Who controls the 3 lane Lions Gate Bridge?

 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/who-controls-the-centre-lane-on-the-lions-gate-bridge-1.7589996

The LGB has to be the worst or at least one of the worst traffic bottlenecks & chokepoints on the planet. Over the course of the past several decades, there should have been a bus and HOV tunnel and then a train tunnel close to the alignment of the LGB. 

Seven lanes of Georgia+Street funneled into a 3 lane LGB is nuts! The LGB is already a nice bike bridge, with sidewalks, but it should also be a bus bridge. That would be possible if a proper big city tunnel was built. An eight-lane-tunnel would really help the LGB.

Of course in both cases, the Lion Bridge was never expanded, twinned or duplicated & the M Tunnel (H-99) wasn't replace with a 10 lane bridge. Unfortunatly, no serious consideration for rail rapid transit was considered for both crossings. It was as if the regional & BC governments just didn't think it was that important to have a train from the Horseshoe+Bay+ferry+terminal and the Park+Royal+Shopping+Centre to Vancouver-International-Airport. Just like not having a train from the Tsawwassen+ferry+terminal and Tsawwassen+Mills to the airport. 

Despite Richmond,_British_Columbia having YVR, its as if no one really considered that Richmond should be a major intermodal transportation hub. Proper Transportation Planning has always been lacking in backwards BC.

https://www.theprogress.com/news/province-receives-business-case-for-new-massey-crossing-1911335

https://www.highway99tunnel.ca While an 8 lane tunnel is a good start as the first phase, eventually there will have to be a train, bus & bike bridge (or tunnel) next to it.

https://www.highway99tunnel.ca/project-overview-frt Then the H-99 tunnel could be 3 lanes each way with the 4th as a HOV lane. A new parallel bridge (or tunnel) could then have 2 rapid bus lanes, as well as 2 wide sidewalks & 2 wide bike-lanes. Extra width could allow for eventually 2 tracks, 2 HOV lanes, in addition to the 2 bus lanes. That would enable the H-99 tunnel to ultimately have 4 general lanes each way in a later phase. Of course it would have been better to do things correct right from the start, but that goes against the backwards BC mentality.

Its so sad that there was never a proper big city vision to have an airport+train connect to both ferry terminals. 

The narrow bridges of Vancouver, Canada

https://montecristomagazine.com/community/forgotten-bridges-vancouver

The LGB just wasn't designed with any future capacity in mind. 

History of the Lions Gate Bridge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHqi7Kijedw 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lions_Gate_Bridge#History

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Lions_Gate.jpg 

The inadequate 3 lane LGB is currently the most narrow road bridge in backwards & stubborn Vancouver. It's been in that category since the removal of the 2 lane Fraser Street Bridge in the 1970s. There was a refusal to twin the absurdly narrow LGB between the 1950s & 1970s. By the 1980s there should have been a subway tunnel and an 8 lane tunnel. Then two of the lanes could have been for buses. Georgia+Street is 7 lanes wide as it gets closer to Stanley Park. Thus, the main part of a tunnel through the park could have provided 3 general lanes each way & a bus lane each way. Instead, the 7 lanes of the westernmost part of Georgia Street are funneled into a 3 lane causeway & a 3 lane bridge. The LGB would be fantastic as just a bike & foot crossing, with train, bus & road tunnels well beneath & beside it.    

The Burrard_Bridge, BB or  BSB opened with 6 lanes, but now it only has 4 lanes. There are 2 bike lanes & 2 sidewalks. Had a parallel bike-bridge been built, the BB could have still had 6 lanes. While the BB has a lower level provision for streetcars or tram-trains, Vancouver did its damndest to phase out streetcars well before the 1960s. 

