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Entries from January 2016

Toronto transit system makes the argument for a fare increase, noting that subsidy for Vancouver riders three times higher than theirs

September 27th, 2012 · 22 Comments

This came in through today’s whitewater rafting on the information rapids: the Toronto Transit Commission’s report to council on why it should get a five-cent fare increase. On page 8, the report writers include a comparison chart of the subsidies provided to various transit systems in various cities. (My attentive readers will remember that my […]

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Vancouver housing report suggests some thin-street projects and townhouses/duplexes next to arterials everywhere

September 26th, 2012 · 173 Comments

This just out from the mayor’s office. I’ll scrutinize it more carefully later. Vancouver — Today the Mayor’s Task Force on Affordable Housing released its final report, and Mayor Gregor Robertson is urging City Council to give unanimous support to begin implementing the first set of actions. “Launching this Task Force was my first action after […]

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New mayors’ caucus at politicians convention week provokes debate on its usefulness, chatter about Dianne Watts’ end game

September 25th, 2012 · 14 Comments

Ever since Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts started on an energetic job of bringing mayors together for their own special “mayors’ caucus” last spring, I’ve heard two reactions. 1. It’s helpful for mayors to have their own forum and voice 2. Why is Dianne Watts duplicating what the Union of B.C.Municipalities already does? The first get-together […]

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Municipal politicians’ meeting this week promises to be filled with provincial politics as election looms

September 24th, 2012 · 1 Comment

We municipal nerds love the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention for the chance it gives us to talk to hundreds of city councillors all week about infrastructure, mill rates, transit funding and more. These are people who represent every town and village in the province and it’s an education all week to hear what they’re […]

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Vancouver city hall to strike a new task force to improve connections city-to-resident and neighbour-to-neighbour

September 24th, 2012 · 92 Comments

I will leave the commenting to others on this one. This just out: (Vancouver) – Vision Vancouver Councillor Andrea Reimer will introduce a motion at the next City Council meeting to create an Engaged City Mayor’s Task Force, which will identify ways to increase neighbourhood engagement and improve the ways in which the City interacts […]

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New public art at Hillcrest adds more water to very wet area

September 23rd, 2012 · 10 Comments

Almost as soon as the new Hillcrest community centre/pool/rink opened, crews started digging up the land around it extensively. Locals wondered why. It turned out it was for a new piece of public art, which seems to have reached completion. You can see the official description here. I’ve heard some question the wisdom of putting […]

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City Plumber: When did Vancouver become a landowner in North Van and why is it selling what it owns there?

September 23rd, 2012 · No Comments

My best guess on this provided at City Plumber, over on the left of the screen here.

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City Plumber: Aren’t Vancouver bus-riders really subsidizing all those empty buses roaming hungrily around Maple

September 20th, 2012 · 2 Comments

Answer is on the City Plumber space on the left of this screen. Watch for an update in the next few days, when I provide a link to stats on all the bus routes and their load levels.

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The promise/threat of more bike lanes on more Vancouver bridges sets off a frenzy

September 20th, 2012 · 53 Comments

We all reported a few months ago that the city was looking at putting a bike/pedestrian route down the middle of the Granville Bridge, according to a sketch with no details attached in the city’s Transportation 2040 discussion doc. This being a town that does not take these things lightly, there was a little storm […]

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Business, newly alive to the benefits of a good transit system, lobbies for a more rational approach to paying for it

September 19th, 2012 · 14 Comments

It seems as though I’ve spent the whole last year writing about how much business is loving transit these days. Condo developers do for sure. They are seeing people flock to buy apartments near transit lines. Property development has exploded around the Canada Line. Office-building owners are starting to love it more too. Lease rates […]

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