The Expanding World Of TramTrain

TramTrain, unknown in Canada, mocked by those who have not even researched the mode, is now expanding across the world. The concept is simple and well understood a century ago, but time has erased the memory of the “interurban” from our present crop of planners. Until 1992…….. The German City of Karlsruhe opened it’s first […]

Truth And Lies About Transit

  It seems that the covid-19 pandemic has made several people busy little beavers with local transit issues. A new Facebook page has appeared, Truth and Lies About Transit in the Fraser Valley and it is worth a read. It now seems a certain railway company has called upon a certain political friend to do […]

A Letter To Premier Horgan

The Honourable John Horgan, Premier of BC * Dear Premier Horgan, * The Covid-19 pandemic has made absolutely clear, we cannot go back to normal, as it has forever changed how people behave. Covid-19 is a prelude for great change in BC. * Metro Vancouver’s regional transit system has been greatly affected by the pandemic […]

Reality Hits TransLink Square In The Face

As Zwei has pointed out, the new Covid-19 reality has hit TransLink square in their hypocritical face. With cap in hand, TransLink went to provincial and federal governments for more handouts but it seems they have had enough and TransLink had to shed employees and unproductive bus routes. From Radio 1130: TransLink announces layoffs, other […]

More Bad News For TransLink

While TransLink’s senior bureaucrats are desperately trying to salvage their embarrassingly high stipends, more bad news; people like working from home. Research Co. says 73 per cent of those polled expect to keep working from home after COVID-19. If, even 25% of the 73% quoted in the news story, decide to work at home, it […]

Did I just hear “Shovel Ready”?

Two transit projects in BC are “shovel ready”. 1) Rail for the Valley’s plan for regional railway connecting, Chilliwack, Sardis, Abbotsford, Langley, Cloverdale and North Delta to Vancouver and 2) The E & N Railway connecting Courtney, Qualicum Nanaimo Chemainus, Duncan, Langford to Victoria, with a future connection to Port Alberni. All is needed is […]

Has The Great TransLink Lollipop Ride Ended?

Fiscal reality is now hitting TransLink and the Mayor’s Council on Transit square in the face. Memo to the Mayor’s council on Transit: It is time to rethink your transit priorities, especially that $4.6 billion price tag to extend the MALM system (Expo & Millennium Lines) 12.8 km. The estimated added $40 million annual operating […]

Financial Ills for TransLink

This is to be expected. The one big problem is that the SkyTrain light metro network needs about the same compliment of workers whether it operates at peak capacity or at a much reduced capacity. Unlike buses, where service can be reduced, with drivers laid off,  the light-metro system needs a full workforce to keep […]

It Is Time For TransLink And The Mayor’s Council Rethink Light Rail

It is time, during this pandemic crisis and the billions of dollars being spent for the security of Canada and Canadians, it is time TransLink and the Mayor’s Council on Transit rethink their stand on light rail. It is time that TransLink and the Mayor’s Council on Transit show fiscal responsibility for public transit and […]

Time To Rethink Transit – Tramways Instead Of Light-Metro?

Montpelier, France What the following article is talking about is not light rail, rather a tramway or streetcar. Light rail is a streetcar operating on a reserved or dedicated rights-of-way and by doing so, offers a service superior to that of a light metro and close to that of a heavy-rail metro. Building a tramway […]