The Ironworkers_Memorial_Bridge has 6 lanes, but should also have had 2 wide shoulders & 2 very wide sidewalks. Unfortunatly, there was no provision for a lower deck, as is also the case with all of the other Vancouver  bridges. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ironworkers_Memorial_Second_Narrows_Crossing

Any replacement of the inadequate Ironworkers+Memorial+Bridge should be on the scale of what Perth, Seattle and Montreal have done.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granville_Street_Bridge#Third_bridge_(1954)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=vPSdF0jRTC4 The Granville-Bridge or GSB is the widest bridge in the city limits. It opened with 8 lanes, but is being transformed into a 6 lane bridge with 2 bike lanes & 2 sidewalks. Had there been a paralel bike & foot bride, the GSB could have still been 8 lanes wide. Then there could have been 2 exclusive bus lanes.

https://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/granville-bridge-connector.aspx

The Oak Street Bridge should have been 8 lanes wide, with 2 wide sidewalks.

The Knight+Street+Bridge should have been 8 lanes with 2 wide sidewalks. Instead, its a 4 lane chokepoint.

The Arthur+Laing+Bridge should have been at least 6 lanes with 2 proper bike lanes & 2 sidewalks.

If the Cambie_Street_Bridge had 2 very wide sidewalks, then its likely that it would still have 6 lanes instead of 5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambie_Bridge#The_present_bridge

Unfortunatly, bottleneck or chokepoint planning is part of the Vancouver & BC mentality.

Of course BC & the Metro+Vancouver Region just hasn't put enough funds and effort towards proper big-city planning & infrastructure development. 

If Perth+and+Seattle had to conform to the extremely restrictive Vancouver approach to things, those cities would be in a perpetual state of chaos. Fortunately, nothing like the BC Mind Virus has ever reached WA.

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Oak+Street+and+Granville+Street

Delays out of North Shore continue after truck stalls for hour on Lions Gate Bridge

 https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/02/24/stall-on-lions-gate-bridge-causing-massive-delays-out-of-north-shore/ 

The LGB bottleneck is indicative of how some people don't want Vancouver to become a properly planned functioning big city.

https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/1mehud6/theres_a_single_car_stopped_in_the_only/

Unfortunatly, Vancouver still isn't allowed to function like a real proper big city. For several decades, so many key people, especially urban planners don't want to have a wider structural crossing to at least match what Prince George and Kamloops have. Or, to match what Kelowna has and especially don't want to have what Ft. McMurray has. 

Indeed, most proper major cities by now would have had a 6-8 lane tunnel right under the park and close to the LGB. Georgia Street is already 7 lanes wide in the first few bloks closest to the park, so the potential for a 7-8 lane tunnel should be possible.

An 8 lane tunnel would be best in that the 3 & 4 lane counterflow on Georgia could easily feed into an 8 lane tunnel. Then once in the tunnel there world be 3 standard lanes each way, plus a bus lane each way. 

A commuter train tunnel or an extension of the YVR-Canada Line should also run close to where the LGB is. Unfortunatly, some key people for several decades don't seem to want or understand the benefits of having a train connecting YVR with both of the regional bc-ferries terminals. That's because it could actually help to relieve transportation congestion. https://www.bcferries.com/current-conditions/TSA-SWB

It's always amazing to see what other cities around the world can do, simply because they aren't trapped within the backwards Vancouver mindset or don't have a backwater BC mentality to thwart them. 

https://www.th.gov.bc.ca/atis/lgcws/index.html 

This has to be one of the worlds best examples of bottleneck-chokepoint planning around. 

https://www.translink.ca/schedules-and-maps/skytrain A rail rapid transit connection to both ferry terminals and YVR would be a huge improvement, but it's still not likely in the foreseeable future.

SkyTrain's Rupert and Renfrew stations

 https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/vancouver-neighbourhood-next-broadway-plan-treatment

Most of BC is wilderness and there are only a handful of potential big urban areas in BC.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/rupert-and-renfrew-station-area-plan-vancouver-final

The Greater Vancouver Region has been held back for several decades. Of course affordable housing should be part of the overall growth plan. All of  BC still has less people than just the Greater Toronto Area & Canada has yet to have even just 1% of the world's population.

