Saturday, May 23, 2026
The Riverview Bridge or New Pattullo Bridge or stal̕əw̓asəm Bridge?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Dwmw0UYT_8
The NW-Surrey Bridge and there should be a couple more.
Automatic Selective Door Operation (ASDO) for Trains
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdH5d1ZthmM
https://www.eke-electronics.com/automatic-selective-door-operation-asdo
https://petardsrailsolutions.com/rail-solutions/automatic-selective-door-operation
https://www.reddit.com/r/transit/comments/orvvzh/how_to_save_money_on_platform_extensions_use
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_door_operation#International_variations
A weekend washout for the GTA
No matter how much rain in TO, there is always more of it in Vancouver. It shouldn't be fall in May. However, when Toronto finally gets summer, its summer for more than just a few months. Unfortunately, summer in Vancouver always seems so short, just like its short trains and short buildings. Even shorter-swimming-pools. One hopes that from June 1st to September 1st, Vancouver will have constant 25-30C days. Unfortunately, the dam rain sometimes kicks in to reduce the number of sunny summer days. Then by 2nd week of September, summer is fading & you're lucky to have spring like days.
The Gardiner Expressway
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/gardiner-expressway-construction-time-halved-1.7615052
https://www.blogto.com/city/2025/04/gardiner-expressway-construction-time-lapse-toronto/
https://www.gftinc.com/project/gardiner-expressway-section-5-detailed-design/
https://www.grascan.com/projects/new-ramp-construction/
https://undergardinerprp.ca/ https://thebentway.ca/
https://torontolife.com/city/admire-gardiner-expressway-not-tear/
Traffic Bottlenecks and Chokepoints
https://www.tomtom.com/traffic-index/ranking
https://www.reddit.com/r/toronto/comments/1jzsjt2/toronto_is_no_longer_one_the_world_most_congested/
https://www.detrack.com/blog/cities-with-the-worst-traffic/
https://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/cities-with-the-worst-traffic.html
https://landline.media/bottleneck-hell-study-examines-costly-traffic-issue/
https://truckingresearch.org/2026/02/top-100-truck-bottlenecks-2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_congestion
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_congestion#Countermeasures
Metro Vancouver expects to move to Stage 3 water restrictions in June
The regional district says this year's snowpack is well below normal, and hasn't been this low since 2015 https://vancouversun.com/news/metro-vancouver-tage-3-water-restrictions-june-2026
Two 3rds or even 75% of the year is overloaded with so much rain. Thus, its not a case of not enough rain in Vancouver, there just seems to be a lack of interest in creating more freshwater reservoirs.
https://globalnews.ca/news/11861063/metro-vancouver-stage-3-water-restrictions-june/
Metro Vancouver’s budgets and financial plans
https://metrovancouver.org/about-us/budgets-and-financial-plans
https://metrovancouver.org/about-us/Documents/financial-plan-2025-2029.pdf
https://metrovancouver.org/services/liquid-waste/north-shore-wastewater-treatment-plant-project
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_Vancouver_Regional_District#Regional_planning
Significant events in the history of Asian communities in Canada
https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/asian-heritage-month/important-events.html
https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/chinese-head-tax-in-canada
https://humanrights.ca/story/chinese-head-tax-and-chinese-exclusion-act
https://bcanuntoldhistory.knowledge.ca/1880/the-chinese-head-tax
Komagata Maru Remembrance Day
https://voiceonline.com/premier-eby-on-komagata-maru-remembrance-day/
https://vancouver.ca/people-programs/guru-nanak-jahaz-remembrance-day.aspx
https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/komagata-maru
https://www.canada.ca/en/parks-canada/news/2016/08/the-komagata-maru-incident-of-1914.html
Friday, May 22, 2026
550 Madison Avenue, NYC
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/550_Madison_Avenue This building has almost become a stump when compared to the much taller towers.
https://buildingsdb.com/NY/new-york/550-madison-avenue/
https://www.archdaily.com/611169/ad-classics-at-and-t-building-philip-johnson-and-john-burgee
https://www.lera.com/sony-building This would be the 2nd tallest building if it was in Vancouver, in overall height.
https://www.archiweb.cz/en/b/at-t-building-sony-plaza
https://paulpiazzaarchitect.com/home/2014/09/20/the-sony-tower/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ReplicaBuildings/comments/17d39eg/550_madison_att_building_1984_nyc/
Cambie Street Bridge seismic upgrade
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/cambie-street-bridge-seismic-upgrade-federal-funding
Unless the west sidewalk is widened, or a parallel bike bridge is constructed, the C bridge will still be missing a lane & remain with 5, instead of 6 when it opened in the 1980s.
