* You are viewing Posts Tagged ‘transit’

Audio Slideshow: Vancouver “Olympic Line” Streetcar Demonstration

"Olympic Line" Streetcar Demonstration in Vancouver, Canada from Planning Pool on Vimeo.

January 21 2010 at 9:30am -that's today! - marks the start of a two-month demonstration of modern streetcar service in during the 2010 Winter Olympics. This three-minute slideshow shows a sneak preview of the streetcars themselves, on loan from Brussels, Belgium. It also observes the City of Vancouver's interest in finding funding and galvanizing political will to reinstate permanent streetcar service in the city.

The demonstration streetcars will ... Continue Reading

‘Urban Acupuncture 101’ – Mobility and cycling in New York with Janette Sadik-Khan

October 19, 2009.  In a room full of ’s planning and elite, Gordon Price (director of SFU’s City Program) introduced an event from SFU's public lecture series, evoking New York City’s gritty and dangerous history, comparing it to a “fallen empire.”  He feels that the success in recent years give it reason to be called “a resilient city” - acting as proof that cities can rebound - and aptly referencing the Gaining Ground conference this week.  Our guest this evening, Janette Sadik-Khan is the commissioner for New York City’s Department of (DOT). She is largely responsible for ... Continue Reading

CIP Niagara Conference – Old Age Ain’t for Sissies

This afternoon’s session, entitled “Old Age Ain’t for Sissies and What that Means for Planners” was a full house. The enthusiasm shown for this topic indicates that planners are very aware of impending demographic changes that will require accommodating aging communities to become a planning priority. The moderator, Don May, opened the presentation with a mind-boggling time-lapse series of Canadian population pyramids from the late 19th century. (You can see a similar series of pyramids online here.) Canada expects an 86% increase in its senior population over the next 20 years; by 2041, one in four Canadians will be ... Continue Reading

Arlington, Texas, This is Why You’re Fat.

Thanks to Christian Cable for this delightfully artery-hardening Creative Commons photo.

Thanks to Christian Cable for this delightfully artery-hardening Creative Commons photo.

If you are not yet familiar with the website ThisIsWhyYoureFat.com, it might just be time to check it out. They serve up a never-ending photostream of revoltingly fatty foods, including a donut bun hamburger and deep fried bologna. While for some the site might be secretly mouthwatering (ahem. . .) the urban planning equivalent -unmitigated auto dependence- has few upsides.

Last week, the Dallas Morning News published a ... Continue Reading

Snapshots: Bus Stop Furniture in Small-Town Coastal BC

Snapshot_BC_Town_Bus Stops

Funding public service and infrastructure is a challenge anywhere, but providers in small towns and rural areas have even fewer resources to work with. In my travels through small-town British Columbia, I’ve been continually amazed at the resourcefulness demonstrated at bus stops.

Along the Sunshine Coast Highway, where the first photo was taken, bus stops are furnished with every imaginable kind of seating by the people who use them. Lawn chairs are the most common bus stop furniture, but old kitchen chairs are also a ... Continue Reading

Public Transit Advertising and Portland Streetcar Envy

Having long envied its streetcar system from afar, I was delighted this summer to make my first visit to and ride its famous streetcars. BC, where I make my home, is often compared to Portland but its once-extensive streetcar system was scrapped in favour of trolley busses in the 1950s.

A handsome new streetcar in Portland, Oregon. Photo by author.

A handsome new streetcar in , Oregon. Photo by author.

One thing I had not expected to see when riding 's famed streetcars was the presence of advertisements ... Continue Reading

Cash for Clunkers: Is the policy the real clunker?

Prius and Capitol - Thanks izik!

The U.S. Congress just put another US$2 billion into the popular Cash for Clunkers program.

The Cars Allowance Rebate System (CARS), which has been dubbed "Cash for Clunkers," has been so popular in the US that the $1 billion allocated for the program ran out in just a week, three months ahead of schedule. The $2 billion extension will let car owners trade in old fuel-inefficient cars for $3,500 to $4,500 until September 1.

This ... Continue Reading

Connecting Far-Flung Campuses to the City: A Gondola for SFU?

Back in the prehistoric days of my undergrad, I recall a particular Canadian Literature class when my professor got off on a tangent about the siting of universities in British Columbia. “What’s wrong with us?” he ranted.  “Eastern Canadian universities are located in the heart of the city, close to civilization. We sequestered UBC at the end of a peninsula, SFU on top of a mountain, and UNBC in the forest out of town!”

Whatever the reason for our current predicament, the relative isolation of these universities has important implications for students and everyone else who uses a ... Continue Reading