Showing posts sorted by date for query SkyTrain-Canada Line. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query SkyTrain-Canada Line. Sort by relevance Show all posts

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 17, 2026

The Oakridge–41st Avenue Station

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/oakridge-41st-avenue-station-early-closure-construction-august-2026

 https://www.richmond-news.com/highlights/vancouver-canada-line-station-close-early-august-2026-12675151 

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.

The YVR-Canada Line since 2009

The Canada_Line opened with 2 car trains and is still running just 2 car trains. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1ouk0VifwM&t=817s

https://thecanadaline.com/station-history No reasonable attempt was made to make sure that the stations could eventually accommodate at least 5 car trains. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_Line#Stations The inadequate 50 m stations can only accommodate a 2.5 car train, not a 5 car train.

https://globalnews.ca/news/5778392/canada-line-10-year-anniversary/

https://buzzer.translink.ca/2024/08/skytrains-canada-line-marks-15th-anniversary/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_Line#Technology 

https://www.atkinsrealis.com/en/projects/the-canada-line 

https://thetyee.ca/News/2025/01/31/Canada-Line-New-Stop-Years-Making/ 

https://www.bb-gi.com/investment/canada-line/ 

 Airport to Downtown Vancouver Transit Guide (Don't Take a Taxi!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bNYrJhUgu0

https://www.railforthevalley.com/latest-news/zweisystem/should-we-convert-the-canada-line-to-light-rail-2 

 This $9 Train Saves You $40 at Vancouver Airport (YVR to Canada Place) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxUpww86dow

Fortunately, the REM trains in Montreal can accommodate 4 car trains, as does the Skyline_(Honolulu). 

The big mistake for all 3 of the Skytrain lines was not having all of the stations to be capable of accommodating 6-8 car trains. Plus, allowing for a future level station clearance of 153 m-160 m. That would have allowed Greater Vancouver to start of with short REM & Skyline type trains, with the capability to eventually have trains as long as those on the Montreal_Metro.  

Proper big city transportation infrastructure is so difficult to plan and build in backwards BC.


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

Sunday, August 16, 2026

New South Wales H set trains

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

Train length81.55 m (267 ft 6+5⁄8 in)
Car length
  • 20.34 m (66 ft 8+3⁄4 in) (OD)
  • 20,435 mm (67 ft 1⁄2 in) (ON/ONL)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_South_Wales_H_set#Design 

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

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



Example of selective door operation. The doors in the first 2 carriages are not opened, because the platform is too short for an 8-carriage OSCAR train. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_door_operation (SDO)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Selective_Door_Operation.jpg/960px-Selective_Door_Operation.jpg 
This platform can accommodate 6 out of an 8 car heavy-rail train. 

This means that an extra car or 2 can be added to a shorter train, even if the station isn't long enough. 

Thus, before lengthening the stations on the first 2 Skytrain lines, a 5 car train could become a 7 car train. Perhaps even a 9 car train, like with the Montreal Metro trains. Eventually, the stations on the first 2 Skytrain lines could be lengthened for 7 car trains and whenever possible, 9 car trains.

Unfortunately, the 50 m level station clearance for the YVR-Canada Line trains wasn't designed for 5 car, 100 m trains, just a 2.5 car joke of a train. However, with some platform modifications and some very slight station lengthening, three 20 m cars might be possible, instead of a 2.5 car joke of a train.  

Then, once a 3 car, 60 m train is adapted to a 50-55 m platform, SDO can enable an extra car at each end to become a 5 car train. Perhaps ultimately, there could even be an extra 2 cars at each end of the middle 3 car train, to become a 7 car train.


Tuesday, August 11, 2026

A look inside Broadway-City Hall Station's future Canada Line-Millennium Line interchange

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/broadway-city-hall-station-canada-millennium-lines-skytrain-interchange-construction 

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. 


Saturday, July 25, 2026

Vancouver SkyTrain Front Window View - King George Station to Vancouver Waterfront

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLOYm6u8ecc 

This really should be a line from Langley to West Vancouver, someday.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VPFqSyi1Z4&t=50s Line 3 or line C or C Line? Perhaps the YVR-Canada Line. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHuus0AHPRw  

This ultimately should be a line from Delta to YVR and to West Vancouver.



 History of the SkyTrain https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP4RUBp1Ucw

Greater Vancouver's SkyTrain Network Evolution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXF44HciCe8  


Why the SkyTrain and DLR are So Unique https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrMISsHZ85s

Monday, July 6, 2026

New replacement George Massey Tunnel to cost $8.5 billion and opening in September 2031

 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

Saturday, June 27, 2026

How much will Vancouver change by 2036?

