Comments for Public Transit in Vancouver

Comment on Federal funding for public transit by jakking

jakking — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 04:08:17 +0000

And none of them contributes to “help get people out of their cars, which reduces traffic congestion, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and air pollution.”

Comment on Transit Etiquette by jakking

jakking — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 19:27:39 +0000

Just discovered the blog. Very good indeed. My own take on transit etiquette: http://jaksview3.wordpress.com/2008/02/22/a-fragile-line/

Comment on Federal funding for public transit by Paul Hillsdon

Paul Hillsdon — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:30:51 +0000

You’d think that was the case, and I don’t know how accurate this information is, but according to the Liberals, none of this so-called “promised” money from the feds has been passed onto municipalities, at least through this particular government funding program.

http://www.liberal.ca/story_14134_e.aspx

Comment on Support the #33 bus route down 16th Ave by PublicCitizen

PublicCitizen — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 02:02:08 +0000

I attended the meeting on the 25th organized by the self-styled “16th Avenue Neighbourhood Association.” It was a classic NIMBY affair, dominated by angry, implacable opponents of the planned new bus route.

Many of them questioned the need for additional bus service and loudly jeered the staff people from Translink who explained that ridership has risen sharply in recent years and is expected to continue to do so. Evidence to this effect given by the Translink reps was countered by anecdotes from the floor about half-empty buses plying the streets in off-peak hours!

Most of the people in attendance appeared to be older home-owners, most of whom, I’d wager, seldom if ever use public transport. At the same time I got the impression that not everyone at the meeting was in agreement with the critics. But the anger and hostility that permeated the meeting may well have intimidated supporters of the bus route from speaking up. When one brave woman suggested that apartment dwellers on 16th might well be likely to use the new service, she was rudely heckled!

All in all, it was a thoroughly unpleasant evening. On the brighter side, I understand the new route is a fait accompli. Let’s just hope it’s not derailed by Fairview’s own NIMBY brigade.

Comment on Mayors won’t increase taxes to bail out TransLink by Ken Hardie

Ken Hardie — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:31:47 +0000

Just a reflection here…this is not a matter of “bailing out TransLink,” it’s about finding the money to get the improvements done and, as importantly, to pay the ever increasing operating costs.

Ultimately, TransLink will do what is necessary to ensure the budget is balanced, and in the absence of the revenue, that means service cuts.

Jeff Nagel has once again demonstrated a very clear grasp of the issue.

Comment on Ken Hardie is Arthur Dent? by gvtt

gvtt — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:51:13 +0000

Touché, Ken. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment – much appreciated!

Comment on Ken Hardie is Arthur Dent? by Arthur

Arthur — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:45:22 +0000

You know, I’ve used Arthur Dent in quite a few places on many topics for many years, from some of the radio forums frequented by us recovering broadcasters to anywhere else that requires some form of ‘handle’ to participate.

Arthur Dent reminds us of the fact that Vogons are everywhere amoung us…some are indeed present in our political machinery, but they are just as evident in our media and in the odd advocacy groups. You can make up your own mind as to which of those groups is ‘odd.’

Vogonism is a state of mind, and one must navigate through the conditions they impose with all their pomposity and harumphary to occasionally pipe up with ones own perspective. I keep my towel close by.

Ken

Comment on Ken Hardie is Arthur Dent? by Sungsu

Sungsu — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:48:43 +0000

I always thought Ken Hardie had a good sense of humour. This reconfirms it. Thanks!

Comment on Support the #33 bus route down 16th Ave by Rickie

Rickie — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 06:39:46 +0000

I couldn’t make the meeting, but I also support this route, ever since it was proposed in the area transit plan. Routing as proposed along East 33rd and West 16th, it will fill in much needed gaps in east-west crosstown service. Can’t wait to try this route out in September!

Comment on New bus route along 16th Ave by PublicCitizen

PublicCitizen — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 21:01:03 +0000

I live on West 16th and am dismayed that some of my neighbours are trying to keep the neighbourhood a bus-free zone. According to them, West 16th is a kind of bucolic oasis that’s about to be destroyed by the advent of buses. But in fact it’s already a major thoroughfare for car traffic. I’m not prepared to join with those who object to buses while blithely accepting an ever increasing volume of cars.

At the same time, I’m angry with Translink for reneging on their promise to restore trolleys to Cambie. I’d like to see the trolley service restored on Cambie and maybe extended to the proposed route along West 16th.