The Official 2013 "Great Translink RageDebate" thread

[Mr.HappySilp]

Originally Posted by Lomac

I'm going to go back a topic or two and touch on the Skytrain/Light Rail extension for a moment.

Personally I feel that it needs to be expanded further East. Run it along Fraser Highway and either veer it towards Cloverdale at 176th or leave it and drump it into Clayton Heights and along 64th Ave. This way you're ending it on two areas that are developing very quickly and could potentially benefit even more from highspeed transit. Sure, the floodplains are dead zones for riders but there's no getting around that area.

As for the question of who'll pay for it... well, I personally feel there will be a large enough population base in this area (not to mention all of those residents who live along Fraser Highway in Surrey) who would be more than happy to take advantage of the new line. I know I'd certainly be more inclined to take transit/Skytrain if it was closer to my house. As it stands now, it's almost quicker to drive to most of my destinations than to bomb into the middle of Surrey, park, and then hop onto the Skytrain.

You are forgetten Detla though. There are tons of town home development around Detla. As far as I can tell there isn't much bus going to that area (there are two bus that goes there I think 410 stops around and then there is another bus form Richmond as well. Then you have the 380 from 22nd to Detla) The issue with these bus is that they aren't very frequent and they end very soon (the one from 22nd skytrain stops service at like 8pm on a weekday lol).

Detla is not an area to over look.

[Yodamaster]

Originally Posted by Liquid_o2

So if I don't drive and solely take Skytrain, then why should I pay taxes for maintenance of local roads and further infrastructure improvements?

The City of Vancouver is spending $9.4 million on re-paving roads and $8.9 million on the Granville Bridge Rehabilitation in 2013. You think all Vancouverites think money should be spent on this? Only people who use the Granville Bridge should pay for it according to this logic.

It doesn't help when road crews fuck up jobs on purpose so that they have to redo them later, it's called making work, and they are fantastic at draining tax dollars to get away with it.

There is a reason that Japan can rebuild a collapsed road in two weeks and we can't even fix a pothole in three. I've seen crews dig up roads that haven't even seen traffic because they forgot to put in a fucking pipe.

There are millions to be saved if we actually give a shit about who does the work and how they do it. Brand new roads look like they've sunk from years of use.

[falcon]

Originally Posted by godwin

The problem is population density in Europe is much higher, the system was initiated by state subsidies and decades of cheap labours. Canada kept kicking the bottle down the street, and now labour is expensive.. I want flying cars too.

Not really... If you take the amount of space from Vancouver to Hope and compare it to Munich and an equal surrounding area (aside from the larger population IN Munich) it's not that much different, even less dense IMO. I would be rolling through the countryside seeing little towns here and there, yet here in the GVRD we more or less have constant communities all the way to Hope.

[falcon]

Originally Posted by Lomac

^^
Mission already has access to the West Coast Express. I'd love to see another line get setup, perhaps running from Chilliwack, Abbotsford/Aldergrove, White Rock, Tswassen and then either terminate near a Richmond Skytrain station or even some how connect with the existing WCE track and stop at Waterfront.

It'll never happen but it would be nice to have the GVRD bracketed by these two train lines and then have all the Skytrain routes running down the middle.

WC Express is a bit of a joke. The only reason it's packed is because it's the only option. They need to take those trains and put them on purpose built tracks that can go faster than 30kph through the city. My sister has taken it for the last year and while she doesn't mind it she says it crawls compared to the trains we both used in similar areas in Europe. There are too many road crossings. The trains are quite nice though..

[godwin]

I will play and lets put aside the cost for a moment. Consider the right of way belongs to CP and they are dual carriage way for freight. How would you lay a feasible route to put a purpose built high speed tracks that goes from Mission to Downtown Vancouver while keeping the freight lines intact? especially along Barnet highway? Keep in mind, rail needs a good 10m clearance left and right, low gradient, and a substantial base / fill to lay down the track (especially important on the soft flat areas along Lougheed pass Maple Ridge, which will require piling and prone to flooding).

Having involved with a few plots of land near the CP yard in Pitt Meadows, there is just no more freaking space left! CP has been stuck along those stretch wanting to buy people out but the land they haven't yet bought is ALR.

WCE schedule is a joke because NDP screwed up the negotiation, they sent policy people with no negotiation training to deal with CN's team of lawyers. Hilarity for CN and sadness for WCE ensued, I think it is in place for another 5 years or something?

Seeing West Coast Express going high speed is as realistic nyan cat. Chances are Skytrain will get to Mission before that would happen.

Originally Posted by falcon

WC Express is a bit of a joke. The only reason it's packed is because it's the only option. They need to take those trains and put them on purpose built tracks that can go faster than 30kph through the city. My sister has taken it for the last year and while she doesn't mind it she says it crawls compared to the trains we both used in similar areas in Europe. There are too many road crossings. The trains are quite nice though..