The SkyTrain Subsidy Revisited

The SkyTrain and Canada Line light-metro are bleeding over $350 million from TransLink’s $1.2 billion budget! In 1993, the GVRD (now Metro) and Transport 2021, published the study, “The Cost of Transporting People in the BC Lower Mainland” and for the first time the annual SkyTrain subsidy was mentioned. In 1991, SkyTrain was subsidized to […]

Horse manure from Vision(less) Vancouver and the N.P.A.

Wow, such BS from Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson and mayor wannabeAi??Kirk LaPointe, saying he is going to build an affordable subway is laughable. Robertson has no proof to back up his claim that a subway will be; “taking 50,000 cars off the road”. One should remember the empty claim that the Canada line would take […]

All Quiet on the Transit Front?

With civic elections only weeks away, there has been a lull with transit issues and stories. The city of Vancouver, which considers itself the centre of the universe, provides us with some mirth as the elections draw near. The left leaning C.O.P.E. political party is proposing that all Vancouver residents should have universal transit for […]

Aubagne Tram – The Economy Tram

Light Rail can be built cheaply, if there is the political and bureaucratic will is there to ensure LRT is built economically. At first glance the Aubagne tramway is very expensive, costing ai??i??166 million or CAD $235 million to build, but only for 2.7 km., which works out to an expensive $87 million/km. to build. […]

Light Rail In Victoria Before Vancouver?

Interesting news from Victoria, BC Transit is recommending LRT for Greater Victoria. Though BC Transit doesn’t have much competence with modern LRT, the organization certainly has more experience than TransLink, with the historic LRT planning for the Broadway-Lougheed Rapid Transit project before the provincial NDP did their infamous flip-flopAi?? to SkyTrain. Zwei also questions the […]

You Just Got to Be Kidding!

I am speechless! Is this the best that TransLink can do? SkyTrain delays good time to support the economy: TransLink Spokesperson says grab a coffee or a bite to eat while waiting Ai??Anita Bathe October 1, 2014 VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) ai??i?? TransLink is trying to turn a negative into a positive. It says lengthy SkyTrain shutdowns […]

SkyTrain fizzles Once Again

What can I say, Skytrain grinds to a halt again! Until the SkyTrain Lobby stops claiming that SkyTrain almost never stops due to unforeseen problems, Zwei will keep posting when SkyTrain does stop due to a mechanical failure to prove otherwise. Portland’s LRT has come to grief several times this summer, but at least Tri-Met […]

A Letter in the Courier

A letter in the Vancouver Courier. Letter: Transit planners are on the wrong track Re: ai???Mayorsai??i?? Council may expect Vancouver to fund Broadway line,ai??? Sept. 24. Vancouver Courier September 30, 2014 11:28 AM To the editor: Re: ai???Mayorsai??i?? Council may expect Vancouver to fund Broadway line,ai??? Sept. 24. Mr. Gellerai??i??s articleAi?? illustrates a very important […]

More sense from Ottawa

Our friend from Ottawa, Haveacow, is a transit consultant from Ottawa, he also has studied Vancouver’s transit scene and is a worthwhile read as he makes too much sense. The following is a reply from Mr. Cow, which I think deserves a post of its own! I agree that tunneling any rail based transit system […]

Roads & Rails = Dumb & Dumber

In BC, we are backward. In fact, we are not just backward, we are literally stone age when it comes to transit planning. Two stories; in Nevada the Boulder rail extension is part of the cost of a new highway and that the CNR sold Georgetown-Kitchener, Ont., rail line to Metrolinx for GO Transit commuter […]