The Ultimate BRT

Here we have the next generation of rapid bus. I understand Translink is sending stakeholders (first class) to see the new BRT in Action. Rumour has that the first trials will take place the first day of April, 2012. The following is a preview of the new  BRT. BRT Vision I think I'll take a tram […]

Contrasting Canadian News Posts

Freedom takes Flexity to the North American tram market http://www.railwaygazette.com/index.php?id=44&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=14068&cHash=3eea2ae186 NORTH AMERICA: Bombardier Transportation President & CEO AndrAi?? Navarri launched the ai???Flexity Freedomai??i?? as the company’s tram platform for North America at APTA Expo 2011 in New Orleans on October 4. The 100% low-floor car is a parallel development to the Flexity 2, launched in […]

From The Heart Of The Evergreen Line

The Tri-City news is ground zero with the Evergreen Line projects, but news coming from Northeast sector of Metro Vancouver is not at all comforting, as it seems things are not what they seem. With TransLink, nothing is as it seems, as they have become circus conjurers, rather than transit planners.   Commissioner casts doubt […]

Transit is about moving people stupid!

Interesting news item, from all places, the SkyTrain friendly CKNW radio station. VANCOUVER/CKNW(AM980) 10/7/2011 Just as the mayors vote today on funding for the Evergreen Line, a report by the transportation commissioner says TransLink’s ridership predictions may just be wishful thinking. The Province newspaper reports commissioner Martin Crilly wrote last week that the growth predictions […]

Union urges Vancouver mayors to accept gas taxes to pay for more transit – so they can hire more union bus drivers

The the bus driver union wants regional mayors to vote to increase property taxes to pay for light metro, mainly for Vancouver, comes as no surprise; the light-metro philosophy needs more buses and bus drivers to feed the hugely expensive metro lines. With much cheaper LRT because it can serve more destinations, doesn't such need a vast bus […]

Transit Blundering in Victoria

Sad to say, transit planners in Victoria have not read the Rail for the Valley/Leewood Report, but then, why should they, they live in a world of gold-plated transit, where any form of rail transit is over-engineered to such an extent that it will be too costly to build. Economy is not in our transit […]

The Mufford Crescent Debate.

The Mufford Crescent overpass debate has implications for the proposed Rail for the Valley/Leewood TramTrain. The question Zwei asks is: “Why is a hugely expensive overpass being planned for Mufford Crescent at all, yet the far heavier used Langley Bypass/ Glover Road/Rail intersection/level-crossing remains almost unchanged. Would it not be better to move the overpass […]

And You Thought Busways Were Cheap – Not in Brisbane Australia

Wow, who said that Bus Rapid Transit is cheap? The cost of Brisbane’s new one kilometreAi??busway is almost the cost of the 98 km. Rail for the Valley/Leewood diesel TramTrain line from Scott Road Station to Chilliwack! The moral of this story is, when TransLink and politicans promise BRT, do they really know what it […]

Towards financially sustainable mass transit systems

 The following was posted to the Light Rail Transit Association's blog and will be well worth a read!   Professor David Levinson http://tinyurl.com/3rl2o68 Human Transit: http://tinyurl.com/3ghdevt response http://tinyurl.com/3f2pfr4 The Transport Politic: http://tinyurl.com/3dj9kp2 response http://tinyurl.com/3zqqqz6 2nd Ave. Sagas: http://tinyurl.com/3stumfs response http://tinyurl.com/3c2gagx Streetsblog.net: http://tinyurl.com/3lfaaxw Enviro Boys: http://tinyurl.com/3b7ltb9 Pedestrian Observations http://tinyurl.com/3d949f6  

Autumn in Budapest

The Cardinal has recently returned from a short holiday in Budapest, Hungary. Budapest is a walking city and theSeptember weather makes it ideal to wander around on foot with many cozy cafAi??s and restaurants offering their retreat if needed when temperatures cool down. With over 100 museums and galleries the city also offers many indoor […]