tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299108886803608881.post8566684855847603564..comments2024-03-28T17:34:21.418-07:00Comments on The South Fraser Blog: Township Mayor Green on wrong side of transit historyNathan Pachalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17647693133663879821noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299108886803608881.post-67502633388152065972011-10-16T13:18:50.524-07:002011-10-16T13:18:50.524-07:00Just a quick comment. Any light rail service would...Just a quick comment. Any light rail service would also have an operating cost as you have to pay drivers and also maintain the system. I certainly think we need rapid transit in the South of Fraser, but we have many corridors to choose from...<br /><br />As for Langley, the major growth area is along the 200th Street corridor. Except for Langley City, the Interurban route will not service the any major residential area of Langley Township (within 10 min walk)Nathan Pachalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17647693133663879821noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299108886803608881.post-31668304235504066672011-10-16T13:08:47.575-07:002011-10-16T13:08:47.575-07:00Love your blog Nathan. I wish more people were inv...Love your blog Nathan. I wish more people were involved in these discussions. As for the actual content...<br /><br />As far as the Golden Ears bridge is concerned and your point about it being far faster than the ferry, well, yes it is, but the ferry happened to be free, yet with it being decomissioned, the commuters no long have the option of a free route. I have a big problem with that. That's the problem with privatization; now the government essentially has an obligation not to compete with their private partner or they wouldn't be able to attract the investment.<br /><br />Second, I don't know much about the geographic layout of the Interurban route in relation to the communities it would service, but the costs you point out are basically one-time costs, not recurring costs like you have north of Fraser. The investment would pay off.<br /><br />My concern with continuing to relay on buses is that buses will not be a game-changer. Buses have and will always have a stigma of being inconvenient transportation for the poor man. I doubt they can shape land-use patterns toward dense urban nodes the way passenger rail would. Basically, I think that without a dramatic revisioning of transportation services, we will continue to be a car-dependent region for generations to come. Thoughts? I'm not sure where Mayor Green's criticism's come from, but I believe he has supported the Interurban?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299108886803608881.post-54978565959355943992011-10-13T14:45:52.873-07:002011-10-13T14:45:52.873-07:00Good work, Nathan. Just a couple of points:
In th...Good work, Nathan. Just a couple of points:<br /><br />In the current year, TransLink is paying $71 million for the financing and operation of the Golden Ears Bridge; forecast toll revenues of $35 million will cover only half this amount. In other words, Langley and Maple Ridge are getting the benefit of support from other parts of the region on this facility.<br /><br />Second, before the Evergreen Line project can begin, we will need provincial enabling legislation on the two-cent fuel tax lift that the mayors have approved; it's my impression that we also lack a formal and detailed funding agreement between the Province and the federal government.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com