Canada Line station platforms being extended for interchange hub with Broadway Subway
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/canada-line-broadway-city-hall-station-platform-extension-millennium-line-interchange Fortunatly, the planning for the TTC Subway, Montreal Metro & Edmonton LRT, all have much longer stations than what backwards Vancouver settled for.
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/skytrain-canada-line-rebuilding
Once all of the YVR-Canada Line stations have 50-metre-long platforms, it will become quite apparent that the long-range planning for 5 car trains wasn't seriously considered. The 50 m stations will only be long enough for a 2.5 car joke of a train.
However, there is a potential to work around this particular manifestation of the Vancouver Mind Virus. Selective_door_operation can allow for longer trains, despite the ridiculous short Vancouver stations.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_door_operation#International_variations
There is such a problem with Vancouver and BC in general of not properly planning for future transportation infrastructure expansion.
https://www.railforthevalley.com/latest-news/zweisystem/the-skytrain-lobby-get-over-it/
Telus Boot Tower or just another office stump in BC?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJqr-6j3yww This would be an impressive building if it was in Victoria, Kelowna, Kamloops or Prince George. Even in Lethbridge and Spokane, but not in Calgary or Seattle. That's because they been allowed to be proper big cities.
Its not even 25 stories, just like the Post office complex, but if it had at least 50 floors it would have been quite an impressive office tower for BC.
https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/1jav5f9/burnaby_approves_bc_tel_boot_redevelopment_5/ Acording to this rendering, the main part of the Telus boot stump will still be around. Its only a smaller part of its base that will face demolition.
https://www.jarmanrealestate.com/burnaby-telus-boot-redevelopment/
Burnaby or Surrey will likely have the first office tower in BC that's at least 45 stories in the next few years. Vancouver won't permit any office tower to have a 40th floor.
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/3696-kingsway-vancouver-telus-rental-housing-tower Across the street, not a 50, only a 25 story residential stump.
Boundary Road should have already had an express bus service and eventually a rapid bus route connecting Burnaby to North Vancouver and Richmond. Unfortunately, Vancouver still doesn't seem interested in having a B.Rd. bridge to NV and Richmond, even if it would improve on regional transportation.
Thursday, May 21, 2026
The new Capstan Station recorded SkyTrain's fourth-lowest ridership after one year
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/skytrain-capstan-station-ridership-canada-line
Wow, this picture almost makes it look like its a big-city train station and not just a 2 car train joke. The CLine should have opened with 5-6 car trains, or at least 3 car trains. Any station can have the potential of becoming more popular, especially when there are more residential and business structures close to it.
How Copenhagen built a metro for free https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzamwVH3CXU&t=8s At least this could run 3 car trains right from when it started.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
29-storey tower with Marriott hotel and rental housing approved for Yaletown
Never mind it being under 50 or 40 stories, it won't even have 30 floors.
Allegedly impaired driver arrested after crashing through Nanaimo sushi restaurant
https://nanaimobulletin.com/2026/05/19/car-crashes-into-sushi-restaurant-in-downtown-nanaimo/
https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/05/19/vehicle-crashes-into-downtown-nanaimo-restaurant/
https://www.reddit.com/r/nanaimo/comments/1thubmm/car_crashes_into_sushi_restaurant_in_downtown/
While side streets and regional major streets don't unusually have protective side barriers, bridges should, along with having a traffic divider.
George Washington Bridge
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington_Bridge
https://www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/en/george-washington-bridge/history.html , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPVRdR4EKSY
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington_Bridge#Planning
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington_Bridge#Decks The upper level opened on October 25, 1931 - Although the lower level was part of the original plans for the bridge, it did not open until August 29, 1962.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington_Bridge#Road_connections
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington_Bridge#Non-motorized_access
https://www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/en/george-washington-bridge.html
Truck stuck under overpass on George Washington Bridge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw5pNZQQ3tU
Monday, May 18, 2026
Long lost traffic lanes of Greater Vancouver
https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/1tfsdxg/long_lost_days One of the few major streets within Vancouver to be at least 6 lanes wide. However, with curb lane parking it just becomes another 4 lane corridor in BC.
https://www.vancouverarchives.ca/wp-content/uploads/cropped-a9b22bf7-d985-4372-9650-7a51afbe5f94-2010-006.161-2-3.jpg This part of Granville used to have 6 lanes. The 1970s mall reduced it to just 2 lanes, causing an instant bus bottleneck-chokepoint. A 4 lane compromise still would have allowed for wider sidewalks. A 4 lane transit mall could have allowed for a constant passing lane when another bus has stopped. It was as if someone didn't want to have an efficient bus corridor for express buses, as well as local busses. When a local bus stops on a 2 lane street, its impossible for an express bus to pass, especially when there is a stopped bus on the other lane, also preventing any express bus to pass.
