Modular Trams Just Keep On Growing!

BKV, the transit operator in Budapest Hungary has just taken delivery of the 9th of a 12 unit order from SpanishAi??LRV producer CAF (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles) for the world record setting 56 metre long, 9 section, Ai??Urbos 3 (Type 100) LRV. The first unit has completed testing and hasAi??just been accepted for service. […]

Light Rail, Streetcars & Light-Metro – A Primer.

First published in the RftV blog in 2011, it is still pertinent today. Updated and edited for March 2016.   Due to many people posting, on various blogs, absolute rubbish about light rail, it is time again for a quick primer on streetcars, LRT and SkyTrain. Question: What is the difference between LRT and a […]

Real Light Rail For Surrey – The WKW Line

It has has been five years year since I entertained the idea of the Whalley ai??i?? King George ai??i?? White Rock LRT Line and in 2016 the WKW Line is still superior to what TransLink is planning for Surrey. Surrey needs a bold new vision for modern LRT and I believe the Whalley ai??i?? King […]

Must see videos

This is one of Zwei’s favourite tram photos. Lawned rights-of-way; simple stations; and pedestrian friendly light rail in Grenoble. Reprinted and re edited from 2009. The two videos from Karlsruhe are a must see, to fully understand TramTrain! All the links work, unfortunately the few that no longer exist, have been deleted. Trams climbing grades […]

Toronto council lacking critical transit information ahead of key decisions

Sound familiar? Vancouver Councillors utterly clueless about subways and transit in general. Surrey Councillors completely naive about light rail. TransLink blunders along, without a clue what they are doing. Bureaucrats kowtowing to political whims, with no thought about the negative effects on the taxpayer. “We’re OK Jack, coz we all have six figure salaries.” Yet […]

Ottawa’s new LRV’s Are Arriving

News from Ottawa. The picture is of the front end of the new 49 metre trams arriving in Ottawa.  

Flexibility

This will get the SkyTrain boys knickers in a knot! The Arbutus Corridor, the classic dedicated or reserved rights-of-way. LETTER: Flexibility makes light rail the clear choice for Surrey One reader says light rail’s flexibility makes it the clear choice for Surrey. ai??i??Ai??image credit: The Now posted Feb 18, 2016 The Editor, There is myth […]

An Open Letter To The Minister of Transportation

To whom it may concern: Cutting ribbons is not the main function of the Minister of Transportation, but in BC it seems it is. Trying to justify the Premier’s (or should I say Fraser Surrey docks/SNC’s) $3.5 billion Massey Tunnel vanity bridge replacements is seemingly taking a lot of your time. I understand your many […]

80% Support For Light Rail In Surrey

Good news everyone! 80% of the people polled support light rail in Surrey, BC. The bad news is that TransLink is still involved with the planning process. As for the jobs created, especially maintenance jobs, god knows how they come by those figures and is a good example of pulling numbers out of a hat, […]

Professor Condon on CBC Radio

  A BCIT to UBC surface light rail line would reduce traffic congestion, while at the same time allow cars to access merchants along Broadway UBC Planning Professor Patrick Condon was on CBC Radio on Jan. 29, echoing the growing concern about the proposed Broadway SkyTrain subway sucking away federal monies from other local transit […]