When BC RAIL passenger trains were abolished- that was a very sad time indeed. We used to go up to The Flying U Ranch up near 108 Mile House from North Vancouver to ride you=rises in the 1990’s - such a gorgeous scenic trip and a wonderful experience for a group of us. Many people we met along the way used that train as a life line
Let's get Sea to Sky transit on track! Thanks for the shoutout. MVX is playing the long game with a regional rail vision but bus service is abhorrently overdue.
Agreed. You really need to start with bus service to prove the concept. Build up ridership. Equip some buses with ski and snowboard racks. If a private corporation can do Whistler round trips for $44, surely we can operate a transit system that has West Coast Express kind of pricing. Charge $12-15 for the whole trip and if you get off early (and tap out) you are charged less, much like when you get on at the airport, you're charged unless you get off the train anywhere on Sea Island. Integrate it with the Compass card system.
I agree! We should make this obvious, that it isn't even a voting issue. I'd like to see double decker buses, or articulated buses, or ideally trains. The vehicles don't even have to be fantastic. Small and cheap to get started is okay, too.
@@TheNewGreenIsBlue Your racks idea is great! We should aim for $40 first, and then add cheap transit. Too often, we go for the cheap profit first, but if rich people want to pay, then let's serve them first. Also, maybe we should consider buses that can travel on rails to bypass traffic.
I thought I was watching a UA-cam creator who made short form documentaries. Didn't realize you're an MP. Definitely a nice change to see a politician break down local issues/topics that's digestable for the mass audience 😄
I was thinking that maybe it would be cheaper to fix the rails, if we used smaller train cars. The smaller cars would mean less weight, so less materials are needed.
Forget a bus, make it a second West Coast Express line! Start it at a North Vancouver station close to the Shipyards and run it all the way along the CP tracks to Pemberton. Would be a major boost for tourism, commuters, students, and locals alike. Connections to the rest of the metro through the ferry, rapid bus, and in the future, the North Vancouver Skytrain.
@@jordanw8382 I was just doing a quick scan of the map and the section of track between Chesterfield and Mahon is approx 250m long which is 75m longer than the length of the average WCE station. I think it's possible to use the existing parkland and buying out one of the two buildings on the south side of Esplanade to build the station platform; if both buildings were bought out it may be possible to add a second track to that stretch solely for loading and unloading and connect it up the rail yard just east of that block, that would require a small section of new track in reservation land so I'm unsure of the legality of that. however I'm having a harder time finding where a suitable station would be for Horseshoe Bay and Whistler as the tracks go through a tunnel on the far side of the ferry terminal, and around the far side of the lakes by Whistler.
@@mcp12300 It'd be a long shot but there's a stretch of straight double track just between the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal and Horseshoe Bay Dr. Challenging terrain though.
@@jordanw8382 You're right, I didn't notice it's already double track in that area; it is a very steep slope to the terminal though, you'd need a foot bridge and at very least a elevator for disability law compliance. it might be more reasonable to build a platform between 15th and 16th streets south of Bellevue Avenue in Ambleside and run a express coach service along Marine
@1:48 shout-out to the Squamish Connector, which you didn’t mention. Excellent and well-used service. They already have proven an effective operating model, it’s just a bit expensive. Give them some grants or subsidies!
Squamish Connector is excellent! We have a program called the Rural Transit Solutions Fund to work with companies like that. It is an option, but this has to be beyond Vancouver-Squamish. The whole region is interconnected and transit needs to be there throughout
@@patrickweilermp I'm not sure how the program works with it since Private Companies are unable to be funded, per the programs website. More info about this would be appreciated
High speed... no. There's no need for High Speed rail to Pemberton. HSR is meant to connect large cities with other large cities. Regional rail perhaps, but ya know... the gov't kind of gave away BC Rail's line usage to CN in 2003.
High speed rail is really tricky because of how sharp many of the turns are. Rail could be an option but it would have to be slower, and you would need to get CN on board...
@@patrickweilermp HSR to Pemberton doesn't make ANY sense and likely never will. Regular rail, sure... and the rail is already there... but HSR mostly is successful when it's bookended by two large population centres about 300-500km apart. Like the VAC-SEA-POR corridor. That corridor is perfect for HSR. HSR to Whistler/Pemberton (pop 20k)? Hope (pop 8k)? Why? Even Japan wouldn't do that. The smallest terminus station in Japan is Tsuruga on the Hokuriku line, and it's close to Kanazawa (~500k)... and ultimately will be bookended by Osaka (Toronto sized) and Tokyo on that line. Japan is not going to deadend an HSR line to a village... If there was a large city North of Permberton, it would make sense perhaps as part of a larger plan, but it's just small towns and villages like Lillooet and Cache Creek until you get to Kamloops. That's not to say there isn't a case regular rail. I absolutely think it could be successful, especially with how busy that road is. I'd like to see a SnowTrain (at least in the winter) personally... but it would be mostly to avoid driving (and waiting in traffic) on the S2S. CN doesn't USE those tracks AS much as other lines, so I see few issues with it, apart from a desire to build it. I took the Whistler Mountaineer back in the day and it was such a pleasant experience.
@TheNewGreenIsBlue yeah regular passenger rail is fine here, and would be great I get stuck behind a train like once or twice a year, they barely use the tracks. For context, where I grew up in Ontario before I moved out west, getting stuck behind a train that many times a week was a win. That was a frequently used rail line. We gave up rights we never should have, and they don't even leverage them in the stead of our now dead passenger rail
Every municipality in the region wants it. Options of how to fund it were presented, but turned down by the BC Government. And its been discussed for almost 7 years, and the population continues to explode in the region. It is so long overdue.
Love this. Let’s go back to regional rail, both on the Sea-to-Sky, and on Vancouver Island! There’s a lot of grassroots momentum over on the island for the concept, so it wouldn’t be impossible to use the same approach to build awareness and momentum on the S2S corridor!!
