Annual General Meeting April 29th in Vancouver

Transport Action BC

Annual General Meeting 2013

http://bc.transport-action.ca/

18:30 – 18:45 PM (Room Available at 18:15)
Terry Salman Library, 4575 Clancy Loranger Way (Route 33 eastbound from King Ed Station)

Terry Salman Branch of the Vancouver Public Library
http://www.vpl.ca/branches/details/terry_salman_branch

TransLink Bus #33
http://infomaps.translink.ca/Public_Timetables/89/tt033.pdf

Open Public Transport Lines Map
http://openptmap.org/?zoom=15&lat=49.24564&lon=-123.11279&layers=0B000TFTT

 

Western Newsletter 2013 Issue #1

Western Newsletter of Transport Action BC and Transport Action Prairie

This issue’s contents:

• BC President’s Message – Grim future for VIA Rail
• ARE TRAINS FOR CANADIANS?
• Vancouver LRT thoughts – A counterpoint to the City of Vancouver’s endorsement of a subway to UBC
• VIA Rail service divides East and West, rather than linking it – letter regarding VIA Rail’s focus on the corridor
• Mid-Sized Buses Make Their Debut in Saskatchewan – Sask Transportation company new buses explored
• Island Corridor Update – the restart of the Malahat train on Vancouver island is pushed farther into the future
• Greyhound bus cuts – BC service has been reduced
• Talk about spin – VIA’s president’s speech disected
• IN BRIEF – Pattullo Bridge, VIA new hires, TransLink rapid transit studies
• Transport Action Prairie AGM – Oct 5, 2013 in Regina
• Cool! Trains! – Commentary on VIA Rail
• Humble trolley bus reborn as climate superhero – Excerpt of article on using trolley buses on rapid bus routes. Guest article by Eric Doherty. For the full article on the Vancouver Observer site.

Google Transit available in Kamloops

You can now find information about BC Transit buses in Kamloops from your smartphone or computer.

Example of BC transit routing

Links:

• Google Transit rides to Kamloops – CBC
• BC Transit new release
• BC Transit – Kamloops main page
• BC Transit trip planner for Kamloops shows instructions

Transport Action BC Summary of 2012

Waterfront Station Vancouver

SkyTrain, West Coast Express, and freight trains at Waterfront Station

Vancouver International Airport

Greyhound at Merritt BC

Pacific Central Station

SkyTrain in the ‘cut’ at Broadway and Commercial

Here are some of the issues we talked about at our meetings this year, what we focused on as a group, good news for public transport in BC this year, and some setbacks.

Transport Action BC Activities

• We are opposing the City of Vancouver’s plan to permanently close Robson St (aka Block 51) between Hornby St and Howe St. This will negatively affect the #5 Robson trolleybus due to a circuitous re-route that leads to slower connections with the rest of the network. See our post on this topic.
• We contributed $1000 of our funds to the National Dream Renewed Campaign. A series of town hall meetings regarding the future of inter-city passenger rail has been occurring successfully in Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in the fall. Similar meetings are planned for the West in spring 2013. Stay tuned for more details.
• We oppose a 6 lane replacement of the Pattullo Bridge. We feel that there is excess capacity on the SkyBridge and more traffic lanes in New Westminster are not a solution.
• Transport Action BC is concerned with service on the 3-year-old Canada Line.

Good News

• The Grand Forks Railway, under threat of abandonment, will continue in service. Shippers have agreed to maintain 2 trains per week.
• Federal and provincial bridge inspection funds for the Island Corridor Foundation required all Regional Districts agree to pay for any necessary bridge upgrades; All Regional District’s agreed. The foundation expects work to start in spring 2013

Bad News

• VIA Rail Canada has reduced service on many routes across Canada this year. In the west, the thrice-weekly Canadian has been reduced to twice-weekly from October to May.
• Continuing mudslides on the Amtrak Cascades corridor, especially between Everett and Seattle are causing service disruptions. BNSF embargoes in-service passenger trains for 48 hours even though other trains can proceed.
• Greyhound has cut bus service throughout BC this year. Communities are losing their connections.

