Showing posts sorted by relevance for query The Bay Building in Vancouver. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query The Bay Building in Vancouver. Sort by date Show all posts

Thursday, December 19, 2024

Capstan Station on YVR-Canada Line in Richmond

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/highlights/capstan-canada-line-station-in-richmond-to-open-friday-9984359 Why design the old & new stations to eventually accomodate 8-10 car trains? The Catheter Line wasn't even designed to officially accommodate enough space for 5 car trains. Thus, in accordance with the BC antigrowth mentality or slow growth agenda, the stations were only designed to eventually just have 2.5 car trains. However, even in 2025, the Catheter Line will still only be using 2 car trains. All the SkyTrain stations should have been designed to eventually be 150.5 meters long, just like the Montreal Metro stations, with even more long-term provisions. Unfortunatly, the first 2 lines only have 80m stations & the C+Line only has a clearance for 50m stations.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/skytrain-capstan-station-canada-line-opening-date

The Vancouver_City_Centre_station is diagonally across the street from The+Bay+Building+in+Vancouver. However, despite being what is supposed to be a major underground station, its noticeably smaller than the underground train stations in Edmonton & Seattle.

It's been very difficult to get urban planners in BC to properly plan for future transportation demands. The main excuse is governmental budgetary constraints. Even if that's usually the case, at least build half the length of a proper size urban station, with a provision to eventually double or triple its length, for future demand. However, that would go against the Greater Vancouver congestion planning mentality. Thus, even if you have the skills, once you get to BC, you realize that several things are watered down & you must think small or backwards.

 https://bc.ctvnews.ca/video/c3050886-metro-vancouver-facing-population-boom With the Metro-Vancouver-population-expected-to-reach-4-million-by-2045, BC is so unprepared & inept, as usual. https://www.kelownacapnews.com/news/metro-vancouver-expected-to-push-past-4-million-by-2045-as-growth-accelerates-7717888

There seems to be an outright refusal in the Metro Vancouver Region to avoid building up to the same level of infrastructure as when Greater Toronto, Greater Montreal, Greater Seattle, Greater Sydney, Greater Melbourn & the SF Bay Area, all exceeded 4 million people.

Going into 2025, the SkyTran will still only have 2-4 car trains, not counting the old Mark 1 rolling stock. By 2025, every SkyTrain should have consisted of 6-8 car trains, not the two-car & four car congested joke that it is. 

There is no valid reason as to why the Greater_Vancouver Region can't eventually have an urban train system on par with the Montreal Metro & a regional train system that's as good & frequent as the GO Trains or the Caltrain.

The refusal to build proper bus & truck bridges to help the mostly narrow bridges, still seems to be a half-assed pipedream. Yet, the GV Region pretends that it will eventually have a good Rapid Bus Network without bus-bridges.

While the GV Region is supposed to be a major seaport, there is still a false_front approach to things. How can this false-front & half-ass approach still be the norm in backwater BC? Not only should all the freight-train bridges be at least double tracked, there should also be truck port bridges. 

The Oak_Street_BridgeKnight_Street_Bridge & the Queensborough_Bridge are all so narrow, there is no room for truck & bus lanes. Therefore, a truck & bus bridge should be built next to all of them. Otherwise, everything can just continue to be funneled into only 2 lanes each way.

Of course the Arthur_Laing_Bridge wasn't designed to have 2 bus lanes & 2 truck lanes. Yet, a lot of trucks have to be able to get in & out of YVR. Why have any bus lanes when busses & trucks can all be funneled into only 2 lanes each way? Even though the C-Line doesn't run 24hr a day, the North_Arm_Bridge should have had two 24hr bus lanes & 2 bike lanes & a provision for a middle track. Instead, the narrow North-Arm-Bridge only has 2 tracks & just 1 bike lane.

Fortunately, watered down Greater Vancouver & backwards BC hasn't been able to get most place around the world to adopt such a ridiculously reduced infrastructure approach to things. 


