Comments

1. eric chris says:

   August 6, 2013 at 8:58 pm

   Oh no, another TransLink stooge using the “Vancouver Sun” to enlighten us with his words of wisdom on how giving TransLink the power “to impose road taxes” and to have “demand management powers”, whatever that means, is vital for Vancouver to be competitive with other cities in Canada.

   He suggests that TransLink should have influence over land use rights – supposedly to allow developers to build one 50 story tower every 1.6 kilometres near its sky train lines for developers to increase their profit margins. Obviously, 10 five story buildings spaced every 160 metres along a tram line to meet the current zoning doesn’t work for TransLink and the developers.

   There is certainly no conflict of interest in Michael A. Goldberg, professor dean emeritus of the “Mickey Mouse” Sauder School of Business backing sky train when the Sauder School of Business at UBC receives funding from TransLink for transit “research”.

   In case Michael A. Goldberg hasn’t noticed, Vancouver has the worst road congestion in Canada thanks to the sky train induced urban sprawl. In addition, the worst air quality occurs on the frequent diesel bus routes feeding the sky trains.

   Mayors in Metro Vancouver don’t take their orders from TransLink in Metro Vancouver. In fact, there is a very compelling argument to pare the transit budget by $1 billion and to use the money to improve the bridges and roads to reduce travel times for drivers – resulting in huge reductions in carbon emissions, much more than transit could hope to achieve.

   In truth, TransLink is trying to move into the planning real to expand sky train at the detriment of transit in order to preserve its existence. This isn’t the mandate of TransLink. TransLink’s purpose is to operate transit, only, as instructed by the mayors paying for it. That’s it. Elected mayors set the priorities for transit. TransLink has no say when it comes to land planning. TransLink also has no say on the taxation of residents, here, especially to fund sky train which is increasing road congestion and air pollution.

   If TransLink spending $2 for every $1 earned compared with all other transit organizations in Canada spending $1 for every $1 earned can’t make ends meet, the provincial government has the obligation to move away from sky train which is a failure and to replace the simple accounts and business graduates at TransLink with competent electrical and mechanical engineers who have the wherewithal to design and build tram lines to make ends meet, lower transit costs and improve air quality.

   http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Putting+TransLink+right+fast+track+will+benefit+city/8752138/story.html#

2. zweisystem says:

   August 7, 2013 at 12:29 am

   Zwei finds this statement very interesting; “With the pending completion of the Evergreen Line the people of B.C. will have spent more than $9 billion on Metro Vancouver rapid transit infrastructure, yet TransLink and provincial taxpayers have not benefited at all from the billions in increased land value that such improvements have created along their respective routes.”

   Zwei has been severely criticized by the Skytrain lobby for my claims that with the Evergreen Line, over $9 billion has been spent on light metro. Well, well, well, the next time Daryl, or anyone of the other trolls that support SkyTrain make such claims, it seems i have been right after all! Let’s see now, $9 billion could have built us 3 East West Lines and two North South Lines in Vancouver, Richmond and Burnaby; a new combined railway/road bridge to replace the Patullo Bridge; LRT to Whiterock and Chilliwack; and more!

   Build more Skytrain someone says, ha, you will bankrupt the region.