Transport Action BC opposed to closure of Robson Square to buses

Transport Action BC is concerned with the City’s decision to extend the Robson Street closure between Howe and Hornby Streets for an extended trial that is seems intended to become permanent. The closure has serious implications for transit users that must be considered.

The bus re-route around the closure is circuitous, particularly for those on Robson wishing to use the Canada Line or southbound buses on Granville Mall. TransLink schedules five to seven minutes travel time from Robson & Burrard to Pender & Granville. Transit users wishing to travel south then spend more time getting back to Robson Street. Thus, transit riders are penalised over ten minutes for every one-way trip compared to the direct route on Robson. Walking to Granville Street from Burrard & Robson is quicker for transit connections but this is unattractive for seniors or those with mobility aids, and even less attractive in the wetter, colder months. Additionally, the re-route forces an additional transfer on those who wish to board the Canada Line at City Centre Station.

The net effect of the closure from a transit customer’s perspective is highly unfavourable. Anyone with a choice between transit and driving will find driving relatively more direct and attractive while those without access to a car are taken needlessly out of their way and forced to make additional transfers.

Creating active, pedestrian plazas is laudable. However, it is ironic that in a city aiming to be “green”, the two streets chosen for long-term “activations” are major transit corridors. By routinely diverting transit from these streets the City is reducing the legibility, directness and overall attractiveness of transit. Meanwhile, no effort is spared in providing on-street parking on other streets where corner bulges and wider sidewalks could make permanent improvements in walking conditions throughout the city. Existing plazas, such as those at Robson Square, the Art Gallery and Main Library function far below their potential, presenting off-street opportunities for improving pedestrian amenities.

We suggest that the City take a more holistic view of its transportation priorities before making a final decision on permanently closing the 800 block of Robson to transit. Such considerations must also figure prominently in Viva Vancouver’s seasonal closures.

Buses will play a major role in Vancouver long into the future. It is time surface transit received more respect from City Hall.

Adapted from a letter Transport Action BC sent to Vancouver City Council
More on this topic on Price Tags blog. Circling the Square.

URGENT! The future of Canada’s passenger trains is on the line. Are you on board?

Today, VIA is once again being forced to chop services on what many consider to be already a minimal rail passenger system. A federal government cut of $41 million in VIA operating funds over the next three years has already forced the discontinuance of several VIA trains. More cuts are coming.

Behind this decision is a long list of vested interests who are – and always have been – hostile to VIA’s existence. They include numerous high-ranking civil servants, certain freight railways and tourist train operators, and some of VIA Rail Canada’s air and highway competitors.

If they get their way, Canada will be the only industrialized nation without modern, effective rail passenger service. It will make us totally dependent on less efficient and unsustainable forms of transportation. We will be socially, economically and environmentally uncompetitive with those other countries that are investing today in
expanded and improved rail passenger service.

What can you do about it? You can join us for one of the numerous National Dream Renewed town hall workshops we will host across Canada this fall. This is your chance to learn more about VIA and voice your opinion about its future. Details of this joint initiative by Transport Action Canada and its five regional affiliates are available on the project’s dedicated website at http://nationaldreamrenewed.com

What else can you do? You can become a National Dream Renewed sponsor. Your donation will help Transport Action take the workshops across the country and give all Canadians a voice in this latest attack on VIA.

The easiest way to donate: By PayPal.ca to ndr@transport-action.ca (PayPal also accepts Visa or MasterCard).

By cheque: for this important public education, consultation and outreach project should be marked National Dream Renewed and made payable to:

Transport Action Canada
Box 858, Station B
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 5P9

(Registered Charity 119268571RR0001)

An official receipt for income tax purposes will be provided.

We need your help to save VIA and all rail passenger service across Canada!

Please join us in ensuring we finally have the efficient, affordable and sustainable rail passenger service that Transport Action has called for since our 1976 inception as Canada’s only nationwide public transportation education and advocacy association.

Your donation will help to make the National Dream Renewed a reality!

All inquiries regarding donations to National Dream Renewed should be directed
to Elizabeth Hill at lhill@istar.ca or (416) 497-6090.

The slow death of passenger rail in Canada continues

Transport Action BC calls VIA Rail Canada cuts ‘inexplicable’ and ‘wrong to the core’

‘Death by a thousand cuts’ continues while hundreds of millions invested in VIA’s renewal

VIA rail fading away slowly.

