It really would have been nice if the YVR-Canada Line was able to run 5 car trains by now. Unfortunately, due to inept transportation planning in the BC part of Canada, the stations were only designed to accommodate 2.5 car trains.
A 2.5 car train fits right in with a 3 lane Lion Bridge that was never augmented with parallel BRT and LRT train tunnels.
Backwards Vancouver and backwater BC, are some of the best places in the world to see inept multigenerational transportation infrastructure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emSr9NLwfT4
Unfortunately, the Broadway+Subway will only open with the potential of 5 car trains, not 10.
Unfortunately, the YVR-Canada+Line wasn't even designed to have 5 car trains, only a potential of 2.5 car trains, someday.
Of course the Massey+Tunnel+replacement wasn't designed to have an LRT and BRT section. Thus, in addition to the basic 3 lanes each way, there will be an express bus lane that might also be for other HOVs.
A separate BRT section would be beneficial since BC doesn't want to run 24hr trains. Thus, when the LRT is shutdown for maintenance, a 24hr BRT line could still be running. Unfortunately, part of the BC Mind Virus is backwards thinking and inept infrastructure planning. Of course there is still no official plan to have LRT from YVR to the Tsawwassen Ferry terminal anytime soon.
Just like the new highway tunnel is pushed back to at least 2031.
There should have been better highway, LRT and freshwater crossings between Richmond and Delta decades ago. Unfortunately, in backwards BC, things take a very long time to get done and not always properly or efficiently.
https://skyscraperpage.com/b165343/vancouver/595-west-georgia-street
Towers instead of stumps.
https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?countryID=1&status=15
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Vancouver#Timeline_of_tallest_buildings
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Calgary#Timeline_of_tallest_buildings
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Seattle#Timeline_of_tallest_buildings
Unfortunately, Vancouver has such an imposed watered down or scaled back approach to the size of things.
A 3 lane Lions+Gate+Bridge that still has no BRT, truck and LRT tunnel next to it.
The shortsighted YVR-Canada+Line. Instead of designing longer stations that could accommodate 5 car trains, the 50 m stations can only accommodate 2.5 car trains, some day.
If a bridge or tunnel is too narrow to accommodate bus and bike lanes, then a separate crossing should be built near it. Many bridges and highway tunnels don't have a provision for LRT or commuter rail, so then a rail crossing should be built near it.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=the+missing+element
The Delta, Roberts_Bank_Superport has the potential to be so much bigger than the inner Port of Vancouver Harbor. Unfortunately, there still seems to be no official plan to have an LRT link between YVR and the Tsawwassen_ferry_terminal.
Surrey is set to become the biggest city in BC and needs proper big city infrastructure.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrey,_British_Columbia#Economy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrey,_British_Columbia#Current_transportation_network
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilikum_Crossing , https://trimet.org/tilikum Its not just a great bus and bike bridge.
The Oregon version of the Tilikum is so much better than any BC version, but it doesn't have to be. BC should be able to build first rate stuff as well.
https://www.cntraveler.com/activities/portland/tilikum-crossing This fantastic MAX-LRT and streetcar bridge is great for Portland. However, such a wonderful bridge almost seems impossible for Vancouver & Victoria, or anywhere in backwards BC.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tilikum+Crossing+Bridge
Of course the Victoria, BC (Saanich) version will be watered down.
https://roninearthworks.ca/construction-news/tillicum-bridge
https://victoriachamber.ca/government-local/new-trail-crossing-at-tillicum-will-ease-commute-time/
A Burnaby and Richmond Tillicum Bus and Bike bridge would be a great transportation link.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tillicum+St,+Burnaby,+BC
There isn't even a South+Boundary+Rd bus and bike bridge in the works. Yet, the transportation planners claim that an efficient regional express and BRT network can be established. Its just another watered down BC joke.
