BRT Buffoonery and a word about Susan Heyes

Some interesting costs associated with BRT. If the following is to be believed, then BRT is more expensive to build and operate than light rail. Maybe that’s why TransLink wants to build BRT in the Fraser Valley. With TransLink, if it costs more to build and operate than light rail, they build it! Pittsburg BRT, […]

Occupy TransLink and rid ourselves of the SkyTrain cult!

TransLink and SkyTrain in the news again. I find it strange that the mainstream media has failed to tackle the ‘SkyTrain’ question and continue to blather on about the benefits of SkyTrain, when the rest of the world have found none! The 34 year old proprietary SkyTrainAi??light-metro system has created it own operating philosophy in […]

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 […]

Regiona (Liberal) Mayors Vote To Increase Gas And Property Taxes

It seems, the provincial Liberals called in its markers as Liberal mayors in the Vancouver metro region voted to support gas and property tax increases to further fund TransLink. TransLink was holding a dud poker hand but bluffed regional politicians who were holding all the aces. Such weak tax and spend politicians should be defeated in the […]

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 […]

SkyTrain too costly – A letter to the Editor

It not often that a sensible letter about light rail is printed in local papers.   SkyTrain too costly   In his coloum, Grant Granger argued that SkyTrain is a key symbol to the Lower Mainland and a tourist attraction. While this may be true, the trains come at a cost that far outweighs their […]

Vancouver Streetcar Controversy – Facts Please, not Anti-Tram Rhetoric!

The following is typical of the anti streetcar or tram rhetoric that is all too common in Vancouver’s mainstream media. Streetcars are deliberately made to seem inferior to SkyTrain and the SkyTrain Lobby, insure that the blogosphere is filled with anti-LRT/tram nonsense. To make sure this happens, TransLink deliberately inflates the cost of new LRT, […]

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 […]