Annual Tram/LRT Statistics

The following are the annual tram/LRT ridership statistics courtesy of the Eurotrams group. In contradiction to what many local politicians; bureaucrats and academics would have us believe, modern LRT and or tram can carry large numbers of transit customers and do in annual revenue service. Let us forget the many “man-of-straw arguments” against LRT by […]

Light Rail Gets an Ally – We Welcome New Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi

For the first time since I have been advocating for better transit, now over thirty years, we now have a minister of the crown who not only understands modern light rail, he is an advocate of modern LRT! Let us hope new infrastructure minister Amarjeet Sohi is open to new ideas including the Leewood/RftV TramTrain! […]

Out of Touch

The Vancouver Board of Trade, think themselves transit experts; nope, nada, not a chance as the VBoT is absolutely clueless when it comes to public transit, but they certainly glad hand any transit initiative that will enrich BoT members, such as cement companies, with absolutely no care for the transit consumer or taxpayer. The main […]

So, Who Says That No One Builds With LRT Anymore

Over the weekend, I happen to hear a federal politician wannabe claim that; “No ones builds with light rail anymore” and went on to prattle about BRT and how it could carry impossible loads of people and subways because “everyone else builds them”. Did every politician running for office sleep through their math classes? It […]

The Fiscal Realities of Subways Surface

Taxpayers in Ontario are slowly awakening up to the fiscal realities of modern subway construction, just as their European counterparts did in the 1970’s and 80’s. Little known on this side of the pond, is that subway construction in Europe has almost bankrupted public transit en mass and by the 1990’s subways were only considered […]

Portland Streetcar spurs $4.5 billion in new real estate development

Funny that the city of Vancouver preaches that only a SkyTrain subway will spur investment along Broadway, while at the same time, treats light rail as an economic leper. Well streetcars in Portland, Oregon prove otherwise. Rail News: Passenger Rail Portland Streetcar spurs $4.5 billion in new real estate development, study says Since 1998, the […]

A Letter in the Sun

Strange that, after the resounding NO vote in the recent plebiscite, the Vancouver Sun has been giving ink to some very pro LRT writers, in both the Op-Ed section and the Letters To The Editor Section. Saturday, July 18: Portland LRT grounded in reality Vancouver Sun July 17, 2015 Letter writer Ray Arnoldai??i??s decision to […]

LRT Saves Highway Space

This is from a Siemens promo for light rail from the 1980’s. Self explanatory, it gives a good visual how modern LRT saves highway space. It also shows that modern LRT could be built on Broadway and still provide road space for autos and with parking.  

Some People Get It

Light Rail is a streetcar that operated on a reserved rights-of-way. The resounding NO vote has changed the tune, somewhat, of the Vancouver Sun’s reporting of regional transit issues. How long this will last is anyone’s guess. Zwei voted no because I thought the plan was unworkable; a $3 billion subway from Glen-Clark Station to […]

First look at Nottinghamai??i??s new tram line

Zwei lived in Nottingham in the mid 70’s and is where I first gained interest in urban transit. While waiting for my then girl friend, who was attending night school, I chanced a free public lecture by a Professor of Transportation (forgot his name) and was so entertaining that I still smile at some of […]