transportation

Simon Fraser University students, faculty and staff hoping for an easier way to get up the mountain (especially during snow days) are out of luck. Yesterday TransLink released their findings for the SFU gondola project and the business case concluded that it makes sense to build a gondola up Burnaby Mountain to SFU and eliminate existing bus service. However, due to costs, it doesn’t make financial sense to proceed. Considering that TransLink isn’t exactly making huge profits these days, the shelving of the project seems justified. That’s why rate hikes are likely this time next year.

This time next year, transit users may be paying more to get around the Lower Mainland. TransLink has applied to raise transit fares on January 1, 2013. Something they say is necessary to maintain and improve the existing system (for example see the addition of fare gates), which is true. If the proposed changes go through, the 2 and 3 zone fares will see an increase of 50 cents. 

re:Connect Vancouver invited Vancouverites, local and international designers to come up with new possibilities for the future of the city’s viaducts and the city’s broader eastern core (the area around the False Creek Flats). One day downtown Vancouver will extend beyond the peninsula. The area bound by Main and Clark will be a hub of activity and not just the industrial space it is today.

Although voting for the competition has ended, the city has reiterated that this is only the beginning of what will no doubt be a 10 to 20 year process, if not more. The downtown core is pretty much built out, the area around False Creek and the viaducts will see immense change in the near future, as many towers, community facilities and new park space complete with a new beach is planned (see that plan here) for that area.

Christmas is just around the corner and the streets of Vancouver are starting to look and feel more festive. One of festive visuals bestowed up on us Vancouverites is the annual Rudolph the Red Nosed Bus. It’s back once again this year and you can spot it on various bus routes throughout the remainder of November and December. 

When it comes to commute times we in Metro Vancouver aren’t that bad off. However, if we were to listen to the complaints, some have it rougher than others. Such is the life of one who chooses to live far from work I suppose. According to Toronto Board of Trade research, Metro Vancouver drivers spend 67 minutes on their daily commutes.  The worst offenders are Toronto and Montreal, both come at the top of the global list at 80 and 76 minutes, respectively.

The Vancouver elections are just around the corner and the battle to win your vote is starting to heat up. Today NPA mayoral candidate Suzanne Anton threw a punch at Gregor by stating she plans to bring streetcar service to downtown Vancouver. The talk of streetcar has been promised for a long time, most recently after the Olympics.