Didn't know you had a UA-cam Channel 😅 We really need reliable transit across the corridor, not just within our towns. Rail would be great long term. It helps so much with reliability, safety, and accessibility. we dont even need high speed (as much as I'd love it), just matching road speeds is sufficient given it avoids meaningful cost, emissions, and gets people off an accident-prone road with minimal lighting. In the interim, though, we absolutely need bus service run by BC transit. Just today i needed to go to a doctor's appointment in Vancouver, and had to drive for 3 hours, and spend like 50 bucks on parking and gas! Many people can't do that (and while i can, i certainly would prefer not to!). A bus to get to at least park royal, if not a bigger transit interchange like burrard downtown would help enormously, especially if you can rely on it running even just every half hour. People could genuinely take transit and not worry about "what if"
Squamish resident here. Good to see you on UA-cam. Thanks for the investment in Cap U Squamish (if that was you) will be good to be able to finally use the facilities (since they wont be private anymore) in my neighbourhood, garibaldi highlands
Yes, do it. I live in Langford, travel everywhere either by foot or bus. I'm also a hiker, and access to larger mountains is precisely what I'm looking for. Without bus service it wouldn't be feasible whatsoever
@@Cognitive.Dissident There are a few key reasons why the provincial Liberals did not select a passenger rail service for the Sea to Sky corridor when upgrading transportation in preparation for the 2010 Olympics. Mostly it came down to cost and time. Although rail service would have been great for the long-term, particularly given how much Squamish has exploded in population (growing 22% between 2016 and 2021 alone), back in 2004 when they were planning the improvements, they didn’t have the benefit of this foresight: 1. Safety and reliability concerns with the existing highway: The Sea-to-Sky Highway was known as a dangerous "white-knuckle drive" with a high accident rate, averaging 574 accidents per year between 1998 and 2004[5]. Improving highway safety was seen as a critical priority; building both a rail option and fixing the highway’s safety problems was not close to feasible. 2. Cost and timeline considerations: The highway upgrade project cost $600 million and could be completed in time for the 2010 Olympics[1][3]. A rail option likely would have been significantly more expensive and time-consuming to implement. 3. Flexibility of highway improvements: Upgrading the highway allowed for incremental improvements to address safety, capacity, and travel time issues[5]. This was likely seen as more flexible than building an entirely new rail system. 4. Olympic transportation needs: The highway improvements were deemed necessary to handle the increased traffic expected for the Olympics between Vancouver and Whistler[3]. A highway upgrade could more readily accommodate the surge in vehicle traffic relating to the Olympics. 5. Long-term regional development: The improved highway was seen as beneficial for long-term economic development and population growth in communities along the corridor[3][5]. 6. Previous analysis: Research done for the 2010 Olympics bid book in 2002 had examined transportation options and ultimately favored widening the highway over higher-speed rail at that time[6]. While passenger rail was not selected for the initial Olympic-related upgrades, the idea has continued to be discussed as a potential future option for the corridor. More recent proposals have suggested studying high-speed rail possibilities to address ongoing transportation challenges in the region[6]. However, at the time of Olympic preparations, the highway upgrade was seen as the most feasible and beneficial option to meet immediate needs and timelines. Sources [1] Upgraded Sea-to-Sky Highway improved safety but brought 'big city ... www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/upgraded-sea-to-sky-highway-improved-safety-but-brought-big-city-problems-says-mayor-1.5470819 [2] [PDF] chilliwack whistler - Mountain Valley Express www.mvx.vision/assets/mvx.pdf [3] Path to 2010 Olympics built from asphalt, steel - Vancouver Is ... www.vancouverisawesome.com/courier-archive/news/path-to-2010-olympics-built-from-asphalt-steel-3116740 [4] Restore Sea to Sky Passenger Rail Service: Transport Action BC www.squamishreporter.com/2024/05/22/restore-sea-to-sky-passenger-rail-service-transport-action-bc/ [5] Sea-to-Sky Highway Improvement Project - Mott MacDonald www.mottmac.com/article/12140/projects/sea-sky-highway-improvement-project [6] How feasible is high-speed rail for the Sea to Sky Corridor? www.squamishchief.com/local-news/how-feasible-is-high-speed-rail-for-the-sea-to-sky-corridor-3351937 [7] Sea-to-sky Highway (financing analysis) www.ijglobal.com/articles/27704/sea-to-sky-highway
@@Cognitive.Dissident I don't know about "BETTER" it was the short-term solution, but rail could have been part of the overarching plan. It just wasn't.
@@TheNewGreenIsBlue I'm still a huge fan of rail and I think it was shortsighted to just fix the highway and declare it "mission accomplished". Every time I go to Whistler on a "pow day" it's abundantly clear that the highway cannot adequately accommodate all the people who wish to visit the sea-to-sky corridor. And in summer, the traffic on a nice weekend day is ridiculous. A passenger rail service connecting the ferry hub at Horseshoe Bay with Squamish and Whistler would help remove untold thousands of cars from the road, making it far safer during risky winter storms and allowing the region to expand as it seems to want to.
@@ttul ABSOLUTELY agree. I just don't think it should ever be high speed rail. Having an OPTION to get to Squamish/Whistler/Pemberton via a vehicle that is NOT bound to the road is such a no-brainer to me as well. It's not even about congestion or taking cars off the road, it's about having an option that does NOT require you to use the road. I mean... right now that whole area has no backup plan if the road is blocked.
Bus yes please. I've had many visitors to Vancouver wishing to do day trips to Squamish and Whistler but renting a car is not an option. This would be such a boom to tourism to Squamish in particular.
The lost of Grayhound was huge. It started when Greyhound stopped servicing the Lower mainland. Transit needs to expand in all areas in the province. This sounds awesome.
An excellent analysis. I’m a reluctant homeowner because of a rental market that leaves renters without security of tenure, unable to control costs or own pets. I think more social housing for all income levels is the answer. Canada could start by building more housing co-ops along with market housing that meets the needs of all Canadians and family arrangements.
Thanks Patrick. I would also posit that one of the barriers to ANY transit in the corridor are the physical limitations of the highway. We have some major pinch points (Murrin, Britannia, Porteau) that severely limit the ability of any vehicle, (transit or not) to be incentivized. A reversible transit lane, even at the Murrin/Britannia section would do volumes towards achieving that goal.
@@eugenetswong If a bus to Porteau Cove was advertised well enough, I bet people would take it as an alternative to driving. That parking lot is INSANE in the summer.
@@TheNewGreenIsBlue Quick Shuttle Does not Service this route. It runs to Seattle. The point being that an organization like BC transit, running scheduled service does not want to run service in an area that has such physical limitations keeping them from adhering to schedules. The Province does not seem in any rush to act on a porteau cove job (similar to Kennedy lake) because of money
Thanks for highlighting this really important need in our community Patrick!! I agree that it's long overdue. I'd love to see a video on the rail study - it seems like a very logical option for the area and I don't understand why it hasn't been explored better.
Glad to see that politicians are watching Urbanist UA-camrs like NJB and RM Transit! If we could get more politicians and planners to watch urbanist YT, we’ll start to see more change in NA!
The Sea-to-Sky corridor DESPERATELY needs transit service! It doesn't need to be a big flashy train right away, a good express bus with priority in the important places will do the trick in the mean time!
My 17 year old dreams of the SkyTrain to North Vancouver, Horseshoe Bay to Squamish and Whistler Now we should dream like that! And let the Gas Stations/Companies repay us for the decades long rip off, defrauding. Penalties retroactive!
