A 0.5 per cent TransLink sales tax?

In an obvious headline grabbing event, a near dormant transit group, proposes a 0.5% sales tax to fund TransLink. Big mistake. The problem with transit in the Vancouver Metro region is TransLink itself and its firm belief that the more money one spends on transit the better it is. It is a recipe for financial […]

The TransLink House of Cards

This recent piece in the Surrey Leader make for unpleasant times at the ‘House of TransLink‘. TransLink is broken and all the provincial politicians and all the civic politicians can’t put TransLink back together again. OPINION: Who’s behind the wheel at TransLink By Contributed – Surrey North Delta Leader Published: August 07, 2013 Who is […]

TransLink Useless?

There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all. Peter Drucker After attending a large commercial event, the recurring complaint was how badly the were operated and how deaf TransLink was for change. As the annual event runs on the August long weekend, bus service to South Delta […]

Letters to the Editor – The Return of the Interurban

Tuesday, July 23: All aboard! Bring back the InterurbanVancouver SunJuly 22, 2013 Terry Nichols of the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society operates the societyai??i??s recently restored BC Elecrtric Railway 1225 Interurban railcar at the Cloverdale Station in Surrey on Wednesday, July 17, 2013. Photograph by: Ric Ernst, Vancouver Sun Re: The return of the Interurban, […]

Liz James Sings The TransLink Blues

Liz James is one of the few columnists in the region that has taken the times to research our local transit fiasco and she has well demonstrated that she understands the issue. Unlike the mainstream media, which collectively have not done much research on the issue (some even believe that no builds with LRT anymore!) […]

Vancouver Once Had Streetcars & Interurbans

Vancouver once had streetcars and interurbans, a photo essay. A PCC on Hastings A PCC on Main St. Two PCC’s passing at a tram stop. Note passenger safety zone. On Commercial Drive, above the ‘cut’. A Central Park Line Interurban. Note the 10 second headways!!!!! Marpole Station

Really, SkyTrain Craps Out Again!

For a transit system that is supposedly free of breakdowns and loss of service, the SkyTrain mini-metro seems to have all too many breakdowns. I would ask the SkyTrain lobby to refrain from the claim that SkyTrain is more reliable than light rail, simply because it isn’t. Millennium Line out of service in New Westminster […]

A Letter In The Vancouver Sun

Ah “Road Pricing”, the next great tax grab by regional politicians and bureaucrats. When, oh when will they learn to make do with much cheaper and just as effective light rail? The sad fact is, if regional politicians do get their wish and road pricing is approved, kiss goodbye to any sane and/or affordable transit […]

Liz James asks important questions

Liz James, who writes opinion pieces for the North Shore News, asks some ‘striking’ questions of the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation, the question is; “are they willing to answer?“ The answer is no, as the regional mayors are afraid of a referendum and the reason is simple, they are afraid of a “none of […]

TransLink Whinges for More Money

TransLink’s gold-plated transit planning needs funding and the the question is, which politicians are foolish enough to let Translink squander billions more taxpayer’s dollars? A Broadway subway costing $3 billion? Well if the proposed subway goes to UBC, the cost would be more like $4 billion. LRT can’t operate on Broadway? A LRT line on […]