Backpacking Europe right now I don't think people in Vancouver realize how cheap transit is, not to mention how you'd be comparing apples and oranges when you compare our transit scheme to one in europe or in a metropolis. a one way ticket here for anything (london) is anywhere from £3 to $5 at least.
not to mention when you have a suburbian area in vancouver as it is, you cannot exactly attach greater vancouver the same way you can london or new york, nor even citie's half that size as it would simply be a massive job. i dont think people realize this when analyzing the sky train system. If we were to establish the Evergreen line though, i think we'd be in a decent position considering our geography.