Two letters in the Tri-City News

Massive transit expansion needed in Metro Vancouver The Editor, Re. “Build real rapid rail” (Letters, The Tri-City News, June 5). I have to second letter writer Barry Waterlow’s suggestion that only a massive rapid rail and SkyTrain expansion could convince commuters to use public transit and reduce the number of vehicles owned. Why wouldn’t comfort […]

LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT ASSOCIATION Discussion Document 73 March 2009

Ai??Ai?? The following, though written for an English audience is pertinent to our current transit debates and maybe of some interest to those advocating rail transit here. Ai??Ai?? FALSE INFORMATION USED TO DESCRIBE A TRANSIT SCHEME Ai??Ai?? Introduction Ai??Ai?? This document is partly designed to correct a practice of using false information regarding transit modes. […]

From the Light Rail Transit Association – CAN LOCAL FUNDING SUPPORT A HERITAGE TYPE TRAMWAY

The following is a discussion document (#72 January 2009)Ai??Ai??from the Light Rail Transit Association www.lrta.org which may be interesting for those who are interested in building a ‘start-up’ heritage interurban/streetcar service. The Federation of Small Businesses (Yorkshire and Humber) have shown concern about the need to reduce traffic congestion in Leeds. Their suggestion was that […]

The Heritage Tram – Interesting possibilities for the Vancouver to Chilliwack Interurban

Heritage streetcars, operating in museums, onAi??Ai??their own trackage orAi??Ai??running in scheduledAi??Ai??Ai??Ai??service, on existingAi??Ai??transit routes, have proven to be extremely popular and operate in many cities around the world. A proven tourist generator, heritage streetcars and interurbans could expandAi??Ai??Vancouver centricAi??Ai??tourism up the Fraser Valley to Chilliwack. There is plenty of scope for vintage streetcars or heritage […]

An European view of light-rail in North America. Is it time for a new definition of LRT?

The following maybe of interest on why LRT projects in Canada and the U.S.A. seem toAi??Ai??cost more than new European installations and some (Seattle is a good example) have more in common with light-metro, than what manyAi??Ai??people would callAi??Ai??light-rail. It seems in North America, what is called LRT, is really light-metro and real LRT has […]

TRAM-TRAIN TECHNOLOGY SEARCHING FOR A PROBLEM – From the LRTA. And what is tram-train? The interurban!

The following discussion paper from the LRTA should be of interestAi??Ai??for those who want the return of the interurban to Chilliwack. Just substitute interurban for tram-train. A programme on BBC 1 giving a nostalgic look at the former local railway route from York to Beverley (1) interviewed locals along the former route to see if […]

TramTrains for Bristol – A News Release From the LRTA

I include this news release from the LRTA because of the similarities with Rail For The Valley’s campaign to reinstate the Vancouver to Chilliwack interurban service. Diesel light-rail is of course, a tramtrain! PRESS RELEASE FROM TramForward 21 January 2009 TramForward suggests TramTrain for Bristol Metro Light rail campaign TramForward has welcomed support for the […]

LIGHT RAIL – DIESELS FILLING A VACUUM – A fact sheet from the Light Rail Transit Association.

With the case for Diesel light rail for the Valley Interurban ramping up, this fact sheet from the LRTA may prove useful. INTRODUCTION In the past, many rail-based assets could not always be fully utilised because certain technical difficulties were preventing full integration. The transport world was somewhat astounded when German ingenuity developed the dual-voltage […]

A Question of Capacity – A LRTA Topic Sheet

A QUESTION OF CAPACITY THE CAPACITIES of different modes of transport are generally quoted as 0-10 000 passengers per hour for bus, 2000-20 000 for light rail, and 15 000 upwards for heavy rail. A?A?A? Maximum capacity is only likely to be required for a few hours during peak hours, and even here there are […]

TramTrain, the interurban of the 21st century!

With the ongoing campaign for the “return of the interurban” in the Fraser Valley, an understanding of what the 21st century interurban is needed. The old Vancouver to Chilliwack interurban,Ai??Ai??ran from downtown Vancouver along streetcar tracks, up Main St. and down KingswayAi??Ai??to the beginning of the Central Park Line, just past Commercial drive. Then the […]