Urban Tech Links: UTL: July 2023

Monday, July 31, 2023

If the SkyTrain could ever have significantly longer stations & longer trains, then it might become on a similar capacity level as the Montreal Metro. Indeed, the SkyTrain should not only be significantly longer that the REM train, but eventually as long as a Montreal Metro train.

The first 2 SkyTrain lines should have had stations that could eventually accommodate 10 car trains. The slightly upgraded stations will only be able to accommodate the newest 5 car trains, not 10 or even 8 cars.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alstom_Metropolis_Saint-Laurent#Comparison_with_Montreal_Metro_trains

The YVR-Canada_Line should have been started with 5 car trains, but the stations were only designed to accommodate a 2.5 car joke of a train. The absurdly short stations are only 50 m and don't have enough level clearance to become 100 m, especially not 150 m. Its a fine example of how Vancouver just can't seem to properly plan for growing infrastructure demands. The Montreal Metro has stations that are 152.5 m (500'), which can accommodate 9 car trains.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A9seau_express_m%C3%A9tropolitain#Stations

A 4 car REM train with selective door technology could allow an extra car at each end to become a 6 car train. If there is enough level station clearance for significant extension, then the REM could easily run 6 or maybe even 8 car trains. Selective door technology is really good for trains limited to short platforms. It easily allows a 2 car extension of a shorter train. However, its still better that any half-length station has enough space for proper expansion.

Fortunately, the Edmonton_LRT underground stations were far enough away from the influence of the backwards BC planning mentality.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_Line#Stations

Churchill	Underground	Metro Line Valley Line^[a]	Downtown	April 22, 1978	53°32′39″N 113°29′21″W
Central	Underground	Metro Line	Downtown	April 22, 1978	53°32′28″N 113°29′31″W
Bay/Enterprise Square	Underground	Metro Line	Downtown	June 21, 1983	53°32′27″N 113°29′54″W
Corona	Underground	Metro Line	Downtown	June 21, 1983	53°32′27″N 113°30′21″W
Government Centre	Underground	Metro Line	Downtown	September 1989	53°32′10″N 113°30′37″W
University	Underground	Metro Line

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_Line#Stations

Despite the Seattle Link_light_rail being much closer to backwards Vancouver than Edmonton is, Seattle had no problem with having longer underground stations than what's in shortsighted BC.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1_Line_(Sound_Transit)#Stations

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2_Line_(Sound_Transit)#Stations

Fortunately, the Skyline_(Honolulu) like the REM can easily run 4 car trains, while the YVR-Canada Line is still just running 2 car joke trains.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyline_(Honolulu)#Route

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyline_(Honolulu)#Rolling_stock

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyline_(Honolulu)#Timeline_of_progress

The backwards BC mindset, or the BC Mind Virus hasn't been able to influence Alberta & Washington State, Hawaii & Australia...

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=REM+Train

simon-fraser-university-plaza-renewal-and-student-union-building-in burnaby

https://www.canadianarchitect.com/masterworks-renewed-simon-fraser-university-plaza-renewal-and-student-union-building-burnaby-bc/

132-street-widening-surrey

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/132-street-widening-surrey

Thursday, July 27, 2023

concord-metrotown-phase-2

https://www.urbanyvr.com/concord-metrotown-phase-2/

richmond-city-centre-steveston-highway-bike-lanes

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/richmond-city-centre-steveston-highway-bike-lanes

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Tuesday, July 18, 2023

developer to-rebuild-heritage-building-thurlow-vancouver

https://storeys.com/developer-rebuild-heritage-building-thurlow-vancouver/

bridges and tunnels

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/may-1-1973--4714774596223914 vancouver

stumps

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/761882461979840318/

mountains

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/423197696215074280

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/955326139682456105/

Granville Street

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/6262886968078574 bridge

West Georgia Street in Vancouver

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/west-georgia-street-rush-hour-vancouver-bc--72550243987409307

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/skytrain-north-vancouver-west-vancouver-north-shore

The Lions+Gate+Bridge is a classic 3 lane bottleneck, or the quintessential urban chokepoint. The LGB could become an excellent foot, bus & bike bridge, if only a tunnel could be built close to it.

Five-blocks east of the park, Georgia Street is continually seven lanes wide.

https://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/west-georgia-complete-street.aspx

While that segment of W. Georgia_Street is 7 lanes wide, an 8 lane tunnel could cross the 1st Narrows. A 7 lane tunnel might be a little cheaper with a middle centre lane section & barrier, two 4 lane compartments would be much better. During the morning, all 4 lanes could be heading into Vancouver with 1 as a HOV lane. Then, during the afternoon, all 4 northbound lanes would be open with the 4th being a HOV lane.

The 4 lane northbound tunnel could emerge just north of the LGB. Then the surface route could connect to Marine Drive and then turn onto Capilano Road. The Cap interchange is already there. Simply moving the yellow line over one lane would allow 3 lanes of northbound traffic on Capilano Road.

A reconfigured TCH & Taylor Way interchange could allow for 3 southbound lanes right down to the mall, simply by moving the yellow line over 1 lane. Then, a 3 lane Taylor Way southbound tunnel could start just south of the Marine Drive intersection. A southbound HOV lane would have to be routed into it.

https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/this-week-in-history-the-great-georgia-harris-viaduct-opens-in-1915 Aparently, no one bothered to make sure that the 4 lane structure could properly support streetcars. Thus, the inept city couldn't use it as a major east-west streetcar route.

https://spacing.ca/vancouver/2011/06/16/the-viaducts-past-present-and-future-part-1 Even in the 1970s there was no concept to have an express bus corridor betwen Vancouver, Burnaby & Coquitlam.

https://viewpointvancouver.ca/2015/01/13/john-mackie-the-georgia-viaduct-and-the-freeway-fight-1972

Then when the first 2 SkyTrain lines were built, the stations were barely half the length of the 152.5 meter Montreal Metro stations. Evidently, this was to save money, but the stations should have still been built to proper big city standards. Then to further reinforce the symbolism of congestive planning agenda, the 3rd line only has enough clearance for 50 meter stations.

Sydney started to have taller buildings than Vancouver by the early 1960s. https://ca.pinterest.com/pin/west-georgia-street-1960--497647827546801125 It took until the end of the 1960s for Melbourne to start having taller buildings than Vancouver. Then as Melbourne soared into the 1970s, Vancouver started to create a series of overlapping restrictions to thwart the city.

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/british-columbia-vancouver-skyline-1970s-with-possible-building-site-of-west-coast-transmission-building--716424253196467928 Despite being a Pacific city, Vancouver & Canada don't seem to be interested in having a proper metropolis on the scale of Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane. The tallest buildings in Vancouver must be shorter than even the tallest in Perth, Seattle & Calgary. Most of the roads & bridges are to be half the width & the trains are also to be a half-length joke. Thus, Greater Vancouver has been in a perpetual state of congestion.

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Georgia+Street