KAMLOOPS, JUNE 27, 2012 – Matthew Buchanan, president of the public transportation users and advocacy group, Transport Action BC, said that today’s announcement of yet more cuts to Canada’s nationwide rail passenger service is wrong and inexplicable given this federal government’s recent investment of $923 million in a renewal of VIA Rail Canada’s trains, stations and other assets.

“While the rest of the G20 nations invest heavily and wisely in expanding their rail passenger services, Canada’s longstanding policy of cutting VIA continues,” said Buchanan.

“These cuts are wrong to the core and the destructiveness of this latest round will soon become apparent, much to the detriment of the more than four million passengers who use VIA annually.”

In 2009, VIA began receiving $923 million for the largest capital renewal program in its 35-year history.  Transport Action BC applauded that wise decision, especially the leadership role played by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird, who are strong supporters of public transportation, in general, and VIA, in particular.  Some of the investments in that capital renewal package are now being undermined by cuts to the very trains they were meant to benefit.

Respected sources, such as the U.S. Department of Commerce, have determined that every dollar invested in rail projects yields three to four dollars of economic spin-off, not to mention vast social and environmental benefits.  Furthermore, VIA’s public funding for its national network of passenger trains costs the average taxpayer only $1.60 per month – less than the cost of a large cup of coffee.

“We can only believe today’s shocking announcement is part of the usual Ottawa game,” said Buchanan.  “From the day it was born as a publicly-owned Crown corporation in 1977, VIA has been under attack by high-ranking civil servants at Transport Canada, Treasury Board and Finance.  They have engaged in a 35-year campaign that can only be described as ‘death by a thousand cuts.’  It appears these civil servants have once again misled the elected officials who have championed VIA and convinced them this is the right track to take.  Nothing could be further from the truth.”

The cuts – which are being portrayed by VIA as “the next phase of its modernization project” – will severely and negatively affect the following routes:

• The Canadian (Toronto-Vancouver) cut from three trains weekly to two from the end of October until April each year;
• The Ocean (Montreal-Halifax) reduced from six times weekly to three, cutting VIA service to Atlantic Canada in half;
• Montreal-Ottawa;
• Toronto-Stratford-London;
• London-Sarnia;
• London-Windsor; and
• Toronto-Niagara Falls.

Deeper cuts will occur next year and in 2014, as VIA’s operating budget is reduced further.

6-lane Pattullo bridge not in best interests of Metro Vancouver

Letter that Transport Action BC sent to TransLink this week.

We are writing regarding TransLink’s decision to replace the aging Pattullo Bridge with a wider, 6-lane facility. We do not think that a higher capacity Pattullo Bridge is in the best interests of our region. It meets neither the goals of TransLink’s 2040 vision, nor does it fit into the strategies set out to meet TransLink’s goals. Given the extraordinary cost and risk of this project, the relatively small constituency it serves and the exemplary opportunity in this corridor to create the 2040 mode shift which is so critical to the economic viability and livability of our region, we urge TransLink to rethink its plans for this bridge.

Pattullo Bridge details, photo by Flickr user GS+

When it opened in the 1930′s the Pattullo Bridge was the primary crossing of the Fraser River for vehicle traffic and served as a regional connection between the Burrard Peninsula and the Fraser Valley/USA. With the opening of the Port Mann Bridge and the Hwy 1 corridor in the 1960’s this role was, however, lost. Indeed, the primary role of the Port Mann Bridge was reinforced recently by the Provincial decision to replace it with a massive 10 lane structure and to widen Hwy 1. The Pattullo now serves mostly the local needs of Surrey, New Westminster and Burnaby residents; a connection which is largely duplicated by the SkyBridge and the extensive SkyTrain network which has successfully served the residents of these communities and remains less than full capacity. In short the local needs of the Pattullo Bridge users (typically less than 40,000 users/day – 2 way trips) do not justify the almost 1 billion dollar investment from the regional Transportation authority, particularly when other options are available.

