Saturday, January 10, 2026

From 6 to 4 lanes

 https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10163196613962377&set=a.10152101514842377 

Several cities are able to build bike and foot bridges in their downtowns. Unfortunately, backwards Vancouver has taken a congestion approach to transportation planning for several decades. The Burrard-Bridge could have remained 6 lanes wide if a proper bike+bridge had been built next to it. 

https://www.cyclingthread.com/bicycle-bridges-18-stunning-routes-18-unique-crossings-2025 

https://momentummag.com/here-are-10-incredible-bicycle-bridges-around-the-world/

https://www.arch2o.com/10-amazing-bridges-passageways-bikes  

https://medium.com/@raydelahanty/what-is-north-americas-busiest-bike-bridge-3ac84cf8b8c3


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

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Tilikum+Crossing+in+Portland Unfortunately, it looks like the biggest city in BC won't be getting anything like the Tilikum Bridge in the foreseeable future. 

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Four Lane Pattullo Bridge Replacement Project

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-ING5Pfrdk 

The old bridge has 4 narrow lanes and no traffic divider. However, the new bridge won't have any bus or HOV lanes and no emergency lanes. 

Chokepoint-bottleneck planning remains firmly entrenched in backwards BC.

Metro Vancouver's SkyTrain transit system turns 40

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeSQtHusn1A  

The history of SkyTrain 1985-2025 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEt76BgRP5E 

Expo Line Extension (Surrey - Langley) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CavX1TWYUsE 

Surrey Langley Skytrain Construction https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRARdwNIbls 

17 years and waiting for UBC SkyTrain https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIEhFrTuqkc  

YVR-Skytrain: Canada Line https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvwFeKtbyxU

London Drugs closing its Woodward’s location, citing safety and operational issues

 https://globalnews.ca/news/11602959/london-drugs-closing-woodwards-location-safety-issues/ 

While Kelowna is gradually fitting into its role as the 3rd largest urban area in BC, Greater Vancouver and Greater Victoria need to function more like properly growing metropolitan areas.

https://globalnews.ca/news/11602086/victoria-store-owner-frustrated-911-services-hung-up-on/ 

Giving up and letting crime take over is foolish. An effective effort needs to go towards dealing with the various urban social issues. 

Sunday, January 4, 2026

Vancouver International Airport gains 24-hour public transit coverage as NightBus expansion fills SkyTrain overnight gap

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/n10-yvr-downtown-nightbus-vancouver-airport-translink

The Transamerica Pyramid in SF

The Transamerica_Pyramid was permitted to be about 400 feet taller than the LA+City+Hall

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transamerica_Pyramid#Gallery  

The very narrow pyramid in SF is almost twice the height of the tallest pyramid in Egypt. Will LA ever be allowed to have a pyramid tower as tall or taller than the one in SF?

Does Los Angeles have the Most Confusing Skyline?

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2ljqamDgwg  

https://archinect.com/news/article/150013536/watch-a-century-of-downtown-l-a-s-development-in-2-minutes-of-3d-animated-renderings

Back in the day, the KEEP L.A. SHORT crowd really wanted to make sure that no building in SoCal was as tall as the tallest Egyptian_pyramid. Thus, the Giza_pyramid_complex was taller than anything in LA until the late 1960s. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pyramid_of_Giza "Initially standing at 146.6 meters (481 feet), the Great Pyramid was the world's tallest human-made structure for more than 3,800 years."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_City_Hall#History "It has 32 floors and, at 454 feet (138 m) high..."  https://calisphere.org/item/cf1903e53170db536690f3f8690925a0  Just a little pyramid on top of a building that is shorter than the tallest pyramid in Egypt. 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a8/Los_Angeles_City_Hall_%28from_the_West%29.jpg/960px-Los_Angeles_City_Hall_%28from_the_West%29.jpg   


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Pyramids_from_afar_%282%29.tif/lossy-page1-800px-Pyramids_from_afar_%282%29.tif.jpg 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giza  

https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/vintage-photos-los-angeles-1940s-1960s

Of course LA would eventually allow some buildings to be twice as tall as the tallest Egyptian pyramid. 

https://www.commercialcafe.com/blog/evolution-downtown-la-visual-timeline/

https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?cityID=26&status=15


https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=LA+City+Hall 

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=The+Transamerica+Pyramid+in+SF

Saturday, January 3, 2026

How Los Angeles Is Building Rail Under a Living City for the 2028 Olympics

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCNZeiLWkAE

The new bridge next to Pattullo Bridge

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUGCUqTphCU 

This new bridge should have had 2 wide emergency lanes and 2 bus lanes and 2 HOV lanes. While there is a potential for the bridge to eventually have 3 lanes each way, for the foreseeable future everything will just be crammed into 2 lanes each way. 