Several cities around the world still have wide streets, boulevards and avenues with 8-10 lanes. If Vancouver had allowed some 8 lane wide streets, 2 curb parking lanes would still provide 6 traffic lanes. Then, if 2 lanes were for buses, there would still be 2 lanes each way for general traffic.
The public and then the planning department (after being pressured) were firmly against having freeways within the city limits during the 1960s and 70s. However, there still should have been enough logic to allow for wider streets so that it would be easier and more efficient to have a bus lane each way.
As of 2026, no bridge within the Vancouver city limits has 8 lanes and only two bridges have 6 lanes. One has 5 lanes and then there are four 4 lane bridges and the 3 lane Lion Bridge joke.
All of the Vancouver bridges are so narrow that there was no provision for any future bus lanes. Plus, 2 bridges each had 2 lanes removed that could have been used for buses. Congestive transportation planning is the name of the game for backwards Vancouver. If there ever was a city that needs a series of bus bridges, it would be stubborn Vancouver.
Even the Greater Vancouver region is lacking in having a series of bus bridges, especially since the Skytrain isn't a 24 hour system.
https://www.vancouverarchives.ca/2011/04/18/how-did-harland-bartholomews-ideas-shape-vancouver
https://archive.org/details/vancplanincgen00vanc The Bartholomew Plan published in 1928.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/vancouver-archives/albums/72157626484421302/
https://globalcivic.org/harland-bartholomew/
https://www.urbanstudio.sala.ubc.ca/2010/lectures/Sept21_presentations/2_TheBasics.pdf
https://samsullivan.ca/taking-a-closer-look-at-the-legacy-of-harland-bartholomew-and-his-plan-for-vancouver-2 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIuAk1TIKHo
Sunday, May 17, 2026
The Broadway Subway-Mount Pleasant to Broadway City Hall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z64SisMwIuY
Another illogical lane reduction project. Broadway was for the most part, always 6 lanes, 7, if you count the turning lane at major intersections. The train isn't a 24 hour service, so its important to always have 1 bus lane each way, especially if the train is shut down for an occasional emergency. Then there still should be 2 general lanes each way, because this isn't supposed to be a small town street or avenue.
This, combined with so many 4 lane bridges, ensures that BC bottleneck-chokepoint planning remains firmly entrenched.
A 5 car Vancouver train is expected to do the job of a 9 car Montreal Metro train. That's because a short Vancouver train can run a little more frequently than a 9 car Montreal Metro train, during even the most busy times of the day. Of course many proper cities have long big-city trains, because they aren't under anything like small thinking Vancouver, or a backwater BC mentality.
The standard short trains, narrow bridges & narrow streets and short buildings, are all part of holding the scale of Vancouver back. Apparently, if you can't build a wall around Vancouver, the next best thing is to continually plan and build symbolically for a provincial backwater of a city.
Mississauga, Ontario
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30914mndSjw
One would expect that Vancouver imposed height limits to never have anything as tall as in Toronto. However, Vancouver wont permit
https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?cityID=306 m
Oakridge Park-Mall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6Kwx7SctJ4
Somehow the people around Broadway Station weren't able to stop this. Well, the Oakridge Station area is becoming its own town centre in that part of provincial Vancouver. Yet, the Broadway & Commercial area is already a big transportation intersection.
Despite the C-Line still only running 2 car joke trains, there is a potential to have 3 car trains. That's still pretty sad when the 50 m stations should have been built to eventually accommodate 5-6 car trains. Unfortunately, the planners never seriously considered to have a future level station clearance of 100-120 m. In contrast, the Montreal Metro has 152.5 m stations and can accommodate 9 car trains. The Vancouver Mind Virus (VMV) has always prevented the city from thinking on a big scale.
Friday, May 15, 2026
Vancouver’s NEW Mark V SkyTrain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXNDGm8u364
Many proper big cities have 10 car trains. Its taken slow Vancouver to start having 5 car trains.
Granville Bridge death was preventable, advocates say
https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/05/14/granville-bridge-death-was-preventable-say-advocates/
While the Granville+Bridge needs to have a higher fence like the Burrard+Bridge, there is another remaining pending danger.
There is no central safety barrier to prevent head-on collisions. Whether a person becomes disoriented, or actually wants to crash into traffic from the opposite direction, there is no traffic divider.
The sidewalks could have been made a little wider in a way that there still could have been enough space for a traffic divider.
https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/1td85mt/iio_investigates_womans_death_after_ninehour/
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Granville+Bridge Was 8 lanes, now 6, but with 2 bike lanes and wider sidewalks.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Burrard+Bridge Was 6 lanes, now 4, but with 2 bike lanes & already good sidewalks.
