The Emperor has no Clothes and no Transit

Vancouver is at first glance a beautiful city. It is surrounded by sweeping vistas and a dramatic skyline. The climate is moderate butAi??spend some time here and scratch the surface and it becomes far less attractive. It is a city that is divided politically; it is parochial, narrow minded and shallow. The people are characterless, […]

Transit problems across Canada prompt calls for politicians to address issue

Time to lead SIRI AGRELL, LES PERREAUX, WENDY STUECK AND JOSH WINGROVE Globe and Mail Saturday, Mar. 26, 2011 1:31PM EDT Commute times in Canadian cities are no longer just a source of rush-hour irritation, but a national liability affecting the economic performance of our urban centres and requiring immediate intervention from Ottawa. A new […]

Transit a hit-and-miss affair in B.C.A?ai??i??ai???s Lower Mainland

Wendy Stueck Vancouverai??i?? Globe and Mail Update Published Friday, Mar. 25, 2011 11:00PM EDT http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/transit-a-hit-and-miss-affair-in-bcs-lower-mainland/article1957867/page2/ Shuttling sleekly between Richmond and downtown Vancouver, the $2-billion Canada Line has been a hit since it opened in 2009. But while the Canada Line whisks hundreds of passengers a day to their destinations, hundreds more huddle at bus stops […]

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 […]

Light Rail, Tram-Train & Tram news from Britain

Four further Light Rail/TramAi??announcements this week from Britain; First UK tram-train plan on track for Sheffield BBC 24th March http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-12844983 PlansAi??Ai??to make Sheffield the first city in the UK to get a state-of-the-art “tram-train” service are on track after A?150,000 was granted to theAi??Ai??project. The continental-style carriages, which operate on both tramAi??Ai??tracks and existing railways, […]

Manchester Tram & Rail Link announcements

Manchester Metrolink starts Phase 3b Railway Gazette 22 March 2011 http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/manchester-metrolink-starts-phase-3b.html UK:ai??i??Construction work has started on a 3Ai??9Ai??km extension of the Manchester Metrolink light rail network from Droylsden to Ashton-under-Lyne, following a groundreaking ceremony held on March 8. This is the first of the projects included in Phase 3b of the network expansion programme to […]

The (AVG) Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft GmbH- KarlsruheA?ai??i??ai???s longest tramtrain route A?ai??i??ai??? S4

I am reprinting this post from last year due to a series of recent correspondence on the 210 km. TramTrain route. Those guys on the Skyscraper page really do a great disservice with regional transit with their extremely dated way of thinking. It is almost as TransLink sponsors the blog! It must be remembered that […]

Comments From The Sandhouse

An AVG TramTrain, from Karlsruhe, on a rail tour on the Swiss mainline. The Sandhouse is the journal of the Canadian Railroad Historical Association, Pacific Coast Division. In  Vol 35, No. 4, Issue 140 – Winter 2010/11, is a summary of the Rail for the Valley/Leewood report and the BC government's effort, with some important observations. It must be pointed out that […]

Where’s The Transit?

It has been overAi??six months since the release of the Rail for the ground breakingAi??Valley/Leewood TramTrain report and very little of substance has happened. In BC and Metro Vancouver, it is business as usual, where civic and provincial politicians are fretting about funding for the discredited Evergreen metro line. The hype and hoopla on the […]

City of Victoria abandons Johnson Street Bridge rail plan

Victoria, B.C. – forget commuter rail entry into downtown SaanichAi??News March 10th http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_south/saanichnews/news/117699518.html The City of Victoriaai??i??s faint hope of finding funding partners to save the E&N rail on the Johnson Street Bridge fizzled Wednesday. ai???Itai??i??s a reluctant decision that we have to take,ai??? said Coun. John Luton. ai???Many in this community are committed to […]