As 2012 draws to a close, I find myself taking stock of this last year and getting excited about the remarkable rebuilding, energy and action within COPE. This is especially remarkable coming in the aftermath of one of COPE’s worst election outcomes: on November 18, 2011, COPE elected not one of its three candidates to…
Recent letter to the Vancouver Sun
I submitted this letter to the Editor of the Vancouver Sun recently and thought I would share it here as well. In arguing for an underground skytrain system for the Broadway Corridor, Councillor Meggs relies on inaccuracies presented as facts. This is because a decision, based on the facts, makes an At-grade LRT [ALRT] the…
Heather Place tenants deserve a better deal
Heather Place public housing near VGH, which is slated for demolition and redevelopment in the coming years, has received significant media attention this week. An article in the Straight, called Heather Place tenants wait in limbo, explains how many tenants are uncertain about their future, concerned about suffering the same fate as their counterparts at…
A modest proposal for Translink: make the Broadway-line bid process truly competitive
Translink will soon be making its decision on building a rapid transit line along Broadway from Commercial to UBC. This week the City of Vancouver came out in favour of using underground “SkyTrain” technology. However, Translink’s own estimate put the price tag of an underground train at $3 billion, nearly three times their $1.1 billion…
If I were in charge of Translink
Translink has announced that in the new year it will raise fares by 10% to 12.5%. But these fare increases are not fair, and the rationale is not rational at all! With the cost-of-living rising faster than wages, many working people don’t have money left over for transit. The fare hikes will only push the…
Oakridge Redevelopment Plan: corporate profits, not affordable housing
A plan to redevelop the Oakridge Mall at Cambie and 41st, unveiled this past week, includes 2,800 condo units in 16 buildings, 6 of which are above 30 storeys. The current developer-friendly City Council is sure to approve the proposal with only minor adjustments. One city councilor anticipated some community concerns about height and density,…
City of Vancouver Transportation 2040 Plan: Market condos disguised as transit policy
Vision Vancouver has recently approved a long-term transportation plan. One of the stated aims of the plan is to increase the percentage of foot, bike and transit trips in Vancouver from 44 to 66% by 2040. Is this one of those “radical plans to attack motorists,” as the editors of the Province claim? Certainly not….