 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. 


Sunday, June 21, 2026

How the Seattle to Vancouver area could become a megaregion

 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. 

Wednesday, June 17, 2026

Can the SkyTrain in BC, Canada ever become a very high capacity system?

 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.

Monday, June 8, 2026

The Unusual transportation approaches used in Vancouver

 https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/history/5-of-a-kind-unusual-modes-of-transportation-used-or-nearly-used-in-vancouver-12388220 

Vancouver is such an unusual and backwards city with its inefficient and congestive approach towards transportation infrastructure.

Getting rid of the streetcars and interurban trams was utterly foolish! Fortunately, such MADNE$$ wasn't adopted in Melbourne, SF, Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia and New Orleans. 

Just because a no freeways mandate was chosen for Vancouver, the streets should have been kept wide enough for busses as well as other vehicles. 

https://movementyvr.ca/the-case-of-vancouvers-nine-missing-bus-lanes

Despite most of the Vancouver bridges being too narrow, some bridge lanes were removed, because the city wasn't interested in building parallel bike bridges. 

Since most of the bridges are so narrow, there isn't enough room for proper express bus lanes. Of course the city isn't interested in building parallel bus bridges next to the narrow bridges. 

Since Vancouver is supposed to be a major, properly functioning city in Western Canada, the city should have pressed the designers of the first 2 Skytrain lines to make sure that all of the 80 m stations could gradually be extended to 152.5 m, the same as the 500 foot long Montreal Metro stations and trains.

Unlike the first 2 Skytrain lines, the Canada Line was only designed to ultimately have 50 m stations and trains. A 2 billion dollar line to YVR could have been designed in such a way that would have allowed it to look and function like a proper big-city passenger train. 

A commuter train to the North Shore keeps taking a long time to be finalized.

https://northshoreconnects.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/BIRT-Benefits-Assessment_Final.pdf

Think small and build backwards, or not at all. 

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

SkyTrain YVR-Canada Line

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkyTrain_(Vancouver)#Canada_Line , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxTEBfxYH0g


https://buzzer.translink.ca/2010/08/canada-line-and-the-olympics "For the 17-day Games period, the Canada Line carried over 3,881,986 passengers, with the most ever riding on Friday, February 19: 287,000 riders!" 

https://www.bcaviationcouncil.org/canada-line-continues-to-break-records-translink/

TransLink's Hyundai Rotem EMU cars have been operating since 2009 and have played a massive role for the City of Richmond, Vancouver and YVR. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1ouk0VifwM   

https://archive.news.gov.bc.ca/releases/news_releases_2005-2009/2009tran0002-000047.htm "During the Olympic Games, there were approximately 230,000 daily trips on the Canada Line." 

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/short-platforms-and-trains-is-the-skytrain-canada-line-under-built-and-nearing-capacity

https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/1eu70hl/skytrains_canada_line_marks_15th_anniversary/ 

https://francesbula.com/uncategorized/is-the-canada-line-at-maximum-capacity-no-will-it-be-in-a-decade-depends-on/ 

https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/5t97h9/this_is_why_the_canada_line_has_been_far_less/ 

https://globalnews.ca/news/90468/canada-line-races-toward-capacity/

https://www.reddit.com/r/askvan/comments/1fsfptv/why_are_the_current_canada_line_cars_designed_the/ 

TransLink offers cyclists a lift to BC Ferries, but on weekends only

 https://www.nsnews.com/2026-world-cup/translink-offers-cyclists-a-lift-to-bc-ferries-weekends-only-12332483 

Unfortunately, due to the decades of inept regional transportation planning, no bus bridge or BRT tunnel was ever built next to the D Island Tunnel. While the new tunnel is supposed to have 2 bus lanes, there won't be any HOV lanes and especially no provision for LRT. 

Ultimately, the YVR-Canada Line should be extended to Ladner and the Tsawwassen Ferry terminal. A special train bridge or tunnel should be built with a provision for 2 BRT lanes, since BC doesn't seem to want a 24hr Skytrain. 

Monday, June 1, 2026

Yaletown–Roundhouse station's fare gate capacity increased by 66%

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/skytrain-yaletown-roundhouse-station-additional-fare-gates-completed 

The Canada line is such a watered down version of what should have been a proper big city airport and ferry rapid transit link. Just because this infrastructure project had to be scaled down during its first phase, the stations still could have been designed to eventually accommodate 5-6 car trains. Unfortunately, the stations were only designed to accommodate a 2.5 car train. While this perfectly fits in with the inept urban transportation mentality and especially fits in with the BC congestive transportation agenda, this is another sad result. 