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/highway-1-metro-vancouver-traffic-pattern-changes
Ultimately, this should be a 10 lane corridor between Horseshoe Bay and Hope. Plus, 2 BRT lanes, 2 LRT tracks, 2 HOV lanes and even the provision for a double track commuter rail line.
https://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/metrotown-to-north-shore-rapid-transit.aspx
Unfortunately, the Second Narrows Crossing wasn't designed to have a lower deck for BRT, or express busses and LRT. The bridge was never widened to 10 lanes, so there isn't enough space to have 2 proper BRT or express bus lanes and no HOV lanes. There was no proper planning to even have 2 emergency lanes or 2 wide shoulders.
https://www.translink.ca/plans-and-projects/projects/bus-projects/rapidbus-projects
https://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/transportation-2040.aspx
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/george-massey-tunnel-new-replacement-cost-timeline-update
Of course with all the extra delays costs, there still won't be an LRT tube and no HOV lanes. While the new tunnel will be 4 lanes each way, there should have been an extra section for 2 LRT tracks and 2 rapid bus lanes. BC has a problem providing 24hr rapid rail transportation, so 24hr BRT is essential.
A 10 lane version of an Alex_Fraser_Bridge with a provision for LRT, could have been completed a few years ago. However, just because some people didn't want a bridge crossing that part of the river, the plan was scrapped. The result is more cost and delay in what should have been completed a few decades ago.
If ever a proper LRT and rapid bus crossing can be built parallel to the new tunnel, then that 8 lane tunnel could still have 3 general lanes each way, plus the 4th being an HOV lane. A parallel LRT and rapid bus needs to be built between Richmond and Delta so that there can be an efficient connection between YVR and the 2 ferry terminals.
Something like a Tilikum_Crossing between Richmond and Delta should have already been built decades ago, but there just isn't proper transportation planning in backwards BC.
Either an extension of an improved YVR-Canada Line, or an LRT like the C Train or MAX_Train. Since such a train won't be running 24 hours a day, there would need to be a Rapid bus_crossing as well. Such redundancy is important, especially if there is an occasional problem with the train. A Streetcar_Crossing would also be nice, because the Skytrain, LRT and BRT can't go everywhere. Where as express and local buses and streetcars can fill in the gaps.
Of course more bicycle and footpaths can be a great improvement.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Richmond-Delta+Tunnel
https://www.portvancouver.com/project/second-narrows-dredging-works
A shipping bottleneck that needs to be dredged. An Iron Bridge that needs duplication or twinning, so that it can become a proper big city crossing with 2 truck lanes, 2 BRT lanes, 2 HOV lanes and 2 LRT tracks. A single track freight train bridge and tunnel that wasn't designed to be double width. Another example of a city, province and nation that can't seem to properly plan and build BIG for the future.
https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/1uhkaiq/why_would_craftsman_collision_depict_the_lions/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lions_Gate_Bridge Too narrow for proper bus and HOV lanes. Not strong enough for an LRT train and express bus deck.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin_Bridge 7 lanes and 2 train tracks.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Harbour_Bridge 8 lanes and 2 train tracks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJtotvMq2ls
The Lion+Bridge will likely still not have an express bus and LRT tunnel near it. The+Iron+Bridge still might not have a proper BRT and LRT bridge next to it. The OSB and the KSB will likely not have a bus and bike bridge built beside them. There will still likely be no new Fraser Street Bridge for bikes and buses. No Boundary Road bridges to provide a direct link between the North Shore and Richmond for buses, trucks and bikes.
While the first 2 Skytrain lines will have 5 car trains, the stunted YVR-Canada Line will only have 2.5 car trains. Vancouver still might not permit any office tower to have a 40th floor, but might allow some residential towers to be on a Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane & Toronto scale.
However, BIG city thinking and planning in Vancouver has always been so difficult. Boston, SF and the City of Paris are ridiculously small cities like Vancouver with all 3 having a land area of less than 50 sq. mi. or 129.5 sq. km. Yet, Boston, SF and especially the City of Paris, have all been able to fit so much more into the same general space. That's because they aren't bound by anything like the inept and extreme Vancouver type restrictions.
https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/06/26/wastewater-plant-review-team-appointed/
How could a project run several billions of dollars overbudget? It was as if there wasn't any proper oversight with the project. A few of those lost billions could have gone towards a bus and train tunnel near the Lion Bridge (LGB). And, a bus and LRT bridge beside the Iron Bridge.
