https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/ubc-skytrain-bc-election-2026-platforms
Showing posts sorted by date for query SkyTrain. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query SkyTrain. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Saturday, October 24, 2026
Friday, October 23, 2026
SkyTrain to Newton
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/newton-skytrain-extension-considerations-opinion
A SkyTrain+line+from+Whalley+to+Newton and onto White Rock would make a lot of sense. However in the meantime, an express bus line from Surrey_Central_station to Newton_Exchange and especially onto White_Rock_Centre would be so much cheaper than the Skytrain. Eventually, SkyTrain+to+Newton and White Rock will be quite necessary.
https://jf-databits.blogspot.com/search?q=Newton ::
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
The promise of extending SkyTrain to Newton
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-conservatives-skytrain-newton-extension-election-promise
A Skytrain branch to Newton would be a good thing, but BC has a problem with getting enough funding to build proper big city size infrastructure. When things are finally built in BC, the trains are short and most of the bridges are still too narrow.
As usual, Greater Vancouver has been very slow to improve on a regional express bus network. A regional BRT system is still so Half-A$$ED, because there hasn't been a series of proper bus-bridges built over the Inlet and rivers for the past several decades.
Major shortening of the 99 B-Line when the Broadway Subway opens
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/99-b-line-rapidbus-renaming-broadway-subway-millennium-line-skytrain
The train isn't a 24hr system, yet there is a desire to reduce Broadway to only 2 lanes each way. 3 lanes each way would allow for more efficient 24hr bus service.
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Is Skytrain just a basic Airport People Mover?
https://cityhallwatch.wordpress.com/2026/10/13/skytrain-the-people-mover-that-could-by-lewis-villegas/
The biggest mistake about the Skytrain is not allowing enough future level clearance for proper long, big city trains and stations.
The Montreal Metro has a level station clearance of 152.5 m, or 500 feet. It would have costed a lot more in the long run if the stations were only about 66% or 33% of that length. Thus, it was better to build proper big city stations right from the start. Fortunately, the BC Mind Virus (BCMV) never made it to Quebec.
The first 2 Skytrain lines only have 80 m stations, when there should have been enough level clearance for twice that length. Unfortunately, the YVR-Canada Line is still running 2 car trains. All of the YVR-C-Line stations should have been built to accommodate at least 5 car trains. Unfortunately, the 80 m level station clearance can only accommodate a 2.5 car train.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AirTrain_JFK#Rolling_stock No one in any normal big city would even pretend that a short airport people mover could also do the job of a big city subway or metro system. Of course backwards Vancouver had to be different.
Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Old Pattullo Bridge arches to come down this Thanksgiving weekend
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/old-pattullo-bridge-arch-deconstruction-process-october-2026
Over a century ago, there was no concept of having bus lanes across a Fraser River bridge between NW and Surrey.
Even with the new bridge, there aren't 2 dedicated bus lanes. That's despite the Skytrain not being a 24hr system. So, busses have to be funneled into only 2 crowded lanes each way. Its been that way since the late 1930s on the old bridge, as well as the new bridge.
Apparently, in the 1930s, there just wasn't any big city vision to build a significantly wider bridge to better handle the future traffic in the 1960s & 70s. The new bridge should have been built in the 1980s or 90s.
Now, little NW is still stuck with a narrow 4 lane bridge that doesn't even have 2 wide emergency lanes, or 2 wide shoulders, & especially no bus lanes.
"A couple of Pacific Stage Lines buses can be seen at the BCER bus terminal." https://archives.newwestcity.ca/Results.aspx?AC=NEXT_RECORD&XC=/Results.aspx&BU=http%3A%2F%2Farchives.newwestcity.ca%2Fsearch.aspx&GI=&TN=internet&SN=AUTO80&SE=555&RN=8&MR=100&TR=0&TX=1000&ES=0&XP=&RF=WebStartDate&EF=&DF=WebFull&RL=0&EL=0&DL=0&NP=255&ID=&MF=GENERICENGWPMSG.INI&DT=&ST=0&IR=4702&NR=0&NB=0&SV=0&SS=0&BG=&FG=&QS=
https://www.surreyhistory.ca/pacificstage.html
Even the old Port_Mann_Bridge wasn't designed to have 2 bus lanes, just 2 lanes each way with no emergency lanes, or wide shoulders.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Mann_Bridge#Original_bridge Once a 5th lane was squeezed onto the narrow bridge, a parallel 5 lane bridge should have been built. Plus, an extra 2 lane section for express buses and a lower deck provision for future LRT.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Mann_Bridge#Opposition_to_twinning_plan Unlike in Australia, bridge duplication or twinning is culturally difficult in backwards BC.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Mann_Bridge#New_bridge While the new bridge has 10 lanes and can eventually accommodate an LRT line, there should have been a provision for 2 express bus lanes. That's because there is no 24 hour LRT service in Greater Vancouver.
