The Province Pulls the Rug Out Under 2040 – But Will The NDP Play?

The province has sent a message to the city of Vancouver, 2040 is dead because the province will not fund a SkyTrain subway under Broadway.Ai??The Liberals know that SkyTrain is a very expensive transit mode with thier experience with theAi??Canada Line P-3. The politcal fallout from the Canada Line big dig has also hurt the […]

Vancouver’s 2040 Transportaion Plan Will Fail

With great fanfare and hoopla, the Vision Vancouver controlled city council has approved a rather vision-less transportation plan for the future. The plan is fatally flawed as the one tool with a proven record of reducing traffic, light rail or LRT/streetcar (tram for our European friends) is absent. Pretty pictures of people crossing on a […]

People love their cars or do they?

Portland sometimes struggles to find the right balance between car use and alternative modes of transportation. Striking the balance will require tough choices as population and housing density increase. Michael Lloyd/The Oregonian http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/10/people_like_their_cars_a_fact.html Funny, people love cars. That may be why data released last week by researchers at Metro, the regional government, showed as much. […]

Cities by the sea

A tale of two marine citiesai??i?? Bordeaux & Vancouver have much in common Ocean location Temperate climate Situated on a major tidal river A large natural seaport Extensive transport links, river, rail, air & road to the hinterland Comparable land area, both city & metropolitan areas An outstanding urban and architectural ensemble City Land Area […]

The Guru’s of Tax & Spend Are Grooming the Public for Road Pricing

Like a pervert on the Internet grooming children for lewd encounters, the powers that be in METRO Vancouver are grooming the public for “road pricing” for a very rude tax grab. What is road pricing anyways? Road pricingAi??and congestion charging are direct charges levied for the use of roads, including road tolls, distance or time […]

Should We Convert the Canada Line metro to LRT?

The George Massey Tunnel is back in the news, as Premier Christie Clark is using the tunnel as an election gimmick, promising to replace the tunnel within 10 years. http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Christy+Clark+announces+plan+replace+Massey+Tunnel/7315511/story.html Replacing the tunnel with a larger structure, bridge or tunnel will only send the gridlock to the next choke point, the Oak Street & Knight […]

Tours ‘architecture in motion’ tram unveiled

The new Alstolm trams being delivered to Tours certainly demonstrates the 21st century streetcar or tram. The 43.7 metre (143.3 feet), seven section articulated tram has a nominals capacity of 300 persons, with seating for 88. This equals the capacity of a four car rake of Mk.1 vehicles. Being 100% low-floor, means easy access for […]

Next-generation streetcars arrive in Toronto for trials

National Post http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/09/27/next-generation-streetcars-arrive-in-toronto-for-trials/ Although it will not be accepting passengers until 2014, the TTCai??i??s next generation of streetcars arrived in the city by freight train this week. Still the property of its builder, Bombardier, the train is in town for a series of trials to see whether it can smoothly navigate Torontoai??i??s streets. The vehicle, […]

Lyon tram-train service launched

The French city of Lyon is opening a new TramTrain line, while in METRO Vancouver TransLink still dreams of massive (and massively expensive) SkyTrainAi??light-metro lines.Ai??After two years, TransLink still Ai??refuses to deal honestly with the RftV/Leewood TramTrain study for the former BC Electric Vancouver to Chilliwack Interurban. The cost for Lyon’s new 26 km TramTrain […]

The Light Rail Revolution in France

The one country that has spurred on the “light rail revolution” is France, yetAi??in the late 70’s and early 80’s French politicians and planners were going the light-metro route with the French VAL rubber tire mini-metro system. MATRA, the massive French Arms consortium, were the owners of the VAL proprietary light-metro system and the French […]