Like many reporters, I just love census data and census-like data. So it was Christmas Day when TransLink released its big set of data from its 2017 “trip diary,” a massive study the agency does every five years to monitor how people are getting around in the region. Lots of great info to ponder. Their […]
Metro Vancouverites on the move: Walking more, taking more car trips to shop, car-pooling more
October 10th, 2019 · No Comments
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Transit fights of the past illuminate the present: Remember Granville B-Line opposition, and Canada Line battle?
January 30th, 2019 · No Comments
Okay, youngsters, gather ’round while Grandma tells you about the old days. As we’re seeing bubbling pots of protest in West Vancouver, Surrey and Vancouver over transit, just a reminder of some of the history. Does anyone recall the massive opposition to the Granville B-Line — it did actually cost the NPA councillors a ton […]
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Libs not touting it in speeches, but policy position is that referendum still needed for regional share of Broadway, Surrey lines
April 27th, 2017 · 10 Comments
In the 2013 election, Premier Christy Clark was quite vocal about requiring a referendum for any new tax, fee or whatever that the mayors wanted to help pay for the regional share of transit. This time, candidates have stayed away from that. However, the Liberal Party made it clear — in its response to the […]
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What’s your fantasy new transit project for the NEXT 10-year plan?
March 6th, 2017 · 6 Comments
Okay, we haven’t even started on the major projects for this 10-year plan (Broadway subway, Surrey LRT, new Pattullo Bridge). But that doesn’t mean people aren’t thinking about the 10 years after that already. I was at a transportation conference at the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade last Friday where, as moderator, I got to […]
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TransLink minister muses about a new kind of development tax to support transit … and mayors are worried
February 16th, 2017 · 2 Comments
There’s been vague chatter for months now indicating that the province has its eye on the profits developers are making as they build towers next to SkyTrain lines (calling Derek Corrigan at Brentwood) as a possible source of revenue for big new spends on transit. But TransLink Minister Peter Fassbender amped up the temperature on […]
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TransLink kicks off its first service bump in a long time, amid many questions about when the big chunk of federal money will arrive
January 19th, 2017 · 2 Comments
TransLink is going to be rolling out many, many announcements about improved service in the next while — all aimed at reminding people that their tax money is going to good use. They had their first on Tuesday. (My story here.) But amid the celebrations over more cars for Canada Line service, 15-minute service on […]
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TransLink scores with $440-million sale of Oakridge bus barn
December 21st, 2016 · 3 Comments
We’d all been hearing the chatter for half a year that TransLink had sold this prime site at 41st and Oak for a significant sum, far more than it had originally anticipated five years ago. That was seen as one more piece of good news for the agency, giving it a lot more money to […]
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New TransLink CEO says he welcomes Uber as a complement to public transit, waves the optimism flag about the future
October 18th, 2016 · 8 Comments
TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond has been on the job a little more than six months now. Things have been going mostly well, I’d say. The volume of anti-TransLink stories has gone down — even though the agency is out doing a public consultation about a $3-a-house tax hike and five- to 10-cent fare hike to […]
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The next dilemma in the commuting and transit challenge: Peak millennial?
May 20th, 2016 · 58 Comments
My favourite thing. I got to work for a month on a story about how commuting is changing (or not) in the Lower Mainland. It was an eye-opener. I heard a lot of stories about how people make their transit choices with factors I hadn’t thought about. Childcare is key. (Living close to a daycare […]
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Province, cities need to decide where their 50% transit funding will come from in next five weeks
May 20th, 2016 · 3 Comments
I will admit straight up that I don’t fully understand the negotiations going on between the province and cities over how they will come up with their $370 million to match the $370 million the feds are willing to put into transit locally from this year’s budget. I had a long interview with Minister Peter […]
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