Over the course of successive NPA majorities on Vancouver City Council, we have watched a dysfunctional Council mismanage some of the most important items this city has to deal with.
The needless civic strike that stopped garbage pickup, and closed community centres and libraries during the summer months when they are most needed. The approval of a so-called EcoDensity Policy — a policy which was nothing but a developers’ bill of rights. The elimination of the Child and Youth Advocate, muffling the voices of Vancouver’s children and youth. The elimination of social housing requirements at South East False Creek. A complete indifference to the real social impacts of the 2010 Olympics on our City.
I’ve seen first-hand what a progressive, citizen-focused City Council can accomplish. From 2002-2005, I was part of a COPE majority on Council and in just 3 short years, we were successful in implementing a far-reaching and comprehensive agenda.
The COPE City Council expanded library services, set ambitious green house gas reduction objectives for the city, approved an ethical purchasing policy, established a food policy council, created a peace and justice committee which hosted the World Peace Forum, said NO to Wal-Mart.
In 2011, I am seeking a seat on Vancouver City Council, as part of a COPE-Vision alliance, so that the doors of City will remain open to all Vancouver citizens!
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Tim,
I’m a chemical engineer and we spoke years ago about the Broadway corridor issue when you were on council. Triple long articulated “trolley buses” along Broadway would be a terrific idea.
Broadway is a “trolley bus route” and the diesel buses operating along the B-Line route are too loud. They also degrade the air quality to unhealthy levels. Transit users are not the only ones who matter in Vancouver. “Residents along transit routes matter, also.”
In my opinion, TransLink in collaboration with the COV transportation staff have intentionally over loaded the Broadway corridor to build up ridership for mass transit along Broadway. TransLink wants to show everyone that TransLink is making a difference to “increase ridership”. Really, TransLink is just stealing riders from the other routes going to UBC.
There are 12 bus routes to UBC and the B-Line route carries 40% of the riders to UBC. While the B-Line operates every 2 minutes in the morning and stops at the SkyTrain stations, other bus routes to UBC operate much less frequently and don’t have convenient stops for the Canada Line and Expo Line.
If TransLink spread out the transit service to create three major triple long articulated trolley bus routes (or streetcar routes) up 4th, 10th and 16th avenues with connections to the Canada Line and Expo Line, there would be no requirement for mass transit to UBC and service would improve dramatically. TransLink does not want to look at this because it makes TransLink redundant (it costs about $150 million rather than $3 billion).
Most transit gurus are living on planet googoo. We’re in a bad way as far as any more transit, thanks to the Evergreen Line. Mass transit along Broadway is dead as Mayor Corrigan explains:
http://www.vancouversun.com/videos/news/video.html?embedCode=dyMWN3MjpX0hURLYYHds8BEuz5jsGLQs
If the province and TransLink left the transit decisions up to the mayors, we’d have streetcars in Coquitlam and UBC with $500 million left over for buses and what not. I’m personally disgusted. If you support removing the diesel buses from Broadway and operating trolley buses up 4th, 10th and 16th avenues, you have my vote.
Regards,
Eric
Eric,
You propose some great ideas. Although I lost the election, I am going advocating on a number of issues including better transit on West Broadway.
Would there be a convenient time for me to speak with you over the phone? If you like feel free to give me a call at my office at 604-732-7678.
Tim
Hey,
Thank you for the comment on my article, yours is really cool too, but there is a pb I can’t see the pics, is it my browser ? I’m using Internet explorer
See you soon,
Kiss
Sonia