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The munis are responsible for the bus shelters on Fraser Hwy...
Translink if posting this on their site must have paid something towards this. They don't strike me as the advertising kind for shelter's if they were paid by Vancouver city's council!
http://www.translink.bc.ca/
Plans...us_shelters.asp
If Grinnell got Tranny to pay for the overpass on a non translink designated road surely a translink director from Langley Township can get something too!
Correct me if I am wrong, please. Either way the fraser HWY bus corrider is not optimally designed for the transit user by either Twp or Translink or both as far a my brief survey found. Should the Muni not better co-operate and co-ordinate with Translink to provide shelters and safe bus stops and encourage more transit users? If the muni's are indeed more reponsible why don't they provide adequate shelters where most needed then? Too much of a focus on cars perhaps? After all Alberts is the mayor and a translink dir.
My focus more than shelters is more so that there is not enough being done to make buses & the routes more available, reliable and comfortable in Langley. The shelters are just a sample. So dont crucify me on who specifically shares how much for paying for shelters. Both Tranny & Muni should both be trying to better shelters. Worse still who is our transit advocate Council, the Mayor, Translink? Not so far any for Langley as far as I can see. They should work together to sell me to get me out of my car.
In case you forgot, the Langley Centre bus loop is in the CITY of Langley, not the Township- try forwarding your remarks to Fassbender!
Thanks Rennie, he's added to my list of the required Langley Transit team change agents!. I know that the politicos read your comments regularily here. LOL. Connecting Aldergrovians and Township riders all have to freeze at this loop anyhow! Meanwhile Brian Lewis on page A13 of the province in his column headline says 'Public Transit in Valley almost at a crisis point'. Hisarticle basically says Tranny are missing the bus in the south of the fraser region.
VALTAC invites you to attend a public information meeting at the new Townhall Saturday Feb. 17th 1:00 to 4:00 PM. VALTAC is working hard to educate the public on why transportation in the Langley's is in crisis. We mailed invitations to over 200 individuals who voiced their concerns about the Deltaport expansion. VALTAC is comprised of a diverse group of individuals who have dedicated hundreds of hours of volunteer time over the last year and a half. We have many professionals who are lending their time and expertise to educate the public about the transportation crisis the Langleys is facing. We are far from a group of rail buffs. WE ARE non-partisan. Our website is soon to be launched www.valtac.org. Please attend our public meeting to not only learn about the transportation crisis facing the Fraser Valley but to learn what you can do to turn this around.
If anyone goes to the VALTAC meeting, ask if they are looking to be an advocate for bus transit and road improvements as well. Then please send us a brief summary report for publication here courtesy of LFP.
If you are looking for advocates for bus transit I suggest instead of VALTAC why not Leaders Now BC. Paterson is president of this Organization too. There would be transit users in that group for sure. I would think it would be more effective to have a group that actually uses the service right?
VALTAC is VERY much advocates of improved public transportation. As you will see when you attend our public meeting. We encourage public to consider attending so they can add their voice to the following concerns.
1. VALTAC is the Valley Transportation Advisory Committee. This inclusive group of concerned citizens and professionals aims to facilitate education and discussion and represent public opinion concerning transportation.
2. VALTAC is a nonpartisan group which recommends and seeks the Chamber’s support for:
· A long term Master Transportation Plan.
· Mitigating heavy rail impact through the Langley core & Fort Langley.
· Implementing passenger rail service integrated with bus service and improved local rail freight.
· Integration of goods and people movement in Regional Plans.
VALTAC has immediate concerns that:
· Double tracking and grade separation will facilitate a 40% increase in heavy rail traffic through the Langley Regional Town Centre to the first phase of Delta Port expansion.
· Added capacity at Delta Port and additional intermodal facilities in Delta are being considered which will further increase heavy rail traffic through Langley.
· Current transportation plans eliminate an alternative rail route on a river corridor.
· Implementing an alternative rail route with appropriate protection for communities such as Fort Langley would mitigate current main line impacts and be a cost effective alternative.
· Recently recommended bus service for the Langley’s are not adequate and the timelines will not benefit the Langley’s.
Thank you Susan, excellent comment. Absolutely right... youth are the future and need the support of a more economical mode of transportation. Langley desperately needs impoved buses, particularly between Langley City and Aldegrove. As Translink announced at the Township public meeting when asked by Councilor Steve Ferguson if VALTAC efforts had made a made a difference in their decisions, Graeme Maserton said, YES, as the result of VALTAC they had looked at the corridor for the first time and included the corridor in the study. That is because numerous VALTAC members attending their working workshop stuck lots of little green tape for GO trains between Langley City and Aldegrove and onto the Airport in Abbotsford. VALTAC members also added some blue tape for lightrail transit into Langley. Improved buses were not asked for.. we demanded for the bus system to be improved immediately. Translink has agreed to meet with VALTAC for a two hour meeting February 15th in Langley. Improved bus transportation... "TOP of the LIST"
Again, our website will be up soon. We will post here when the website is up...be sure.
Who's responsible for putting up bus shelters and what do they cost?
Dammed if I know but they should. All levels of Govt should work together to make them happen where needed in Langley. GVRD, Translink, City Township, etc. Even Wawa should get money for them too. "Build it and they will come!" Obviously this does not work for grandstands though!
Another point. Why not consider lockable bike racks near bus stops especially on fraser hwy and the like for biking the rural roads to say fraser hwy bus stops.
It's good to see VALTAC's growing presence and influence in transportation discussions. They are perhaps the one and only organisation that is non pertisan when it comes to what will solve our transportation problems, now, and in the long term.
It remains to be seen how well VALTAC can "represent public opinion concerning transportation." as it states, especially when the views are so varied.
Not everyone supports light rail, nor does everyone want to mitigate heavy rail. How do you think much of the stuff you buy gets to the stores?
Non-partisan does not mean that they do not represent a particular point of view. On the contrary.
As well as I can remember, the City of Vancouver recently contracted for its bus shelters. There was a formula for how much based upon how much advertising revenue they would generate. The contract included terms of maintenance as well.
Anon, When I said non partisan I was thinking more that they were not lobbying under the influence of some firm political group, or organisation.
Their influence is hoped to be given strong consideration to the form of transportion and will involve things like routing, longevity of service provision, cost, etc. As things now stand, politics plays far too much of a role, and local attitudes are a hindrance IMO.
VALTAC should be congratulated for bringing together every political stripe to promote a common sense transportation plan.
VALTAC isn't just about light rail. VALTAC wants a Master Transportation Plan for the Fraser Valley that includes all modes of transportation, municipalities and political vehicles.
How bad does it have to get before we have our leaders to put aside their agendas and come to the table?
Commenting by HaloScan
