How America Killed Transit – How the Americans (and we) Are Getting it Wrong

I think the author, a PHD candidate, seems unread on what modern light rail is. He still defines light rail vehicles, different than a streetcar Memo to PHD candidate: it is not the vehicle, but the quality of rights-of-way, that defines LRT. His comment; “And though cheaper to build, light rail lines are often too […]

The $11 billion Solution!

It seems our politicians and political wannabees are living in a financial ennui. The massive costs of our current transit planning are being ignored, with the rah, rah rant of the various rapid transit promoters glossing over the real costs of their various pet projects. Our so called experts ignore the costs and it is […]

Mayoralty Candidate, Doug McCallum Wants To Delay Rapid Transit In Surrey Until The Late 2030’s

Why do politicians always think they are transit geniuses? Mostly because they are too stupid to understand the basics of transit planning and the application of modern public transit philosophy. Doug McCallum is one, a former Surrey Mayor who was and still is completely out of touch with regional transit planning, now claims if elected, […]

Light Rail on Toronto’s King St. Increases Ridership 27%

Welcome news. When a heritage streetcar route is upgraded to light rail standards, simply by giving it priority over autos, reliability increases dramatically as does ridership. The lesson to be learned is indeed very simple. One need not segregate transit in a subway or on a viaduct, to increase ridership, one only needs to operate […]

The Greer Report – 20 Years On

This item is a reprint from 2009. After rereading the Greer Report, I see TransLink making the same unsubstantiated claims about SkyTrain. Another decade has passed and TransLink is still the autocratic organization, as it was twenty years ago! Who is not afraid to “Bell the Cat?” The Greer Report – Review of Rapid Transit […]

Is Surrey About To Abandon The Doomed Ship TransLink?

Zwei predicted years ago that current transit planning will compel South Fraser Municipalities to abandon TransLink. Well, it has happened, like it or not a new political group, Proudly Surrey, has made leaving TransLink as part of their electoral platform. The following is Proudly Surrey’s platform on transit. Transit for Surrey   In 1994, Surrey […]

All Quiet On The Eastern Front

  Zwei has a habit of making people mad and the list is long. So, in an effort to even more people mad, I will recall a conversation I had a week or so back with a former NDP politician. The former NDP politician wishes to remain anonymous as the person does not want to […]

Some Smart People Out There, Not Here Apparently……

In Europe, transportation needs are designed to meet the needs of transit customers. In BC, transportation needs are designed to further political careers and money laundering. Example: The $3 billion Broadway SkyTrain subway, being built on a transit route which has peak hour traffic flows under 4,000 pphpd! Who is the subway being built for? […]

The Litmus Test

Litmus Test: a test in which a single factor (such as an attitude, event, or fact) is decisive. Premier Horgan’s recent announcement, killing LRT On Vancouver Island all but sentencing the E&N to death, was the NDP’s Litmus test of their commitment on regional transit in the province. The answer, the NDP has none and […]

Madness

Good old Zwei has been blogging on local transit issues for the past 10 years, I can say that both recently announced “rail” transit projects are both hugely expensive, will not ease congestion and will fail to achieve their objective, except giving the excuse for land development adjacent to the routes. As advised by real […]