Crowd at Main Street’s Car Free Day, 2010
I made the observation recently that each of us learns to walk, then virtually everyone learns how to bike, then we’re taught to drive. At that point, it’s like the first two are reduced to merely leisure activities or, to some people, hard work. Curious, isn’t it? Culturally, being able to drive and having a nice car is a measure of success. You know, because the bus is the “loser cruiser.” At the same time, being fit and skinny is attractive. They’re a bit at odds with each other, are they not? Sorry, can’t come over tonight — gotta drive to the gym. Whew, now you’ve got car payments, parking fees, insurance, AND a gym membership to keep tabs on. Better get some cheap take-out for dinner.
Whoa, hold up!
How did we get ourselves into this mess? Cities are designed for cars, not people.
Continue reading Kick the pavement: cities are for people »
I’m going to miss out on this, I think, because it’s also World Oceans Day on June 8 and the World Oceans Day event I’m attending conflicts in time, but I wanted to pass this on for the rest of you. There are a few spots left I think, so register quickly!
Walking Around the World: Innovation and inspiration for Designing, Engineering and Planning our Cities
Dr. Rodney Tolley with Bronwen Thornton, Walk 21
June 8, 7 pm at UBC Robson Square, 800 Robson Street, Vancouver
Reservations required: Call 778-782-5100 or email cstudies@sfu.ca
“The obesity epidemic, congestion, pollution, peak oil and climate change are just five of the imperatives that demand we walk more — and walk more often. Yet the barriers to walking have intensified in recent years. This presentation will show how streets around the world are being opened up again to people on foot, with spectacular benefits for our personal health, and the health of our cities, our communities and our children.” (SFU City Program | PDF Flyer)
Continue reading SFU lecture June 8: Walking Around the World, and Car Free Day »
Last Monday’s anti-Gateway demonstration in Surrey; I’m in there somewhere! Photo from GatewaySucks.org
Stephen Rees’s blog has been bursting with exciting news lately, nearly every single post. When I say exciting, I don’t necessarily mean good, but the headlines do indicate multiple turning points in a potentially positive direction in what has so far been a steadfast plot on the part of our provincial and even federal government to proceed with Gateway.* At a time when gas prices have begun to increase once more, international shipping is declining, and peak oil is on the horizon, our provincial and federal governments are teaming up to build more roads and expand the port on the premise that it will create jobs. While I agree that creating jobs in British Columbia is of utmost importance, the economic benefits of redirecting funding toward building transit would more than double the number of jobs — and they would be local. That keeps BC money in BC. In fact, a study by the Canadian Urban Transit Association found that three times as many jobs are created in public transit as highways. Public transit encourages smart growth, reduces congestion and pollution (thereby making a grand step toward the Province’s 33% reduction in GHG goal), and has minimal environmental impacts.
Want to help steer the government away from highway jobs and construction to green jobs and transit, all across Canada? Here are some petitions and events happening right now:
PETITIONS
– Halt the Gateway Project
– Rail for the Valley: bring back passenger rail now
WRITE TO OUR POLITICIANS/MEDIA
– A Green Economy Makes Cents:
“On January 27, our federal government will introduce a new budget and invest billions of your tax dollars on stimulating the Canadian economy. Let’s make sure that as much of the stimulus package as possible is green.” Send a message to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty asking the government to invest in green jobs and green infrastructure. (David Suzuki Foundation)
Read my letter. (Americans can use the Wilderness Society’s page to send a letter to Congress on the same issue.)
Continue reading Changing the course of the city and country: green jobs and transit now! »
SURREY – Surrey City Council candidate Paul Hillsdon announced today the centrepiece of his campaign — the Transit for Tomorrow plan. The plan, designed specifically to meet the growing transport demands of the South Fraser area (Surrey, Langley, Delta, and White Rock), would vastly expand the rapid transit system, with no need for local property tax increases or fare hikes.
“The Transit for Tomorrow plan begins to fix our woefully inadequate transit with fiscal prudence during these times of economic hardship. Construction of the lines will boost the local economy and create jobs, while addressing our transport, health and environment issues all at the same time,” said Hillsdon.
Continue reading Plan released for rail transit across Surrey »
On Saturday I attended a forum put on by VALTAC (Valley Transportation Advisory Committee), hosted at the Langley Township Hall. (Nice building!) It was a statement toward our poor transit network South of the Fraser that all five speakers drove to the venue. Stephen Rees joked that the TransLink trip planner wouldn’t even give him a trip itinerary because it would take either more than 3 hours or more than 3 transfers. My proximity to the Hall made it easy enough to get there, if you consider a bus late by 7 minutes then a 20-minute walk easy. And Langley isn’t exactly known for being pedestrian-friendly.
The forum was about getting better public transportation South of the Fraser, mainly via rail connections. There is much support for one solution, spearheaded by a group called Rail for the Valley, which would reinstate the Interurban that ran from about 1900 to 1950 all the way from Vancouver to Chilliwack. Maps at the venue showed the dense urban centres through which this rail line passes. (Today it is used only for freight.)