Unfortunately, both bridges have no middle safety barrier to prevent head-on collisions, despite their recent modifications.
The Pattullo+Bridge was too narrow to ever have a traffic divider. Fortunately, its 4 lane replacement does have a central divider.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Knight+Street+Bridge Only 4 lanes in the middle, but has a traffic safety barrier. The KSB really needs a bus and bike bridge next to it.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Oak+Street+Bridge A traffic divider was eventually installed, but the narrow bridge was never designed to have 2 emergency lanes, or 2 wide shoulders. There especially was no consideration to have 2 bus lanes on the OSB. Since there is no 24 hour train service to the airport, there should be a parallel bus and bike bridge.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Arthur+Laing+Bridge While it does have a traffic divider, there are no wide emergency lanes or wide shoulders. There isn't even enough space for 2 bus lanes. Thus, a bus and bike bridge really should be built next to it.
Briiliant Lady cruise ship
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brilliant_Lady Length 277 m (908 ft 10 in)
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/brilliant-lady-virgin-voyages-canada-place-cruise-ship-vancouver
https://www.cntraveler.com/ships/virgin-voyages/brilliant-lady
https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/tag/canada-place-terminal/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_Voyages#Current_fleet
https://www.reddit.com/r/VirginVoyages/comments/1rk8emf/brilliant_lady_cruise_a_complete_review/
Get ready for more traffic delays on Surrey's King George
The project is part of early works for the future BRT https://www.delta-optimist.com/local-news/get-ready-for-more-traffic-delays-on-surreys-king-george-12219129
North Shore CN Rail bridge
https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/agriculture-shippers-call-for-replacement-of-north-shore-cn-rail-bridge-12291086 This BC bottleneck-chokepoint mentality is ridiculous!
Unfortunately, due to a lack of properly planning for future infrastructure needs, the Thornton_Tunnel and the Second_Narrows_Rail_Bridge weren't designed to be double tracked.
The New_Westminster_Bridge is also another single track, bottleneck-chokepoint.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Westminster_Bridge#Proposed_changes
https://www.nsnews.com/economy-law-politics/vancouver-council-calls-for-reopening-of-container-truck-entrance-to-port-clark-drive-11231559 More trouble and in efficient B$.
https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/1t9pgs8/lions_gate_bridge_at_night_oc The classic 3 lane BC bottleneck-chokepoint. No need for a bus and commuter train tunnel around there, because that's what a proper city would do.
https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/1teae3s/another_beautiful_post
The Race To Fix The World's Most Isolated Mega-Port https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81CLKTJnw7I
In Melbourne, its just a matter of finally getting around to getting a huge port upgrade accomplished.
Unfortunately, in Vancouver things are more difficult to do. Key freight rail bridges are still only single tracked.
Senior in critical condition after alleged vehicle ramming in Vancouver's West End
https://vancouversun.com/news/vancouver-west-end-vehicle-ramming-three-hospital
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vehicle-rampage-jeep-vancouver-park
Residential streets are usually narrow and intended for slow moving traffic. This fool didn't seem to care.
Major streets and roads don't necessarily have a central traffic divider, along with some highways. However, any major highway should have a safety traffic divider. Ideally, any bridge with 2 way traffic should have a safety barrier.
The AI boom sidelined sustainability and has caused data center safety concerns
https://news.gallup.com/poll/709772/americans-oppose-data-centers-area.aspx
The carbon and water footprints of data centers and what this could mean for artificial intelligence https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666389925002788
https://opportunitygreen.org/data-centres/reports/data-centres-threaten-energy-systems-climate-goals
https://www.wri.org/insights/us-data-center-growth-impacts
https://ucalgary.ca/sustainability/mobilizing-alberta/climate-action-blogs/will-ai-data-centres-raise-water-and-power-use-alberta Since Canada is cold for half of the year, its amazing that there aren't more AI data centers.
https://www.siemens.com/en-us/industries/data-centers/cooling-infrastructure-ai-optimization
Concord | Metrotown in Burnaby
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbFE98Esk9k
Burnaby isn't under the strict restrictions of Vancouver, so its able to have taller buildings and even a freeway.
Vancouver 200 m
https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/1td2oe6/the_view_is_so_good/
Only 1 building within the small city limits of Vancouver has been permitted to reach 200 m , so far.
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Vancouver mayor submits motion to cut back on some climate bylaws for the sake of affordability
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-mayor-city-climate-bylaws
So, after all threes years, no money went towards a city and a regional bus bridge network. The existing bridges are too narrow to accommodate 2 express bus lanes, so there should have been parallel bus bridges built by now.
