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 […]

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 […]

Current issue of Trains should be required reading

Matthew at Transport Action BC http://transportactionbc.wordpress.com/ writes on March 8th The April issue of Trains magazine has a special 48 page report on fast trains. It describes new high-speed trains in China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Europe, relative speed, why some Americans canai??i??t seem to embrace high-speed rail, a map showing the highest speed portions […]

US Light Rail News

News from Detroit, Denver and Minneapolis Detroit: The Republic, Columbus Indiana City schedules neighborhood meeting on proposed $25 million light rail project in Detroit http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/2e8de5cf80324a10a7ace0814c52098a/MI–Light-Rail-Detroit/ DETROIT ai??i?? City transportation officials are scheduled to meet with Detroit residents at Mount Olive Baptist Church to answer questions and give details about a proposed light rail project along […]

Comparing Light Rail, Bus and Subway Costs

Two  reports on Canadian Light Rail systems The following link is to a report published in 2006 by Calagary Transit Light Rail Transit in Calgary  http://www.calgarytransit.com/pdf/Calgarys_LRT_1st_25Years_TRB_revised.pdf Currently, the average hourly operating cost of LRT is approximately $163, including operating, maintenance and utility costs. With an average of 600 boarding passengers per revenue operating hour, the […]

Rebalancing Our Transportation Network: A Case Study

Hamilton, Ontario has for long been promoting a Light Rail system for the city, details of their campaign can be found on the Hamilton Light Rail web site: http://hamiltonlightrail.com/index.html Details of the economic case for Light Rail are: http://hamiltonlightrail.com/article/an_economic_case_for_light_rail/index.html Similarly to Rail for the Valley in BC, the Hamilton Light RailAi??promoters are citing examples of […]

First interconnected tram-train service!

On 12 December 2010, the first tram-train service in the French region of Alsace commenced. 5000 daily passengersAi??are be able to travel from Mulhouse to Thann on an innovative, ecomobile transport route. read the article: http://www.sncf.com/en_EN/html/media/CH0004-Everyday-life/BR1122-Tram-train-Mulhouse/MD0005_20101206-Read-article.html Photograhs of the track system, internal & external views of the Alstom Citadis Tram-Trains Images courtesy of: http://www.tc-alsace.eu/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=87

Generational divide on regionA?ai??i??ai???s light-rail plans?

In June 2010, The Province of Ontario committed $300 million towards the capital cost of constructing a rapid transit system in Waterloo Region. http://rapidtransit.region.waterloo.on.ca/ Approved a light rail transit (LRT) system from Waterloo to Cambridge as the Region’s long-term preferred rapid transit system; Recognized that a staged implementation would be required to ensure the best […]