransLink is going to purchase (if not already bought) Agriculture Land Reserve Land near the corner of the Pacific Highway and Fraser Highways. This is probably going to be the new site of the Operations and Maintenance Centre #5. The reason: ALR Land is $200 thousand an acre versus […]