Why there is antagonism towards at-grade Light Rail/Tramways & streetcars (North America + Canada)

The following was sent to Zwei by a very concerned urban transportation advocate. All the SkyTrain lobby has is fear to debate light rail and spread fear they do. All technical debates between LRT and SkyTrain/light-metro have been won or lost decades ago and SkyTrain has been relegated to the history books. Like uber Regulus […]

Build Murray-Clarke A?ai??i??ai??? or Evergreen support goes: PM council

An interesting little spat is taking place in Port Moody, where the city council want TransLink to chip in with the Murray-Clarke Connector project and if they don’t, they will pull their support for the Evergreen (Nevergreen) Line. This confirms two of Zwei’s opinions about the $1.4 billion light-metro project: The Evergreen Line is front […]

Vancouver Commuting Habits

Ai??Ai?? The following information from the Out-of-home Marketing Research Association of Canada or OMAC is certainly contrary to the SkyTrain lobby claims that SkyTrain takes a large share of Vancouver’s commuters. But Zwei knew that already as if any claims made by Translink about SkyTrain being a wunder system are quickly dispelled by the lack […]

Transit News Around The World October 19, 2010

Phoenix METRO Playing With A Full House http://raillife.com/blog/ Los Angeles LAX rail line is early stop in plan to expedite transit work http://www.dailybreeze.com/opinions/ci_16357591 Tampa Bay Hillsborough rail plan is still taking shape http://tinyurl.com/35egf4g Wellington, NZ Councillors signal light rail battle lines http://tinyurl.com/2udcyql Norfolk, VA Light rail may be up & running by Dec. http://tinyurl.com/2es7phc Ottawa […]

Trains get streetwise

The following link from the Professional Engineering Magazine ….. http://www.profeng.com/archive/2010/2311/23110053.htm ….. is well worth the read as it neatly sums up the German city of Karlsruhe’s success in integrating transit. Karlsruhe, it must be remembered, pioneered the TramTrain concept andAi??Ai??with stunning results. When the firstAi??Ai??TramTrain line (which replaced a commuter train & one transfer) opened […]

The Fruit of the Poisonous Tree – TransLink’s Regional Transit Planning

Fruit of the poisonous tree is a legal metaphor in the United States used to describe evidence that is obtained illegally.The logic of the terminology is that if the source of the evidence (the “tree”) is tainted, then anything gained from it (the “fruit”) is as well. TransLink’s planning officials still maintain that modern light […]

The 10,000 PPHPD Question – TransLink is Hoisted on its Own Petard

At the recent streetcar symposium in Vancouver, TransLink officials contend that streetcars have very little capacity, almost less than a busAi??Ai??and that light rail can carry only 10,000 persons per hour per direction. This,Ai??Ai??despite the fact that the Light Rail Transit Association has, since the 1980’s, defined LRT “as a mode that can carry 2,000 […]

The Streetcar Symposium – TransLink Doesn’t Get it!

Zwei attended the streetcar symposium on Wednesday and came out with a great sinking feeling – TransLink just doesn’t get it. The event itself was very well put together, with ample food and drink, but there was little discussion about streetcars, but a lot of back-slapping by the various agencies and bureaucrats attending. TheAi??Ai??symposium was […]

The Leewood Projects ‘Full Build Option’ or "Full Meal Deal". Finally a Transit Plan With Vision!

Click here to download the full 84 page report What is interesting about the Rail for the Valley/Leewood Projects TramTrain or interurban report is the vision shown by the author. Not only does he plan for the ‘politically correct’ (for valley types) Scott Road to Chilliwack TramTrain he also looks to the future with extensions […]

Mr. Campbell Responds to the Rail For The Valley/Leewood Report With Deciet

Gordon Campbell has a very bad reputation for not telling the truth, in fact he is a habitual teller of very tall tales. The Premier’s statement in the following article, ” But you know the operating costs of the SkyTrain are about 50 per cent a year less than with light rail. And the ridership […]