There is NEW tunnelling technology being developed by our parent Aerospace company (i.e. based within Vancouver!) that can drill at a rate of over TWO KM per day (over 83 metres per hour or almost 1.4 metres per minute!). This means we could drill a 15 metre diameter (49 feet) smooth-walled tunnel removing all rock during the drilling operations via high-grind-pressure and high-heat rock-face powderization and closed-loop laminar-gas-flow-based rock-powder removal at a rate so fast that it will take only a mere 70 days to drill the entire 138 km distance through the hard mountain-rock and sedimentary strata from Downtown Vancouver to Whistler Village itself! This has always been a pet project of our engineers to drill from Vancouver to Whistler and cost-wise, the new-technology tunnelling system only requires about 100 employees to work the machine and powder-removal system and requires only a sub-contracted set of dump truck transport loops that runs 24 hours per day in order to remove all the powdered rock-face to a specific and environmentally-sound rock storage site. Our estimated price to drill the entire distance is about $900 Million CDN which is a LOT cheaper than a new surface highway! The tunnel itself DOES have to be fully lined with pre-cast concrete panels and a Skytrain-like linear induction rail trackway needs to be installed, so that would be an estimated $500 Million CDN installation cost. It's DEFINITELY much cheaper than what the cost of a new bridge over the Fraser River is! We are currently doing scale model testing drilling through hard granite rock and sedimentary rocks and will be scaling-up the system to full size by next summer 2025. And for further drilling projects, our engineers envision a 15-metre wide Skytrain-like automated tunnel rail system that allows for the transport of cars and trucks put on linear-induction-based flatbed-railcars AND allows for the shipping of 20-foot, 40-foot and 53-foot long containers from Vancouver to Kelowna to Prince George and then onwards to Edmonton and then Calgary! We could dig that entire tunnel system in less than 400 days (1660 km total distance) with four of the new drilling-technology tunnelling machines! We thought we would let you know what is coming up in terms of NEW fast-drilling technology for very-wide-borehole deep-underground drilling systems. V
How about making sure TransLink keeps running without major service cut first, or providing commuter rail service to South Fraser Valley rather than proposing another pipe dream catering to tourists?
You pointed out the point. I wanna visit Squamish with my wife but I dont have a car. Although I can rent a car, I prefer to go there by public transit.
I can guarantee you if you don't build regional transit we won't come. As an interim measure how about an area to Park in West Vancouver close to transit would provide connections to downtown and North Vancouver. You could even bike to downtown from West Vancouver. Way better and cheaper than trying to drive and find parking in downtown. I spent as long looking for parking in downtown Van as it takes me to drive from West Vancouver.
I took a bus to Whistler in 1972 ,when I lived there,a native about the same age sat beside me on the last seat available, for the next 2.5 hours he told me how much he hated the world,he was going to Mount Currie area.
Why not set up an email campaign? This seems like a lot of people would be interested in supporting. But you need to make it easy. Sorry just being real with you.
Hi Paul, emails are in the description and below. Lets make it happen Premier David Eby - premier@gov.bc.ca BC Minister of Transportation & Infrastructure Rob Fleming - minister.moti@gov.bc.ca
As someone who frequents the area, it would be great to have a viable option instead of always driving back and forth. Time to start harassing Translink about that Vancouver Squamish connection!
If BC Rail was still publicly owned, it would be easy to re-introduce passenger rail service on this corridor. Should we call it short-sightedness on the part of the business-oriented provincial Liberals, or ideologically inspired quick action, that they sold the right of way? Either way, it's now much more difficult to have rail service. I think a regional bus is a good idea. It could be introduced quickly and inexpensively, serve the existing demand, and develop ridership for the rail service to follow.
so, there is a proposal to build an electric ferry from Vancouver to Squamish by a promising company called Greenline Ferries. They also plan to go to Bowen and to Gibsons. I invite you to check them out
Se n sense the gas tax in more than what is in metro Vancouver sence the provincial government won't fund I see two options create a campaign to create a independent of BC Transit or create a campaign to join TransLink
I support this general idea. But one question: why not use the EXISTING RAILROAD that's just sitting there, unused 23h of each day ? Europe has trains everywhere, for all types of distances. We're lucky to have a railroad already built !
@@mattpaugh put 2 engineers in a room for 20min and they will find you that solution....Let's be crazy and even think for a second that there is enough political will to bring them coffee.... you might even get a good solution to that problem in 15 minutes😅
Not quite sure how these seemingly well educated folks can completely disregard a local run and owned company, Squamish Connector, who has been running this regional transport, tirelessly, for over 10 years. I have worked for Squamish Connector for years and can not seem to understand how the mayor or the MP have not acknowledged this.
I agree. It's kind of gross that private companies don't get any recognition or love, even from the fans of transit. I'd like to highlight that there is a tour company in Vancouver & Victoria that takes tourists on a fixed route, which is very useful transit.
Squamish Connector iis amazing, but it fits a different need than what we are seeing. We have a program called the Rural Transit Solutions Fund that may be able to work with your company at looking at expansions. The system we need has to be beyond Vancouver-Squamish. The whole region is interconnected and transit needs to be there throughout
I trust you are working with existing business in the area then? I briefly reviewed your recommendation to look to the fund. Being familiar with your own programs may help as one of the first lines is for profit companies basically need not apply.
So both squamish/whistler/pemberton gas stations include in their fuel pricesthe vancouver transit surcharge, yet do not pass these monies onto the communities they operate in. This is insane .
It’s odd that the NDP haven’t addressed this corridor. Transit is a key issue for social justice. It’s well known that women and minorities are targeted when hitching around the province. It’s a shame that one of our busiest corridors and fastest growing population hubs is not served by interregional public transit.
it would be such as mistake to make the bus cross the Lions Gate bridge into downtown. Too much congestion there. The bus service should end at Park Royal, Lonsdale, or even at Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal. It is still not frequent enough
I can see that point. Park Royal to Downtown has fairly consistent transit. There are also plans to build rapid transit across the North Shore to connect to Burnaby over the Second Narrows
@@mattpaugh onto the bridge there is a bus lane. But on the bridge itself there isn't. It doesn't make sense to have redundant buses running along the route plus, such a long distance and time spend already driving from Pemberton the last thing drivers and riders want is another traffic jam on the bridge and in downtown. Drop off at Lonsdale would make the most sense but there is already a bus running at horseshoe Bay East to park Royal in that direction, where often when it's not ferry time, those are empty
@@checory So, lets assume this bus drops people off at HSB. Where are they going to get on another bus. The existing bus departure is already full, so they are going to need to add another bus (from translink) to do so. So all that is accomplished is that you have added more time on peoples journey, and the inconvenience of having to swap buses. It's not going to fly. That same (extra) transit bus would take the same bus lanes any other bus would take to get onto the bridge, and would still be stuck in any (city side) traffic any other option would be stuck with until Denman street. Movement along the bridge is not usually the slowdown, it's the approach and exit points. at least with he bus you bypass that. your proposal adds time and inconvenience, by at least 30 minutes (if everything goes perfectly), whereas the people on the bus could continue uninterrrupted
They said they wouldn't sell it due to public opposition during election campaign then turned around and leased it to them for 99 yrs while province maintains the right of way and rails . Liberal conservative party did this .never forget it folks.
The TransLink tax isn't "hefty". It's a sick joke. Motorists pay $0 to drive on municipal roads. They cover only about 30% of the cost of highways in fuel taxes. If drivers paid the real cost they impose on taxpayers there would be oodles of money to help fund transit of all types. You absolutely can and should see an increase in gas costs. It just takes some political balls.
the fact that motorists pay similar gas prices in the sea to sky without the 18.5 cents translink tax is a cruel joke. The cost of transporting fuel I am told is no more than an extra .5 cents a litre. If the decision was made to fund it by bringing in a fuel surchage, I would expect that gas prices would not go up, it would just come out of the massive margins the gas stations are getting
Our public transit is okay in very small pockets of BC, but overall is horrible. The BC Liberals of the day who so corruptly sold BC Rail in my opinion should be jailed. That right of way could have been used for so much more than freight, even more than the passenger service that was available before the CN purchase. I used to commute on West Cost Express -- while it was a premium commuter service, it was very effective. I always thought there should have been a similar service in the Sea to Sky region with the former BC Rail tracks. I have little hope that anything will be done to improve pubic transit in BC, especially linking regions together. I wish more rail options would be planned for and funded, as it's arguably the most efficient way to move anything -- people included. As long as government is controlled by the wealthiest 1%, there will be little done for the other 99%. Keep fighting the good fight, and we might win some improvements.
If Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton want a public transit system between them and Vancouver, why don't they levy a tax on their residents to subsidize it?
Hey there! Native and indigenous both mean the same thing and that means people who are born of a land. Aboriginal is an interesting term and original means to be first or born of a land and “ab” means away. So aboriginal seems to state that you are born from away? This might be the most accurate label for them ironically as they are not first, second or third as new historical facts emerge. In fact, as they literally have no infrastructure to claim as their own until very recently (paid for by us) and when architecture dates back several hundred if not thousands of years (which is not in their stories) then how long have they really been in these lands around the world…does it not seem they are like the illegal immigrants that were allowed to come in stake a claim? Could we have been conned? They get rights, privileges and our money to prevent us from lands, fishing, resources and allow them to set policies with government that work against us? We are watching this real time with illegal immigrants right now. So stop giving a select group of people that status that belongs to all of us. Real history is now becoming available so if you dispute this fact then go do some research on your own.
So to get this gucci bus service, its going to take an increase in has taxes and a bunch of government subsidies, which come from more taxes... The reality is that the actual cost to run a bus service is more than people are willing to pay. Subsidies to run empty busses is just another example of govt waste on feel good projects.
I agree that more people would use mass transit if it was available throughout but it would have to be affordable. What does affordable mean actually? It means the poorest among us can afford it. Currently all mass transit here is unaffordable. Though many people use it that does mean they are not having to eliminate something from their budget to do so…like food. Here is a thought…being as though our tax money has built the infrastructure, bought the vehicles, pays for maintenance and power sources and pays the employees already then why is it we are still paying more to use it? It’s should be free! And for the people in the back that are screaming that’s unsustainable I say…the stupidity of the masses is why we have been double or triple charged for everything all the way along. You want to remain stupid then at least keep your mouth shut. It always surprises me just how many people think the government is looking after us when they are double dipping and always have been. It’s just as amazing that they think this infrastructure is benevolently provided by the government because they are what wealthy? Well they are but not before getting our money…several times over for each project. Stupid is as stupid believes.
They should also take back the old bc electric railway for transit to eastern valley south side another right wing goverment with car sales men in cabinet .
@@emilypaisley9440 And you think Wacky Rustad is up to the job!? He’s planning on deregulating EVERYTHING and has a bare bones plan for public transit to mostly fund TransLink and TransLink only. Last time I checked Metro Vancouvers Transit Agency doesn’t care about the sea to sky or Fraser valley region. Good luck trying to get any transit expansion approved under the constant cuts conservatives.
Good luck with that. Regular transit buses will not work. No toilet, no space for luggage, skis or bicycles etc. Plus what will the fare structure be? Highway coaches are the only way it's workable and even then, operators must be trained to negotiate icy slippery roads, many hours long road closures and the list goes on.
You don't need a lot of density to operate a bus. I mean... they already run lots of buses to Whistler... and if you've seen how much it costs to park at Whistler these days... you'll see why. Whistler is the perfect location to have bus service to as many who live in the village don't have or need a car.
1. Nobody with a car will take public transit. 2. There will never be high speed rail there, that is economically impossible. 3. I've been to Squamish many times (wonderful place!) and gas has always been cheaper than in Vancouver.
Everyone sitting in traffic for hours says otherwise. High speed rail, probably not. Regional rail, yes. Once again, 1 or 2 cents cheaper is not the debate, its the 18.5 cents per litre difference that is
Stop talking about it because you and all politicians wil never use it like all transit in this Province. In fact less transit would be better just get rid of ICBC.Bad Idea.
When BC RAIL passenger trains were abolished- that was a very sad time indeed. We used to go up to The Flying U Ranch up near 108 Mile House from North Vancouver to ride you=rises in the 1990’s - such a gorgeous scenic trip and a wonderful experience for a group of us. Many people we met along the way used that train as a life line
Let's get Sea to Sky transit on track! Thanks for the shoutout. MVX is playing the long game with a regional rail vision but bus service is abhorrently overdue.
Agreed. You really need to start with bus service to prove the concept. Build up ridership. Equip some buses with ski and snowboard racks. If a private corporation can do Whistler round trips for $44, surely we can operate a transit system that has West Coast Express kind of pricing. Charge $12-15 for the whole trip and if you get off early (and tap out) you are charged less, much like when you get on at the airport, you're charged unless you get off the train anywhere on Sea Island.
Integrate it with the Compass card system.
I agree!
We should make this obvious, that it isn't even a voting issue.
I'd like to see double decker buses, or articulated buses, or ideally trains. The vehicles don't even have to be fantastic. Small and cheap to get started is okay, too.
@@TheNewGreenIsBlue Your racks idea is great!
We should aim for $40 first, and then add cheap transit. Too often, we go for the cheap profit first, but if rich people want to pay, then let's serve them first. Also, maybe we should consider buses that can travel on rails to bypass traffic.
I like the train idea.
This is racist
I thought I was watching a UA-cam creator who made short form documentaries.
Didn't realize you're an MP. Definitely a nice change to see a politician break down local issues/topics that's digestable for the mass audience 😄
Thanks James. I'm going to try to break down some more local issues like this too.
Outside of Vancouver, transit sucks. We need rail restored on Vancouver Island too.
I was thinking that maybe it would be cheaper to fix the rails, if we used smaller train cars. The smaller cars would mean less weight, so less materials are needed.
The loss of the train service whether on the Island or too our North really sucks. It was a cool option to the bus.
Because how can visitors like myself would want to get between Victoria-Nanimo?
@@statusworldchanger595 bus...which gets stuck in traffic, and has a weird schedule
The Rail transit would not pay its own way to Whistler or Vancouver Island. Cars are just too convenient.
Forget a bus, make it a second West Coast Express line! Start it at a North Vancouver station close to the Shipyards and run it all the way along the CP tracks to Pemberton. Would be a major boost for tourism, commuters, students, and locals alike. Connections to the rest of the metro through the ferry, rapid bus, and in the future, the North Vancouver Skytrain.
With some work they could probably make a station right by the Seabus terminal.
Or build dedicated intercity passenger rail tracks 😮😮😮
@@jordanw8382 I was just doing a quick scan of the map and the section of track between Chesterfield and Mahon is approx 250m long which is 75m longer than the length of the average WCE station. I think it's possible to use the existing parkland and buying out one of the two buildings on the south side of Esplanade to build the station platform; if both buildings were bought out it may be possible to add a second track to that stretch solely for loading and unloading and connect it up the rail yard just east of that block, that would require a small section of new track in reservation land so I'm unsure of the legality of that. however I'm having a harder time finding where a suitable station would be for Horseshoe Bay and Whistler as the tracks go through a tunnel on the far side of the ferry terminal, and around the far side of the lakes by Whistler.