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

Officially, there is no A Line, B Line or C+Line, but that seems OK for backwards BC.

Thursday, January 2, 2025

Canada's population and its lacking infrastructure

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/71-607-x/71-607-x2018005-eng.htm

Despite being the 2nd largest nation in overall area, Canada is far off from housing just 1% of the world's population. 

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/mandate/corporate-initiatives/levels/population-growth-2014-2027.html 

There aren't enough big cities in the vastness of Canada.

It's strange that Halifax hasn't become a big city like Boston or Montreal. Since the 2020s, a lot more people work from home and there isn't always an industrial base in major urban areas. More people are retiring and like people working from home, might like living in a town of 1000-10,000 people just as easily as a city with over a 1,000,000 people. The point being, that the top 30 towns in Canada could be built up to at least a million people each. Winnipeg has yet to have a million people. Then the top 10 cities could be built up to 5-10 population regions. Greater Montreal has yet to reach the 5 million point and the Greater Toronto Area has yet to reach 10 million people like Greater Chicago or, CHICAGOLAND. The San_Francisco_Bay_Area is getting close to having 10 million people.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_largest_municipalities_in_Canada_by_population Vancouver is only the 8th most populated city.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_census_metropolitan_areas_and_agglomerations_in_Canada#List However, the Greater Vancouver Region is still the 3rd largest urban area in Canada. Yet, it's so far behind with the necessary infrastructure. Indeed, When Greater Toronto & Greater Montreal each exceeded the 3 million point, they had longer trains & wider roads. It seems that Vancouver & BC in general, have perpetually opted for a congestive planning approach.

Will Canada's Next Prime Minister be Pierre Poilievre? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dck8eZCpglc

Why is anti-immigration sentiment on the rise in Canada? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txyjmNXcWiU

https://www.norden.org/en/information/population-nordic-region

https://www.nordicstatistics.org/news/population-growth-in-the-nordics Whether its Canada or the Nordic_Countries, places with cold winters can accommodate a lot of people. However, without setting up the proper amount of infrastructure first, its utterly foolish.

Canada hasn't kept up with building enough school & hospital facilities, as well as the overall necessary  infrastructure. 

https://www.definitivehc.com/resources/healthcare-insights/top-largest-canadian-hospitals

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

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver_Hospital_and_Health_Sciences_Centre#Facilities

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Paul's_Hospital_(Vancouver) , https://helpstpauls.com/why-give/new-st-pauls-hospital

https://www.infrastructurebc.com/projects/announced-in-procurement/richmond-hospital-redevelopment-project-phase-2-3

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraser_Health#Regional_hospitals 

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

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

https://www.infrastructurebc.com/projects/projects-under-construction/burnaby-hospital-phase-2-and-bc-cancer-centre-project/


Unlike the Montreal Metro which can accommodate 9 car trains, the strained Skytrain is only running 4 new-car trains & the inept Canada Line only runs 2 car trains. The Skytrain stations should have been designed to gradually accomodate 8-10 car trains. The Montreal Metro was built with 500 foot long or 152.5m stations right from the start. Apparently, to save money, the first 2 Skytrain lines only have 80m stations & the line to Richmond only has 50m stations, not 152.5m like Montreal. 

The inadequate new Pattullo-Bridge was designed to be so narrow that there won't be any emergency lanes. There won't be any bus lanes, even though the Skytrain doesn't run 24 hours. There won't be any truck lanes, despite the region being a major port. Thus, everything is supposed to be funneled into just 2 lanes each way. https://www.pattullobridgereplacement.ca/about/projectoverview Apparently, the bridge can eventually be upgraded, but to only 3 lanes each way. Of course there is no provision for a lower train & truck deck. This is another fine example of backward BC planning. Even if small-thinking NW only wanted 2 lanes each way for cars, there still should have been an extra 2 lanes each way so that there is a dedicated bus lane & a truck lane each way. 

