Urban Tech Links: UTL: Search results for Massey Tunnel replacement

While a 10 lane bridge would have allowed a provision for a train to eventually run between Richmond and Delta, such a train would go against the congestive planning mentality that is BC.

Of course a train tunnel or bridge will have to eventually link Richmond and Delta, someday. Despite an opportunity to improve regional rail transportation, the BC government just doesn't see it as important enough of a project yet.

Thursday, March 5, 2026

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

Monday, February 2, 2026

Any Potential of Reviving the 10-lane George Massey bridge project remains inconclusive

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/george-massey-bridge-replacement-ian-black-bc-conservatives

Even if the tunnel crossing was expanded decades ago, there would still need to be a 21st century bridge in the area.

Thursday, November 6, 2025

Expect noise, vibration during upcoming Massey Tunnel replacement

https://www.delta-optimist.com/local-news/expect-noise-vibration-during-upcoming-massey-tunnel-replacement-11436394 This B$ should have been done a few decades ago.

A 10 lane bridge with 2 bus lanes, 2 HOV lanes & 2 wide shoulder-emergency lanes, plus at least 3 general lanes each way, could have been a nice wide crossing. Some 12 lanes, including the 2 emergency lanes. Plus, a provision for at least 2 LRT tracks.

Instead, it's a 3 lane each way tunnel with the 4th being a bus lane. No HOV lanes and no emergency lanes & especially, no train tube section.

So, just like the YVR-Canada (embarrassment) Line, this new 8 lane tunnel will eventually require some major upgrades.

Eventually, a YVR-Canada Line bridge or tunnel will have to be built so that someday, trains can go between the airport and the ferry terminal. Such a train crossing should be parallel to the new highway tunnel. A new train tunnel or bridge should have at least 3 tracks, 2 rapid bus lanes and 2 bike lanes and sidewalks. Then the bus lanes in the highway tunnel could become HOV lanes.

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Massey+Tunnel+replacement

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Richmond+and+Delta

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

BC continues a go-slow approach to the Massey tunnel replacement as fears of a price rise grow

https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/bc-ndp-go-slow-approach-massey-tunnel-replacement-fears-of-price-rise-grow

This is the epitome of multigenerational BC transportation planning ineptness & B$!

https://www.biv.com/news/commentary/rob-shaw-ndps-massey-tunnel-quagmire-keeps-sinking-deeper-10646645

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Massey+Tunnel+replacement

Monday, May 12, 2025

The Richmond-Delta Tunnel

It was first called, the Deas Island Tunnel and then the George_Massey_Tunnel. Perhaps the new tunnel will be given a different name. This narrow tunnel has been a serious chokepoint for several decades. Apparently, there wasn't any proper big city planning, despite there being a ferry terminal & the Delta Port facilities.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Massey_Tunnel#Replacement

Even the new tunnel will be symbolic or indicative of not having a train between the Delta ferry terminal and YVR. The new tunnel or crossing should have been built in 2 phases.

First, the two 4 lane sections for general traffic & buses. Then, as port & truck traffic increases, a train & truck tunnel or bridge should be built.

https://www.richmond-news.com/local-news/province-considering-filling-george-massey-tunnel-with-sand-8777369

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Massey+Tunnel+replacement

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Richmond+and+Delta

Thursday, October 17, 2024

Cancelled 10-lane George Massey Bridge plan was designed to enable future new SkyTrain line

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/george-massey-tunnel-bridge-replacement-skytrain-option

The tunnel option should have still included an additional section for at least something like the Edmonton_LRT.

Wednesday, July 31, 2024

LRT, Semi-metro and Heavy Rail Rapid Transit...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_rail , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_rail#Types ,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_rail#Comparison_to_other_rail_transit_modes

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-metro

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

Of course when Vancouver & the greater urban region became obsessed with keeping the roads & bridges narrow, it was as if there wasn't a proper concept of having express bus lanes & dedicated rapid bus lanes.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/translink-funding-issues-impacts-traffic-congestion

The 1959 George_Massey_Tunnel should have opened with 3 lanes each way. Plus, 2 wide emergency lanes. Then over the course of its first 2 decades, it could have become a 6 lane crossing with 2 bus & HOV lanes.

By the 1980s, the inept 4 lane George_Massey_Tunnel should have had a parallel higher & wider bus & HOV tunnel consisting of at least another 4 lanes & at least 2 emergency lanes. Thus making it more capable as an eventual replacement to the old tunnel. Then by around 2000, there should have been a bike, truck & train bridge or tunnel as well.