@@mcp12300 It'd be a long shot but there's a stretch of straight double track just between the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal and Horseshoe Bay Dr. Challenging terrain though.
@@jordanw8382 You're right, I didn't notice it's already double track in that area; it is a very steep slope to the terminal though, you'd need a foot bridge and at very least a elevator for disability law compliance. it might be more reasonable to build a platform between 15th and 16th streets south of Bellevue Avenue in Ambleside and run a express coach service along Marine
@1:48 shout-out to the Squamish Connector, which you didn’t mention. Excellent and well-used service. They already have proven an effective operating model, it’s just a bit expensive. Give them some grants or subsidies!
Squamish Connector is excellent! We have a program called the Rural Transit Solutions Fund to work with companies like that. It is an option, but this has to be beyond Vancouver-Squamish. The whole region is interconnected and transit needs to be there throughout
@@patrickweilermp I'm not sure how the program works with it since Private Companies are unable to be funded, per the programs website. More info about this would be appreciated
I would love to see this one day...like, ASAP. Busses for sure, high speed rail to.follow...Pemberton to Hope and all point in between.
High speed... no. There's no need for High Speed rail to Pemberton. HSR is meant to connect large cities with other large cities. Regional rail perhaps, but ya know... the gov't kind of gave away BC Rail's line usage to CN in 2003.
High speed rail is really tricky because of how sharp many of the turns are. Rail could be an option but it would have to be slower, and you would need to get CN on board...
@@patrickweilermp HSR to Pemberton doesn't make ANY sense and likely never will. Regular rail, sure... and the rail is already there... but HSR mostly is successful when it's bookended by two large population centres about 300-500km apart. Like the VAC-SEA-POR corridor. That corridor is perfect for HSR.
HSR to Whistler/Pemberton (pop 20k)? Hope (pop 8k)? Why? Even Japan wouldn't do that. The smallest terminus station in Japan is Tsuruga on the Hokuriku line, and it's close to Kanazawa (~500k)... and ultimately will be bookended by Osaka (Toronto sized) and Tokyo on that line. Japan is not going to deadend an HSR line to a village...
If there was a large city North of Permberton, it would make sense perhaps as part of a larger plan, but it's just small towns and villages like Lillooet and Cache Creek until you get to Kamloops.
That's not to say there isn't a case regular rail. I absolutely think it could be successful, especially with how busy that road is. I'd like to see a SnowTrain (at least in the winter) personally... but it would be mostly to avoid driving (and waiting in traffic) on the S2S.
CN doesn't USE those tracks AS much as other lines, so I see few issues with it, apart from a desire to build it. I took the Whistler Mountaineer back in the day and it was such a pleasant experience.
@TheNewGreenIsBlue yeah regular passenger rail is fine here, and would be great
I get stuck behind a train like once or twice a year, they barely use the tracks. For context, where I grew up in Ontario before I moved out west, getting stuck behind a train that many times a week was a win. That was a frequently used rail line.
We gave up rights we never should have, and they don't even leverage them in the stead of our now dead passenger rail
I'd be very interested in a video about the Mountain Valley Express.
As a transit operator myself I am surprised this is not a thing already. Whether its done by BC transit or Translink this needs to happen.
Every municipality in the region wants it. Options of how to fund it were presented, but turned down by the BC Government. And its been discussed for almost 7 years, and the population continues to explode in the region. It is so long overdue.
Love this. Let’s go back to regional rail, both on the Sea-to-Sky, and on Vancouver Island! There’s a lot of grassroots momentum over on the island for the concept, so it wouldn’t be impossible to use the same approach to build awareness and momentum on the S2S corridor!!
Love this video!
this is how you reach people! happy to see an MP seriously advocating for transit.
good luck from ontario :)
Love to see videos like this. Great chance to reach out to the community. Keep it up
Didn't know you had a UA-cam Channel 😅
We really need reliable transit across the corridor, not just within our towns. Rail would be great long term. It helps so much with reliability, safety, and accessibility. we dont even need high speed (as much as I'd love it), just matching road speeds is sufficient given it avoids meaningful cost, emissions, and gets people off an accident-prone road with minimal lighting.
In the interim, though, we absolutely need bus service run by BC transit. Just today i needed to go to a doctor's appointment in Vancouver, and had to drive for 3 hours, and spend like 50 bucks on parking and gas! Many people can't do that (and while i can, i certainly would prefer not to!). A bus to get to at least park royal, if not a bigger transit interchange like burrard downtown would help enormously, especially if you can rely on it running even just every half hour. People could genuinely take transit and not worry about "what if"
Squamish resident here. Good to see you on UA-cam.
Thanks for the investment in Cap U Squamish (if that was you) will be good to be able to finally use the facilities (since they wont be private anymore) in my neighbourhood, garibaldi highlands
Yes, do it. I live in Langford, travel everywhere either by foot or bus. I'm also a hiker, and access to larger mountains is precisely what I'm looking for. Without bus service it wouldn't be feasible whatsoever
Use a train! Rails are there and minimally used
@@Cognitive.Dissident There are a few key reasons why the provincial Liberals did not select a passenger rail service for the Sea to Sky corridor when upgrading transportation in preparation for the 2010 Olympics. Mostly it came down to cost and time. Although rail service would have been great for the long-term, particularly given how much Squamish has exploded in population (growing 22% between 2016 and 2021 alone), back in 2004 when they were planning the improvements, they didn’t have the benefit of this foresight:
1. Safety and reliability concerns with the existing highway: The Sea-to-Sky Highway was known as a dangerous "white-knuckle drive" with a high accident rate, averaging 574 accidents per year between 1998 and 2004[5]. Improving highway safety was seen as a critical priority; building both a rail option and fixing the highway’s safety problems was not close to feasible.
2. Cost and timeline considerations: The highway upgrade project cost $600 million and could be completed in time for the 2010 Olympics[1][3]. A rail option likely would have been significantly more expensive and time-consuming to implement.
3. Flexibility of highway improvements: Upgrading the highway allowed for incremental improvements to address safety, capacity, and travel time issues[5]. This was likely seen as more flexible than building an entirely new rail system.
4. Olympic transportation needs: The highway improvements were deemed necessary to handle the increased traffic expected for the Olympics between Vancouver and Whistler[3]. A highway upgrade could more readily accommodate the surge in vehicle traffic relating to the Olympics.
5. Long-term regional development: The improved highway was seen as beneficial for long-term economic development and population growth in communities along the corridor[3][5].
6. Previous analysis: Research done for the 2010 Olympics bid book in 2002 had examined transportation options and ultimately favored widening the highway over higher-speed rail at that time[6].
While passenger rail was not selected for the initial Olympic-related upgrades, the idea has continued to be discussed as a potential future option for the corridor. More recent proposals have suggested studying high-speed rail possibilities to address ongoing transportation challenges in the region[6]. However, at the time of Olympic preparations, the highway upgrade was seen as the most feasible and beneficial option to meet immediate needs and timelines.
