Vancouver council boosts budget for roads, sidewalks by $70M

More than 60 per cent of Vancouver’s arterial roads, local streets considered in fair to very poor condition https://www.biv.com/news/economy-law-politics/not-sexy-but-fundamental-vancouver-council-boosts-budget-for-roads-sidewalks-by-70m-11921125 

The cities roads and streets are so inadequate, but Vancouver isn't allowed to become a proper big city.

The decision to not carve up small Vancouver with freeways between the 1950s and 1970s was a wise and novel idea at the time. However, there wasn't any proper foresight over the past several generations to make sure that the cities mostly narrow bridges didn't become bottleneck-chokepoints. 

By now, every bridge should have had a bus and HOV bridge built next to it. Instead, 2 lanes were removed from the Burrard Bridge, 1 lane from the Cambie Bridge and 2 from the Granville Bridge. 

Conveniently, no bike bridges were ever built next to those bridges. Apparently, what was disguised as a cost saving measure by not building proper bike-bridges, the decision was made to remove traffic lanes from some bridges. This all seems to be part of the bottleneck planning mentality. 

It's amazing how several cities around the world are able to build bike-bridges, simply because they aren't under anything like the backwards Vancouver planning agenda. 

Delays out of North Shore continue after truck stalls for hour on Lions Gate Bridge

 https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/02/24/stall-on-lions-gate-bridge-causing-massive-delays-out-of-north-shore/ 

The LGB bottleneck is indicative of how some people don't want Vancouver to become a properly planned functioning big city.

https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/1mehud6/theres_a_single_car_stopped_in_the_only/

Unfortunatly, Vancouver still isn't allowed to function like a real proper big city. For several decades, so many key people, especially urban planners don't want to have a wider structural crossing to at least match what Prince George and Kamloops have. Or, to match what Kelowna has and especially don't want to have what Ft. McMurray has. 

Indeed, most proper major cities by now would have had a 6-8 lane tunnel right under the park and close to the LGB. Georgia Street is already 7 lanes wide in the first few bloks closest to the park, so the potential for a 7-8 lane tunnel should be possible.

An 8 lane tunnel would be best in that the 3 & 4 lane counterflow on Georgia could easily feed into an 8 lane tunnel. Then once in the tunnel there world be 3 standard lanes each way, plus a bus lane each way. 

A commuter train tunnel or an extension of the YVR-Canada Line should also run close to where the LGB is. Unfortunatly, some key people for several decades don't seem to want or understand the benefits of having a train connecting YVR with both of the regional bc-ferries terminals. That's because it could actually help to relieve transportation congestion. https://www.bcferries.com/current-conditions/TSA-SWB

It's always amazing to see what other cities around the world can do, simply because they aren't trapped within the backwards Vancouver mindset or don't have a backwater BC mentality to thwart them. 

https://www.th.gov.bc.ca/atis/lgcws/index.html 

This has to be one of the worlds best examples of bottleneck-chokepoint planning around. 

https://www.translink.ca/schedules-and-maps/skytrain A rail rapid transit connection to both ferry terminals and YVR would be a huge improvement, but it's still not likely in the foreseeable future.

Cities Skylines II

https://store.steampowered.com/app/949230/Cities_Skylines_II/

 https://store.steampowered.com/category/sim_building_automation

Six B.C. cities named 'most livable' but none are among the most affordable

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/metro-vancouver-bc-canada-most-livable-cities

Tree-inspired office tower concept proposed for revived Waterfront Station project

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/601-west-cordova-street-vancouver-waterfront-station-tower-cadillac-fairview-james-cheng 

Singapore, Perth, Sydney, Seattle, SF and Miami are allowed to have tall buildings right near the water, because they are allowed to be big and tall cities.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/555-west-cordova-street-vancouver-the-crystal-office-tower-opposition 

Vancouver has several restrictions which prevent it from becoming a proper big city.

UBC students hold a fake party for 18-year unfulfilled promise of SkyTrain

 https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/ubc-students-birthday-party-skytrain-delay-2026-11742303 

https://www.ams.ubc.ca/news/ubc-students-celebrate-18-years-of-skytrain-delays

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/campbell-unveils-14b-transit-upgrade-for-b-c-1.728772

The UBC-Broadway+Corridor should have been built to the Tri-Cities_(British_Columbia) in 1 or 2 phases. Unfortunatly, the days of a line from Coquitlam to UBC are still so far away. 