The Canada Line wasn't designed to have at least 5 car trains, only a 2.5 car joke of a train, someday. Since 2009, only 2 car trains have been running, when there should have been 3. Despite the ridiculously short stations, there should have been modifications to have at least 3 full-size cars by now. Its as if not enough funds still haven't been put towards such a short train , since 2009.
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Is the SkyTrain (YVR) Canada Line under-built and nearing capacity, because of Short platforms and trains?
Its one thing to build a line with stations that are only a 3rd of the length of a Montreal Metro station, but to no not properly allow for enough future level clearance is so inept.
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/skytrain-canada-line-rebuilding
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/canada-line-skytrain This and the 3 lane Lion Bridge should get an award for the blatant symbolism of not wanting to build proper big-city infrastructure in backwards BC.
Police are asking witnesses and the driver of a Tesla to come forward...
...investigators continue probing a crash that killed one person and sent five others to hospital in Delta earlier this month https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/police-seek-tesla-driver-witnesses-after-delta-crash-left-1-dead-5-hospitalized/
https://surreynowleader.com/2026/05/12/police-seek-witnesses-to-fatal-north-delta-crash/
Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Why Canada Can’t Finish Its Own Highway
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7kr9ehBy-g
Why Canada Can’t Build High-Speed Rail https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4MmGa6KemY
Monday, May 11, 2026
COQUITLAM, BC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7tbzlHKKm0
Coquitlam can build taller than Vancouver, because its not under any Vancouver type restrictions.
Sunday, May 10, 2026
Saturday, May 9, 2026
Sydney's SEVERED Skyline vs. the stumps of Vancouver
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpEoJia-4ns Fortunately, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth don't have similar restrictions as Sydney. However, NSW still has less imposed restrictions and impediments as backwater BC.
Backwards+Vancouver B$ logic should never make it to Sydney, or any other properly functioning city. Fortunately overall, NSW never was overtaken by anything like the BC Mind Virus (BCMV). Otherwise, Sydney would also have narrow bridges, short trains and mostly short buildings.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/25_Martin_Place Over 60 levels.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotia_Tower Not even 40 levels.
Vancouver still won't allow any office tower to have 40 floors, let alone 50 or 60.
Golf courses and LARGE AI data server facilities
https://www.reddit.com/r/nanaimo/comments/1t6spq5/about_that/
While the BC part of Canada is notoriously heavy on various restrictions and especially reducing the scale of things, golf courses and AI server farms might be in a special category. As land in urban areas continue to rise, several urban golf courses could be repurposed for housing or parks. Thus, golf courses might be better suited to be farther away from urban areas.
An AI_data_center can be problematic if its too close to an urban area. However, if its even out in the wilderness, an AI_data_center can cause environmental damage and other problems. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AI_data_center#Environmental_footprint
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opposition_to_AI_data_centers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AI_data_center#AI_data_centers_in_space
Metro Vancouver’s 4-minute meeting nets members more than $500
https://globalnews.ca/news/11841417/metro-vancouver-three-minute-meeting-members-pay-500-dollars/
Apparently, its better to waste money on overpaid managers, rather than putting it towards bus and train bridges and improved highways overall.
10 Lane Narrows Bridge in Perth Australia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6mVXcX-4h4
District of North Van council sends proposed CapU student housing tower back to drawing board
Of course, make the project smaller so that its less likely to meet current housing demands.
Does B.C. need an intercity transit network to fill the gap left by Greyhound?
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-intercity-transit-network-greyhound
https://transitalliancebc.ca/intercity-transit/
While an intercity bus network would be nice, intercity rail would even be better. Perhaps, someday.
Friday, May 8, 2026
Thursday, May 7, 2026
District of North Vancouver council lobbies to save Sea to Sky rail corridor
It should be automatically understood that any major BC rail corridor be improved to become double tracked for efficient freight and passenger movement. Then, whenever passenger demand increases, there should be a parallel double track passenger line for efficient intercity travel.
West Vancouver councillors comments
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/north-shore-politician-visitors-hordes
A multicultural metropolitan region is supposed to be open to people of all colors and cultures.
Perhaps there are some who would like to see all nonwhite visitors to WV be required to have an access permit.
https://www.northshoredailypost.com/cassidy-responds-resignation-petition-ambleside/
Of course that would be so absurd, because the days of WV being a Whiteman's paradise ended decades ago. The KEEP+THEM+OUT mentality and agenda has taken on various forms since the early days of BC.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=West+Vancouver+councillors+comments
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Airport Rail Links
While an Airport_bus can be great, an actual train will provide higher capacity.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airport_rail_link
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airport_rail_link#Connection_types
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airport_rail_link#Current_examples
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airport_Rail_Link_(Bangkok)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airport_Express_Line_(Delhi_Metro)
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
The 'unsellable' Olympic Village homes in London
How the cladding crisis and plummeting property values has left Londoners trapped in flats they raced to snap up after 2012 Games https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15762111/Londoners-homes-Olympic-Village-2012-Games-struggling-sell.html
The urban trifecta of backwards Vancouver
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trifecta
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trifecta#History
Ideally, for some small thinking cities, the plan is to symbolically have mostly short buildings and short trains and mostly narrow bridges.