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/skytrain-yaletown-roundhouse-station-fare-gate-expansion

Despite being downtown with several condominiums around, the Yaletown-Roundhouse_station is too small for an inner-city station.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaletown-Roundhouse_station#Station_information 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/Yaletown_Roundhouse_Stn.jpg/1280px-Yaletown_Roundhouse_Stn.jpg 

There is barely enough level clarence beyond the short platform for another car. To remedy this inadequate situation, this line needs to have three full-size cars, not just some eventual 2.5 car joke of a train. 

https://www.eke-electronics.com/automatic-selective-door-operation-asdo 

Then eventually, once people got used to a 3 car train, an extra car could be added at each end, resulting in a 5 car train. Its a workaround that can eventually enable the 3rd line or the C Line to run 3-5 cars trains to meet demand. 

Then the Exp. Line and Mil. Line, or what could become A & B lines with standard 5 car trains. However, during the busy times, a 7 car train could be possible with selective-door-operation technology. 

It would have been better to have just built all of the Skytrain stations long enough for 5 car trains in the first place, with enough level track clearance for 10 car trains eventually.

Sunday, May 31, 2026

Vancouver 450 ft and Fahrenheit 451

Was a 450 foot height restriction just by chance, or was it intentionally made to be very close to 451 Fahrenheit? Despite being around the same size as Paris, Boston & SF, Vancouver remains as a very restrictive city. 

Any tall building in SL City is under 450 feet. Honolulu is still stuck around the 450 foot maximum, while San Diego is stuck at 500 feet. Even Rio DeGennaro still has shorter buildings than Vancouver, BC. Washington, DC has strict height limitations like Paris. However, W,DC could eventually set up their own equivalent of La_Defense. Its a fine example of allowing tall buildings just beyond the city limits.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit_451 (1953) By the 1950s, so many things were already banned, watered down or scaled back in provincial backwater Vancouver. Generations later, there was the No Fun City mind virus that further tried to cancel out things in such a small city with so much red tape and other ridiculous obstacles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit_451_(1966_film) By the mid and late1960s, the city made sure that its first office tower to have more than 29 floors wouldn't be until the 1970s. Its highly doubtful that Vancouver will have an office tower at, or over 40 stories by 2030. However, Burnaby and Surrey could, because they aren't under the extreme restrictions of the Vancouver Mind Virus (VMV). 

It wasn't until 1973 when Vancouver allowed its first building to be taller than the Los_Angeles_City_Hall. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_City_Hall 

The Scotia_Tower (stump) is a good reference point to visualize the small scale of backwater Vancouver, as its about the same height as the Los_Angeles_City_Hall at 453'. 

https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/scotia-tower/4396 453'

https://skyscraperpage.com/b65/vancouver/the-scotia-tower 452' 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Wall_Centre It opened in 2001 at 157.8 m (518 ft). Its 49 feet shorter than the Philadelphia_City_Hall.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_City_Hall Opened in 1901 at 548 ft (167 m).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit_451_(2018_film) By 2018 it was quite apparent that Vancouver was in the process of allowing for more buildings over 450 feet. However, nothing has been permitted to reach 700 feet, so far. A tower over 1000 feet would help to water down its provincial mindset. 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/Vancouver_panorama_%2849988799796%29_%28cropped%29.jpg/3840px-Vancouver_panorama_%2849988799796%29_%28cropped%29.jpg

SF, Sydney & Auckland are just as scenic as Vancouver & warmer throughout the year. They all have taller building than what Vancouver currently permits. Seattle is just as scenic as Vancouver, but its allowed to function like a proper big city, because it doesn't have the imposed restrictions like Vancouver has. While its cold, damp & depressing like Vancouver during the fall & winter, Seattle usually gets noticeably hotter summers than Vancouver, BC. The tallest building in Seattle is the 76 story B of A office tower. 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/57/LA_Skyline_Mountains2.jpg/1280px-LA_Skyline_Mountains2.jpg While the L.A. City Hall looks like a stump there, in Vancouver it would still be one of the prominent buildings.

Everything is so small or scaled back in Vancouver. Even the Greater Vancouver mountains aren't allowed to be as tall as the ones in L.A. While the San_Francisco_Bay & Port_Phillip Bay by Melbourne are big next to their cities, English_Bay in_Vancouver is so much smaller. Its even smaller than Elliott_Bay by Seattle. 