The 3 lane Lions+Gate+Bridge and the 2 car joke that is the Canada+Line are fine BC examples of the reluctance to build proper big city size infrastructure. There should have been at least 2 bus tunnels & 2 HOV tunnels near the LGB. If the C Line couldn't have 10 car trains, the stations should have at least been designed to accomodate 5 car trains, not an eventual 2.5 car joke of a train. There also should have been a train tunnel near the LGB by now, but that's what a proper big city would have done.

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

The Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge, Kentucky

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

This 2 lane wonder with 1 sidewalk could have been a backwater BC bridge. 

https://historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=kentucky/maysville/

Unfortunatly, the LGB only has 3 lanes & 2 sidewalks. Both are little, narrow backcountry type bridges, but the inadequate LGB is forced to do the job of a big city crossing.

The Pattullo Bridge replacement project

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/pattullo-bridge-new-indigenous-renaming-art

While it's great to have a new name for the new bridge, there should have been a few more bridges between Surrey, NW, Coquitlam & Port Coquitlam.

https://604now.com/pattullo-bridge-new-indigenous-name

Another lost opportunity for backwards BC. This new bridge should have opened with 6 lanes, plus have at least 2 wide shoulders for future capacity. Then there could have been 2 HOV lanes, as well as 4 general lanes. There also should have been a lower deck for something similar to what the Tilikum_Crossing has. https://trimet.org/tilikum

Such a lower deck not only could have provided 2 sidewalks & 2 bike paths, but a provision for 2 streetcar or tram-train tracks and even 2 separated SkyTrain tracks. Instead, all the traffic will be crammed into just 2 lanes each way with no bus & no HOV lanes & especially no breakdown lanes. In the future, the existing 2 track Skybridge between Surrey & NW might not be adequate. People from all over the world should study the BC bottleneck planning mentality & avoid such bad planning at all costs.

It is foolish for the most urban part of BC to not have wide or double deck bridges. Unfortunatly, this new 4 lane bridge wasn't designed to have 2 bus & 2 HOV lanes & no provision for at least 2 train tracks. At least it will have more than 1 sidewalk & 1 more lane than the LGB and even a safety divider. 

Despite Surrey eventually becoming the most populous city in backwater BC, no 2 track train bridge like the Tilikum has been allowed to be built in backwards BC. https://trimet.org/tilikum/#about

https://trimet.org/tilikum/#:~:text=Bus%20lines%20FX2%2DDivision%2C%209,both%20sides%20of%20the%20river.

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Pattullo+Bridge+replacement

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

The Clay Wade Bailey Bridge

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

3 lanes with a double track railway bridge next to it.

https://bridgestunnels.com/location/clay-wade-bailey-bridge

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

So far, the 3 lane LGB never had a double track, LRT bridge or tunnel built next to it.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Lions-Gate-Bridge-North-Shore.jpg

A Chateau-style home in West Vancouver, but...

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/west-vancouver-home-sale-2188-westhill-wynd

A person can pay out all that money, but you don't get a French standard of transportation options, or even a Québec-Montreal quality of transportation. You are just stuck with a ridiculous 3 lane LGB  and there are no plans to have any bus & train tunnels under that horrible chokepoint.

Any replacement for the Ironworkers+Memorial+Bridge should be at least as wide as the Samuel-De_Champlain_Bridge in Montreal. It's very difficult in BC to have crossings that have at least 4 lanes each way.

Far away from backwards Vancouver & backwater BC, the Narrows_Bridge_in_Perth-WA was part of a multi-section Bridge plan. 5 lanes each way, plus a Railway_bridge section, which has much longer trains than backwards Vancouver.

YVR-Canada Line and REM

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1ouk0VifwM&t=42s Even if the YVR-Canada Line had to initially be built as a symbolically small city train, urban transportation infrastructure can be designed in ways that can double or even triple capacity to meet future demand. Unfortunately, its very difficult to build anything in BC with significant future capacity in mind.

