You say Skytrain to langley won’t fix this. Translink never intended to fix the problems on highway 1. BC government is going to widen the highway 1 to Abbotsford. It is a BC government problem not a translink problem. Skytrain to Langley will just replace existing buses to Langley. It might reduce some traffic on highway 1 if some people leave car at home in Langley and ride the train to Vancouver.
Anyways, it would be a good idea if you reactivate interurban rail to Chilliwack.
Despite claims to the contrary, SkyTrain has not created the all important modal shift from car to transit. Ridership increases come from the deep discounted U-Pass and population increase. Because of this, ridership based on boarding’s are not valid, what is important is linked trips.
SkyTrain, just replacing buses will drive up costs and taxes and offer little more.
@adifferentbeat, that’s the whole point, after spending over $3 Billion to get the Skytrain to Langley, for very low ridership numbers by the way and it will be over $3 Billion, the provincial government will still have to spend billions more to widen the highway.
Wouldn’t a better option be a longer, cheaper rapid transit line which covers more locations, using a rail right of way that already exists. A rail line that actually has a chance at reducing traffic on that highway because the drivers who use this road beyond Langley, have another transportation option. A rail line that is already connected to A larger network of track which is massively underused or used inefficiently by the existing freight railroads.
A Skytrain extension to Langley will only help a small area and doesn’t solve the Expo Line’s main issue, which is much of the infrastructure on the original 20 km of line is in desperate need to be upgraded and or outright replaced, due to advancing age. The cost to do this is between $1.5-$3 Billion, depending on the amount of infrastructure that is actually upgraded. Skytain’s masters have yet to even budget for this serious work that’s needed. The present 10 year plan has some upgrades but it’s all the cheap and easy stuff not the complex, expensive and time consuming work that is critical to upgrade and increase the Expo Line’s maxed out passenger and infrastructure carrying capacity.
Zwei replies: I have been told by a source that TransLink has been told that no money for the rehab will be available until 2025 at the earliest. This why they have taken to Facebook asking people to write their MP’s for more money. The same source also told me that Bombardier gave TransLink a “Hobson’s Choice” for new cars, either order them or we dismantle the production line. Thus the $800 to $1 billion order is coming from the general transit system. There is now fear at TransLink itself of it going bankrupt, so to speak.
Higher fares and taxes are in order which just might make the public go nuclear.
BC highways has always been the reponsibilty of the BC government. This is why BC government widened highway from Vancouver to Langley and built the new 10 lane bridge. It was irresponsible that they eliminate the toll that was being used to pay for the new bridge and highway improvements.
Transit east of Langley is the responsibility of BC Transit not Translink. Translink only provides transit west of Langley.
If you want rail to the fraser valley then ask BC Transit or the Provincial government. It is not Translinks responsibility.
You say Skytrain to langley won’t fix this. Translink never intended to fix the problems on highway 1. BC government is going to widen the highway 1 to Abbotsford. It is a BC government problem not a translink problem. Skytrain to Langley will just replace existing buses to Langley. It might reduce some traffic on highway 1 if some people leave car at home in Langley and ride the train to Vancouver.
Anyways, it would be a good idea if you reactivate interurban rail to Chilliwack.
Despite claims to the contrary, SkyTrain has not created the all important modal shift from car to transit. Ridership increases come from the deep discounted U-Pass and population increase. Because of this, ridership based on boarding’s are not valid, what is important is linked trips.
SkyTrain, just replacing buses will drive up costs and taxes and offer little more.
@adifferentbeat, that’s the whole point, after spending over $3 Billion to get the Skytrain to Langley, for very low ridership numbers by the way and it will be over $3 Billion, the provincial government will still have to spend billions more to widen the highway.
Wouldn’t a better option be a longer, cheaper rapid transit line which covers more locations, using a rail right of way that already exists. A rail line that actually has a chance at reducing traffic on that highway because the drivers who use this road beyond Langley, have another transportation option. A rail line that is already connected to A larger network of track which is massively underused or used inefficiently by the existing freight railroads.
A Skytrain extension to Langley will only help a small area and doesn’t solve the Expo Line’s main issue, which is much of the infrastructure on the original 20 km of line is in desperate need to be upgraded and or outright replaced, due to advancing age. The cost to do this is between $1.5-$3 Billion, depending on the amount of infrastructure that is actually upgraded. Skytain’s masters have yet to even budget for this serious work that’s needed. The present 10 year plan has some upgrades but it’s all the cheap and easy stuff not the complex, expensive and time consuming work that is critical to upgrade and increase the Expo Line’s maxed out passenger and infrastructure carrying capacity.
Zwei replies: I have been told by a source that TransLink has been told that no money for the rehab will be available until 2025 at the earliest. This why they have taken to Facebook asking people to write their MP’s for more money. The same source also told me that Bombardier gave TransLink a “Hobson’s Choice” for new cars, either order them or we dismantle the production line. Thus the $800 to $1 billion order is coming from the general transit system. There is now fear at TransLink itself of it going bankrupt, so to speak.
Higher fares and taxes are in order which just might make the public go nuclear.
BC highways has always been the reponsibilty of the BC government. This is why BC government widened highway from Vancouver to Langley and built the new 10 lane bridge. It was irresponsible that they eliminate the toll that was being used to pay for the new bridge and highway improvements.
Transit east of Langley is the responsibility of BC Transit not Translink. Translink only provides transit west of Langley.
If you want rail to the fraser valley then ask BC Transit or the Provincial government. It is not Translinks responsibility.