Vancouver really needs to have bus and HOV bridges built next to its mostly narrow & congested bridges. Only a 5 car Skytrain is the max on the first 2 lines and ultimately, just a 2.5 car joke of a train on the YVR-Canada Line. 

Selective+Door+Operation can allow a short train to have an extra car at each end, despite a shorter platform. 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5e/Vancouver_sunset_%28J%29.jpg/3840px-Vancouver_sunset_%28J%29.jpg 
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/Los_Angeles_with_Mount_Baldy.jpg/3840px-Los_Angeles_with_Mount_Baldy.jpg

Australia like the USA, has some big & tall cities on the Pacific Rim. However, Vancouver symbolically kept watering down its size, because that's how you demonstrate a reluctance towards proper urban planning & growth. 

Oddly enough, the imposed small scale Vancouver mentality & agenda wasn't adopted by most cities around the world. Officially, there is no Vancouver Mind Virus (VMV), but somehow something like it keeps manifesting, just like the BCMV. 

Despite its size, Canada has less than 1% of the worlds population. Its been difficult enough just for Canada to even have half of 1% of the worlds population. 

One expects Melbourne and Sydney to be proper big cities. However, Australia has big stuff at both ends of the country. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Leo_Hielscher_Bridges#Design Its a 12 lane crossing in Brisbane. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narrows_Bridge_(Perth) 10 lanes with 2 commuter train tracks in the middle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brisbane_Skytower It has 90 floors. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q1_(building) Almost has 80 floors.

Perth Central_Park_(skyscraper) at 51 floors and 108_St_Georges_Terrace at 50. Very restrictive Vancouver still won't permit any office tower to have a 40th floor. Calgary and Seattle each have a few over 50 stories.


So far, provincial Halifax hasn't been allowed to be on a similar scale as Boston and Montreal. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angus_L._Macdonald_Bridge 3 lanes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._Murray_MacKay_Bridge 4 lanes. 


The scale of Vancouver is kept below that of Calgary & Seattle or even Auckland, in some ways.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lions_Gate_Bridge A classic 3 lane BC bottleneck-chokepoint. No parallel bus and truck tunnels and especially, no LRT tunnel. 

Provincial backwater Victoria isn't allowed to be on a similar scale of Wellington, NZ.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnson_Street_Bridge Another BC 3 lane wonder.

Friday, May 22, 2026

Canada Line station platforms being extended for interchange hub with Broadway Subway

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/canada-line-broadway-city-hall-station-platform-extension-millennium-line-interchange Fortunatly, the planning for the TTC Subway, Montreal Metro & Edmonton LRT, all have much longer stations than what backwards Vancouver settled for. 

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/skytrain-canada-line-rebuilding

Once all of the YVR-Canada Line stations have 50-metre-long platforms, it will become quite apparent that the long-range planning for 5 car trains wasn't seriously considered. The 50 m stations will only be long enough for a 2.5 car joke of a train. 

However, there is a potential to work around this particular manifestation of the Vancouver Mind Virus. Selective_door_operation can allow for longer trains, despite the ridiculous short Vancouver stations. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_door_operation#International_variations


There is such a problem with Vancouver and BC in general of not properly planning for future transportation infrastructure expansion. 

https://www.railforthevalley.com/latest-news/zweisystem/the-skytrain-lobby-get-over-it/

Thursday, May 21, 2026

The new Capstan Station recorded SkyTrain's fourth-lowest ridership after one year

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

Wow, this picture almost makes it look like its a big-city train station and not just a 2 car train joke. The CLine should have opened with 5-6 car trains, or at least 3 car trains. Any station can have the potential of becoming more popular, especially when there are more residential and business structures close to it. 

The Can-Line could really benefit from Selective+Door+Operation, which would allow for longer trains.


How Copenhagen built a metro for free https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzamwVH3CXU&t=8s At least this could run 3 car trains right from when it started.

Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Is the SkyTrain (YVR) Canada Line under-built and nearing capacity, because of Short platforms and trains?

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/short-platforms-and-trains-is-the-skytrain-canada-line-under-built-and-nearing-capacity

Its one thing to build a line with stations that are only a 3rd of the length of a Montreal Metro station, but to no not properly allow for enough future level clearance is so inept. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_door_operation#International_variations

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/skytrain-canada-line-rebuilding 

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/canada-line-skytrain This and the 3 lane Lion Bridge should get an award for the blatant symbolism of not wanting to build proper big-city infrastructure in backwards BC.