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Well did anyone go? Did they talk about Transit issues?
Can we ask what transportation background does this group have? Other than one being a retired Train Engineer.Since council has asked for a presentation has Councilor Richter checked to see what background this group actually has? There membership list is very very limited.
George, it's very curious that you didn't attend!
I was at the 2010 event very exciting.
Did you attend the VALTAC OK? How many did attend? Can you give an update or do we have to wait to see it in the papers?
Hi George:
The VALTAC meeting at the Township Facility on Saturday was a very informative but a very long meeting. There were four presenters as well as a good variety of attendees from Chilliwack to Vancouver, from a range of political persuasions and from many different professional backgrounds.
There was no shortage of speakers to support the four point VALTAC plan. Afterall,our current transportation situation is getting really stupid; isn't it?
Restoring the InterUrban really seems to srike a positive chord with most folks. Also,the freight train seems more like a ticking bomb to me, now.
Langley Times Editor Frank Bucholtz attended and I'm pretty sure he stayed for the afternoon so, you can expect a report in his paper.
Redirecting the industrial train back onto the industrial track and restoring passenger rail service for the Fraser Valley makes good common sense to me. I think that we could have this up and running for 2010 or sooner.
Plus, they had Tim Bits at the VALTAC event. Did you get Tim Bits at the 2010 event?
I support the return of the Interurban
We need transit. Not freeways
I agree Wally, but it will take years to get a decent transit system built, and that's after the many years "studying" the options to death. Then there will be the problems of assembling the land for the rail(?) corridors.
It's a pesamist's view I admit, but our township should have layed away the land for a light rail route a long time ago, and then did their town planning after. That brings us back to the old Interurban track route, which is probably the best route because it physically exists right now for the most part. Unwrapping the claws of the owners of the trackage would be a tough proposition for sure though, but pushing the coal trains onto the main line and using some of the tracks for commuter service could be a double win for us all.
Methinks:
I understand that the province still owns the old InterUrban right of way and the track that runs on it. Also, the coal/container unit train has not only breached the terms of it's lease to run on this part of the line but, that lease is actually expired now!
At this point, we only need the political will to make this happen.
In my opinion, the industrial train has overstayed it's welcome here and it's time to restore passenger rail service to the South of Fraser Region.
Congratulations to the City of Surrey for their commitment to this Win/Win transportation opportunity. Surrey has decided to run a part of the line without TransLink or the Provincial Government.
Why not build freeways? What's wrong with driving from point A to point B?
I agree. Transit is fine if you are single. However, try getting a family of five on transit with groceries, hockey gear, stroller, etc. There is just no way to reasonably get child one to point A and child 2 to point B and collect them again without a vehicle and freeways.
Thank goodness for HOV lanes!
What I find really frustrating is that urban planners somehow thought that by creating cul de sacs and convoluted residential roads that this would create and/or enhance neighbourhoods. The reality is that it just hasn't created the walking neighbourhoods as was intended. What is has done is increase pollution because you just can't get from point A to point B in a straight line.
Vancouver is a blessing when I go there. For the most part, the roadways are in nice logical grids. And, if you get lost, you just circle around the block, not around the entire neighbourhood to get back to where you belong.
What's with this VALTAC? Their president seems to have time to post on other sites. Yet doesn't have time to update her own. I think the group should change their leader and get someone that has one hat on so they can focus on our Transportation needs. After all when you self appoint yourself to start the group can the group not replace you? If they want to remain non-political get another leader from what I have seen.
What's with this VALTAC, their president seems to have time to post on other sites. Yet doesn't have time to update her own. I think the group should change their leader and get someone that has one hat on so they can focus on our Transportation needs. After all when you self appoint yourself to start the group can the group not replace you? If they want to remain non-political get another leader from what I have seen.
Curious & worse yet the other site now has a competing site to Valtac and has made statements that pee them off too & questionably supports them (NOT - natch, big lib conx)! The other site now has, count em , at least 3 blog sites going! He must spend 3/4 of his day promoting his PERSONAL beliefs, ventures & vendettas compared to little ole single LFP, your only questioning & critical voice!