Sources
[1] Upgraded Sea-to-Sky Highway improved safety but brought 'big city ... www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/upgraded-sea-to-sky-highway-improved-safety-but-brought-big-city-problems-says-mayor-1.5470819
[2] [PDF] chilliwack whistler - Mountain Valley Express www.mvx.vision/assets/mvx.pdf
[3] Path to 2010 Olympics built from asphalt, steel - Vancouver Is ... www.vancouverisawesome.com/courier-archive/news/path-to-2010-olympics-built-from-asphalt-steel-3116740
[4] Restore Sea to Sky Passenger Rail Service: Transport Action BC www.squamishreporter.com/2024/05/22/restore-sea-to-sky-passenger-rail-service-transport-action-bc/
[5] Sea-to-Sky Highway Improvement Project - Mott MacDonald www.mottmac.com/article/12140/projects/sea-sky-highway-improvement-project
[6] How feasible is high-speed rail for the Sea to Sky Corridor? www.squamishchief.com/local-news/how-feasible-is-high-speed-rail-for-the-sea-to-sky-corridor-3351937
[7] Sea-to-sky Highway (financing analysis) www.ijglobal.com/articles/27704/sea-to-sky-highway
@@ttul no doubt the highway was a better choice at the time. Thanks for this response!
@@Cognitive.Dissident I don't know about "BETTER" it was the short-term solution, but rail could have been part of the overarching plan. It just wasn't.
@@TheNewGreenIsBlue I'm still a huge fan of rail and I think it was shortsighted to just fix the highway and declare it "mission accomplished". Every time I go to Whistler on a "pow day" it's abundantly clear that the highway cannot adequately accommodate all the people who wish to visit the sea-to-sky corridor. And in summer, the traffic on a nice weekend day is ridiculous. A passenger rail service connecting the ferry hub at Horseshoe Bay with Squamish and Whistler would help remove untold thousands of cars from the road, making it far safer during risky winter storms and allowing the region to expand as it seems to want to.
@@ttul ABSOLUTELY agree. I just don't think it should ever be high speed rail. Having an OPTION to get to Squamish/Whistler/Pemberton via a vehicle that is NOT bound to the road is such a no-brainer to me as well.
It's not even about congestion or taking cars off the road, it's about having an option that does NOT require you to use the road. I mean... right now that whole area has no backup plan if the road is blocked.
Wow! i didn't realize that you are an MP! Thanks for speaking out.
Maybe bring in another MP for a livestrem discussion.
That's an interesting idea...🤔.
Bus yes please. I've had many visitors to Vancouver wishing to do day trips to Squamish and Whistler but renting a car is not an option. This would be such a boom to tourism to Squamish in particular.
It’s really time!!
Yes, a transit solution likned with the gvr system would be very smart. Getting a train back up and running would be even smarter.
Buses now, trains later!
The lost of Grayhound was huge. It started when Greyhound stopped servicing the Lower mainland. Transit needs to expand in all areas in the province. This sounds awesome.
Yes, train transit from North Van up the sea to sky would also greatly help the Sunshine coast population too!
How do you mean? Like a station in Horseshoe Bay?
Yeah exactly.
We need more outreach and communication like this! Will be sharing this, writing my councillor here in the lower mainland and of course voting!
An excellent analysis. I’m a reluctant homeowner because of a rental market that leaves renters without security of tenure, unable to control costs or own pets. I think more social housing for all income levels is the answer. Canada could start by building more housing co-ops along with market housing that meets the needs of all Canadians and family arrangements.
such a good video!
Patrick - thanks for this video. It has been shared with my network on multiple platforms.
Thanks John. Lets get the word out, and tell our Premier and Transport Minister that we want to see it
I’d really love a video of your opinion on the high speed rail study.
100% Yes! This needs dedicated lanes so buses with 50 people on them, don’t get stuck behind cars with 1 to 4 people.
Maybe... but where you gonna put a dedicated bus lane on the s2s?
Like a transit way in Mississauga ON (currently in operation) or Ottawa ON (now recently converted into a light rail transit lines)
We don't have enough lanes for dedicated lanes lol
If we are making more space for stuff, it should be rail.
@@tarfeef101 high speed rail or other european countries style high frequency rail lines
you are right, but it doesn't need to be in every place, just a few key areas right now. A reversible 3rd lane at murrin would help that.
Thanks Patrick. I would also posit that one of the barriers to ANY transit in the corridor are the physical limitations of the highway. We have some major pinch points (Murrin, Britannia, Porteau) that severely limit the ability of any vehicle, (transit or not) to be incentivized. A reversible transit lane, even at the Murrin/Britannia section would do volumes towards achieving that goal.
Limit in what way? QuickShuttle Buses go up to Whistler in the winter all the time.
Are you talking about Porteau Cove? Maybe the bus could pull into the parking lot.
that's a good point - and definitely what MOTI should incorporate into a future system
@@eugenetswong If a bus to Porteau Cove was advertised well enough, I bet people would take it as an alternative to driving. That parking lot is INSANE in the summer.
@@TheNewGreenIsBlue Quick Shuttle Does not Service this route. It runs to Seattle. The point being that an organization like BC transit, running scheduled service does not want to run service in an area that has such physical limitations keeping them from adhering to schedules. The Province does not seem in any rush to act on a porteau cove job (similar to Kennedy lake) because of money
Thanks for highlighting this really important need in our community Patrick!! I agree that it's long overdue. I'd love to see a video on the rail study - it seems like a very logical option for the area and I don't understand why it hasn't been explored better.
expansion of the rail line to 2 directions will cost hundreds of millions, thats why
Glad to see that politicians are watching Urbanist UA-camrs like NJB and RM Transit! If we could get more politicians and planners to watch urbanist YT, we’ll start to see more change in NA!
The Sea-to-Sky corridor DESPERATELY needs transit service! It doesn't need to be a big flashy train right away, a good express bus with priority in the important places will do the trick in the mean time!
I would like to see as many videos on this as you are willing to make. We need to learn more and get the word out!
HIGH. SPEED. RAIL! 😮
They need to do this on sunshine coast too.no bus to powell river for years now.in town is fine but regionally disconnected
Bring the train back, use tilting train vehicles to raise speeds on curves
Thank you
My 17 year old dreams of the SkyTrain to North Vancouver, Horseshoe Bay to Squamish and Whistler Now we should dream like that!
And let the Gas Stations/Companies repay us for the decades long rip off, defrauding. Penalties retroactive!
There is NEW tunnelling technology being developed by our parent Aerospace company (i.e. based within Vancouver!) that can drill at a rate of over TWO KM per day (over 83 metres per hour or almost 1.4 metres per minute!). This means we could drill a 15 metre diameter (49 feet) smooth-walled tunnel removing all rock during the drilling operations via high-grind-pressure and high-heat rock-face powderization and closed-loop laminar-gas-flow-based rock-powder removal at a rate so fast that it will take only a mere 70 days to drill the entire 138 km distance through the hard mountain-rock and sedimentary strata from Downtown Vancouver to Whistler Village itself!
This has always been a pet project of our engineers to drill from Vancouver to Whistler and cost-wise, the new-technology tunnelling system only requires about 100 employees to work the machine and powder-removal system and requires only a sub-contracted set of dump truck transport loops that runs 24 hours per day in order to remove all the powdered rock-face to a specific and environmentally-sound rock storage site.