That seems to have been the goal of Vancouver over the past several decades. In contrast, Brisbane after its Expo 88, was able to really go into big city planning mode, because it doesn't have anything like the excessive Vancouver restrictions holding it back.
1 The+Typical+Vancouver+Size+Stump+Building No office tower has been permitted to have a 40th floor. https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=The+Stumpy+Post+building+in+Vancouver Never-mind 40 or 50 stories, it wasn't even allowed to have 25 floors.
2 YVR-Canada+Line A 2 car joke of a train.
3 Lions+Gate+Bridge A 3 lane joke of a bridge.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=backwards+Vancouver
Monday, May 4, 2026
Metrotown in Burnaby, BC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zmz9hH3rI6U
Burnaby or Surrey will likely be the first places in BC where office towers will be over 45 stories. That's because stubborn Vancouver won't even permit any office tower to have a 40th floor.
Sunday, May 3, 2026
The Cambie Bridge used to have 6 lanes when is opened in the 1980s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2m4n1tUYVM This is heading northbound and shows the proper wide sidewalk that's on the east side of the bridge.
For some reason the sidewalk on the west side of the bridge was made too narrow. Had the sidewalk been as wide as the one on the east side of the bridge, the Vancouver planning department wouldn't have likely reduced a lane. Of course if the city would ever build a proper bike bridge beside the Cambie Bridge, then perhaps the 6th lane might be reactivated.
A 6 lane Cambie bridge is better than a 5 lane version, or a former 6 lane Burrard Bridge reduced to 4. If both bridges had bike bridges next to them, then 2 lanes of each original 6 lane bridge could have been for busses. However, that goes against the congestive planning agenda that is backwards Vancouver.
The late 1950s, 6 lane Iron Bridge should have had 2 wide emergency lanes and 2 wide shoulders. Then, the Iron Bridge could have been gradually modified to have 4 lanes each way, plus a bus lane each way. However, having a 10 lane bridge is what a big city would do. Unfortunately, Vancouver city planning has become so engrossed with perpetuating a small city agenda over the decades.
When most of the regional bridges were built, there was no concept or interest in having them wide enough for bus lanes and wide emergency lanes and wide shoulders. Congestive transportation planning or stunted infrastructure, is one of the best ways in demonstrating a local reluctance to properly build big for the future. Who knows where all the money went over the decades, because it doesn't look like enough of it went towards building wider bridges and having longer trains and stations.
Saturday, May 2, 2026
Expo 86 and Expo 88
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expo_86
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expo_86#Fair
Unlike highly restrictive Vancouver, Brisbane started to allow taller buildings, wider bridges and longer trains.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Expo_88
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Expo_88#The_Fair
No office tower in Vancouver has been allowed to have a 40th floor. No Vancouver bridge is allowed to have 8 lanes. Only some of the newest Skytrains have 5 cars, but certainty not 8-10. That would go against the congestive transportation mentality of BC.
The VMV and the BC Mind Virus are so firmly entrenched.
Friday, May 1, 2026
Will Honolulu Develop Like Tokyo?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxkjJ2TNkY4
First, H County would have to allow Singapore size infrastructure. Then, HK size stuff, before even getting close to something like a little Tokyo. Right now, H isn't even allowed to have building as tall as what San Diego has.
Link 2 Line Cabview POV Seattle to Redmond Eastbound
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlJHHuLdOj0
Unlike backwards Vancouver, Seattle, WA has longer underground stations, just like Edmonton has. Longer stations make it easier to have longer trains.
The Narrows Bridge in Perth, WA, Australia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6mVXcX-4h4 It has 5 lanes each way and 2 commuter train tracks. The Homer_M._Hadley_Memorial_Bridge is part of an 8 lane I-5 crossing with 2 LRT tracks. The Samuel-De_Champlain_Bridge has 8 lanes, plus 2 REM commuter train tracks. These 3 fantastic bridges were all possible, because they aren't in heavily restrictive Vancouver. Plus, WA and Que. never wanted to adopt the BC-B$ approach to things.
Unfortunately, in backwards BC, the 1st two Skytrain lines only have 80m stations and the YVR-Canada Line has 50m joke stations. Some of the stations on the first 2 lines might have enough level clearance to only have an extra car at either end of a lengthened platform.