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/the-14-billion-transit-plan-the-b-c-liberals-conveniently-forgot

The Millennium_Line was built in the middle first, when it should have started with UBC, Vancouver and Burnaby. Instead, it started from East Vancouver, through Burnaby, then to Port_Moody and ending at Lafarge_Lake-Douglas_station in Coquitlam. At least there+will+likely+be+a+UBC+Station+before+the+next+millennium.  

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=UBC-Broadway+Corridor

The early days of Vancouver's iconic Marine Building

 https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/history/historic-photos-the-early-days-of-vancouvers-iconic-marine-building-11736257 

It could have been the cities first 30 story tower, but it's not even up to 25 floors.

SkyTrain's Canada Line service disruption

(service disruption ends after 14 hours) https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/skytrain-canada-line-service-disruptions-january-14-2026 

For a rapid transit line that opened in 2009, on the surface, it sure wasn't designed to be an efficient high capacity line for the future. It's still just a 2 car joke of a train. Fortunately, most real cities around the world planned for not only 6 car trains, but even 8-10 car trains. 

Unfortunatly, Vancouver has been hit very hard with a multigenerational agenda of continually imposed small scale infrastructure. Vancouver has water on 3 sides, as its on a peninsula. Since the powers that be couldn't build a Boundary+Road moat or trench, the next best thing was to symbolically show the reluctance to build proper big city size infrastructure. This stunted approach to things is about symbolically holding the scale of the city back for as long as possible. 

Despite backwards Vancouver not being able to apply a castle-moat-and-drawbridge control system, the next best thing was to symbolically keep things smaller than what normal or proper big cities allow. 

Here are some of the best examples of holding the size of things back. The 3 lane joke that is the Lions+Gate+Bridge has never had a rapid transit rail tunnel and no express bus tunnel next to it. Especially, no 6 lane highway tunnel. It's a classic BC bottleneck-chokepoint, by design.

From a 3 lane joke of a bridge to a two car Canada+Line joke of a train. It met the symbolic requirement to be shorter than the LRT in Edmonton, the C Train in Calgary and the trains in Seattle and Portland. 

The+Post+building+complex could have been Vancouver's first 50 story office tower, it's not even 25 floors. It would be impressive if it were in Victoria, Kelowna, Kamloops or Prince George. That's the unfortunate thing about Vancouver, so much is done to only be impressive to small cities or towns.  

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=The+small+Westin+Bayshore+Hotel+in+Vancouver

Things have been kept so small in Vancouver throughout its history, that any big city stuff might seem overwhelming. There has been an unofficial KEEP THEM OUT mentality, but since the city cant have checkpoints, building things small symbolically demonstrates the perpetual reluctance to not allow a big city in backwater BC. 

Since Vancouver can't control Burnaby and can't stop Surrey from eventually becoming the biggest city in BC, they are able to build things on a larger scale than Vancouver.

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

Mild Victoria, BC

Victoria has been a provincial backwater for most of its history. Despite being in a mild winter setting, it's so small when compared to Edmonton, Winnipeg, Quebec City and Halifax. 

https://victoria.citified.ca/news/35-storey-one-victoria-place-mixed-use-tower-unveiled-blanshard-st-pandora-ave

https://www.onevictoriaplace.ca 

https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?cityID=37&status=15  

While Edmonton was eventually allowed to have a tall building, even by Toronto, Calgary and Montreal standards, Victoria was always supposed to have shorter buildings than Winnipeg, Quebec City and Halifax. That's part of the KEEP THINGS SMALL mentality on V. Island. 

Victoria should have had its first LRT line by now, but that might improve urban mobility. Eventually, Victoria and Nanaimo will merge into one linear urban area. Eventually, the Comox_Valley_Regional_District will have over 100,000 people, the Regional_District_of_Nanaimo will have over 200,000 people, the Cowichan_Valley_Regional_District will exceed 100,000 people and the Capital_Regional_District will have over 450,000 people. 