Continue reading Event recap: VALTAC forum on Rail for the Valley »
Increasingly, the news in the blogs I read has focused on climate change, biofuels and alternative energy for fueling transportation… and with good reason. We’re faced with a crisis, and we all know that. Many of the solutions already exist, in the past before depedence on oil became the norm for most transportation, and gave us solid plastic, plastic bags, chemical fertilizers, fat-free ice cream (propylene glycol, anyone?), and the American Dream: a big house on a big lot in suburbia. Well, Canadians have made that dream as much of a reality as our neighbours to the south, and in greater Vancouver, the hidden evil of it is present in perhaps no stronger a form than in the suburbs of Surrey and Langley.
Continue reading How the oil crisis will change the face of Fraser Highway »
Rail for the Valley will be at Gateway debate: a public Forum on Sustainable Transportation for the Fraser Valley presented by UCFV’s Environment Club.
When: 7:00pm Wednesday January 23
Where: Room B101 (Lecture Hall) University College of the Fraser Valley, 33844 King Rd. Abbotsford
Debate format + Q&A. Speakers include:
– Abbotsford/Clayburn MLA John van Dongen
– Nathan Pachal, of VALTAC and the Rail for the Valley campaign
– Transportation expert Stephen Rees
– Jim Houlahan, VP, CAW 111, representing 2000 bus drivers
– David Fields, Society Promoting Environmental Conservation
Join students, faculty, politicians and the community for a spirited discussion on transit issues in the Fraser Valley. Bring your questions and concerns.
Come and support the Rail for the Valley movement!
I’m excited to note that buttons I designed will be handed out at the event. There are two different styles, “collect them all.” Wear and share your support: take a few extra to give to your friends. If someone asks you about yours, offer it to them and explain you have another one at home. Tell them about the campaign. Let’s spread the message!
It’s just as well I went out for lunch instead of posting my blog today. I thought I’d get a chance before leaving work but alas… It’s just as well because mom just sent me a link to a Surrey Leader interview with Paul Hillsdon, a fellow Surrey resident I’m glad to say is becoming a friend of mine. It’s clear the underdogs are winning in this day and age where finding support for great, fresh ideas is becoming easier, ideas of which Paul is nothing short. You can read more about this young talent and his visions for transportation in Metro Vancouver at paulhillsdon.com.
And the other big thing in Surrey tonight is the lecture I attended by James Howard Kunstler. My introduction was awe-inspiring as I entered the glass boat-like SFU Surrey campus and ascended to the theatre. (One of these days I’m going to have to go in there with a camera!) I’ll write more about his lecture later but I should point out that those of you lucky enough to have reserved a seat for Thursday’s lecture in Vancouver can look forward to a highly informative, engaging, inspiring and even humourous talk. I’m just glad the last half centimetre of my mechanical pencil’s graphite held out! Scrawl to be typed up soon. The lecture was also videotaped; I’m not sure if that will be made available to the public.
Keep an eye out tomorrow morning for one more big thing: the full moon. It’s apparently full on Tuesday and if the time and atmosphere are just right (~7:15am), you might just catch it hovering on the horizon like a giant headlight. I’d never catch a good photo of it, but this morning it looked twice its size. When we got up to the main road going west it was sitting on the horizon, likely causing some “what the *&$% is that?!” reactions as drivers get confused seeing this oversized yellow plate glowing behind streetlights, trees and buildings. Tonight it had shrunk again, brilliant white. What a sight!
Hot on the tails of a huge announcement from the Province on new transit plans, the Monday lunch blog has a slightly smaller bone to pick.
One month ago I wrote TransLink an email requesting a burnt out lightbulb be replaced:
For months now there has been at least one pot light burnt out in the north lower stairwell at Surrey Central Station. This makes walking/running down the stairs difficult at night because there is less light and more shadows, particularly when it’s crowded. Given the area, I feel it is also somewhat more susceptible to crime. I noticed some lights were burnt out above the platform as well.
I also requested bus shelters at a number of stops. They got back to me two days later:
On 12-Dec-07, at 9:48 AM, TransLink Customer Relations wrote:
Than your email. We can take care of the first two points, however, we are not responsible for shelters at bus stops. As bus stops are on City right of way, the City of Surrey would provide shelters thru a contract with a private firm. You can call City Engineering with your request or contact CBS Outdoor at 604 630 1090.
Right. Well, I monitored said lightbulb, went on Christmas holiday, and when I came back, it was STILL burnt out. So I wrote them another email, only this time, less forgiving.
Continue reading How many TransLink staff does it take to change a lightbulb? »
In planning my trip to the Island this past weekend, I looked up how to bus to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal. What I got looked like a maze that would take me as long to traverse as travelling via transit all the way to North Vancouver. In retrospect it is reminiscient of the kind of path taken by a small troll-in-a-wind-up-car toy my mom so aptly named Fuzzy Logic. It just could not make up its mind which direction to travel, and afforded us many giggles.
There is, however, little to giggle about here when one considers the possibility of travelling this route. It was no question that this wasn’t how I was going to spend my Saturday morning.
Continue reading Zigzag bus route needs a tug to pick up the slack »