It was a mistake to not have designed this bridge to eventually have a lower deck for buses and LRT.

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Bridges in Fort McMurray, Alberta

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_McMurray , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FCkJ8ZZ9VI

https://canada.constructconnect.com/joc/news/others/2012/03/bridge-work-boosts-access-to-booming-fort-mcmurray-joc049005w

https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/bridge-to-oilsands-the-biggest-in-alberta 

https://www.canambridges.com/projects/athabasca-river-bridge 

https://khaledalmaaz.blogspot.com/search?q=Athabasca+River+Bridge

https://edmontonjournal.com/news/relief-for-ft-mac-traffic-jams-in-sight-as-127m-new-bridge-opens 

https://www.outokumpu.com/en/expertise/2016/built-for-heavy-loads 

https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/custom_downloaded_images/geo2017Paper767.pdf

https://www.transportation.alberta.ca/Content/docType4942/Production/Fact_Sheet_Grant_MacEwan_Bridge.pdf 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberta_Highway_63#Construction 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regional_Municipality_of_Wood_Buffalo 

https://www.rmwb.ca/news/posts/join-an-rmwb-board-or-committee-and-help-shape-your-community/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_McMurray-Wood_Buffalo 

https://www.transportation.alberta.ca/Content/docType4942/Production/HIGHWAY_63_STATUS_MAP2.pdf

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Fort+McMurray,+AB/@56.7315613,-111.3971202,138m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x53b03aeeff1a4459:0x5c8133330dca74b7!8m2!3d56.7266231!4d-111.3790095!16zL20vMDF3bXFu?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDEwNC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Crews cleared multi-vehicle crash blocking Lions Gate Bridge southbound

 https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/12/31/vehicle-incident-blocking-lions-gate-bridge Another year has gone with no plans to have an express bus and a commuter train tunnel there. Especially no 6 lane tunnel for general traffic. 

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Top Cities and Countries Around the World to Watch Iconic Fireworks Displays

 https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/celebrate-new-year-2026-with-spectacular-fireworks-top-cities-and-countries-around-the-world-to-watch-iconic-displays-welcoming-the-new-year/ 

https://www.travelandleisureasia.com/my/destinations/most-iconic-new-year-eve-firework-displays-around-the-world/ 

https://www.globalworkandtravel.com/resources/8-best-spots-around-the-world-to-celebrate-new-years-eve

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/visit/10-countries-with-the-best-new-years-eve-fireworks/where-the-world-welcomes-the-new-year-with-fireworks/slideshow/126203698.cms?from=mdr 

https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/best-places-for-new-years-eve

New Year's Eve celebrations in Edmonton

 https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/edmonton-free-new-years-eve-celebrations-ice-district-downtown 

The longer that I live in backwards Vancouver, the more glad I am to see that it can't stop other cities from having fireworks...

https://www.ctvnews.ca/edmonton/article/here-are-some-ways-to-ring-in-the-new-year-in-edmonton

https://icedistrict.com/event/upcoming/new-years-eve-december-31-2025 

https://www.todocanada.ca/new-years-eve-in-edmonton

New Year's Eve fireworks in and around Calgary

https://curiocity.com/new-years-eve-fireworks-2026-near-calgary-alberta/ 

Just like Vancouver can't stop its surrounding cities & suburbs from setting off fireworks, Vancouver can't stop Calgary, Perth and Seattle...

 https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/new-years-eve-in-calgary-events-and-activities-whats-open-and-closed 

https://www.chatterblock.com/events/427141/new-years-eve-fireworks-calgary/

New Year's Eve fireworks in Seattle

 https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/how-watch-nye-fireworks-seattle 