Of course there doesn't seem to be any big regional scale planning from Sooke to Courtenay. Perhaps the island's urban planners will wait until there is 800,000 and over a million residents on the island.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver_Island#Demographics 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_Rail_Corridor#Vancouver_Island_Transportation_Corridor_Coalition

So, as more people discover that Victoria and Vancouver are the mildest winter cities in Canada, more people just might want to move there. Especially, when Canadian Snowbirds don't feel as comfortable with Florida, Texas & California.  

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=population+growth

From 6 to 4 lanes

 https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10163196613962377&set=a.10152101514842377 

Several cities are able to build bike and foot bridges in their downtowns. Unfortunately, backwards Vancouver has taken a congestion approach to transportation planning for several decades. The Burrard-Bridge could have remained 6 lanes wide if a proper bike+bridge had been built next to it. 

https://www.cyclingthread.com/bicycle-bridges-18-stunning-routes-18-unique-crossings-2025 

https://momentummag.com/here-are-10-incredible-bicycle-bridges-around-the-world/

https://www.arch2o.com/10-amazing-bridges-passageways-bikes  

https://medium.com/@raydelahanty/what-is-north-americas-busiest-bike-bridge-3ac84cf8b8c3

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Burrard+Street+Bridge 

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Tilikum+Crossing+in+Portland Unfortunately, it looks like the biggest city in BC won't be getting anything like the Tilikum Bridge in the foreseeable future. 

Top Cities and Countries Around the World to Watch Iconic Fireworks Displays

 https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/celebrate-new-year-2026-with-spectacular-fireworks-top-cities-and-countries-around-the-world-to-watch-iconic-displays-welcoming-the-new-year/ 

https://www.travelandleisureasia.com/my/destinations/most-iconic-new-year-eve-firework-displays-around-the-world/ 

https://www.globalworkandtravel.com/resources/8-best-spots-around-the-world-to-celebrate-new-years-eve

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/visit/10-countries-with-the-best-new-years-eve-fireworks/where-the-world-welcomes-the-new-year-with-fireworks/slideshow/126203698.cms?from=mdr 

https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/best-places-for-new-years-eve

New Year's Eve celebrations in Edmonton

 https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/edmonton-free-new-years-eve-celebrations-ice-district-downtown 

The longer that I live in backwards Vancouver, the more glad I am to see that it can't stop other cities from having fireworks...

https://www.ctvnews.ca/edmonton/article/here-are-some-ways-to-ring-in-the-new-year-in-edmonton

https://icedistrict.com/event/upcoming/new-years-eve-december-31-2025 

https://www.todocanada.ca/new-years-eve-in-edmonton

New Year's Eve fireworks in and around Calgary

https://curiocity.com/new-years-eve-fireworks-2026-near-calgary-alberta/ 

Just like Vancouver can't stop its surrounding cities & suburbs from setting off fireworks, Vancouver can't stop Calgary, Perth and Seattle...

 https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/new-years-eve-in-calgary-events-and-activities-whats-open-and-closed 

https://www.chatterblock.com/events/427141/new-years-eve-fireworks-calgary/

No fireworks in downtown Vancouver for New Year's Eve or the rest of 2026

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-fireworks-2026-new-years-eve-nye 

While Vancouver hasn't been able to get most other cities across Canada and around the world to stop, ban or cancel their NY Eve fireworks, strange Vancouver will retain this part of its NO FUN CITY mentality and agenda. 

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/fireworks-banned-halloween-vancouver-fire-department-9726922 Why just ban them in October and January, when you can ban them throughout the year? 

https://www.ehnewspaper.ca/articles/third-year-of-vancouvers-fireworks-ban

For some strange reason, backwards Vancouver hasn't been able to get other cities around the world to adopt the same bizarre idiosyncrasies.  

Officially, there isn't supposed to be a Vancouver+Mind+Virus, but the backwards city is so stunted and strange. Other cities in a scenic setting such as Sydney, Auckland, San_Francisco and Seattle are able to have wider bridges in or close to their city centers. 

Despite warm and scenic Honolulu having some very short bridges, they are still wider than what extremely restrictive Vancouver allows. These two short bridges in Honolulu provide 4 lanes each way. Thus, they form an 8 lane crossing and they aren't even part of a freeway.  

There is also a very short 6 lane bridge in Honolulu. In addition to its 6 lanes, there is a turning lane and a one lane wide median, which makes it equivalent to being 8 lanes wide. Plus, there are 2 wide sidewalks, which are wider than the original sidewalks on the Granville Bridge in Vancouver. In other words, no bridge in Vancouver is allowed to be as wide as it. Despite regional population growth, the Granville Bridge was reduced from 8 lanes to 6 lanes. 

