How the City Rail Link Transforms Auckland's Train Network while Vancouver is trapped by the BCMV

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmtSI3N57kM Auckland, like Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Seattle, Edmonton, Toronto & Montreal... are just some of the cities that get to have longer train than provincial Vancouver.

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

"Although the trains are capable of having extra cars added in groups of three, the CRL station platforms, as originally specified, would not be long enough to accommodate nine-car trains. The proposed new capacity is 54,000 passengers per hour with the station platforms to be made longer so they can take the longer trains..." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Rail_Link#Capacity_forecast_forces_platform_enlargements 

9 car trains are possible for Auckland, because there isn't anything like a Vancouver Mind Virus (VMV) to thwart it. 

https://www.cityraillink.co.nz/meet-your-stations 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waitemat%C4%81_railway_station#Capacity Proper big city infrastructure planning and development, unlike backwards Vancouver.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waitemat%C4%81_railway_station#Electrification 

In contrast is the joke that is the two car Canada_Line. There was a deliberate decision, (apparently to save money) to not have a future station level clearance of at lest 100 m, if not even 160 m. So instead of planning for at least 5 car trains, there is only enough space for a 2.5 car joke of a train, some day.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_Line#Stations "The five busiest stations have platforms 50 metres (160 ft) long, while the rest of the stations have 40-metre (130 ft) platforms that can be easily extended to 50 metres." 

Being that this is a line which could eventually link YVR to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal & eventually Waterfront station with Park Royal and even the Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal, the BC Mind Virus (BCMV) got in the way.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_Line#Technology "The capacity of the trains is estimated at 334 people per pair of cars (comfortably) or 400 people at crush load." 

Since each car is 20 m and the stations are designed to a maximum of 50 m, every effort should be made to try to eventually have 60 m platforms. Unfortunately, it might be difficult enough just to try to gradually have 55 m stations. Still, the initial goal should be to try to have a 3 car train of 60 m. 

Then with Selective+Door+Operation, a 3 car train could become a 5 car train. Its unfortunate that there is such bad transportation planning in Greater Vancouver. Compared to backwards Vancouver, its great that nothing like a VMV has prevented Auckland from eventually having 9 car trains. The Montreal Metro and the Stockholm Subway can also have 9 car trains. Unlike Vancouver, several cities have no problem thinking big.

Auckland is so far away from the backwards mentality of Vancouver. Thus, Auckland is allowed to have longer trains than provincial Vancouver and taller buildings and even a wider harbor bridge. Of course the same can be said about Sydney and several other cities. 

The Dutch Are Replacing This Entire Bridge — By Moving It

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eS8jNDgBr9A 

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

Wow, no VMV or BCMV was able to get the Dutch to reduce the 12 lane Van_Brienoordbrug_Bridge back to a 6 lane bottleneck, or even a 4 lane chokepoint. 

If you are Dutch and Visit Vancouver & Victoria, BC, you will be shocked as to how scaled back the infrastructure is. So far, no 12 lane crossing has been allowed in BC. Yet, for the Dutch, big city transportation infrastructure isn't a problem. 

BC is 23 times the size of Switzerland, but doesn't even have the population of one CH. 

Its very difficult to think big and tall in backwards BC. Thus, it takes a long time for big things to get approved and completed.

https://canada.constructconnect.com/joc/news/projects/2026/09/vancouver-city-council-approves-trio-of-tall-towers

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.

VMV and BCMV

What is the Vancouver Mind Virus and the BC Mind Virus?

Sometimes, it can be a provincial backwater approach to things. Other times, its a total Half-A$$ED attempt towards getting something done in backwards BC.

Its taken the City of Vancouver a very long time to surpass half a million residents. Its amazing that Vancouver finally surpassed having 3 quarters of a million people. 

https://worldpopulationreview.com/cities/canada/vancouver 751,644 

It remains to be seen if Vancouver will ever have more people than Winnipeg. Indeed, Winnipeg, like Edmonton and Calgary don't have something like a Burnaby next to them, or a Surrey & Coquitlam close by. While Vancouver barely makes it into the top 10 biggest cities in Canada, Greater Vancouver is still the 3rd largest urban region in Canada. However, so much of the urban scale and infrastructure is being heled back.

The biggest cities in Canada don't have anything like a VMV to thwart or impeded their scale. Thus, Toronto, Calgary, Montreal & Edmonton all have taller buildings than stunted Vancouver. Edmonton and Montreal, like Seattle and Perth, WA are allowed to have wider bridges. Most major cities around the world have longer trains than what's in provincial Vancouver.

Is there a Canadian Mind Virus (CMV)? Of course not officially. Fortunately, nothing like a CMV ever made it to Australia. Otherwise something absurd like provincial Trade Barriers could have really thwarted things down under.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/interprovincial-trade-barriers-9.7323970 

https://www.mnp.ca/en/insights/directory/what-are-the-barriers-to-interprovincial-trade-in-canada

https://www.canada.ca/en/intergovernmental-affairs/services/internal-trade/federal-investments-internal-trade.html 

Despite Canada being surrounded by water on 3 sides, there is no blue on the national flag. Fortunately, nothing like a CMV ever got Australia, NZ, the UK, France and even the US to remove blue from their flags. 