However, the shortsighted Canada Line wasn't designed to eventually accommodate 5 car trains, just a 2.5 car joke of a train, someday. It was as if someone thought that there was no need to have enough level clearance so that the very short stations could be double or tripled in length eventually.
At least by 2025, the first SkyTrain line was running some 5 car trains. Unfortunately in 2026, the 2nd Line and the 3rd Line are still only running 2 car joke trains. Every Skytrain line should have had stations designed to eventually accommodate 8-10 cars trains, but that's what a proper big city would do. Backwards Vancouver wants to hold out for as long as possible, by symbolically building small.
ARO (building) in NYC
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARO_(building)
"ARO is a 62-story, 700-foot-tall (210 m) glass tower with a steel lattice exterior." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARO_(building)#Architecture 210 m vs 150 m
"Calgary House, (formerly known as TELUS Sky) is a 60-storey, 222.3 m (729 ft)" tower. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telus_Sky 222 vs 150 m
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quay_Quarter_Tower "The AMP Centre re-opened as Quay Quarter Tower in early 2022, and stands at a height of 216 metres (709 ft) with 54 floors." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quay_Quarter_Tower#AMP_Centre 216 m vs 150 m.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver_House Another Vancouver stump under 500' vs. 700' and 729'.
| Height | |
|---|---|
| Architectural | 150.3 m (493 ft)[1] |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Concrete |
| Floor count | 49 |
| Floor area | 60,670 square metres (653,046 sq ft) |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver_House#Design Only 150 m.
As usual, things must always be scaled back or watered down in small, rainy Vancouver.
The future of tall buildings in downtown Vancouver
https://vancouver.ca/news-calendar/help-shape-tall-buildings-may-2026.aspx
While there are some taller residential towers, no Vancouver office tower has ever been permitted to have a 40th floor.
https://globalnews.ca/video/11827046/vancouver-tall-building-policy-review/
West Vancouver Councilors comments on Ambleside visitors spark backlash
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/west-vancouver-councillor-ambleside-beach
Sometimes its as if there is a harking back to a British Colonial dream to have BC as a Whiteman's paradise. Fortunately, over the decades, nonwhite people have gradually been allowed to live in WV and even buy property. Unfortunately, the KEEP+THEM+OUT mentality occasionally resurfaces.
Any dynamic city or cosmopolitan metropolis will have people from all over the world. However, for those who remember a time when WV was predominantly White, it can be upsetting for some to see a bunch of multicultural visitors to WV. That's odd, because the days of WV being some type of a Whiteman's playground are suppose to be long gone.
Curiously, there is still no highway tunnel to West Vancouver from Downtown Vancouver. No train from downtown to the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal, either. If a wall can't be built around WV, perhaps the next best thing was to symbolically not build proper big city infrastructure between downtown and WV.
Mercer_Island,_Washington is a well to do enclave like WV. Yet, MI has a good highway and train link to Seattle.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercer_Island,_Washington#Transportation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aubrey_Davis_Park
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=West+Vancouver+councillors+comments
Thursday, April 30, 2026
A new Vancouver tower proposal just got even taller
"A proposed development at 601 Beach Crescent in Vancouver has grown to 67 storeys and 198 metres tall." https://www.facebook.com/604Now/posts/massive-new-vancouver-tower-just-got-even-taller-%EF%B8%8Fa-proposed-development-at-601-/1648577887273721/
However, no office tower in Vancouver still has no 40th floor. Burnaby or Surrey will be the first cities in backwards BC to allow an office tower to have more than 40 stories.
Burnaby's future 863-ft-tall tower in Lougheed to feature a hotel with a sky-high restaurant and bar destination on the 86th floor
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/pinnacle-lougheed-burnaby-hotel-restaurant-revised-concept
And Vancouver can't stop it, because Vancouver's restrictions have no control over Burnaby.
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Why Seattle Is the Opposite of Every U.S. City
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mElYsvaXFiY Despite almost having as much rain and crappy fall & winter weather as Vancouver, the biggest city in Washington State is able to do so much more than any city in provincial backwater BC.
Seattle’s Downtown Isn’t Coming Back the Same https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLRMYCSm1Cs&t=95s
Seattle’s Mega Transformation by 2030 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=014ctHVOCTs
A New Supertall Skyscraper could be Rising in Vancouver
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0JAcGSwrMk
While Vancouver has allowed a couple residential towers to have at least 60 stories, no office tower has been permitted to have a 40th floor. While buildings over 200m have been allowed in Sydney and SF, slow provincial Vancouver has been very restrictive to allow big city symbolism.
