Vancouver 450 ft and Fahrenheit 451

Was a 450 foot height restriction just a chance, or was it intentionally made to be very close to 451 Fahrenheit?

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit_451 (1953) By the 1950s, so many things were already banned, watered down or scaled back in provincial Vancouver. Generations later, there was the No Fun Vancouver 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 over 40 stories by 2030. However, Burnaby and Surrey could, because they aren't under the extreme restrictions of Vancouver.

The Scotia_Tower (stump) is a good reference point to visualize the small scale of backwater Vancouver.

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

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

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. 

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, a 2.5 car joke of a train on the YVR-Canada Line. 

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Selective+Door+Operation

First train now rolling on Broadway Subway for active testing ahead of late 2027 opening

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/broadway-subway-millennium-line-skytrain-extension-train-testing

Nothing like testing with trains from the 1980s in the 2020s.

 https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/broadway-subway-project-first-run-vancouver-2026-12350017 

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Skytrain

New Westminster business community concerned 3 months after stal̕əw̓asəm Bridge opened

 https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/05/25/new-westminster-businesses-concerned-3-months-after-stal%c9%99was%c9%99m-bridge/ 

BC bottleneck-chokepoint planning is out of control. This new bridge not only should have had 2 wide emergency lanes, 2 wide shoulders and especially 2 bus lanes, since the Skytrain isn't a 24 hour system. Congestive transportation planning is absurd and of no benefit to anyone. However, as a symbolic demonstration of a reluctance towards proper big-city infrastructure, its right on the mark for backwards BC. Of course the bridge wasn't designed for a future lower deck, because properly planning for the future is very difficult in backwater BC. 

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/05/25/new-westminster-businesses-concerned-3-months-after-stal%C9%99was%C9%99m-bridge/

https://www.pattullobridgereplacement.ca/about/projectoverview/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stal%CC%95%C9%99w%CC%93as%C9%99m_Bridge

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/

Vancouver's Mark 1 SkyTrain History

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHzj0vDg13U 

Unfortunately, the stations were only designed to accommodate 6 short cars on an 80 m platform. Eventually, even with the longer cars, Selective+Door+Operation will be necessary to allow for longer trains.

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.

Surrey Langley SkyTrain Progress

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

Surrey-Langley Skytrain | From Bakerview 166 St Station to Langley City Centre St.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQtJJ-j49F4

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

Vancouver’s NEW Mark V SkyTrain

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXNDGm8u364 

Many proper big cities have 10 car trains. Its taken slow Vancouver just to start having 5 car trains.

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Selective+Door+Operation

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.

Cambie and Broadway–City Hall station

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadway-City_Hall_station

 https://www.google.com/maps/place/Broadway-City+Hall/@49.2633144,-123.1176458,850m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m15!1m8!3m7!1s0x548673f143a94fb3:0xbb9196ea9b81f38b!2sVancouver,+BC!3b1!8m2!3d49.2827291!4d-123.1207375!16zL20vMDgwaDI!3m5!1s0x548673dd78271e43:0xe3c5e9b2c05b7174!8m2!3d49.26283!4d-123.1145299!16zL20vMGN2N2R6!5m1!1e2?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDUwNi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Line#Broadway_extension 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial-Broadway_station

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Commercial-Broadway/@49.2625285,-123.0712046,845m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m15!1m8!3m7!1s0x548673f143a94fb3:0xbb9196ea9b81f38b!2sVancouver,+BC!3b1!8m2!3d49.2827291!4d-123.1207375!16zL20vMDgwaDI!3m5!1s0x5486714929652bf1:0x1e360e906241981!8m2!3d49.262623!4d-123.0692365!16zL20vMDVyMGZ0!5m1!1e2?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDUwNi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expo_Line_(SkyTrain)#History 

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Selective+Door+Operation

Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension hits major project milestone

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/surrey-langley-skytrain-station-milestone 

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Selective+Door+Operation

Link 2 Line Cabview POV Seattle to Redmond Eastbound

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlJHHuLdOj0 

Unlike backwards Vancouver, Seattle, WA has longer underground stations, just like Edmonton has. Longer stations make it easier to have longer trains. 

The Narrows Bridge in Perth, WA, Australia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6mVXcX-4h4 It has 5 lanes each way and 2 commuter train tracks. The Homer_M._Hadley_Memorial_Bridge is part of an 8 lane I-5 crossing with 2 LRT tracks. The Samuel-De_Champlain_Bridge has 8 lanes, plus 2 REM commuter train tracks. These 3 fantastic bridges were all possible, because they aren't in heavily restrictive Vancouver. Plus, WA and Que. never wanted to adopt the BC-B$ approach to things.

Unfortunately, in backwards BC, the 1st two Skytrain lines only have 80m stations and the YVR-Canada Line has 50m joke stations. Some of the stations on the first 2 lines might have enough level clearance to only have an extra car at either end of a lengthened platform. 

However, the shortsighted Canada Line wasn't designed to eventually accommodate 5 car trains, just a 2.5 car joke of a train, someday. It was as if someone thought that there was no need to have enough level clearance so that the very short stations could be double or tripled in length eventually.

At least by 2025, the first SkyTrain line was running some 5 car trains. Unfortunately in 2026, the 2nd Line and the 3rd Line are still only running 2 car joke trains. Every Skytrain line should have had stations designed to eventually accommodate 8-10 cars trains, but that's what a proper big city would do. Backwards Vancouver wants to hold out for as long as possible, by symbolically building small.

New five-way pedestrian scramble for busy crossing between Metrotown mall and SkyTrain station to be installed this summer

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/central-boulevard-skytrain-metrotown-station-burnaby-mall-pedestrian-crossing

Police incident sparks early morning SkyTrain chaos in downtown Vancouver

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-skytrain-incident-april-28

One-in-three Metro Vancouver residents unaware Broadway Subway ends at Arbutus Station, requiring buses to UBC for the remaining trip

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/ubc-skytrain-extension-project-support-survey 

https://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/millennium-line-ubc-extension.aspx 

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/driving-and-transportation/transportation-infrastructure/planning/planningtogetherbc/feature-sheets/ptbc_in_action_millennium_line_skytrain_ubcx.pdf 

https://cityhallwatch.wordpress.com/2025/10/07/ubcx-no-brainer-council-motion-is-a-brain-test/

New poll shows strong region-wide support for SkyTrain extension to UBC

"More than three-quarters of respondents say they support the project." https://news.ubc.ca/2026/04/strong-support-skytrain-extension-to-ubc 

https://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/millennium-line-ubc-extension.aspx

Eight more Mark V trains are now in service on SkyTrain's Expo Line

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/skytrain-mark-v-trains-incoming-arrivals-april-2026 

While the Montreal Metro can run 9 car trains and Auckland is planning to eventually have 9 car trains, the 1st Skytrain line can only run 5 car trains. The 2nd and 3rd Skytrain lines are still only running 2 car joke trains.

Combine that with mostly narrow regional bridges, and BC is clearly maintaining its congestive transportation agenda.

Vancouverites have some of the longest commutes in Canada

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-longest-commute-canada 

With most of the regional bridges being too narrow, there isn't enough space for proper express bus+lanes or BRT lanes. Plus, the first 2 Skytrain lines only have the potential to accommodate 5 car trains. The Canada (Embarrassment) Line wasn't designed to eventually have 5 car trains, only 2.5 car trains. Narrow bridges and short trains are all part of the symbolic reluctance towards having proper big city size infrastructure.

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=bus+and+bike+bridge