Trams on the cheap!

The following newsAi??Ai??item from the Light Rail Transit Association, in October 2006, should dispel any notion that modern light rail is too expensive to build, with construction costs approaching that of SkyTrain.Ai??Ai?? The equivalent cost of the VA?Ai??lA?Ai??z Malaga tramway today in Canadian fundsAi??Ai??is $30.5 Ai??Ai??million or about $6.6 million per km. to build, including […]

Streetcars – light-rail, what’s the difference?

With the ongoing transit debate, there is some confusion between streetcars and LRT, so what’s the difference? Streetcars are just that, a rail guided transit mode that has the legal right to operate on the public highway. Streetcars in Europe are known collectively as trams, a term dating back over two hundred years, where ‘trams’ […]

Transportation improvements not fast enough

Another column in the Province newspaper today: Transportation improvements not fast enough (Jon Ferry) …And so far the story of Fraser Valley light rail hasn’t been made to sound too compelling, at least to folks in Victoria. The platform hasn’t collapsed, but the train’s still stuck in the station. That’s a pity because, while governments […]

Hey, Mr. Falcon, why do you love SkyTrain?

BC politicians have had a long love affair with SkyTrain and one wonders why? British Columbia’sAi??Ai??politicians love spending billions of dollars on the prestigiousAi??Ai??SkyTrain light-metroAi??Ai??and the mind set is the more you spend on SkyTrain, the better it must be. Friends of the government love SkyTrain/light-metroAi??Ai??(oh yes they are theAi??Ai??same types that balk at raisingAi??Ai??or […]

Transit study set up to fail? Editorial from the Province.

Transit study set up to fail? Editorial, the Province newspaper, Dec. 17 I f the B.C. government thinks it will score political points with voters south of the Fraser River for its $400,000 Fraser Valley transit report, it should think again. Not only will the study’s results not be ready until long after the May […]

Light rail cheaper than buses – study

UBC Prof. Patrick Condon and Kari Dow have come to the startling conclusion that when you add capital costs together with operating costs, light rail is actually cheaper, per passenger per km, than any type of bus, and that Skytrain is the most expensive by far. This is very significant for the Fraser Valley, because […]

Karlsruhe Light/Heavy Rail Track-Sharing System

Here is a good article, from Railway-technology.com, that describes the Karlsruhe Model of track-sharing: Karlsruhe Light/Heavy Rail Track-Sharing System, Germany “Close to the French border in south-west Germany, Karlsruhe in Baden-WA?A?rttemberg was the first European city to implement track-sharing for light and heavy rail vehicles. The ‘Karlsruhe Model’ is considered the reference point for similar […]

Langley left out

More coverage today, in the Langley Times: Rail group pans TransLink plan and this very blunt editorial by Frank Bucholtz: Langley left out.

Why we build with LRT

What is Light Rail Transit or more commonly known as LRT? According to the Light Rail Transit Association (www.lrta.org) Light rail is a mode that can deal economically with traffic flows of between 2,000 and 20,000 passengers per hour per direction, thus effectively bridging the gap between the maximum flow that can be dealt with […]

Langley not in rail study

Langley not in rail study (Langley Advance) “Rail for the Valley says Langley is being railroaded when it comes to a study of local transit options…” Jordan Bateman is also quoted. He seems to think the study will seriously look at the Interurban. If that were the case, wouldn’t Langley be included in the study […]