TransLink’s models have predicted significant traffic growth in the Pattullo corridor yet these predictions cannot reflect our region’s changing demographics, the influence of peak oil on travel patterns and choices, and the improved land use patterns throughout the region, all of which reduce the need to travel distances to get to work or amenities. These factors have already resulted in a considerable reduction in travel demand in many cities throughout North America. TransLink has an opportunity to encourage this shift in travel behavior by investing in quality public transit and preferentially supporting energy efficient modes for goods movement. To achieve this mode shift TransLink must invest in the quality transit connections to SkyTrain, particularly in Surrey where lack of transit services continues to fail the expectations of residents. In addition, improved transit connections within Surrey will promote land use changes which will reduce the need to travel throughout the region.

Much of the growth in goods movements envisioned for this corridor can be handled through the rail and river modes using existing or modestly upgraded facilities and investments in better intermodal connections. In the future the role of these modes will be much more important if our ports are to compete on the international stage in a world of high energy costs and unsolvable congestion challenges.

Finally we are concerned that the high cost of a 6 lane Pattullo Bridge could have detrimental impacts on transportation throughout the region if the traffic predictions are not met and TransLink is left with unfunded liabilities similar to the current situation with the Golden Ears Bridge. It seems that TransLink’s traffic models over-estimate the traffic demand when tolls are involved. Additional debt servicing costs could leave other essential elements of the transportation system starved of operating funds.

In conclusion, we ask the board of TransLink to reconsider its determination to build a 6 lane replacement to the Pattullo Bridge. TransLink should be using the strength of its multi-modal mandate to ensure that transportation corridors and facilities are used as efficiently as possible and that all major investments contribute directly and effectively to the important goals outlined in TransLink’s 2040 vision.

Kamloops Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge

The long awaited bridge and paths linking the eastern end of downtown with the Rivers trail and the Valleyview are complete. See the bridge and trails on OpenStreetMap. The bridge and trail will do a lot for walking and cycling in Kamloops; linking parts of the city that have been disconnected for decades. The highway interchange (the Trans Canada and the Yellowhead Highway junction) and the Canadian Pacific mainline go through the area. There hasn’t been a safe way to walk between Valleyview and the central area of Kamloops until this new path opened.

Some people complained about the high cost of the trails and bridge, saying that the money would have been better spent building more parking spaces at the hospital. It certainly was expensive and did go over budget, but it was a difficult site with the railway and highway on-ramps in close proximity, and both had to remain open at all times. A lot of retaining walls had to be built to squeeze the trail in between the existing lanes. Poor decisions in the past when the interchanges was built led to this expensive solution today. Why didn’t they build a proper sidewalk at the time? That’s a good question, but I think the idea was that people should be forced into cars or the infrequent bus. Walkers and cyclists were just not thought important enough. We’ve come a long way since those dark days, but it is still an uphill battle to get proper and safe sidewalks, paths and bike lanes so that there are real alternatives to driving. I think Kamloopsians will grow to appreciate this important link on the eastern side of the city.

Coincident with the new bridge and paths is a new designated bike lane through central Kamloops. Aligning along Nicola and St Paul streets, which see less car traffic then nearby roads, it links the new bridge to the west (downtown). The north side of the bridge connects to the River’s Trail and an unpleasant sidewalk on the Yellowhead highway bridge towards Tk’emlups Band territory. The east link connects to on-road bike lanes on Valleyview Drive.

These links will certainly attract a lot of users once they discover it, but the bike route will soon frustrate commuter cyclists due to the number of stop signs and “Stop and Dismount” signs.

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Transport Action BC Praises Investment in Vancouver Island Railway

The government of Canada announced its half of the $15 million to save and rehabilitate the Vancouver Island Railway. The railway owned by the Island Corridor Foundation has been gradually detiorating and VIA Rail passenger service was cancelled last year due to poor track conditions. The other half of the money was committed by the BC government, and $500,000 of that money was used for an inspection of the bridges. The results of the study haven’t been released but sources say that the bridges are generally in good condition have just been released, see below.

Transport Action is pleased to see the governments make investments in rail infrastructure, and is happy that the actions of everyone who contacted their MP or MLA made a difference.

Federal Government Invests in Restoring the Corridor

Story from Nanaimo Daily News

E&N Bridge Assessment Reports
More to follow on this item.