When a train is shutdown for the night, or there is an emergency that stops service, there should always be a high capacity, or rapid bus route in place.
Its very difficult to have a proper regional express bus network in Greater Vancouver. Especially, a proper regional BRT system. That's because most of the bridges are so narrow there isn't enough space for 2 bus lanes.
Since LRT and subways can't cover the entire urban area, the region also needs to have an extensive network of express buses and BRT lines. That can only be accomplished in Greater Vancouver by having a series of bus-bridges.
https://movementyvr.ca/what-even-is-a-brt
Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Sunday, September 27, 2026
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Sunday, September 6, 2026
A Speculative Map of Montreal Metro-REM-EXO
https://www.reddit.com/r/TransitDiagrams/comments/1w9apwg/oc_montreal_metroremexo_speculative_map/
What if Montreal could have a Paris scale of transportation infrastructure? Unfortunately, Greater Montreal hasn't reached the 5 million point yet, let alone 10 million people. Thus, the really big city stuff is still quite a ways off.
At least Montreal isn't stuck with a 3 lane LGB. So far, Vancouver isn't interested in building an express bus tunnel and an LRT tunnel next to the inadequate LGB. A line from Burrard_station to Park+Royal and the Horseshoe+Bay+ferry+terminal would be getting into proper big city transportation infrastructure. Just like a tunnel between Waterfront station and Lonsdale_Quay would be.
At least Le REM wasn't designed to be a 2 car joke of a train like the YVR-Canada+Line is.
The stations on the first 2 Skytrain lines are barely half the length of a 9 car Metro station. While a REM station can accommodate a 4 car train, the Canada+Line stations can only accommodate a 2.5 car train, but only 2 car joke trains, so far.
Sunday, August 30, 2026
Vancouver SkyTrain-Canada Line - Richmond–Brighouse to Waterfront
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdJ9tXAF5s0
Its very sad that a line which opened in 2009 with only 2 car trains, is still only using 2 car trains in 2026. The logic was to save money on construction, so instead of designing the stations to accommodate at least 5 car trains, there is only enough level clearance for 2.5 car trains, someday. The stations could have been designed with enough level clearance to eventually become doubleted in length. Unfortunately, its like a BC Mind Virus (BCMV) got in the way. The BCMV keeps thwarting so much infrastructure in Canada's most western province.
For at least the past decade, there should have already been three, 20 m cars forming a 60 m train. Despite the absurd stations having a level clarence of only 50 m, Selective_door_operation could enable 3 car trains, not just some 2.5 car joke of a train. Even if the platforms can't ever be lengthened by 5-10 m, a 3 car train could still mostly have access to a 50 m station. Then with SDO, an extra car at both ends of the middle 3 cars would become a 5 car train.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_door_operation#International_variations
It just would have been so much better if the stations were at least 60 m from the start. 80 m would have been better, but 100 m stations would almost look like a big city train. Unfortunately, the VMC & BCMV mindset keeps reducing the urban scale of things.
Some other examples are the LGB and the Iron Bridge. The OSB and the KSB...
Saturday, August 29, 2026
Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is Getting MASSIVE Upgrades
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQw18DQ4TlY MA$$IVE Upgrades? Compared to what, other provincial backwaters?
SkyTrain Front Window View - Canada Line to YVR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxTEBfxYH0g This is very sad & pathetic that the stations weren't designed to be long enough to accommodate a 5 car train. The stations can only accommodate a 2.5 car joke of a train. The real sad joke is that the line is still only running 2 car trains on what is supposed to be a major urban area on the Pacific Rim.
Unfortunately, even if Vancouver-Surrey & Abbottsford, Victoria & Nanaimo, Prince Rupert & Kitimat were all upgraded to proper big urban areas on par with Melbourne, Sydney & Brisbane, or even Seattle & Calgary, BC just isn't as warm as Australia, or even NZ for half of of the year. Edmonton & Calgary, Seattle & Portland are able to have wider bridges & roads, and even longer trains than Vancouver to Richmond & Vancouver to Surrey-Langley.
Fortunately, the Pacific Rim part of Australia hasn't been trapped in a provincial backwater mentality like the Pacific Rim part of Canada. For too long there has been a keep BC small and backwards mindset. AKA, the BC Mind Virus (BCMV).
Running short & frequent trains could be seen as a cost saving measure initially, but unless there is a genuine to have proper long big city type trains, the BCMV still wins out. The fanatical approach to keep most of the bridges in BC so narrow has made it very difficult to have a proper regional express bus network, let alone BRT.
The 3 main seaport regions of BC, Greater Vancouver, Victoria-Nanaimo-Kitimat should become proper big city ports on the Pacific Rim. BC is 23 times the size of Switzerland, yet it doesn't even have the population of 1 CH. Canada in turn, has less than half of 1% of the worlds population.