Despite Seattle being relatively close to backwards Vancouver, BC, no Mind Virus will be thwarting Seattle.

https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/events/new-years-eve-fireworks-and-events-around-seattle-to-ring-in-2026 

https://seattlebloggers.com/new-years-eve-in-seattle/

https://www.spaceneedle.com/newyears 

https://www.seattlecenter.com/events/featured-events/new-years-eve

Perth New Year’s Eve Fireworks

 https://soperth.com.au/perthnews/perth-new-years-eve-fireworks-2025-2026-132795

https://www.perthnow.com.au/wa/iconic-raffles-hotel-promises-to-be-among-the-places-to-be-this-nye-for-a-great-fireworks-vantage-point-c-21094454 

https://visitperth.com/events/new-years-eve-in-the-city-2025 A nice hot summer in Perth is so much better than a cold, damp depressing winter in Vancouver, BC.

https://www.perth.wa.gov.au/news-and-updates/all-news/double-firework-spectacular-to-ring-in-2026 

The people of Perth and WA in general, are so fortunate that nothing like the Vancouver Mind Virus has ever been accepted there. 

https://www.worksafe.wa.gov.au/schedule-fireworks-events


https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Perth+and+Seattle

Monday, December 29, 2025

No fireworks in downtown Vancouver for New Year's Eve or the rest of 2026

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-fireworks-2026-new-years-eve-nye 

While Vancouver hasn't been able to get most other cities across Canada and around the world to stop, ban or cancel their NY Eve fireworks, strange Vancouver will retain this part of its NO FUN CITY mentality and agenda. 

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/fireworks-banned-halloween-vancouver-fire-department-9726922 Why just ban them in October and January, when you can ban them throughout the year? 

https://www.ehnewspaper.ca/articles/third-year-of-vancouvers-fireworks-ban

For some strange reason, backwards Vancouver hasn't been able to get other cities around the world to adopt the same bizarre idiosyncrasies.  

Officially, there isn't supposed to be a Vancouver+Mind+Virus, but the backwards city is so stunted and strange. Other cities in a scenic setting such as SydneyAucklandSan_Francisco and Seattle are able to have wider bridges in or close to their city centers. 

Despite warm and scenic Honolulu having some very short bridges, they are still wider than what extremely restrictive Vancouver allows. These two short bridges in Honolulu provide 4 lanes each way. Thus, they form an 8 lane crossing and they aren't even part of a freeway.  

There is also a very short 6 lane bridge in Honolulu. In addition to its 6 lanes, there is a turning lane and a one lane wide median, which makes it equivalent to being 8 lanes wide. Plus, there are 2 wide sidewalks, which are wider than the original sidewalks on the Granville Bridge in Vancouver. In other words, no bridge in Vancouver is allowed to be as wide as it. Despite regional population growth, the Granville Bridge was reduced from 8 lanes to 6 lanes. 

Considering how Vancouver has such a narrow road system, one would think that a regional network of bus and bike bridges would be essential. Of course the backwards city and greater urban region is too cheap to fund such infrastructure and rather opted for a congestive transportation approach.

In contrast, The+Helix+Bridge in Singapore is fine example of what backwards Vancouver refuses to build. No lanes had to be removed from the 6 lane Bayfront+Bridge or the 10 lane Benjamin+Sheares+Bridge. Stubborn Vancouver could really benefit from something like the Helix Bridge. 

While Vancouver went backwards after Expo 86, Brisbane really took of after Expo 88. The Kangaroo_Point_Green_BridgeGoodwill_BridgeKurilpa_BridgeJack_Pesch_Bridge and the Go_Between_Bridge are all great examples of what strange Vancouver refuses to build. What's really amazing from a backwater Vancouver perspective is that those bike and foot bridges in Brisbane never required any lanes to be removed from the cities road bridges. 

In comparison, Vancouver removed 2 lanes from the Burrard Bridge, 1 lane from the Cambie Bridge and 2 lanes from the Granville Bridge. If urban planning in Vancouver was wise and the city never got rid of its trams or streetcars, perhaps something like the Tilikum_Crossing could have been built across False_Creek.


https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=fireworks