Of course the flags of England, Switzerland and Japan have no blue in them, but blue is still a very nice color to behold. 

Nothing on the scale of the 10 lane Narrows_Bridge_(Perth) is allowed in Vancouver, Victoria or Kelowna. Certainly, nothing like the Sir_Leo_Hielscher_Bridges exists in Halifax. Even Boston and Montreal don't have a 12 lane crossing like the Gateway_Bridges. 

Despite Australia having fewer people than Canada, its been able to exist on a larger scale in some ways. Its like there is still a plan to have a big country down under.

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

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

Why New York City has a Two-Car Subway Train and provincial Vancouver is stuck with a 2 car airport train

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH37SqlW0Ks 

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R68_(New_York_City_Subway_car) 75-foot (22.86 m) length for each car. So roughly, a 2 car joke of a train is almost 46 m, or 150 ft. The absurd Canada_Line-Stations with its 2 car trains are in the 40 m to 50 m range. Thus, only two car & 2.5 car trains are only possible. In contrast, a 9 car Montreal_Metro train can be up to 152.5 m, or 500 ft.

Train length	2 car train: 150 feet (46 m) 4 car train: 300 feet (91 m) 8 car train: 600 feet (180 m)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R68_(New_York_City_Subway_car)#Description So, an 8 car, 600 foot long train is 100 feet longer than a 500 foot, 9 car Montreal train. 

The end of the line for the Franklin_Avenue_Shuttle is only a single track platform. 

Unfortunately, the YVR and the Richmond end if the Canada_Line stations are also a single track platforms. Even if this was initially decided as a cost saving measure, a double track guideway still should have been built. Then, a proper double track station could eventually be completed. Especially if the line is ever extended to the Delta Ferry terminal.

The YVR-Airport_station was deliberately designed to be narrower and shorter than what a proper big city airport station should be. Its another example of the unofficial BCMV reducing and thwarting the scale of things. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearson_Airport_station Almost like REM quality for Toronto, but not for provincial Vancouver. https://www.upexpress.com/en/up-express-stations/pearson-station , https://www.torontopearson.com/en/transportation-and-parking/up-express Wow, Toronto like Perth can run 3 car big city type trains. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Pearson_Express#Rolling_stock Vancouver can only hope for a 2.5 car train, someday. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Pearson_Express#Route Sometimes, a 2 car joke of a train might be OK to start with, but there should already be enough station clearance for at least 3-5 car trains. Then, as long as its a walk-through train, Selective_Door_Operation (SDO) can make it possible to add an extra car at both ends of a short train. SDO can be an intermediate step before having to extensively lighten each station. 

Stubborn, backwards Vancouver will eventually have to seriously consider SDO in order to have longer big city type trains. Unfortunately, as long as its stuck in the BC backwater mentality or under the spell of the BCMV, things won't improve.

https://canada.constructconnect.com/dcn/news/projects/2026/05/montreals-airport-rem-station-will-have-signature-iceberg-motif , https://montrealgazette.com/news/rem-has-begun-testing-trains-on-airport-branch Of course the YUL-P.E. Trudeau_station, like the Honolulu Airport station, will be longer and wider than the one at YVR.

Perhaps the short, single track & platform at the YVR-Airport_Station would be impressive if it were in Victoria, Prince George, Kamloops or Kelowna, but its hardly impressive when compared to the SeaTac/Airport_station, Portland_Airport_station, Lelepaua_station in Honolulu, Brisbane_Airport station, Sydney_Airport stations, the future Melbourne_Airport station and Perth_Airport station. The scale of the San_Francisco_International_Airport_station, which can accommodate 10 car trains, is on a whole other scale. All major airports and their train stations in Asia & Europe are so far beyond what Canada has. There is no reason as to why Greater Vancouver and some other cities in BC, can't be upgraded to a Pacific Rim infrastructure level, instead of  being stuck in a perpetual BC backwater mindset. 

The VMV, under the umbrella of the larger BCMV, is such a horrible impediment and it doesn't even officially exist. 

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...

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://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/driving-and-cycling/traveller-information/routes-and-driving-conditions/hov-lanes 

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://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/NorthArmBridge.jpg 

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. 

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

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. 

Some massive transportation projects in Metro Vancouver

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emSr9NLwfT4 

Unfortunately, the Broadway+Subway will only open with the potential of 5 car trains, not 10. 

Unfortunately, the YVR-Canada+Line wasn't even designed to have 5 car trains, only a potential of 2.5 car trains, someday. 

Of course the Massey+Tunnel+replacement wasn't designed to have an LRT and a BRT section. Thus, in addition to the basic 3 lanes each way, there will only be an express bus lane.

