Democracy for Vancouver

3 Comments so far (Add 1 more)

1. I’m not a transportation expert but it seems to me that the population is so spread out in Vancouver that making a convenient, affordable rail system would be economic suicide.

   In order to pay for it I imagine slapping a big toll on both bridges thereby giving an extra incentive for Couverites to park their cars and get aboard.

   I think I’m like most Americans in that even if the rail was cheaper and faster than using my car, the comfort, convenience and privacy of my car will still be my preferred mode of transportation.

   I’d rather see our funds and efforts put towards a nonpolluting vehicle that can move us around without pavement and bridges (hello Jetsons).

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   1. Above written by bushtool on December 30th, 2006 at 5:53 pm (replies, if any, are attributed separately above).

2. I am loathe to admit that I too don’t believe that light rail, attractive though it is, won’t solve our problems. The infrastructure doesn’t exist and our present mass transit system has been gutted by cuts and its own bureaucratic hubris. And like Chief, I too am a little hinkey about the less-than objective reportage from The Columbian. There’s this belief that it will enhance the downtown area and - one would think - Campbell’s business park. But then some of those same folks said that the Hilton would be our Field of Dreams (“if you build it, they will come”), making Downtown Vancouver a big destination. Has it gotten into the black yet? So, as much as I’d love to see trains zipping back and forth, and more people riding buses, there’s fewer and fewer routes and stops. I’d love to ditch my car for most of the week, but might as well drive, since there are so few connecting routes and park n’ rides.

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   2. Above written by Rich on December 30th, 2006 at 9:02 pm (replies, if any, are attributed separately above).

3. bt and Rich, excellent comments from you both. Let’s get some more of your friends into this thread and hear from them as well.

   Another point that strikes me on this, is why on earth would you want to attract any more traffic toward the I-5 Corridor, by building Light Rail there and forcing you to deal with parking on top of the existing congestion?? Does it not make more sense to do everything we can to move traffic away from I-5??

   I can see more opportunity for building a strong case for light rail along the I-205 corridor, if anywhere in Clark County. There is ample right of way in the median, and building the required stations similar to the way the Max stop at Park Rose on the Red Line was built, (with an attractive bridge from the Park and Ride across the freeway to the actual Max stop), makes infinitely more sense than anything I can conjure up for the I-5 area.

   Want to make that case stronger for selling to the whole County?? Terminate the Red Line at the Clark County Fairgrounds, instead of at Salmon Creek.

   Think that might help alleviate traffic in and out of the Amphitheater?? I sure do.

   That gives someone an excellent way to demonstrate how to really solve a traffic problem on this side of the river. How about selling light rail as an asset to the County, instead of just a good way to get to the Schnitz in Downtown Portland??

   But again, I am not a traffic engineer either, and it certainly isn’t my job to design an acceptable package like that, nor am I qualified to do so.

   One of my favorite quotes from Robert A. Heinlein:

   “What are the facts? Again and again and again — what are the facts? Shun wishful thinking, ignore divine revelation, forget what “the stars foretell”, avoid opinion, care not what the neighbors think, never mind the “unguessable vertdict of history” — what are the facts, and to how many decimal places?? You pilot always into an unknown future; facts are your single clue. Get the facts!”

   Good advice for many things in life, as well…

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   3. Above written by Chief on December 31st, 2006 at 8:07 am (replies, if any, are attributed separately above).