French Delights – Paris’s Tramway line 1 & Line 2

In 1992 trams (LRT)Ai??Ai??returned toAi??Ai??Paris, afterAi??Ai??their abandonmentAi??Ai??in 1938. The new tramAi??Ai??line,Ai??Ai??Line T1Ai??Ai?? ran fromAi??Ai??La Courneuve to Bobigny and was extendedAi??Ai??few months later to Gare St. Denis. So successful was line T-1, that it tripled theAi??Ai??ridershipAi??Ai??of the bus route it replaced. In 1997, after the success of the new tramway, Line T2 opened, running fromAi??Ai??Issy Val […]

From the Georgia Straight – TransLink’s Broadway transit gambit condemned

It seems Vancouver’s politicians are not satisfied with one hugely expensive subway, they want a almost $4 billion subway under Broadway to UBC. Indeed, as Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan points out, Vancouver’s politicians are blinkered to the real costs involved with subway construction, especially when the provincial and region taxpayers anted up for the almost […]

A news release from Rail for the Valley – Light rail groups renew call to scrap SkyTrain expansion

September 29, 2009 Media Release (for immediate release) Rail For The Valley and the Light Rail Committee today joined forces in calling on provincial and federal governments, and Translink, to respect the wishes of local governments in the region, and start work on a modified Evergreen line. John Buker, a spokesman with Rail For The […]

Is it time to replan the Evergreen Line? Could diesel LRT be the answer for the Tri-Cities?

Both the provincial and federal government want TransLink to build SkyTrain on the Evergreen Line and it is clearly evident that the decision to build with SkyTrain is purely political to keep Ontario and Quebec jobs secure in Bombardier owned plants.Ai??Ai??With theAi??Ai??ongoingAi??Ai??propagandaAi??Ai??campaign of the SkyTrain lobby, combined withAi??Ai??the complete ignorance of Transportation Ministers, both provincial […]

From the Georgia Straight – Metro Vancouver board pushes for $450 million a year increase in TransLink funding

If one really wanted any more evidence that our regional politicians are completely outAi??Ai??of touchAi??Ai??on regional transit issues, this item from the Georgia Straight should putAi??Ai??that to rest. The financialAi??Ai??problems with TransLinkAi??Ai??are simple: 1) It operates light-metro (an obsolete transit mode) on routes that do not have the ridership to support it. Result – high […]

The propaganda campaign for the UBC subway has begun. Here comes the Campbell Line!

OnAi??Ai??September 8, theAi??Ai??first day of regular commuting, after the summer break,Ai??Ai??in the region, the Vancouver Sun had a “Canada Line” Live chat where a poll question pops up “Should SkyTrain continue to UBC” and not surprisingly 59% have voted, “Yes get on with it”. Here we have the the firstAi??Ai??push ofAi??Ai??a massiveAi??Ai??propaganda campaign to win […]

From the Georgia Straight – Patrick Condon highlights cost of Broadway transit

There is no doubt that TransLink, the province and the city of Vancouver are steamrollering ahead for a SkyTrain UBC subway. The $2.8 billion for the proposed 12 km. subway is rather conservative and the true cost would be nearer to $4 billion. Going back to the $2.8 billion figure – $2.8 billion would buy […]

From the LRTA – Karlsruhe orders Bombardier TramTrains

Good news for Rail for the Valley, Bombardier is now producing TramTrains for the famous Karlshrue Two-System light rail network. One would guess that Bombardier Inc. would love to demonstrate this product here. Imagine, the “Great Tram Train Trials” for the Fraser Valley, with Alstom, Siemens, Bombardier, Stadler all competing for orders here; it would […]

Commuting is harder now – A letter to the Vancouver Sun

As predicted, the RAV/Canada Line has increased journey times for many transit customers, even those who commute directly to Vancouver. Despite ‘rose coloured glasses’ style stories in the mainstream media and ‘talk radio’, longer journey times translates into less people opting to take transit. The letter does reveal two issues: 1) What percentage or portion […]

Elevated or at-grade; let’s look at both!

A post to RFV’s blog moaned that; “you always show ugly pictures of elevated transit rather than the wonderful job Richmond did on #3 Road or sections of the Central Valley Greenway……………”, well let’s compare elevated transit with at-grade/on-street light rail. or It seems that the vast majority of transit planners would rather be associate […]