Considering how Vancouver has such a narrow road system, one would think that a regional network of bus and bike bridges would be essential. Of course the backwards city and greater urban region is too cheap to fund such infrastructure and rather opted for a congestive transportation approach.

In contrast, The+Helix+Bridge in Singapore is fine example of what backwards Vancouver refuses to build. No lanes had to be removed from the 6 lane Bayfront+Bridge or the 10 lane Benjamin+Sheares+Bridge. Stubborn Vancouver could really benefit from something like the Helix Bridge. 

While Vancouver went backwards after Expo 86, Brisbane really took of after Expo 88. The Kangaroo_Point_Green_Bridge, Goodwill_Bridge, Kurilpa_Bridge, Jack_Pesch_Bridge and the Go_Between_Bridge are all great examples of what strange Vancouver refuses to build. What's really amazing from a backwater Vancouver perspective is that those bike and foot bridges in Brisbane never required any lanes to be removed from the cities road bridges. 

In comparison, Vancouver removed 2 lanes from the Burrard Bridge, 1 lane from the Cambie Bridge and 2 lanes from the Granville Bridge. If urban planning in Vancouver was wise and the city never got rid of its trams or streetcars, perhaps something like the Tilikum_Crossing could have been built across False_Creek.

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

History of the Port Mann Bridge in BC

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4aYxObfjJ8 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Mann_Bridge#Original_bridge The original PMB had only 2 lanes each way with no emergency lanes or wide shoulders. It was designed to be a classic BC bottleneck-chokepoint right from the start. Eventually, a 5th lane was squeezed in.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Mann_Bridge#Opposition_to_twinning_plan While bridge duplication isn't that big of a problem in Australia or the US, it is in the BC part of Canada. Australia is allowed to have 3 proper big cities on the Pacific. Thus, the urban scale of infrastructure in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane are much larger than what's allowed in the Greater Vancouver Region. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Mann_Bridge#New_bridge Given that this is supposed to be part of the main East-West highway in Canada, a significantly wider bridge was eventually approved. While it was designed with a provision for a potential future rail line, there should have also been a provision for a lower deck. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crossings_of_the_Fraser_River#Main_Watercourse_(New_Westminster_to_Yellowhead_Pass)

Are Trams the Best Transportation Mode for Cities?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNTg9EX7MLw While trams and streetcars (LRT) can't rival the capacity of a metro train or commuter rail, they still can be a good intermediate mode of transportation. 

Every Type of Transit System That can WORK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYYIXluTu8E

Do Cities Still Need Metros? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zp0SystR3GU 

Public Transit in Texas and Japan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTbSQyqCuys

Los Angeles and its traffic problems

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7CxiqNnm80  

While LA has a subway, it's not that extensive. Of course several other cities have more lines.

What the future has in store for Sydney's Metro! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZlV329Ba8g

Inside the $60 Billion Metro Transforming Sydney https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe3y7Rlhk9c&t=2s

African Cities

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA-zbbgHcL8

There will be no revival of the Olympic streetcar line in Vancouver for 2026

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-olympic-line-demonstration-streetcar-revival-cancelled 

Once again, what's easy for several cities to accomplish is difficult for backwards Vancouver.

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streetcars_in_North_America#Surviving_first-generation_streetcar_systems 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streetcars_in_North_America#Second-generation_streetcar_systems 

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

The Bus and Bike Bridge Concept

The Bus and Bike Bridge Concept isn't officially banned in Vancouver or BC in general. It just hasn't been as important as it is in other cities. 

Of course it would be Calgary, not stubborn Vancouver that would have an improved Cushing+Bridge crossing. While the main 4 lane bridge could easily be just like a narrow BC bridge, it's the parallel crossing that takes it above and beyond backwards Vancouver. There is a 2 lane bus bridge with a wide bike & footpath. 

Since so many bridges in backwards BC are mostly narrow, a parallel Bus and Bike Bridge would be a huge improvement.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Inglewood+Bicycle+Pump+Track  

Not just Greater Vancouver, but several cities in BC could really benefit from having parallel bus+and+bike+bridges.

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