Plan B – the Leewood/Railfor the Valley TramTrain.

With the resounding defeat of the YES side in the recent plebiscite, maybe it is time to dust off the Leewood/Rail for the Valley Study. The simple fact is, other groups are, without acknowledging the massive efforts Rail for the Valley has invested in this project, trying to take credit for a plan B! The […]

Committee approves Ottawa light rail transitai??i??s $3-billion second phase design

I think $3 billion is a tad too expensive, but I am sure Mr. Haveacow will explain the reasons why. I still maintain that we must plan and build LRT much cheaper than we are currently doing. On another issue, the claim that: ” noise and vibrations ai??i?? both from the construction and trains themselves […]

First look at Nottinghamai??i??s new tram line

Zwei lived in Nottingham in the mid 70’s and is where I first gained interest in urban transit. While waiting for my then girl friend, who was attending night school, I chanced a free public lecture by a Professor of Transportation (forgot his name) and was so entertaining that I still smile at some of […]

Is it time for TransLink to study TramTrain?

Another TramTrain is being installed and I thing it is time that both TransLink and BC Transit send a fact finding tour to Europe to investigate TramTrain! As expensive vanity transit projects are seriously in trouble, the time has come to study 21st century transit philosophy and rethink expensive 20th century mini-metro. The Leewood/Rail for […]

Are traffic flows along Broadway enough to justify a subway?

Are traffic flows along Broadway enough to justify a subway? Simple answer is no, not anywhere close! Traffic flows along Broadway are around 4,000 persons per hour per direction in the peak, but because it riders are mostly cheap fare U-Pass holders and operates buses at a far grater frequency than needed off the peak […]

Has the TransLink brand past its “best by” date?

The mainstream media seldom give somewhat negative stories about TransLink and this item from Radio News 1130 may be the “shape of things to come”. For too long TransLink has treated its passengers as cattle, acting like the “lord of the manor”, superior to all within its prevue. For too long, TransLink has not been […]

An Australian Perspective.

I will repeat this once again to prevent any misunderstanding; Congestion charges and/or road pricing will not work in our region until we have a viable public transit system to provide an attractive alternative to the car. Buses are not and I repeat, are not a viable and attractive alternative to the car and only […]

Memo to TransLink: When Aging Gadgetbahnen……………………..

One of the perils of expensive proprietary transit systems, is that they do not age well. The SkyTrain ALRT/ART mini metro Expo Line is now 30 years old and it is beginning to show its age, it stops; it goes kaput from time to time. With no drivers or attendants on board, the public start […]

Subway Realities

Old Zwei has been warning about the costs associated with subways and now New York’s MTA says it needs $32 billion over the next five years to repair decaying subway infrastructure! We also have a familiar name, Tom Prendergast, warning that the subway system needs expensive upgrading done. Prendergast also warned TransLink about the high […]

Hamilton Gets LRT

From our friend in Ottawa, Mr. Haveacow. Well its official, at a press conference at McMaster University, Hamilton will get a roughly 11km 14 stop LRT line from McMaster University in west .Hamilton to the Queenston Traffic Circle in east Hamilton. There will also be a 1 km short spur line north up James Street […]