Monday, April 27, 2026
Melbourne Mega City Project
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q96I2ligRTg
Melbourne's Getting Lots of New Trains https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pqjJHBMIro
Melbourne Airport Rail https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttbzC2jDK8k
Melbourne Suburban Rail Loop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1Q08RfuJss
Stumpy and small Vancouver, BC
https://www.reddit.com/r/skyscrapers/comments/1sw8tad/vancouver_bc
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Vancouver
Looking east with the taller buildings in Burnaby. While Vancouver allowed its first 30 story office tower in the early 1970s, no office tower in Vancouver has been allowed to have a 40th floor.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Vancouver#Cityscape
However, since Burnaby and Surrey aren't under any Vancouver type restrictions, that's where the first 40 story office tower in BC will be.
The Harbour_Centre was a joke right from the start. Even with the flag pole, the Harbour_Centre had to be shorter than the Space_Needle and the Calgary_Tower. It especially had to be less than a 3rd of the height of the CN_Tower.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbour_Centre#Height "the building is listed as being 28 stories tall, though the tower/observation deck/revolving restaurant extends above the 28 office floors (claimed to be on the 33rd and 35th floors)."
https://harbourcentre.com/office-leasing/ The office floors only go up to 28 stories.
https://skyscraperpage.com/b60/vancouver/harbour-centre
https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?searchID=112623234&page=3
https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?cityID=1
So far, every attempt to have real tall buildings in Vancouver kept being stumped by the cities height restrictions.
https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?cityID=1&status=15
Old Pattullo Bridge and its Still Narrow Replacement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_mNfn4zjcI
Even in the 1930s there should have been some type of a big city vision, but with NW being so small and Surrey being so out of the way, this part of BC was on the urban periphery. Apparently, there was no concept of an emergency lane on the Pattullo Bridge. Still, in addition to the 2 narrow lanes each way, there should have been 2 lane for horses and wagons. Then, by the 1950s the PB could have had 3 wide lanes each way, pulse a strong traffic divider. Instead, the narrow PB was stuck with only two lanes each way, no safety divider and only 1 narrow sidewalk.
For most of its history, NW just saw it self as a provincial backwater. The lack of a big city vision in the early 1900s meant that it never bothered to absorb what would become the Tri-Cities. For most of its history, Surrey never considered that it could eventually become the largest city in BC. Of course now that has changed.
Despite being so small, NW has become a Metro Vancouver regional transit hub, because of the New_Westminster_station.
Scott_Road_station is a transit hub for the South_Westminster area.
Surrey and NW really should have had a proper big city size bridge.
This is how the new road configuration could have gone for what should have been a 10 lane bridge, not another 4 lane BC joke. Even if it can eventually have 6 lanes, there is no provision for a lower deck for trains and busses.
This shows how existing key roads could have linked into a 10 lane bridge, all without having to widen the surrounding roads. Thus, no need for any major land expropriation.
2 lanes from Royal Avenue onto the new bridge and 2 lanes from the bridge onto Royal Avenue in New+Westminster.
One lane onto and one lane off linking the bridge to the South_Fraser_Perimeter_Road in Surrey.
2 lanes onto McBride boulevard and 2 lanes onto the bridge from McBride in New+Westminster.
From Columbia_Street_in New_Westminster, 1 lane onto the bridge, as well as 1 lane off the bridge.
2 lanes from King_George_Boulevard onto the new bridge and 2 lanes from the bridge onto KGB in Surrey.
2 lanes from Scott Road onto the new bridge and 2 lanes from the bridge onto Scott_Rd in Surrey.
Things weren't properly explained to the public as to how important a wide big city bridge could have been possible and without having to widen the roads connecting to it.
Unfortunately, all of this is being funneled into just 2 lanes each way. Its as if someone symbolically wanted the new bridge to open without any bus and HOV lanes. That's how BC bottleneck and chokepoint planning works.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_Vancouver_Regional_District
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraser_Valley
Some day, the BC Lower_Mainland should be planned and developed to function more like a proper big urban area.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Pattullo+Bridge+replacement
Sunday, April 26, 2026
Is this The Largest Building on Earth?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wCJz0CPkCI
Mecca Clock Tower : The Most Expensive Skyscraper Ever Built https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AM-mh4xq9s
North Vancouver
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJaLQpdlJlo
There is the City of NV and the District of NV. That's because the residents don't want to combine both municipalities.
161 Maiden Lane
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/161_Maiden_Lane NYC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlWeJp6TGZ8
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/02/10/the-leaning-tower-of-new-york
https://newatlas.com/architecture/one-seaport-leaning-tower-nyc/
https://www.cqa.org.au/post/the-importance-of-foundations-161-maiden-lane
https://www.thecity.nyc/2023/05/16/stalled-condo-maiden-lane-fdny-hazard/
https://www.theb1m.com/video/the-leaning-tower-of-new-york-city The B1M