There are always allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement around the world. However, the Greater Vancouver Region has been stuck with several watered down versions of what should be proper BIG city size infrastructure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWeMvBEbok4 ...but the LRT is still pretty good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2nCtKvkujg
https://www.calgary.ca/major-projects/transit-blue-line-lrt-extension.html
https://www.calgary.ca/planning/projects/transit-green-blue-line-connector.html
https://pub-calgary.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=145966
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POcg0oFvVf8
The larger Portland, Seattle and the Vancouver, BC (V-BC) region has a lot of growth potential. However, Seattle size buildings haven't been allowed in Portland and in Vancouver, BC. Nothing like a 12 lane Ship Canal Bridge has been allowed in Portland and Vancouver. While Oregon and backwater BC haven't been able to thwart the largest city in Washington State, Seattle might eventually become more of a magnet in pulling more people into the area between Portland and V-BC.
Right now, Vancouver, WA (V-WA) still has a wider bridge than V-BC. Most of the V-BC bridges are so damn narrow that its not possible to have an efficient regional express bus network. As long as there is a refusal to build proper BRT bridges as part of a regional system, it remains a sad joke.
The Skytrain (LRT) was built with shorter stations than what the underground stations in Seattle and Edmonton are at. Whenever possible, the Skytrain stations are shorter than the C Train stations in Calgary, DART stations in Dallas and even the Max in Portland.
The biggest mistake of the Skytrain was to not build all of the stations with a future level clearance to eventually have Montreal Metro size stations of 500 feet or 152.5 m. Instead, the first 2 lines only have 80 m stations and the line to YVR (The Canada embarrassment Line) is only 50 m. Backwater BC logic is that a 5 car Skytrain could run twice as frequent as a 9 car Montreal Metro train. Someday, a 2.5 car YVR-Canada Line train could also run much more frequently than a 9 car Montreal Metro train.
There is just one key problem with that type of BC logic. While initially constructing short stations and having short trains can save money, its not proper BIG city size infrastructure. In the long run, it costs more to try to lengthen stations for longer BIG city type trains.
The Iron Bridge should have had a bus, truck and LRT bridge built next to it decades ago.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Second+Narrows+Bridge
Why BC, Canada Got it Right With its New SkyTrain https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqo_KAEF81k
The argument is that a mostly elevated train can move more people than an 8-10 lane elevated freeway, at much less the cost. However, any major urban grade-separated LRT system should be designed to eventually become a very high capacity conduit.
The first 2 lines only have 80 m stations, which are just a little more than half the length of a 152.5 m Montreal Metro station. Unfortunately, the line to Richmond only has a designed level clearance for 50 m stations, not even quite a 3rd of the length of a Montreal Metro station platform.
While it might seem economical to opt for short trains and stations, the Skytrain stations should have still been designed to eventually become more like a proper big city train station allowing for much higher capacity.
The first 2 lines can run the newest 5 car trains, but the 3rd line can only run 2.5 car trains, some day.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ironworkers_Memorial_Second_Narrows_Crossing#Collapse
After the collapse, there was a chance that the Iron_Bridge (IwB) could have been totally redesigned, but this is BC. Its very difficult in BC to design transportation infrastructure with significant future capacity. The Iron Bridge should have been built along the lines of the 12 lane Ship_Canal_Bridge (SCB) in Seattle. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_Canal_Bridge
Unlike Seattle and Washington State, so much in BC is built to a provincial backwater standard. Thus, nothing on the scale of the SCB has ever been allowed in BC. https://pauldorpat.com/2014/05/17/seattle-now-then-the-ship-canal-bridge Sunce an LRT line wasn't possible for the SCB, it runs sort of parallel in a tunnel to the UW. Of course LRT to UBC is still an incomplete BC pipe dream.
The IwB should have had at least 8 lanes on an upper deck and 4 lanes on a lower deck for extra bus and truck lanes. There should have also been a provision for 2 LRT tracks on a lower deck, but that would be properly planning for the future.
Unfortunately, the Vancouver Mind Virus (VMV) ruined the Burrard-Bridge. The Burrard_Street Bridge (BSB) opened with 6 lanes and a lower level provision for a double track streetcar crossing.
Foolishly, because the city didn't want to build a parallel bike bridge, 2 lanes were removed from the BSB. This has made it very unlikely that the BSB will be able to have 2 bus lanes. No lower level streetcar crossing was ever built. Yet, a streetcar line on both side of False Creek could have been a nice thing to have up and running. Ironically, Vancouver was one of the first cities to get rid of its streetcars and will likely be one of the last to bring them back. The VMV is such a horrible thing, yet it officially doesn't exist.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Second+Narrows+Bridge