Didn't VALTAC start as a lobby group for truckers' transportation concerns and morphed into a community transportation group to better position itself and put a better face on? I heard that the VALTAC president's husband is a trucker and many of his colleagues are a part of that group. Does anyone know?
I do not know what Paterson is really up to. I understand that Paterson did mention trucking lanes on numerous occasions at public meetings she has attended. So Anonymous you may be right. The one thing is Bateman is at least trying to keep the public updated. Where VALTAC President still shows FEB 17 advertisement on her site. There is no update on how the meetings since that date have gone. They also have not shown any new information to either attain more or less support for their views. "OK" on the other site thinks she’s doing a good job for VALTAC I would have to disagree. VALTAC membership take stock of whom you have representing you for you will be painted with the same brush.
My take on VALTAC is that they are a non-partisan group of retired planners and engineers who first organized with Jacob DeRaadt to oppose the wacky 200th street interchange design.
Now, VALTAC has got a lot of popular support and there's plenty of politicos interested in lining up with VALTAC's common sense ideas.
VALTAC is a non-profit organization. It grew out of a series of meetings that started directly after the last municipal election. It seemed to me that TRANSPORTATION issues were not the primary focus of the last election and yet TRANSPORTATION is a concern to most citizens of the Langley's. From those early meetings word spread and more people attended at the suggestion of some of the initial small group. From that grew an interest to take the matter seriously and the decision to formalize our efforts by establishing a non-profit organization grew.
We have numerous indiviuals ranging in age from 20 to 90 years old. We have people from various professions and political parties. We are non-partisan. Our website is UNDEVELOPMENT and will be formally launched in one week. We are building an extensive website, it will be a TRANSPORTATION PORTAL of information. It has a state of the art DATABASE. I am sure that you will find it extremely informative.
FOR the record, I am a volunteer and WAS NOT SELF APPOINTED to VALTAC as the PRESIDENT. I was voted in two years in a row and have committed EXTENSIVE volunteers to this effort. We have a wonderful group who meets regularly and have room for more if anyone is interested in attending please email me at valtac@telus.net
For the record, if you or someone you know is passionate about TRANSPORTATION issues and would be interested in the President position, please send a letter to the BOARD of VALTAC at valtac@telus.net and I will be sure to read your letter. Your time committment would be between 10 to 15 hours a week. We are very seriously looking for more conserned citizens to join our committee and also our Board of Directors.
We see our role as being one of advisory in nature and working towards educating the public, the Municipal, Provincial and Federal Governments about the Transportation crisis affecting Langley and the Fraser Valley.
My husband attended a couple of meetings in the beginning. Further to that he never met or knew the people involed in this organization prior to our first meetings.
It is interesting where people get their information. IF you have questions please feel free to call me at well.
WE will have a TRANSPORATION FORUM on our website and will be posting a link to this blog and others.
I am sure you will find our website very interesting. I will post a note here where it has been formally launched. Unfortunately it is so large we are a few weeks behind...but it is just about finished.
Sonya Paterson
I just noticed my name mentioned above. I have been away from Langley for 5 1/2 years but still keep track of some things. And I am not retired.
Today, I read that buses are proposed across the twinned Port Mann Bridge (whenever that is completed). Does anybody remember the buses that came from Chilliwack and stopped at the Walnut Grove Park and Ride before going non-stop to downtown Vancouver? This was in 1990 and there were three or four buses per day (and back in the afternoons) which were mostly full. I believe BC Transit cancelled their license and put them out of business as "unwanted competition".
Now if the new bus service will run in the median of Highway 1, 200th Street will be the "end of the line" physically. Because the new SPUI (Single Point Urban Interchange) sacrifieced the median under the bridge.
And the service will need a new Park and Ride. Beautiful. Where? On one of Grosvernor's vacant parcels, obviously. Because nobody wants to build a store so close to traffic noise. Ask Costco and Ikea; they knew and pulled out.
Jacob, this community misses you sorely! Please come back. It's great to hear from you.
Feel free at any time to submit any editorial or letter to this editor with your thoughts on transportation as it may affect us. We would be pleased to post your informed thoughts for Langleyites. Hope all is well with you and yours.
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