2 lanes were removed from the Burrard Bridge, 1 removed from the Cambie Bridge & 2 lanes removed from the Granville Bridge. Many other cities can actually build bike bridges so they don't have to take away any traffic lanes from their bridges. 

Even the new Highway-99-Tunnel is designed to become just another BC bottleneck. There will only be 3 lanes each way & a bus-lane each way. However, there won't be any truck lanes & no emergency lanes. https://www.highway99tunnel.ca/project-overview-frt Of course there won't be any provision for a train tunnel, because the government doesn't see a good reason to connect the Delta ferry terminal with Richmond & the airport. They never bothered to have a train from Horseshoe Bay to Park Royal & downtown Vancouver either.

So while the Federal Government charges a carbon tax, Greater Vancouver is left with short trains & mostly narrow bridges. It's utterly foolish to not properly upgrade the infrastructure & build a lot of affordable housing, yet encourage a bunch of people to move into a country that hasn't kept up with building more housing stock. I thought that some of the carbon tax would help to properly upgrade the BC infrastructure, because backward BC just can't seem to even catch up to what Calgary & Seattle have. The trains in Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary & Seattle are all longer than the short Skytrains. Yet, there is more demand in Vancouver to have longer trains, due to the narrow roads & bridges. Frequent short trains arent enough, there has to be proper big city long trains. 


Thursday, March 13, 2025

What’s next for the Hudson’s Bay flagship store in downtown Vancouver?

 https://www.biv.com/news/real-estate/whats-next-for-the-hudsons-bay-flagship-store-in-downtown-vancouver-10366197

Despite Vancouver_City_Centre_station being right across the street from The Bay store, it's much smaller than Churchill_station_(Edmonton) and Seattle's Westlake_station_(Sound_Transit). Having short trains, narrow streets & mostly narrow bridges, all helps to maintain Vancouver's congestive planning approach to things. 


https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=The+Bay+Building+in+Vancouver

Friday, April 19, 2024

The 3 Lane Bridge

 A 3 lane bridge, viaduct or tunnel can be great if its for one direction. However, if it's for 2 way traffic, it can easily get very congested, unless its in a rural area.

The Johnson_Street_Bridge in Victoria, BC & the Lions_Gate_Bridge in Vancouver, are quintessential 3 BC lane bottlenecks. How is this possible? Make sure that a bus & HOV tunnel or bridge isn't built next to them. Especially make sure that a heavy rail or a light rail tunnel or bridge isn't built close to them. Thus, both crossings are fine examples of BC congestive planning. It's also crucially symbolic, as BC has been refusing to keep up with urban transportation needs. Thinking big & building big in Texas is no problem, because it's so far away from the backwater BC planning mentality. However, even Alberta & Washington State never seemed interested in taking a backward BC approach to things as well.

If you are from Montreal & haven't visited Vancouver or Victoria, nothing can prepare you for the shock, if you ever do. As preparation, it might be good to drive over to Jacques+Bizard+Blvd and then over the 3 lane Jacques_Bizard_Bridge. Of course this is in a backwater part of Montreal. However, imagine if this 3 lane bottleneck was at one of the main crossings in Montreal. Well, that's what you would have to prepare yourself for, if you visit Vancouver or Victoria. Whether its a low level bridge or a high level bridge, as long as it's a 3 lane chokepoint, it meets the BC standard. Fortunately, Montreal was able to build a new bridge there, simpy because it doesn't have a Vancouver like mentality. https://montreal.ca/en/articles/building-new-bridge-pont-jacques-bizard-26379

The Windsor+Bridge is a backwater, 3 lane Sydney crossing. Just imagine if that was on the edge of the CBD. Well, if you are from NSW & you visit BC, nothing can prepare you for such narrow bridges, short trains & stumpy buildings. Fortunately, nothing like the BC mentality was allowed to take over NSW.