Ultimately, the YVR-Canada Line should have had level station clearances to eventually be able to accommodate 10 car trains. Unfortunately, in typical backwards BC planning the stations weren't even designed with enough level clearance to accommodate 5 car trains. The joke that is the Canada Line only has a level station clearance of 50m to eventually accommodate just a 2.5 car train. 

Most other cities actually build long stations to accommodate long trains right in the first place. Or, at least allow for enough level clearance so that the stations can eventually be doubled or tripled in length. 

The YVR-Canada Line should have started with the Vancouver & Richmond segment, then the Vancouver and Horseshoe+Bay+ferry+terminal segment. Then finally, the YVR to Delta and the Tsawwassen+ferry+terminal. 

The SkyTrain Stations in Greater Vancouver https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Qg78Bmf1fk

Unfortunately, proper big city transportation planning is very difficult to achieve in backwards BC. So much is watered down in Vancouver.

Montreal’s Biggest REM Expansion Yet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G1oeIAfxDU&t=106s 

The Montreal REM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9O6RzsXIqQ 

While the REM was designed to help the Metro, it should have the capability to be gradually expanded. Eventually, REM trains should be lengthened from 4 car trains to 6 and even 8 car trains. 

In contrast, every Skytrain line should have been designed with enough level future station clearance to eventually accommodate a train as long as a 152.5 (500 ft.) long Montreal Metro train. The first 2 Skytrain lines have 80m stations and the joke that is the Canada Line only has 50m stations. 

While the first 2 lines can accommodate 5 car trains, the C Line wasn't designed to accommodate 5 car trains. Just 2.5 car trains, someday. 

Despite there being such a symbolic push for Vancouver to keep having short trains, narrow bridges and stumpy buildings, things are gradually changing in backwards BC. The Vancouver or BC Mind Virus should have been challenged decades ago, but too many loud people wanted to perpetuate the, KEEP THINGS SMALL AND INDEQUATE agenda.

Given how most of the bridges in Greater Vancouver are so narrow, there isn't enough room for proper bus and HOV lanes, or even wide emergency lanes. One would think that at least the trains & stations would have been designed to eventually be doubled or tripled in length. But that would go against the mutigenerational congestive planning agenda. That's why there still is only a 3 lane LGB when there should have been at least a parallel bus, HOV and train tunnel. The Pattullo+Bridge replacement didn't open with 2 bus and 2 HOV lanes, not even wide shoulders or emergency lanes. NW really likes the congestive planning approach. Of course the new tunnel between Richmond and Delta won't have an additional provision for a train tube. This will also help to perpetuate the congestive transportation mandate. 

Fortunately, Selective_door_operation technology can eventually allow more sensible transportation planners to enable longer trains. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_door_operation#International_variations , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdH5d1ZthmM 

This means that a 5 car Skytrain (85m) could eventually become a 7 car train, despite the 80m stations. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkyTrain_(Vancouver)_rolling_stock#Alstom_Mark_V Thus, an 80m train can become a 117m train.

A two car and 2.5 car (50m) train on the multibillion dollar Canada Line is so absurd and inept! With some slight station modifications, there could be a potential to eventually accommodate three, 20m cars at such short platforms. Then, once 3 car trains could become possible, its just a matter of having an extra 20m car at both ends of each train. A 5 car train of 100m is so much better than a 50m joke of a train. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkyTrain_(Vancouver)#Alstom_Mark_V_fleet 

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=SkyTrain-Canada+Line

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

Would people pay a bridge toll if it helps solve traffic woes on the North Shore?

 https://www.nsnews.com/opinion/letter-i-would-gladly-pay-a-bridge-toll-if-it-helps-solve-our-traffic-woes-11665442 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Shore_(Greater_Vancouver) 

As of 2026, no bus, car, truck and commuter train tunnel was ever built near the extremely inadequate 3 lane Lions+Gate+Bridge. For if there had then, the LGB could have become a nice bike and foot crossing.

