European Light Rail news

Light Rail/Tramways in France. Four new Light Rail/Tramways are currently under contruction in France and are scheduled to be opened between 2011 and 2013. The 11.2 km Reims Tramway – 2011 http://www.tramwaydereims.fr/start.html A 12 km Tramway in Angers – 2012 http://tramway.angersloiremetropole.fr/ A 14.3 km Tramway in Brest – 2012 http://www.letram-brest.fr/ A two line, 20 km Tramway in Dijon – […]

Canada Line workers take a strike vote – Is The Driverless Myth About To Be Exposed? (Updated)

Well, well, well, the 180 control room workers, maintenance personnel and attendants for the Canada Line are taking a strike vote and TransLink is very worried. Since the SkyTrain light-metro was built over 30 years ago, the mainstream media and politicians sang in chorus that automatic metros were good because they did not need drivers and […]

Why Are North American Engineers So Afraid Of European Transit Developments?

Answer: They can't plan for $1.4 Million a mile rail transit schemes, like what their European friends are doing! The Valley Rail naysayers abound, but when faced with undisputable facts that light rail and/or its many variants can be built very cheaply indeed; much cheaper than $125 million/km SkyTrain or even $20 million/km highways, they […]

How to Spot the Transit Denier?

Transit, LRT, Tram & Public Transport deniers come in many forms; from libertarians, petrol heads & asphalt warriors to right wing neocons. ..the Cardinal has compiled a list of thirty eight most commonly used arguments by opponents to at-grade LRT:- Excuses Ignorance Criticism Opposition Hostility 1.    Trams are inflexible. a.    If the road becomes closed, due to an accident or emergency road or utility […]

Fords condemnation of St. Clair streetcar is off-track

TheAi??Globe & Mail article by Marcus Gee; Ford’s condemnation of St. Clair streetcar is off-track http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/marcus-gee/fords-condemnation-of-st-clair-streetcar-is-off-track/article1859391/ published on January 5th, shows how the successful St. Clair streetcar line speaks against mayor Rob Ford’s plans to cancel Transit City and most LRT projects. It is depressing to see that the same dunderheaded opposition to light rail […]

The War on Cars

Is there really a “war on cars” in Seattle? Politics Northwest The Seattle Times political team explores national, state and local politics. Posted by Jim Brunner Has Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn really declared a “war on cars?” Or is that just a manufactured right-wing talking point? http://tinyurl.com/34thhyo At the blog of the green think tank, […]

High density urban living, not neccessary for good public transport

Units not crucial for good public transport, study finds Andrew West, January 5, 2011 RESIDENTS of Australia's outer suburbs do not have to wait for higher housing densities before getting better public transport, according to new research, which could defuse one of urban planning's biggest controversies. In a paper for the journal Australian Planner, Dr […]

A 2010 retrospective and a happy New Year!

Itai??i??s traditional for the media and bloggers alike to wrap up the retreating year or welcome in the New Year with a retrospective of all that was bad, depressing, frustrating, good, humorous, irritating, scandalous or just plain bizarre in the twelve months that finished on the stroke of midnight on 31st December. Stephen Reesai??i??s blog […]

Transit Planning In Metro Vancouver – Where Have We Gone Wrong?

The release of TransLink’s $400,000.00 Fraser Valley Transit Study continues over three decades of transit denial by politicians and bureaucrats alike. The SkyTrain driverless light metro system has brought with it, the seeds of a regional transportation debacle, where the invented claims by the SkyTrain lobby has infected all regional planning, including the universities with […]

Have a Happy 2011 Toronto, love from Rob Ford

Rob Ford ready to let transit projects hold in favour of Sheppard subway Globe & Mail December 21st http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/rob-ford-ready-to-let-transit-projects-hold-in-favour-of-sheppard-subway/article1846354/   Mr. Ford has criticized light-rail transit as too similar to the streetcars he believes causes congestion in Toronto’s gridlocked roadways. He scoffed at the idea that monorails or a similar above-grade technology, which in theory […]