Light Rail Transit

When the province announced its $14 billion transportation plan, which included funds for a RapidBus line from the West Shore, Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon left the door open to light rail if we can make a "business case" for it. ("We haven't seen a business case yet that can justify that particular investment," Falcon said.)

Many cities, like Portland Oregon and Tacoma Washington, have found that light rail attracts far more riders than buses. Electric-powered rail also generates far less CO2 than a diesel-powered bus.

The construction costs of light rail are greater than a bus lane (Toronto Transit Commission puts the costs at approximately $20 million per kilometer), but operating expenses and long-term servicing of the line are much lower.

There seems to be a vague idea that the planned bus lane is a first step towards building LRT. It won't get any cheaper so why not bite the bullet and build the better system now?

The first step seems to be to answer the Minister's call by putting forward a business case
that includes long term operating and maintenance costs, greenhouse gas emissions reductions, and ridership projections as well as the initial cost?