The Expanding World Of TramTrain

TramTrain, unknown in Canada, mocked by those who have not even researched the mode, is now expanding across the world. The concept is simple and well understood a century ago, but time has erased the memory of the “interurban” from our present crop of planners. Until 1992…….. The German City of Karlsruhe opened it’s first […]

Memo to the M.O.T. – Time to Reread The Leewood Study

Now ten years old, the Leewood Study, done by Leewood Projects (UK), to access the viability of reinstating a passenger rail service from downtown Vancouver to Chilliwack via the former BC Electric R.R. route, is worth a revisit. Leewood Study The Leewood Study brought a fresh set of ideas to the planning table, something the […]

Absolute Madness!

Absolute madness from the Mayor’s Council on Transit. The game has changed, the taxpayer is broke and cannot pay more. The transit customers are broke and cannot pay higher fares. Covid-19, like it or not has changed the transit game completely. Spending a budgeted $4.6 billion to extend the Movia Automatic Light Metro lines (Expo […]

More Bad News For TransLink

While TransLink’s senior bureaucrats are desperately trying to salvage their embarrassingly high stipends, more bad news; people like working from home. Research Co. says 73 per cent of those polled expect to keep working from home after COVID-19. If, even 25% of the 73% quoted in the news story, decide to work at home, it […]

Did I just hear “Shovel Ready”?

Two transit projects in BC are “shovel ready”. 1) Rail for the Valley’s plan for regional railway connecting, Chilliwack, Sardis, Abbotsford, Langley, Cloverdale and North Delta to Vancouver and 2) The E & N Railway connecting Courtney, Qualicum Nanaimo Chemainus, Duncan, Langford to Victoria, with a future connection to Port Alberni. All is needed is […]

Has The Great TransLink Lollipop Ride Ended?

Fiscal reality is now hitting TransLink and the Mayor’s Council on Transit square in the face. Memo to the Mayor’s council on Transit: It is time to rethink your transit priorities, especially that $4.6 billion price tag to extend the MALM system (Expo & Millennium Lines) 12.8 km. The estimated added $40 million annual operating […]

Rethink And Introduce TramTrain!

As Covid-19 wrecks havoc with BC’s economy, it is time to rethink the provincial policy of building more light-metro, highways and bridges and instead concentrate on “rail” transport. The Provincial Ministry of Transportation should refrain from building mega projects like subways and massive 10 lane bridges and concentrate on providing proven modes of alternative transportation. […]

It Is Time For TransLink And The Mayor’s Council Rethink Light Rail

It is time, during this pandemic crisis and the billions of dollars being spent for the security of Canada and Canadians, it is time TransLink and the Mayor’s Council on Transit rethink their stand on light rail. It is time that TransLink and the Mayor’s Council on Transit show fiscal responsibility for public transit and […]

Is It Time To Rethink SkyTrain Expansion?

As reported, the ongoing Covid-19 epidemic has greatly reduced transit ridership. A 52% drop in boarding’s from March 19, 2019 to March 19, 2020 is greatly affecting TransLink’s bottom line. With over 80% of SkyTrain’s ridership first take a bus, the collapse of ridership must be dealing a vast economic blow to TransLink! The SkyTrain […]

The Grand Betrayal of the Fraser Valley

Coming back from a quickie holiday at Harrison Hot Springs, a few thoughts came to mind on my drive there and back. Traveling from South of the Fraser, one is certainly  aware of the mass of new housing being built and with scarce public transit or no transit at all, the only way for people […]