Our estimated price to drill the entire distance is about $900 Million CDN which is a LOT cheaper than a new surface highway! The tunnel itself DOES have to be fully lined with pre-cast concrete panels and a Skytrain-like linear induction rail trackway needs to be installed, so that would be an estimated $500 Million CDN installation cost. It's DEFINITELY much cheaper than what the cost of a new bridge over the Fraser River is!
We are currently doing scale model testing drilling through hard granite rock and sedimentary rocks and will be scaling-up the system to full size by next summer 2025. And for further drilling projects, our engineers envision a 15-metre wide Skytrain-like automated tunnel rail system that allows for the transport of cars and trucks put on linear-induction-based flatbed-railcars AND allows for the shipping of 20-foot, 40-foot and 53-foot long containers from Vancouver to Kelowna to Prince George and then onwards to Edmonton and then Calgary! We could dig that entire tunnel system in less than 400 days (1660 km total distance) with four of the new drilling-technology tunnelling machines!
We thought we would let you know what is coming up in terms of NEW fast-drilling technology for very-wide-borehole deep-underground drilling systems.
V
Maybe build skytraim connext whistler to Vancouver downtown via park eoyal, english bay, horseshoe bay.
Great idea
Totally would take a bus up to squamish almost every weekend if I could!
It turns out that Squamish Connector might help. They are a private company.
There are a variety of options to do so
Is there not already a train that goes to whistler, why don't we expand on that?
How about making sure TransLink keeps running without major service cut first, or providing commuter rail service to South Fraser Valley rather than proposing another pipe dream catering to tourists?
I would invite you to have a look at how quickly the population is growing in the sea to sky and tell that to the people that live here.
It is possible to take care of both
Public transportation in Canada is greatly lacking.
You pointed out the point. I wanna visit Squamish with my wife but I dont have a car. Although I can rent a car, I prefer to go there by public transit.
I can guarantee you if you don't build regional transit we won't come. As an interim measure how about an area to Park in West Vancouver close to transit would provide connections to downtown and North Vancouver. You could even bike to downtown from West Vancouver. Way better and cheaper than trying to drive and find parking in downtown. I spent as long looking for parking in downtown Van as it takes me to drive from West Vancouver.
I took a bus to Whistler in 1972 ,when I lived there,a native about the same age sat beside me on the last seat available, for the next 2.5 hours he told me how much he hated the world,he was going to Mount Currie area.
If you make this work you deserve to keep your job. Good strategy given Trudeau heading towards non confidence.
The NIMBY’s in West Vancouver won’t ever let this happen!
Why not set up an email campaign? This seems like a lot of people would be interested in supporting. But you need to make it easy. Sorry just being real with you.
Hi Paul, emails are in the description and below. Lets make it happen
Premier David Eby - premier@gov.bc.ca
BC Minister of Transportation & Infrastructure Rob Fleming - minister.moti@gov.bc.ca
"Vote for me, I'll set you free..."
We need high speed rail commuter rail connecting all those places. Buy the rail route back.
As someone who frequents the area, it would be great to have a viable option instead of always driving back and forth. Time to start harassing Translink about that Vancouver Squamish connection!
Bring back BCR! The line is essentially unused. We shouldn’t have to deal with roads when we have perfectly good rails just sitting there
Transit good ideas.
Great shoutouts to two great UA-cam channels!
Thumbs up👍 go ahead
If BC Rail was still publicly owned, it would be easy to re-introduce passenger rail service on this corridor. Should we call it short-sightedness on the part of the business-oriented provincial Liberals, or ideologically inspired quick action, that they sold the right of way? Either way, it's now much more difficult to have rail service. I think a regional bus is a good idea. It could be introduced quickly and inexpensively, serve the existing demand, and develop ridership for the rail service to follow.
The best solution. TRAINS.
Reinstate passenger rail! That is the most efficient, comfort and reliable way to transport people between communities.
Make everyone commute daily like Gran Fondo riders.
How about the ferry to Vancouver from Squamish?
downtown vancouver to downtown squamish. that would be a great idea. hullo is making the vancouver nanaimo trip work, so why not
so, there is a proposal to build an electric ferry from Vancouver to Squamish by a promising company called Greenline Ferries. They also plan to go to Bowen and to Gibsons. I invite you to check them out
Se n sense the gas tax in more than what is in metro Vancouver sence the provincial government won't fund I see two options create a campaign to create a independent of BC Transit or create a campaign to join TransLink
I support this general idea. But one question: why not use the EXISTING RAILROAD that's just sitting there, unused 23h of each day ? Europe has trains everywhere, for all types of distances. We're lucky to have a railroad already built !
Single lane, makes it very hard to run north and south bound service consistently
@@mattpaugh put 2 engineers in a room for 20min and they will find you that solution....Let's be crazy and even think for a second that there is enough political will to bring them coffee.... you might even get a good solution to that problem in 15 minutes😅
You've been in power for a decade, don't rush or anything 😂
Why no trains ...
Not quite sure how these seemingly well educated folks can completely disregard a local run and owned company, Squamish Connector, who has been running this regional transport, tirelessly, for over 10 years.
I have worked for Squamish Connector for years and can not seem to understand how the mayor or the MP have not acknowledged this.
I agree. It's kind of gross that private companies don't get any recognition or love, even from the fans of transit.
I'd like to highlight that there is a tour company in Vancouver & Victoria that takes tourists on a fixed route, which is very useful transit.
By the way, congratulations on 10 years of success!
Squamish Connector iis amazing, but it fits a different need than what we are seeing. We have a program called the Rural Transit Solutions Fund that may be able to work with your company at looking at expansions. The system we need has to be beyond Vancouver-Squamish. The whole region is interconnected and transit needs to be there throughout
I trust you are working with existing business in the area then?
I briefly reviewed your recommendation to look to the fund. Being familiar with your own programs may help as one of the first lines is for profit companies basically need not apply.
@@iainsims This is disheartening.
So both squamish/whistler/pemberton gas stations include in their fuel pricesthe vancouver transit surcharge, yet do not pass these monies onto the communities they operate in. This is insane .
its scandalous, and been widely reported on
Funding??. LNG.? Would there be enough users.
If the carbon tax has lost support, cut greenhouse gases with a public transportation tax instead.
It’s odd that the NDP haven’t addressed this corridor. Transit is a key issue for social justice. It’s well known that women and minorities are targeted when hitching around the province. It’s a shame that one of our busiest corridors and fastest growing population hubs is not served by interregional public transit.
lets let our premier and transportation minister know. I can imagine it would be a hugely popular policy
Email sent! 👍🏻
it would be such as mistake to make the bus cross the Lions Gate bridge into downtown. Too much congestion there. The bus service should end at Park Royal, Lonsdale, or even at Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal. It is still not frequent enough
Park Royal would be good
I can see that point. Park Royal to Downtown has fairly consistent transit. There are also plans to build rapid transit across the North Shore to connect to Burnaby over the Second Narrows
Except the bus lane onto the bridge never backs up. been driving buses across that bridge for years. If it ends at HSB, where are people going to go?
