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Today's Date:

Is SkyTrain "The Best" Transportation Solution for the Valley??

What are the different passenger rail options, what is LRT, what is Commuter Rail. It is very important to understand that their is signifigant differences in the speed, the coaches, diesel engines, electric and most importantly COST.

The average cost for light rail in North America is about $35m/kilometre


DRL: Deluxe: $700m $27,000,000/km
UMA: Community: $120m $6,000,000/km
FVHRS: Tourist: $6m $325,000/km
LRT (typical): $35,000,000/km
Canada Line: $2,000m $105,000,000/km
Evergreen Line: $1,400m $127,000,000/km
UBC Line: $2,800m $233,000,000/km

Minister Kevin Falcon is talking Skytrain to Langley down Fraser Hwy. In a perfect world we could deliver a gold plated car with all the bells and whistles mony could buy but people in the valley are saying why not think about a cost saving passenger rail solution. Ultimately the citizens of the valley want a passenger rail service now not in 2031.

Look at the following detailed information and then please write a letter to Premier Gordon Campbell and cc Minister Kevin Falcon. Tell Premier Gordon Campbell you want a community passenger rail service by 2010 to support the tourist traffic coming to BC. To provide an added transit service for people arriving for the Olympics at the Abbotsford Airport.

Why is our Premier so focused on state of the art transportation solutions for VANCOUVER. Doesn't he realize that a lot of people coming to BC for the Olympics will stay in hotels/motels and with families in the Fraser Valley? How are they going to deal with the traffic jams from Chilliwack to the Port Mann Bridge. The plan has got to be BUSSES and more BUSSES

Let's be smart, let's get a passenger rail service up now. It can be done. Yes it will cost money....but NOT anything like the cost of SKYTRAIN... so please look at the following different passenger rail options. Become familiar with what is LRT, what is Commuter Rail.

Look at the significant differences in the speed, the coaches, diesel engines vs. electric engines and most importantly THE COST. Yes SkyTrain is an option, but the question is...Is this your option of choice or is it just a way for the government to delay delivering a passenger rail service to the valley by talking about an expensive transportation solution that in fact will never come to pass?
See Full Report

Mark Mushet - Vancouver Review

Slumbering Vancouver to Steveston rail line yearns for new life.
TheTyee.ca
I remember the last time I heard the sound of crossing bells and the blast of the engine horn along the CPR's now-neglected Arbutus Line. On a damp, misty fall morning sometime around the turn of the new century, I was briefly inconvenienced at the 16th and Arbutus crossing. I say briefly because, by this time, only a single engine and one or two hopper cars were making their way down to the Molson brewery to maintain the CPR's right of way. But when those trains finally stopped running, I felt the way I did when the old foghorns were replaced with new electronic versions; a great sense of loss.

Photo by Mark Mushet





SkyTrain Billions Better Spent on Trams: - June 08
Money for single UBC subway line could pay for region laced by light rail.


Mayor, VALTAC to talk trains - May 08
Langley Township Mayor Kurt Alberts will meet with members of the Valley Transit Advisory Committtee (VALTAC) and South Fraser On Trax to discuss a possible format for a round table discussion on transit service south of the Fraser River.

A desire for streetcars - May 08
Langley Township Councilor Jordan Bateman presented a plan to turn Langley into a streetcar suburb to VALTAC members Wednesday afternoon.

Commuter rail could work - May 08
The new president of Southern Railway of B.C. says he’s willing to let people — not just cargo — ride his rails if a new commuter rail service ever gets on track through Surrey, Langley and up the Fraser Valley.

Rail advocates meet up - May 08
Members of the Valley Transit Advisory Committee (VALTAC) met with Township councillor Jordan Bateman on Wednesday to talk about rail projects.

Southern Railway has big shipping ideas
Company president says his plan will significantly reduce trucks at Deltaport

SkyTrains to be built in Mexico
New SkyTrain cars announced as part of a $150-million expansion of the TransLink fleet will be built by Canadian company Bombardier -- in Mexico

Frustrated commuters staging all-day rally
Supporters of a light-rail commuter system for the Fraser Valley are rallying in Langley on Saturday.

Message from the President
I received this email today from Mayoral Candidate Rick Green. He wrote a wonderful piece on VALTAC's Transportation Forum. I am forwarding this to you as an information piece and do not consider this an endorsement of this candidate. I include his contact info below should you have questions or comments for him. VALTAC is non-partisan and makes every effort to be non-political. I feel that Mr. Green's newsletter is a positive accounting of our transportation forum.



Strategic Advisors Report
Download the full Jan 08 report on the Asia Pacific Gateway and Corridor initiative.
see more





South of the Fraser Transit Plan
Township Council voted to support the South of the Fraser Transit Plan 5 - 4.



Rail service would boost ‘metro centre’
May 14, 2008

Editor: We’ve heard just in the past week that as part of Metro Vancouver’s forthcoming regional growth strategy, Surrey City Centre will be deemed the new ‘metro centre’ for all of the Fraser Valley.

This is great news — it’s high-time that people in the Valley were provided with a closer downtown centre. We can only hope that this ‘metro centre’ will include lots more local jobs, a sports stadium and great performance and concert spaces. For far too long, people in Surrey and Langley have had to drive to Vancouver, through traffic and over bridges, to get to work, to sports games, and to shows.

People from all parts of the Fraser Valley are going to want to get to this new downtown core without getting stuck in traffic. There is a huge need for faster, more frequent, and more reliable transit from Langley Centre and Cloverdale, going in to the SkyTrain station and bus loop at Surrey Central. The #502 bus service just isn’t good enough, especially given the rapidly-growing population in Cloverdale and Langley.

The most cost-efficient way to bring people from Langley and Cloverdale into the Surrey metro centre would be to revive the interurban line and implement a system of passenger rail.

To build a system of at-grade passenger rail, it would cost between $6 to $7 million per kilometre, as compared to SkyTrain’s $100 to $233 million per kilometre. Because of the lower cost, passenger rail can probably be implemented much more quickly (maybe within a year).

Hopefully the Surrey metro centre concept can provide an impetus for moving forward with passenger rail for the Valley, at a time when everyone wants better public transit down Fraser Highway.

Stephanie Ryan,

Langley


 

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Find out the latest information on the efforts being put forth to revive the  Interurban.


VALTAC Press Releases


Translink April 08
Press Release




Asia Pacific Gateway
and Corridor News


Editors POINT
Editors opinion on local transportation issues.
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Brian Lewis
from The Province wrote an excellent article about the Economy and Transportation Sustainability Dialogue that was hosted in Surrey.

The future of transportation and economic development south of the Fraser River rests primarily with rail and water -- not roads.

That was one strong message emerging from a Metro Vancouver-sponsored forum in Surrey where elected officials, business leaders and representatives from community groups gathered to discuss the challenges facing this fast-growing region.

The whole article is available at The Province's website.

 
Transportation related letters to news editors around the province. Full Government report on the Port Mann Highway 1 project. One of three component projects of the British Columbia Canada - Gateway Program. New transit plan unveiled by the BC government. Join in on the discussions, feedback and issues by participating in our facebook community. Stay in the know by subscribing to our e-news mailing list. View the results from our latest survey.