Monday, August 24, 2026
BRT in backwards BC
Of course Greater Vancouver really needs a big city BRT network, but unless a proper series of bus and bike bridges are built, its all just a Half-A$$ED joke of an attempt.
https://www.pattullobridgereplacement.ca/about/projectoverview Of course the new bridge opened without any express bus lanes, especially no BRT corridor. Yet, Skytrain isn't a 24hr system, but a bus can be.
https://www.railforthevalley.com/tag/brt
Saturday, August 22, 2026
The 14 lane George Washington bridge vs...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH6Q8yWjYpM There are wider sections of freeways in the US, but the double deck GWB has the most lanes.
Wow, in backwards Vancouver, or almost anywhere in backwater BC, just having 2 lanes each way is tough enough. A consistent 3rd lane each way could be for busses and a 4th lane for HOVs. Given that Greater Vancouver is supposed to be a major port region, several of the bridges should also have a truck lane each way. However, there is only one bridge in backwards BC that has 5 lanes each way.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Mann_Bridge#New_bridge Unfortunatly, it wasn't designed to have a lower deck. Such a lower deck could have had 2 freight train tracks, 2 commuter train tracks and even a provision for 2 BRT lanes.
Essentially, in any proper big urban area, the bridges should not only provide at least 3 general lanes each way, but a bus and HOV lane each way. That's 5 lanes each way, plus on some crossings that are closer to port activity, there should even be a 6th lane each way. That's the case with the Sir_Leo_Hielscher_Bridges. Unfortunately, unlike Queensland, BC has been very reluctant towards bridge duplication or twinning.
https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/bus-hov-lanes-different-2918490
https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/1d3fixq/hov_and_bus_lanes_how_to_deter_abuse/
While Australia has Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane as its major Pacific Rim gateways, Canada just has provincial Vancouver, Victoria and Prince Rupert as port gateway cities.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Leo_Hielscher_Bridges#Design
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6e/Gateway_Bridge_aerial4.JPG
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Leo_Hielscher_Bridges#Duplication A 12 lane crossing.
The Port_of_Brisbane and the Brisbane_Airport are excellent port facilities in Queensland.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_Brisbane#Facilities
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brisbane_Airport#Rail Far away from the inept transportation planning in Greater Vancouver, Brisbane was able to do things correctly.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airport_line,_Brisbane Unfortunatly, backwards BC just can't seem to properly plan big city type infrastructure.
The YVR-Canada_Line is a total embarrassment!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_Line#Stations Not 150 m, not 100 m, only a 50 m level clarence was allowed for the stations. Even the first 2 Skytrain lines only have 80 m stations, when they should have almost been twice as long.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_Line#Technology Aparently, the inept planning was due to cost saving measures. Thus, instead of designing the stations to be long enough to accommodate 5 car trains, they were only designed to ultimately have 2.5 car trains. Since 2009, the Canada_Line still only has 2 car joke trains.
The Tilikum_Crossing in Portland vs the North_Arm_Bridge between Vancouver and Richmond. The Tilikum_Crossing accommodates 2 bike lanes, 2 footpaths, 2 MAX-LRT tracks, 2 articulated_bus lanes and even streetcars can cross on it. Such a fine bridge just hasn't been allowed in BC.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Arm_Bridge#Details This bridge should have been wide enough to eventually accommodate 2 bike lanes, 2 footpaths and especially, 2 BRT lanes, the the Skytrain doesn't run on a 24hr schedule.
Given that most of the bridges in BC are so narrow, there needs to be proper bus, bike & HOV bridges built.
Transportation infrastructure doesn't have to be such a sad joke in backwards BC.
Friday, August 21, 2026
Thursday, August 20, 2026
Broadway Subway SkyTrain Construction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAevWIf3LLw
Vancouver Skytrain: Commercial Drive to Lincoln Station https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PO0v_JdD1A
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
REM operator apologizes for lack of communication during morning disruptions
At least the REM started out on a grander scale than the Skytrain. With SDO, a 4 car train could easily become 6. Then, as long as there is enough level station clearance, longer platforms should be possible.
Someday, SDO could even allow a 9 car Montreal Metro train to have 11 car trains like in NYC on the 7.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7_(New_York_City_Subway_service)#Fleet 11 car trains.
Monday, August 17, 2026
The Oakridge–41st Avenue Station
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/oakridge-41st-avenue-station-early-closure-construction-august-2026
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Oakridge-41st+Avenue
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/canada-line-skytrain For a line of B$ to have opened in 2009 and is still only using 2 car joke trains is a pretty sad example of inept transportation infrastructure planning.
Even using the argument that it was necessary to have a watered down or scaled back the YVR-Canada+Line to save money, this line of B$ still could have been designed to eventually become a proper big city like train. As long as the 50 m stations were designed with a future level clearance of 130 m to 153 m, the underground stations could have been as long as the Montreal Metro stations, or at least as long as the underground Edmonton LRT stations.
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