Of course no bus, truck and commuter train bridge was built next to the Iron+Bridge. The inadequate Iron Bridge is so narrow that there isn't any room for emergency lanes and especially no proper express or rapid bus lanes.

By now, there should be a SeaBus crossing of at least every 5 minutes in both directions. 

Its extremely difficult to bring the Greater Vancouver Region up to a proper urban transportation standard. Partly because this is part of backwards BC and partly because there is just such a lack of a normal big city vision. 

For some reason, congestive transportation planning just isn't that popular outside of backwards Vancouver, BC.

Could the Lions Gate Bridge be closed to vehicle traffic by 2030?

"However, there is one major caveat with the plan. For the shutdown to occur, the agreement stipulates that a new replacement crossing across Burrard Inlet from Vancouver to the North Shore would have to be constructed." 

http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2015/04/lions-gate-bridge-close-vehicle-traffic-2030-government-agreement

https://globalnews.ca/news/1946543/government-says-lions-gate-bridge-will-not-close-to-cars-come-2030

"Any crossing replacement or expansion option would have to consider the reality that downtown Vancouver’s street grid does not possess the capacity to handle a significant increase in vehicle traffic volume. This could be further exacerbated by the City’s plan to demolish the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts, which will redirect traffic to other adjacent arterial streets." https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/lions-gate-bridge-close-vehicle-traffic-2030-government-agreement

https://www.nlc-bnc.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/tape15/PQDD_0019/MQ37484.pdf (1995)

https://www.daclarke.org/AltTrans/analysis.html 1998

https://www.canadianconsultingengineer.com/features/lion-s-gate-reborn 2001

https://www.tac-atc.ca/wp-content/uploads/Matson.pdf

https://www.patrickjohnstone.ca/2012/04/lions-gate-solution-part-2.html

https://britishproperties.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Lions-Gate-Bridge-NSN.pdf

https://monova.ca/building-vancouver-icon-lions-gate-bridge-conclusion/

Traffic on the Lions_Gate_Bridge should be replaced with a 6-8 lane road tunnel and a double track train tunnel. Then the LGB could become a fine bike & foot crossing.

Vancouver ends 2025 cruise ship season with 1.2 million passengers

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-cruise-ship-season-2025-statistics 

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/10/20/bc-cruise-ship-season-ends-in-rough-waters/ 

The need to accommodate newer, much larger ships seen as a long-term priority https://www.biv.com/news/hospitality-marketing-tourism/cruise-ship-terminal-still-possibility-delta-8271541 

https://globalnews.ca/news/5209572/bc-cruise-ship-industry-size-concerns/ 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/about-here-lions-gate-bridge-cruise-ships-tourism-1.5373466# The low and narrow LGB has become quite an impedament for the region! A chokepoint for ships, as well as cars.

The inadequate Lions Gate Bridge

https://viewpointvancouver.ca/2017/09/28/twinning-the-lions-gate-bridge/

No twinning the LGB ever happened, but what about a tunnel with dedicated bus lanes?

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/north-shore-rapid-transit-study-skytrain

A 6 lane highway, plus 2 bus lanes and a 3 track train tunnel+deep+under+Stanley+Park is possible, but still unlikely for the foreseeable future. It's ridiculous that there is no official plan to connect the 2 BC Lower Mainland ferry terminals with the Canada (embarrassment) Line. Unfortunatly, the congestive planning approach keeps winning out in backwards BC. 

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Lions+Gate+Bridge

What Canada Day looked like in Vancouver over 100 years ago

 https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/history/historic-photos-canada-day-looked-like-vancouver-bc-over-100-years-ago-5537944

By the 1920s, Montreal, Toronto, Melbourne, Sydney, SF & LA, all knew that they were going to be major cities. Unfortunatly in the 2020s, Vancouver is still stuck with a 3 lane Lion Bridge and a Canada embarrassment Line with only 50m stations. The Montreal Metro has 152.5m stations. Most real cities by now would have at least built a 4 lane bus & HOV tunnel & a commuter train tunnel near the LGB.