A George_Massey_Tunnel#Replacement by 2030? The first phase of this really should have been started by the 1980s. Of course the new tunnel with 8 lanes & 2 bike lanes, won't have 2 truck lanes & there won't be 2 HOV lanes. Plus, in accordance with a perpetual congestive planning mentality, there is no provision for an extension of the Canada Line to Delta.

The new tunnel should not only have had 3 general lanes each way & 1 bus lane each way, there should be 1 truck lane each way as well. Plus, 2 wide emergency lanes which could eventually be repurpose for a north & southbound rapid bus transit corridor. That's because, even if there is ever a YVR-Canada-Line to the ferry terminal, it won't be open 24 hours.

Someday the YVR-Canada-Line should not only have 2.5 car trains, but an actual 5 car train consisting of five, 20m coaches. Selective_door_operation technology would make this possible. Of course it would have simply been much better to have designed all the stations to already be at least 100m, instead of the inept 50m. Unfortunately, backward BC thinking keeps getting in the way.

https://www.richmond-news.com/local-news/province-considering-filling-george-massey-tunnel-with-sand-8777369 Despite the old tunnels height restrictions, a slightly smaller version of the Road_Train could have been ideal for it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_train#Trailer_arrangements

Keeping the old tunnel as a freight corridor between Delta & Richmond would be of tremendous benefit. Delta has the Roberts_Bank_Superport & the Tsawwassen_ferry_terminal.

Richmond has the Vancouver_International_Airport & the inept Canada_Line.

Despite budget limits at the time, the Canada_Line should have been designed to eventually have 5 car trains & ultimately, 10 car trains. It should have been envisioned as a high capacity rail link between downtown Vancouver, YVR, Richmond & Delta. With an ultimate connection between the Tsawwassen_ferry_terminal and the Horseshoe_Bay_ferry_terminal.

For some reason Vancouver & BC never seemed to really take off in the 1980s like Calgary, Seattle & Perth. Indeed, while Vancouver seemed to continue on its sleepwalking path after Expo_86, Brisbane really started to boom after its World_Expo_88.

Unlike SW BC, the Brisbane Airport & seaport are much closer to each other.

https://upload.wikimedia.org If you are from Brisbane & visiting Vancouver, you will be shocked to see such a short airport train. Being from Vancouver, its difficult to grasp how Brisbane was able to build such nice long trains. This is something to be very proud of, as it can move a lot of people in both directions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Airport_railway_station,_Brisbane This opened in 2001 & Vancouver's inept version had to be ready by 2010 with just 2 car trains. Yet, Brisbane designed their train to be high capacity capable as soon as it open for service. From a backwards BC perspective, it's amazing how Queensland is able to think & function on such a grand scale & to properly allocate the necessary funds. Who knows where so much of the funds went in BC? That's because not enough of it seems to have gone into the infrastructure.

https:://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver_International_Airport#Rapid_transit_(SkyTrain)

Unfortunately, this is an embarrassment line because, that's not a 4 car train, its only two, 2 car trains on a single track. How can Vancouver ever rank as a proper city & metropolitan area, when the trains are so short & most of the bridges are so narrow?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YVR-Airport_station Why have a double track station allowing for at least 155m - 200m long trains? Do it the backwards BC way with only a single track & a 50m station. This isn't just an example of extreme cost-cutting. Its not properly designing crucial transportation infrastructure for eventual high capacity. Fortunately, most proper big urban areas are able to think & build big right from the start. Case in point is Queensland.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sir+Leo+Hielscher+Bridges,+Queensland,+Australia

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/Gateway_Bridge This 6 lane & then a 12 lane crossing was possible, because Queensland isn't under anything like the backwater BC restrictions.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Leo_Hielscher_Bridges This has the potential to still have 4 lanes each way. Plus, 1 bus lane & 1 HOV lane each way.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_Brisbane , https://www.portbris.com.au ,

https://www.portbris.com.au/portbris-2060

Unlike backwater BC, Queensland is able to properly think, plan, invest & build for the future. Queensland just isn't hindered by anything like the BC Mind Virus (BCMV).

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=YVR-Canada+Line This is almost the worlds shortest train, because it only has 2 cars.

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=old+and+new+narrow+bridges

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Brisbane+Airport+Railway+Line

Tuesday, July 23, 2024

George Massey tunnel-new-replacement-contractor-selected

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/george-massey-tunnel-new-replacement-contractor-selected-bc

This new 8 lane tunnel should be the first phase of a regional transportation crossing. There should be a followup YVR-ferry terminal link between Richmond and Delta, someday.

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Massey+Tunnel+replacement

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Delta+Transportation

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Richmond+and+Delta