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

https://archive.org/details/planforcityofvan00vanc 1930

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. 

https://vancouversun.com/news/iio-investigates-womans-death-after-9-hour-incident-on-granville-street-bridge 

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.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/barrier-needed-on-vancouver-bridge-after-another-suicide-death-advocates-say/

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.

Gateway landmark condo and hotel tower proposed beside Granville Street Bridge in Downtown Vancouver

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/601-beach-crescent-vancouver-condo-hotel-pinnacle-international-tower-revised-concept "The proposal now envisions a 650-ft.-tall, 67-storey tower..." 

While this would be the 2nd tallest in Vancouver, in several other cities it would just be an average tall building.

35-storey hotel and rental housing tower proposed for Helmcken Street in Granville Entertainment District

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/1105-1109-granville-street-helmcken-vancouver-hotel-bonnis-properties

New 33-storey hotel tower for Granville Entertainment District approved

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/1167-1193-granville-street-davie-vancouver-hotel-deecorp-rezoning-approved

Downtown Granville Street

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/granville-strip-entertainment-district-sros-supportive-housing-closure-pleas 

It was such a foolish idea to turn this part of Granville into a slum.

A Richmond encampment under the Oak Street bridge

 https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/11/19/growing-calls-to-clear-richmond-encampment 

Of course any neighborhood will be concerned when a bunch of people are living under a bridge and wandering around. 

Living under a bridge is hardly affordable housing. There needs to be proper secure housing with plenty of security and staff to help people who are stuck living outside. 

That bridge is so narrow and inadequate. 

SW-Vancouver needs a proper transportation upgrade. Granville Street should be extended across the Fraser River on a parallel bridge to the Oak Street Bridge (OSB). Then, the 2 bridges could provide 4 general lanes each way. Plus, another 4-lane parallel bridge to accommodate 2 BRT lanes and 2 HOV lanes. 

Or, a totally built a new version of the Oak+St+Bridge that could provide 6 lanes northbound. Then, a Granville Street extension could provide 6 southbound lanes onto a new OSB. Four general lanes each way, plus a rapid bus lane each way & 1 HOV lane each way. 

For the most part, the Oak+Street-Granville+Street+Corridor has 12 lanes. A yellow paint strip designates 3 lanes each way. Instead, Oak could have 6 northbound lanes and Granville could have 6 southbound lanes. The 5th & 6th lanes could be for the Oak & Granville BRT lane & HOV lane on complete one way streets.

Unfortunately, the OSB remains as a 4 lane traffic bottleneck or chokepoint. 

The 2009 era Canada (embarrassment) Line is still only using 2 car trains in 2025. A proper big city YVR-Canada Line should have been started with 5 car trains. Unfortunately, this joke of a train is only designed to ultimately run a 2.5 car train, someday. 

This stunted infrastructure approach is so absurd. Transportation planning in the most populated parts of BC is so inadequate, but its all part of backwards BC symbolism. The symbolism is all about showing a thwarted or watered down a city can be. Narrow bridges and short trains are some of the best ways to increase congestion and inefficiency in backwater BC. 

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

Granville Bridge, Vancouver, etc.

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

Even after 3 tries, Vancouver still couldn't quite get the Granville_Street_Bridge (GSB) correct. Of course the 3rd bridge wasn't designed to have a lower deck for streetcars or tram-trains. Even though it was generally designed to be a car, truck and bus bridge, the sidewalks should have been double width and have an inner railing. If the city couldn't wait until late March, it should have had the official dedication in early March, not in crappy February 1954.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granville_Street_Bridge#Third_bridge_(1954) "On February 4, 1954, the current Granville Street Bridge opened to traffic after five years of planning and construction; its dedication ceremony was attended by 5,000 spectators after it had been delayed a week due to heavy snow." 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granville_Street_Bridge#21st_century Unfortunatly, new bike lanes and extra sidewalks couldn't be installed below the 8 lane deck. Thus, Vancouver went for strike 3 and removed 2 lanes from the bridge. The Burrard+Street+Bridge lost 2 lanes and the Cambie+Bridge lost 1 lane. A bike and foot bridge could have been built on the west side of the Burrard Bridge, then no lanes would have been removed. The Cambie Bridge already had a wide sidewalk on its east side. The west sidewalk should have been widened, then no lane would have been removed. 

The Granville+Bridge could have had 6 lanes and 2 bus lanes. Now, if there are ever 2 bus lanes, there will only be 2 general lanes each way.

Several cities around the world have bike & foot bridges and don't have to remove lanes from the existing bridges.

For such a congested city to have removed 5 lanes from 3 bridges, could there even be more of a reduction of lanes Well, there are some who would like to have the LGB just for bike and foot traffic.

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

That would be OK if an 8 lane tunnel could be built near it. Such a First Narrows Tunnel could have 3 lanes each way, plus a bus lane each way. A parallel triple track commuter train tunnel should be built close to it as well.

The new & improved tunnel between Richmond and Delta won't be ready until 2030. Since things move so slow in constipated, backwards BC, perhaps a First_Narrows_Tunnel might not be completed until 2040, or even 2050.