Despite being a cost cutting measure, the Canada embasement Line still should have had the provision to eventually have 10 car trains. Unfortunatly, the underbuilt line between Vancouver & Richmond wasn't even designed to have 5 car trains. Indeed, the joke that is the C Line has stations designed to only have 2.5 car trains, someday. The first 2 SkyTrain lines only have 80m stations, which can just barely accomodate a 5 car train. 

Still, No Twinning the Lions Gate Bridge, and for good reason, sort of

The Lions+Gate+Bridge has been the quintessential, multigenerational symbol of backwards Vancouver planning. While it has a couple of nice bike lanes & sidewalks, the one deck bridge is too narrow for an efficient express bus & train crossing. This is a crossing area that should be on a grand scale like The Sydney_Harbour_Bridge and Harbour_Tunnel. However, the Vancouver version would just focus on the tunnel portion. 

https://viewpointvancouver.ca/2017/09/28/twinning-the-lions-gate-bridge/

https://viewpointvancouver.ca/2013/10/04/1939-traffic-on-and-above-the-lions-gate-bridge/

https://viewpointvancouver.ca/2014/10/21/trick-question-how-fast-has-traffic-been-growing-on-the-lions-gate-bridge/

By now, there should have been a 6 lane highway tunnel, plus 2 dedicated express bus lanes and at least a double track train tunnel. Then the LG Bridge could remain as a very nice bike & foot crossing. 

https://globalnews.ca/news/1946543/government-says-lions-gate-bridge-will-not-close-to-cars-come-2030

Unlike Vancouver, Sydney, SF, Seattle and Montreal don't use water as an excuse to hold back their cities scale of transportation infrastructure.

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Lions+Gate+Bridge

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

The Lions Gate Bridge and a First Narrows Tunnel

 https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/5-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-the-lions-gate-bridge-6614814

The LGB is a crossing so narrow that it should have only been a foot & bike bridge by now.

The inept Lions+Gate+Bridge should have had an 8 lane tunnel under it several decades ago.

Georgia_Street through most of the downtown is 6 lanes wide, but as you get closer to Stanley Park, its 7 lanes wide. Thus, an 8 lane First_Narrows tunnel could have easily been constructed. 

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

While the likelihood of Georgia_Street feeding into the Georgia_Viaduct & then connecting East Vancouver & Burnaby with a freeway is not possible, Georgia_Street could still feed into a Stanley Park tunnel.

There would be no need for a freeway through the downtown, as a tunnel would simply provide a high capacity crossing. 3 lanes each way, plus a bus & HOV lane each way & even a provision for rapid rail transit. Essentially, an extension of the Canada (embassament) Line. 

https://globalnews.ca/news/1946543/government-says-lions-gate-bridge-will-not-close-to-cars-come-2030/

The stubborn city & region chooses to continually do nothing with the First Narrows LION crossing. However, at least some serious planning has started for the Second_Narrows IRON Bridge upgrade or replacement. 

The Lion & the Iron bridges have been quintessential BC bottlenecks for generations. There really should have been bus & train tunnels and bridges built next to them several decades ago. Despite the region having 2 ferry terminals, there seems to be a reluctance with having the Canada (embarrassment) Line linking both of the ferry terminals. To do so would actually help to reduce congestion, bus backwater BC seems to be against relieving urban transportation congestion.

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=The+Lion+Bridge+and+The+Iron+Bridge

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Lions+Gate+Bridge

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

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

Why the Widest Freeway on Earth still Made Traffic Worse in Houston

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMwKgT4ZUvQ It is utterly foolish to not have enough space for a commuter train to run above, or in the middle or underneath the widest highways. 

https://kinder.rice.edu/urbanedge/houstons-15-year-growth-three-charts Simply building wide roads like in Houston, L.A. and Toronto is just as bad as having mostly narrow bridges in Greater Vancouver.  

