Columbo

But in the first picture the circle is floating in mid air and it looks like it was made in MS Paint (which coincidently it was!) I don't see it!

haha how could that red circle possible be part of the actual picture? Plus it's so pixelated and such!

It's this stuff. You can't really see it in the picture but it spans about half a block. I have no idea what it all is, looks like just a bunch of random concrete protrusions.

hmm, those pictures don't do justice to what I'm talking about

Oh, is that all just public space? It looks terrible, like some half-finished construction project. And all the random concrete holes are full of garbage. Though I agree that it looks like the station itself is ready for service.

Broadway-City Hall still looks very far from completion and I think it's a pretty important station. I walk past it every day and I still can't figure out what it is. There's this giant mass of concrete steps and holes and isolated walls that spans almost an entire block behind the station. What is all that?

Buddy, you're missing the point. The levy won't force people out of their cars because of the $100 bucks. What it WILL do is improve transit service so that more people who want to take the bus, but can't because of lack of infrastructure, WILL BE ABLE TO! Take a very simple example. Let's say the levy helps fund the Evergreen line from Coquitlam to Vancouver. THAT WILL GET PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR CARS! Do you really not agree?

Ironically, you're now saying that the $100 won't be such a big deal... so then what's the big deal?

btw, here's some quotes from that air advisory article I posted: "Air quality in the Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley Regional District has deteriorated due to high smog levels" "Residents are requested to reduce emissions to the atmosphere by minimizing the use of their automobiles and curtailing other activities which may lead to excess air emissions" "Tips to reduce unhealthy exposure: • Avoid roads with heavy vehicle traffic." To say that we don't have an air quality problem because we live in Vancouver is absolutely ridiculous. We don't have it as bad as some places, but it's there.

To say that you can't charge a levy today because it might rise uncontrollably in the future is terrible logic. They could put a plan in place to deal with that, no problem. It's like saying that we shouldn't have taxes, because they're at 12% today, but when will it end? Will they go up with inflation?? What if next year it's 85%????? The horror!! And as far as it not being viable, even if the levy doesn't increase, the amount of cars will keep increasing as the population increases, so levy money will go up. And if the number of cars doesn't increase because people actually start taking the bus, then even better!

Hey, you notice this crazy heat wave we're going through lately? Why don't you read some articles about it? Here's a news release about the Continued Air Quality Advisory for metro Vancouver, released TODAY. http://www.metrovancouver.org/about/media/...ityAdvisory.pdf Don't tell me we don't have problems with air quality. And even if Vancouver is one of the better cities in the world as far as that goes, if you're suggesting that our planet doesn't have problems with pollution, you're insane.

Did you miss the part about how if Translink doesn't find more funding, they'll only be able to carry through with 25% of the road improvements they'd committed to? Correct me if I'm wrong, but you drive your car on roads don't you? So stop saying that the money won't help you. Let's count the ways it will: 1) Maintained roads for you to drive on 2) Improved transit service for those destinations that you can take a bus to 3) Fewer cars on the road for your daily commute 4) Cleaner air in the city you live in If those things don't matter to you, then your heart can keep bleeding for all I care, but you'll still be wrong.

haha nitro, you only bolded his first 2 sentences but the third was the dumbest one in my mind.

No one is asking you to give up your car, or to give us $3800. More like $100-200. Big difference! And then keep driving all you want! And anything that's good for society is good for you too, so it's not like you wouldn't reap benefits from it.

I am.... You think bus passes are free? And the money wouldn't just fund buses, it would fund YOUR roads (which cars undoubtedly use more than buses), it would make your commute nicer by taking people off the roads, and it would improve your air quality. My choice to buy bus passes and not drive funds the latter two things for YOU, where's your contribution?

Well, except for the federal tax dollars we use to help them with their gum disease, heart attacks and lung cancer.

You missed a few points: 1) You didn't include maintenance for your car. It won't break down every year, sure, but over time the maintenance will average out to raise the cost/year. 2) I strongly think you're underestimating your gas usage, given how far you claim you have to drive. And even if you're not, you're not taking into account that gas prices are predicted to be on their way up soon. 3) You can claim bus/train passes on your tax return, so you'll save a nice amount there. Good luck claiming gas on your tax return. Not to mention the smaller things, like you're not polluting when you're on the bus, you can do things on the train that you can't do in a car (read a book, write an email, whatever), you don't need to worry about getting into an accident, you don't have to clean your car, etc etc.

But those taxes are pretty much exclusively to fund their own driving habits. It's like if we charge smokers higher health insurance, and they come back with "No fair! We already pay taxes on cigarettes!" And if they just gave everyone in the province a $100 transit levy, what would be the incentive to get out of your car? I like that I have the option of not paying it, I just have to choose not to drive. The idea is to get others to make the same choice.

For the majority? No, for the minority. The majority of people are lazy and only drive everywhere because they want to. And if you're such an important person at your business, I'm assuming they pay you well enough for you to afford an extra levy and a toll or two. No one is forcing you out of your car. Hell, this levy will be good for you, it'll get people out of their cars (meaning less gridlock for you) and it'll improve the quality of the air you breathe every day. What's your problem?

If they're detrimental to society, then YEAH why not? Most people who drive to work (most, not all), don't NEED to... they WANT to. And will refuse to give up any convenience not to. And hey I'm not suggesting we ban cars. If people want to drive, a $100 levy is not going to kill them. You can still drive all you want, just help fund our buses so the rest of us can take them and help keep your air clean and we'll be even.

Buses and trucks do use the roads, but generally only arterial ones. Probably 70-80% of roads in Vancouver will never see a bus or a truck in their existence, they exist purely for cars. Plus trucks normally carry goods, which is important to our society, and public transit helps battle carbon emissions, which is very good for all of us. While in the meantime a guy in a car is only helping himself and maybe whoever he's driving. So I definitely think that drivers should have to pay more for roads than non-drivers. And of course, in the end, getting more people out of cars and onto buses/bikes/etc is obviously good for EVERYONE.

If people are really concerned that an extra $100 vehicle levy will severely impact the lives of low-income families, can't they just give a rebate to low-income persons? Like they do with GST, income tax, etc.

This is a fantastic idea. I hope it goes through. And to all the bleeding heart drivers, quit crying and shut up already. It's not your god-given right to drive everywhere.

Oh well, if signage is the biggest problem with the Canada Line, then they've done pretty well.

Regarding the pics from the Olympic Village station, I know that a lot of the things that remain uncompleted are aesthetic, but I don't see any way for it to be done by August 17th. Just because it's "aesthetic" doesn't mean it won't take time.