@@mattpaugh onto the bridge there is a bus lane. But on the bridge itself there isn't. It doesn't make sense to have redundant buses running along the route plus, such a long distance and time spend already driving from Pemberton the last thing drivers and riders want is another traffic jam on the bridge and in downtown. Drop off at Lonsdale would make the most sense but there is already a bus running at horseshoe Bay East to park Royal in that direction, where often when it's not ferry time, those are empty
@@checory So, lets assume this bus drops people off at HSB. Where are they going to get on another bus. The existing bus departure is already full, so they are going to need to add another bus (from translink) to do so. So all that is accomplished is that you have added more time on peoples journey, and the inconvenience of having to swap buses. It's not going to fly. That same (extra) transit bus would take the same bus lanes any other bus would take to get onto the bridge, and would still be stuck in any (city side) traffic any other option would be stuck with until Denman street. Movement along the bridge is not usually the slowdown, it's the approach and exit points. at least with he bus you bypass that. your proposal adds time and inconvenience, by at least 30 minutes (if everything goes perfectly), whereas the people on the bus could continue uninterrrupted
They said they wouldn't sell it due to public opposition during election campaign then turned around and leased it to them for 99 yrs while province maintains the right of way and rails . Liberal conservative party did this .never forget it folks.
The TransLink tax isn't "hefty". It's a sick joke. Motorists pay $0 to drive on municipal roads. They cover only about 30% of the cost of highways in fuel taxes. If drivers paid the real cost they impose on taxpayers there would be oodles of money to help fund transit of all types. You absolutely can and should see an increase in gas costs. It just takes some political balls.
the fact that motorists pay similar gas prices in the sea to sky without the 18.5 cents translink tax is a cruel joke. The cost of transporting fuel I am told is no more than an extra .5 cents a litre. If the decision was made to fund it by bringing in a fuel surchage, I would expect that gas prices would not go up, it would just come out of the massive margins the gas stations are getting
I'd rather see us get a bridge over to Vancouver island and put BC Ferries to rest.
This is necessary and will never happen under any provincial or federal conservative government.
Our public transit is okay in very small pockets of BC, but overall is horrible. The BC Liberals of the day who so corruptly sold BC Rail in my opinion should be jailed. That right of way could have been used for so much more than freight, even more than the passenger service that was available before the CN purchase. I used to commute on West Cost Express -- while it was a premium commuter service, it was very effective. I always thought there should have been a similar service in the Sea to Sky region with the former BC Rail tracks. I have little hope that anything will be done to improve pubic transit in BC, especially linking regions together. I wish more rail options would be planned for and funded, as it's arguably the most efficient way to move anything -- people included. As long as government is controlled by the wealthiest 1%, there will be little done for the other 99%. Keep fighting the good fight, and we might win some improvements.
thanks Garth. We are certainly paying the price for that today. That is such a critical and underutilized piece of infrastructure
Links to other youtube channels mentioned ua-cam.com/users/rmtransit
ua-cam.com/users/notjustbikes
its 2024 any transit system investment should be high speed rail
If Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton want a public transit system between them and Vancouver, why don't they levy a tax on their residents to subsidize it?
Hey there! Native and indigenous both mean the same thing and that means people who are born of a land. Aboriginal is an interesting term and original means to be first or born of a land and “ab” means away. So aboriginal seems to state that you are born from away? This might be the most accurate label for them ironically as they are not first, second or third as new historical facts emerge. In fact, as they literally have no infrastructure to claim as their own until very recently (paid for by us) and when architecture dates back several hundred if not thousands of years (which is not in their stories) then how long have they really been in these lands around the world…does it not seem they are like the illegal immigrants that were allowed to come in stake a claim? Could we have been conned? They get rights, privileges and our money to prevent us from lands, fishing, resources and allow them to set policies with government that work against us? We are watching this real time with illegal immigrants right now.
So stop giving a select group of people that status that belongs to all of us. Real history is now becoming available so if you dispute this fact then go do some research on your own.
It will never happen in Canada. But thanks for trying.
Come on. Vancouver can hardly drive a bus up hastings after a cm of snow. Transit bus up the sea to sky?😂
So to get this gucci bus service, its going to take an increase in has taxes and a bunch of government subsidies, which come from more taxes... The reality is that the actual cost to run a bus service is more than people are willing to pay. Subsidies to run empty busses is just another example of govt waste on feel good projects.
I agree that more people would use mass transit if it was available throughout but it would have to be affordable. What does affordable mean actually? It means the poorest among us can afford it. Currently all mass transit here is unaffordable. Though many people use it that does mean they are not having to eliminate something from their budget to do so…like food. Here is a thought…being as though our tax money has built the infrastructure, bought the vehicles, pays for maintenance and power sources and pays the employees already then why is it we are still paying more to use it? It’s should be free! And for the people in the back that are screaming that’s unsustainable I say…the stupidity of the masses is why we have been double or triple charged for everything all the way along. You want to remain stupid then at least keep your mouth shut. It always surprises me just how many people think the government is looking after us when they are double dipping and always have been. It’s just as amazing that they think this infrastructure is benevolently provided by the government because they are what wealthy? Well they are but not before getting our money…several times over for each project. Stupid is as stupid believes.
They should also take back the old bc electric railway for transit to eastern valley south side another right wing goverment with car sales men in cabinet .
parking is a joke
I am afraid Mr Eby is not interested in what the people need and want.
ok Karen
Emily, i agree. His team is adding 4 lanes to the tunnel.
@@emilypaisley9440 And you think Wacky Rustad is up to the job!? He’s planning on deregulating EVERYTHING and has a bare bones plan for public transit to mostly fund TransLink and TransLink only. Last time I checked Metro Vancouvers Transit Agency doesn’t care about the sea to sky or Fraser valley region. Good luck trying to get any transit expansion approved under the constant cuts conservatives.
Mr.Rustad couldn't care less. He'd let the private sector have at it.
Good luck with that. Regular transit buses will not work. No toilet, no space for luggage, skis or bicycles etc. Plus what will the fare structure be? Highway coaches are the only way it's workable and even then, operators must be trained to negotiate icy slippery roads, many hours long road closures and the list goes on.
There are multiple ways to address this with various bus types, and coach types
We need trains, not bus. Trains to Whistler will be awesome. Otherwise cars will be better.
Yeah, seems like a terrible idea. You don't have the density to make it viable/affordable.
You don't need a lot of density to operate a bus. I mean... they already run lots of buses to Whistler... and if you've seen how much it costs to park at Whistler these days... you'll see why. Whistler is the perfect location to have bus service to as many who live in the village don't have or need a car.
1. Nobody with a car will take public transit. 2. There will never be high speed rail there, that is economically impossible. 3. I've been to Squamish many times (wonderful place!) and gas has always been cheaper than in Vancouver.
Tourists. + not everyone has a car.
Everyone sitting in traffic for hours says otherwise. High speed rail, probably not. Regional rail, yes. Once again, 1 or 2 cents cheaper is not the debate, its the 18.5 cents per litre difference that is
Why are you not talking about htis on CBC news your free information and propaganda machine .
We don’t need transit to whistler etc. waste of money
Stop talking about it because you and all politicians wil never use it like all transit in this Province. In fact less transit would be better just get rid of ICBC.Bad Idea.
And sell my soul to private insurers?