Whether its 10 lanes or 20 lanes wide, there should always be 2 dedicated bus lanes and 2 HOV lanes. While the highway will get clogged up during the day, at least the buses and trains can still get through quickly. 

The Pattullo+Bridge+replacement is only 2 lanes each way with narrow shoulders. It should have opened with enough space for 2 bus lanes and 2 HOV lanes, but that would go against the congestive urban planning mentality of BC.

The Samuel-De+Champlain+Bridge in Montreal is just as good as similar wide highway and train bridges in Seattle+and+Perth. All were possible, simply because they aren't limited by anything like the Vancouver and BC Mind Virus.

The narrow-minded Vancouver and BC approach is to try to funnel everything into just 2 or 3 lanes each way. Then there just isn't enough space to have 2 bus lanes and 2 HOV lanes. Greater Vancouver has certainly gone in the extreme opposite direction of Houston, L.A. and Toronto...

A wide Greater Houston highway has lots of space, but without 2 bus lanes and 2 HOV lanes, everything gets plugged up. In contrast, Greater Vancouver has most of its bridges and highways so damn narrow, there isn't enough space to accomodate a proper express bus and HOV network. 

This deliberate backwards BC bottleneck-chokepoint planning approach is totally absurd. 

There is no commuter train tunnel near the Lions+Gate+Bridge or even for the Massey+Tunnel+replacement. Thus, they are the best examples of BC choke-point urban planning. Despite having twice the lanes as the inept 3 lane LGB, the newer Iron+Bridge never had any emergency lanes. A bus and HOV bridge was never built next to it. Plus, no commuter train bridge. It's another fine example of BC choke-point, bottleneck planning. 

A north and south Boundary+Road bridge system would provide direct access between the North+Shore, Richmond+and+Delta, but that's what a proper big city would do. Backwards BC has quite a problem with thinking and building big. The 2 car Canada+Line is another example. Don't build it to at least have a 5 car train, just design it to only have 2.5 car trains, someday.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Houston#Transportation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_610_(Texas)#Lane_configurations There is a point when simply adding more lanes won't provide long-term improvement. However, when combined with dedicated bus and HOV lanes, other options become available. Especially, if there is rail rapid transit and commuter rail as well. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/METRORail While not as extentise as DART_rail, it still works like a tram-train. 

Of course longer streetcars or tram-trains are still slow on the actual surface street segments.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Melbourne#System_upgrades 

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muni_Metro SF

Former B.C. deputy finance minister to lead audit of North Shore sewage plant

 https://www.burnabynow.com/highlights/former-bc-deputy-finance-minister-to-lead-audit-of-north-shore-sewage-plant-10304011

While a Burnaby to North Vancouver express bus and rail link is a good idea, there should also be a link between Vancouver and West Vancouver. Unfortunatly, so much extra money will be going toward a shit-pipe and a shit-box, instead of a rail tunnel & a new bridge. So many people are still in denial, but urban planning & funding in BC is really the $HIT$ for Greater Vancouver.

https://www.burnabynow.com/economy-law-politics/fractures-deepen-as-metro-vancouver-faces-governance-review-10305334

So much money was wasted on a $HIT-BOX and a $HIT-PIPE that could have gone towards a train tunnel near the LGB.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/vancouver-island/article/metro-vancouver-should-not-be-a-gravy-train-bc-asked-to-partner-in-regional-governance-review

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=$HIT-PIPE

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=SHIT-BOX

Road transport in Brisbane

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridges_over_the_Brisbane_River#Major_bridges 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clem_Jones_Tunnel 4 lanes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Story_Bridge 6 lanes

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Story+Bridge A nice 10 lane crossing. 

In comparison, the 3 lane Lions+Gate+Bridge still hasn't had a parallel relief tunnel. If a 7-8 lane tunnel is ever built, then the LGB could be for express or rapid busses.