Sourcing Parts For An Edsel

I think the senior management at TransLink are worried, very worried. Bombardier is in serious finical trouble and is wanting to sell its rail division. With Covid-19, all deals are off, as transportation conglomerates cut operations to suit their immediate financial needs. Bombardier has now ceased all production and it is doubtful that Bombardier continue […]

Covid-19 – Time To Rethink Translink’s Metro Plans?

Something to think about. As ridership plummets on TransLink, it will be ever harder to implement the $4.6 billion extensions to the SkyTrain light-metro network as monies will be needed to shore up a collapsing transit network. Remember, the SkyTrain light-metro network is very expensive to maintain and operate. How can TransLink defend a $4.6 […]

Hats Off to Sandor Gyarmati – While In Other News……

Hats off to Optimist reporter, Sandor Gyarmati as he correctly states: A Boarding represents each time a passenger enters a fare paid zone using Compass fare media or other proof of payment. Transfers are counted as additional boarding’s. This is the first time in the print or electronic media that a reporter has stated this. […]

Musings From A Funeral

  Sadly, I have been attending several funerals this year, but just few weeks back at a funeral for an acquaintance I bumped in to an old BC Transit type, who I dueled with back in the 80’s and early 90’s. Having a coffee after the service, he said something quite astounding; “You know, you […]

Ottawa’s Ongoing LRT Drama

When  politicians get involved with transit, fiasco happens. When light-metro pretends to be light rail, fiasco happens. When the media’s ignorance of light-metro and light rail is so evident and they fail to ask important questions, fiasco happens. This article about the operational ills of Ottawa’s new light metro system (though the Ottawa light-metro uses […]

Smoke And Mirrors for The North Shore

Smoke and mirrors. Classic political bait and switch; bait the public into thinking that the province is really doing something, but in reality, doing nothing. The key is funding and of course funding is never mentioned. Without having each option showing cost, means the study is next to useless as people don’t have real information. […]

The Realities of Subway Mania In Lotus Land

  The realities of subway mania. Vancouver politicians live in “The Land of the Loyus Eaters”, when it comes to transit. In Greek mythology the lotus-eaters, were a race of people living on an island dominated by the Lotus tree. The lotus fruits and flowers were the primary food of the island and were a […]

Is The SkyTrain Lobby, Really The Auto Lobby In Disguise?

I have always wondered about the true intentions of the stout supporters of the SkyTrain light metro system and TransLink. Despite overwhelming evidence that the proprietary Movia Automatic Light Metro (MALM) system is dated and extremely expensive to operate, they champion the museum piece with invented issues like delaying cars at intersections or even worse, […]

Adios Bombardier. Adios Movia Automatic Light Metro (SkyTrain)?

As predicted, Alstom is now buying Bombardier Transportation for CAD $10 billion. The question, which may worry Translink and the hapless Mayor’s Council on Transit is: “Will Alstom keep MALM (SkyTrain) production or abandon the proprietary light metro altogether? Will Alstom keep already expensive replacement parts available or discontinue production altogether?” I reached out for […]

Linked Trips Please! What is Translink Afraid Of?

TransLink is trying to save face with recent acknowledgement that the Canada line is under built. What TransLink does not tell you is that over 80% of the Canada line’s ridership, is forced to transfer from bus to metro at Bridgeport Station. All Richmond, South Delta and South Surrey bus customers bound for downtown Vancouver […]