Anyone else catch Hansen's mention of the Evergreen Line in the budget speech?
"We expect construction of the Evergreen Line to start in 2011, creating about 8,000 construction jobs and further adding to our quality of life". For a brief moment, I thought this was it, that they've been inspired by the recent astounding success of public transit during the Olympics.

This slipped past me more than a week ago it seems: Portland continues to lead the way towards a post-oil future: this time, approving a cycling infrastructure plan that will apparently cost $630 million over 20 years. The goal of the plan is to see 25% of all trips in the city made by bicycle by 2030.

Vancouver, despite recently making its own promising steps towards a similar future, is still lagging behind our Cascadian neighbour.

A few months ago, I happened to spot a truck from 'Lanefab' hanging out in my neighbourhood. This piqued my interest, since I posted on this company and their sweet, modern laneway housing designs as part of a general post about laneway housing last summer.

I recently rode right into something something to love about the Olympics: what it has done for traffic management in the city. It's really too bad it took this event to do it, but the changes are amazing to behold.

We have here an opportunity to practice what the area will be like in 5 years - and watch what can happen when traffic patterns are forced to change to accommodate this larger population.

Just a quick post here: it looks like Granville Island has re-thought the way they provide subsidies to drivers visiting the island: no more free parking during the Olympics:

Drivers can only park for a maximum of two hours, for $3 per hour between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. Free spots are available only up until 10 a.m.

The big news early this week is that the Dunsmuir Viaduct will likely be the next Vancouver crossing to receive a dedicated, separated bike lane. This will provide easy, level access to the downtown core from the Union / Adanac bike lane, and connect East Vancouver directly to the Dunsmuir bike lane downtown.

Here's an interesting study that has compiled all the average costs associated with car ownership, and found what a family with two cars could save if they only got rid of one of them and switched to public transit.

Just a note here, it seems that I've found some common ground with the people over at Citycaucus.com. Good ideas find fertile ground in many places.

One of them rode the Olympic line with a video camera today, the first day of official operation. Here's the video (not really that exciting, but it can be a bit of a teaser for everyone until you get to ride it).

I was riding down 2nd / 6th / Great Northern Way (or should I say 'up').. when I couldn't help but notice this new installation. I have to say I really like it, it's the first very public display of this symbol that I have seen. I remember it as a gang sign for the "East Van Saints", though I don't even think they were still around when I was a teenager. By then, the scrawled or painted sign had probably already become a symbol for the defiant pride people who wrote it felt about their part of the city.