Taxpayers Beware – Seattle’s Newest Subway Is Costing $400 Million A Kilometre

This story should be sounding alarm bells everywhere, Seattle's newest subway, a mere 4.8 km long, is set to cost a massive USD $2 billion or about USD $400 million per km to build, making this insane project one of the worlds more expensive subway projects! 'Zwei' never supported Seattle's so-called LRT line because it is really a very expensive […]

Vancouver considers higher-density housing plans for Cambie Street corridor – Have we given land developers a $2.5 billion subsidy?

From the ‘Well I told you so department’. In Vancouver, expensive subways are built not to move people, but toAi??subsidize land development. Readers of the Rail for the Valley blog know that this announcement was predicted and why there much hype and hoopla in the mainstream media with the recently opened Canada line metro; the […]

IS IT TIME TO HAVE A ROYAL COMMISSION ON URBAN TRANSPORTATION?

Recent angst and confusion in local and national blogs concerning bus, light rail, metro, and commuter train makes Zwei wonder if a Royal Commission on Urban Transportation is needed. There are no national standards that readily defines transit mode and one is needed, so the average Canadian (read Canadian taxpayer) can engage in honest debate on urban transportation. […]

Much longer delay on Evergreen Line start feared – From the Black Press

 From the So What's New Department.   The never ending financial problems for the 'Nevergreen Line' continue as TransLink has not anted up the $400 million to complete the line. Brave talk on new funding formulas are laughable as the regional taxpayer is maxed out and any new taxes may see a voter rebellion on […]

The Sunday Supplement Essay

The fall out from Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts State of the City report Tuesday, has raged far & wide in the BC papers and on the blogosphere, not unexpectedly much of the debate has centered on the link between transport or transit, development or land use and city planning, residential unit design or population density. […]

A Tale of Two Letters

 Mr. Brussac, a long time man of letters from Coquitlam, understands our current public transit malaise. He is well read on the subject and his letters are worth a read when printed. One may not always agree with his opinions, but his knowledge on transit and public transit issues is very good and is correspondence well […]

A letter To Rail for the Valley

Good Morning   I am an avid believer of a Ground LRT System for the lower mainland and the valley.   As a previous resident of Abbotsford I daily commuted to Surrey and Vancouver with frustration and impatience,that never seemed to end. I have like many others sent e-mails to Ken Hardie (Trans Link spokes […]

AdiA?s TransLink? Letters Published in the Postmedia Press

The following letter has appeared in the Postmedia press including the Vancouver Province and the Delta Optimist and should start some lively debate. A valid question is asked; “Why is TransLink planning for transit on Broadway, when they know it will be decades before anything is done; or, is there already a secret agreement involving […]

The Broadway Transit Debate Continues. Has The Decision To Build A SkyTrain Subway Been Already Made For 2030?

Well, it seems TransLink is again having more public consultations for the proposed Broadway Rapid Transit project, but has the decision to build a subway been already made? Just the name, "Rapid Transit", means a metro and any reference to a light rail option is equated to a slow streetcar. TransLink hasn't a clue about […]

Risky to bust up flow of gas tax to TransLink: Walton

North Vancouver, mayor and  chair of the region's mayors council, Richard Walton, just doesn't get it. No matter how much federal tax money is paid to TransLink, the insatiable bureaucracy's will never have enough money. If the region splits into to or three transportation entities, those with the SkyTrain and the Canada line metro will […]