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

Significant traffic impacts due to Granville Street upgrade work

 https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/significant-traffic-impacts-need-know-granville-street-upgrade-work-11265856

Bike and Pedestrian Bridges

 https://www.cnv.org/streets-transportation/transportation-projects/casano-loutet-overpass 

https://www.fastepp.com/portfolio/kingsway-pedestrian-bridge/

https://www.burnabynow.com/local-news/19m-highway-1-pedestrian-bike-overpass-in-burnaby-nears-construction-7522221 

https://www.burnabynow.com/local-news/burnaby-shows-what-highway-1-pedestrian-cyclist-overpass-will-look-like-5254294 

https://www.burnabynow.com/local-news/burnaby-planning-for-pedestrian-bridge-over-highway-1-3099072

https://vancouverbikeguide.com/top-five-vancouver-cycling-bridges A regional network of foot, bike & bus bridges would help to reduce the strain on the mostly narrow bridges of Greater Vancouver.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/pedestrian-and-bike-bridge-proposed-for-false-creek-1.800643 Unfortunatley, this never happened. Apparently, it was better to remove 2 lanes from the Burrard Street Bridge instead. 

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/granville-connector-bridge-walking-cycling-pathways

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=bike+and+pedestrian+bridges 

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=bike+bridges

The Granville Connector

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/granville-connector-celebration-free

It's still the Granville+Street+Bridge, but it's also the Connector. Unfortunatly, it wasn't designed to have a lower deck for streetcars and busses. Such is the irony of backwards Vancouver to be one of the first cities to get rid of its streetcars and doing its damndest to be one of the last to bring them back.

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Granville+Connector

The Granville Street bus route in Vancouver

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/granville-street-vancouver-bus-stop-removal-balancing-translink

Granville Street faces 30% vacancy rate as city pushes revitalization plan

 https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/granville-street-faces-30-vacancy-rate-as-city-pushes-revitalization-plan

It's sad that the city let this part of town go to $HIT! Apparently, there was an unofficial need to have another crappy area, in addition to Main & Hastings. 

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/granville-entertainment-district-strip-vancouver-revitalization-factors

Granville Entertainment District revitalization plan

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/granville-street-plan-draft-vancouver-city-council-vote-decision

The Oak Street-Granville Street Corridor

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak_Street_(Vancouver) , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXbUb7TMj6k

The Oak+Street-Granville+Street+Corridor are both 6 lanes wide for most of their lengths. Thus, this is mostly a 12 lane street corridor and is much less disruptive than if a 10-12 lane freeway had been pushed through in the 1950s or 60s.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granville_Street , https://storeys.com/vancouver-granville-street-entertainment-district-history-renewal-planning-program

The yellow line is set for 3 lanes each way. However, if it was moved over 1 or 2 lanes, then there could be 4 or 5 main lanes one way & 1 or 2 lanes the other way. 

The Oak+Street+Bridge+and+Granville+Street+Bridge are still part of an incomplete corridor.

An improved 8 lane Granville+Street+Bridge with double-width sidewalks could have still worked, if there had also been a wide bike & foot bridge built next to it. Then, a roughly new paralel bridge next to the 4 lane Oak+Street+Bridge could have allowed for an 8 lane crossing there. Four lanes of Granville_Street southbound over the Fraser River and 4 lanes of Oak_Street northbound.

Unfortunatly 2 lanes were removed from the Burrard+Street+Bridge (BSB), 2 lanes removed from the Granville+Street+Bridge (GSB) and 1 lane from the Cambie+Street+Bridge (CSB). That didn't have to happen if a bike bridge was built next to the BSB and the GSB. While the east side of the Cambie-Street-Bridge has a nice, wide sidewalk, there wasn't enough foresight to also have a wide sidewalk on its west side. However, that narrow sidewalk could still be built out to be nice & wide so that the CSB can be restored to 6 lanes. 

When a city & metropolitan region mostly has narrow bridges, removing lanes or not having enough is utterly foolish! Case in point... https://www.pattullobridgereplacement.ca Instead of 2 bus & 2 HOV lanes, everything will be initially funneled into just 2 lanes each way. https://www.pattullobridgereplacement.ca/about/projectoverview Two nice sidewalks & 2 nice bike lanes, but no emergency lanes or bus lanes, right from the start. Its another classic BC bottleneck in the making. Since the SkyTrain doesn't run on a 24hr basis, 24hr bus lanes are essential, but that would go against the congestive planning methodology that is backwards BC.

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

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

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 

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

vancouver-granville-bridge-social-housing-tower or stump?

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/1395-rolston-street-vancouver-granville-bridge-social-housing-tower

Revamped 800 Granville proposal drops offices for rental housing and hotel uses

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/800-876-granville-street-vancouver-revised-design-bonnis-rental-housing

A taller version of 800+Granville, but still stumps when compared to what many other cities allow.

https://storeys.com/bonnis-properties-800-granville-revised-rezoning/

https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/800-876-granville-st

Granville bar owners demand immediate action ahead of FIFA

 https://globalnews.ca/news/11085900/never-seen-it-this-bad-granville-bar-owners-demand-immediate-action-ahead-of-fifa/

There seems to be an unofficial, LET THE CITY GO TO $HIT attitude. That's especially the case with Granville Mall and Gastown. 

https://vancouver.ca/news-calendar/share-your-thoughts-on-granville-street-feb-2025.aspx

The city & region desperately needs thousands of new hotel rooms. Yet, the extreme height limits in Vancouver doesn't allow developers to put 30-40 floors on top of a 30-40 story hotel. Some cities can get enough steady business that a hotel can be over 70 stories.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westin_Peachtree_Plaza_Hotel Atlanta

The Marina_Bay_Sands in Singapore was possible, because nothing like the Vancouver building restrictions gets in the way.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_Bay_Sands#Expansion

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_hotels#Completed_or_topped_out

Advocates believe there is a middle ground that would keep buses on Granville Street as part of its 20-year revitalization

 https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/removing-granville-street-buses-safety-vulnerable-riders-vancouver-10194735