If you are from New_Haven,_Connecticut, you might be shocked if you visit the 2 largest urban areas in the BC part of Canada.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/New+Haven,+CT,+USA/@41.3012189,-72.9233923,83m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x89e7d8443a8070e5:0xf6a354c659b264ed!8m2!3d41.308274!4d-72.9278835!16zL20vMGYybmY?entry=ttu 3L next to 8L.


https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ted+Smout+Memorial+Bridge,+Brisbane,+Australia

"The bridge features

  • 3 traffic lanes (originally 2 for regular traffic and a T2 (bus, taxi and vehicles with more than 2 occupants) lane, but the T2 lane has now been converted to a regular lane).
  • A 4.5 m (15 ft) wide pedestrian and cycle path that connects footpath and cycle networks on either side of Bramble Bay. The path is separated from traffic by a concrete barrier." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Smout_Memorial_Bridge Of course after duplication, it became a 6 lane crossing.

Friday, March 28, 2025

Western Canada's future tallest tower in Metro Vancouver

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/pinnacle-lougheed-burnaby-office-condo-use-revisions-tower

Living in BC & especially in Vancouver, you are conditioned to expect almost everything to be watered-down or half-assed. So, for Greater Vancouver to potentially have the tallest building in Western Canada, will be quite an achievement. Since a wall couldn't be built around BC, especially the Lower_Mainland to keep people out, the next best thing was to symbolically build half-size or half-assed infrastructure. In contrast, by building proper big city infrastructure, that's indicative of wanting to accommodate growth. 

Decades ago, there should have already been a bus & HOV tunnel built near the Lions+Gate+Bridge. Then followed up with a truck & passenger train tunnel. Unfortunatly, the Canada+Line doesn't seem to be planned to ever reach W. Vancouver & especially, Horseshoe+Bay. That might actually help to improve regional transportation, which is quite lacking in backwater BC.

Monday, February 24, 2025

Manulife Centre in Toronto

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manulife_Centre , https://manulifecentre.com

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Manulife+Centre

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Manulife_Centre.jpg 51 floors in 1974, but this should have been the first 65 story residential tower in Toronto.

https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/toronto/44-charles-street-west/2979 166 m / 545 ft

Fortunately, 44 Charles wasn't just 44 stories. Indeed, it was the first 51 story mixed-use residential & office complex in Canada, but it should have been taller. Chicago has had the 100 story John Hancock Center since 1969. If Toronto couldn't have its own 100 story building in the mid 1970s, similar in scale to the John_Hancock_Center, there should have been two buildings with more than 50 floos. 

https://www.cushmanwakefield.com/en/canada/properties/for-lease/office/on/toronto/55-bloor-street-west/s119707755-l This should have been the first 55 story office tower outside of downtown Toronto.

https://www.loopnet.ca/Listing/55-Bloor-St-W-Toronto-ON/17793768

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Manulife_Centre_2022.jpg Its like there was an obligatory Vancouver stump that had to be part of the development. It's a stump, because it's windows don't even rise over 20 floors. This stump building should have been 55 stories at 55 Bloor.

https://urbantoronto.ca/database/projects/manulife-centre-podium-and-streetscape-renewal.19539

This is a nice, wide Toronto building, but it got Vancouverized or miniaturized, right from the start.

https://www.cbre.ca/properties/retail/details/CA-Plus-268572/manulife-centre-55-bloor-street-w-toronto-ontario-m4w-1a5 It would have been quite impressive if it opened as a 55 story tower.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/industry-news/property-report/article-torontos-manulife-centre-adds-a-more-friendly-facade/

https://sgconstructors.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/55-Bloor-Manulife-Redevelopment-Profile.pdf

https://urbantoronto.ca/news/2018/09/glazing-enclosing-manulife-centre-addition-bay-and-bloor.33926

https://www.bgis.com/assets/documents/BMO-Case-Study-RetroCommissioning-BMTT-55-Bloor.2023.09.11_r6FINAL.pdf


Australia was able to go above 99 floors before Canada

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia_108 Actually has 100 floors.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STH_BNK_by_Beulah 102 floors.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Canada#Under_construction

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinnacle_One_Yonge 105?