A separate BRT section would be beneficial since BC doesn't want to run 24hr trains. Thus, when the LRT is shutdown for maintenance, a 24hr BRT line could still be running. Unfortunately, part of the BC Mind Virus is backwards thinking and inept infrastructure planning. Of course there is still no official plan to have LRT from YVR to the Tsawwassen Ferry terminal anytime soon.

Historic photos show Stanley Park more than 100 years ago

 https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/historic-photos-show-stanley-park-more-than-100-years-ago-12623887 

https://www.vmcdn.ca/f/files/via/images/historic-images/vancouverarchives/stanley-park-100-years-1920s-entrance.jpg;w=960;h=640;bgcolor=000000 A nice wide public walkway. Unfortunately, due to a lack of a proper big city vision, no 4-6 lane wide right of way was ever established through the park. 

https://stanleyparkvan.com/stanley-park-van-road-stanley-park-causeway.html 

The 3 lane wide option was never followed-up with a lower 3 lane tunnel. So, instead of 3 lanes each way, everything is funneled into just 3 lanes.

https://council.vancouver.ca/000203/pe3.htm Thus, no need to have a bridge designed to be strong enough to have at least two 3 lane decks.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Lions%27_Gate_Bridge_1938.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=index&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/Lion%27s_Gate_Bridge_and_North_Vancouver.jpg/1280px-Lion%27s_Gate_Bridge_and_North_Vancouver.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=index&utm_content=thumbnail 

In Vancouver and backwards BC in general, its very difficult to build infrastructure for long-range future capacity.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Stanley_Park_Labeled_Aerial_Map.png 

After several generations, Stanley_Park has remained as a provincial gateway to backwater Vancouver.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Park#21st_century 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Columbia_Highway_99#Vancouver 

While no one was able to stop the Horseshoe_Bay_ferry_terminal from being built, too many people still don't want Greater_Vancouver to have a proper big city train and highway link between West_Vancouver and Downtown_Vancouver. 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/37/Vancouver_Metropolitan_Area%2C_2018.jpg/3840px-Vancouver_Metropolitan_Area%2C_2018.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=index&utm_content=thumbnail 

Fortunately, the BCMV never made it to Sydney, NSW and SF, CA. Thus, their CBD or downtown has good rail and highway links.

However, it was almost like part of the Vancouver MV made it to Auckland, NZ.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auckland_Harbour_Bridge#Clip-ons_(1967%E2%80%931969) 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auckland_Harbour_Bridge#Alternate_proposal A parallel bus, bike and train bridge should have been built decades ago. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Harbour_Crossing,_Auckland#2023_Waitemat%C4%81_Harbour_Connections_proposals 

https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/waitemata-harbour-connections 

https://infrastructurepipeline.org/project/additional-waitemata-harbour-crossing 

https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2026/05/27/build-this-brilliant-bridge 

https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/04-06-2026/privately-funded-second-auckland-harbour-bridge-unlikely-to-achieve-value-for-money-nzta-report-warns

A Commercial-Broadway rental housing tower might need to be redesigned for an additional SkyTrain station platform and pedestrian bridge

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/skytrain-commercial-broadway-station-rental-tower-additional-platform-pedestrian-bridge 

It looks like dailyhive.com might be the only local media to effectively inform people about this potential transportation infrastructure blunder. Vancouver has notoriously not properly planned things for future capacity. A proper big city Commercial-Broadway_station is essential, so there should be enough clearance for another platform, when its needed. Thus, any new structure should be designed to allow for extra station space. There is just something inept about infrastructure planning in Vancouver and BC in general.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/YVRBroadwayStn.JPG/1280px-YVRBroadwayStn.JPG Platform 4 and what should be a potential platform 6 just west of it. 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fd/Commercial_Broadway_Expo_Line_Platform_5_2025.jpg/1280px-Commercial_Broadway_Expo_Line_Platform_5_2025.jpg Platforms 3 and 5.

https://infomaps.translink.ca/system_maps/skytrain_station_maps/commercial_broadway_station.pdf 

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Line#Phase_I:_Columbia_to_Commercial_Drive_(2002)

The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE)

 https://www.cnu.org/highways-boulevards/campaign-cities/nyc-BQE 

https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/infrastructure/bqecentral.shtml 

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

The missing element in urban infrastructure

If a bridge or tunnel is too narrow to accommodate bus and bike lanes, then a separate crossing should be built near it. Many bridges and highway tunnels don't have a provision for LRT or commuter rail, so then a rail crossing should be built near it.

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=the+missing+element

Missed Connections in Transportation Infrastructure

https://infrastructureinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Missed-Connections-Final-Report-2025-02-11.pdf

https://www.reddit.com/r/geography/comments/1m2eav7/what_is_that_one_piece_of_infrastructure_that/ 

https://thecmigroup.ca/press-room/what-lurks-beneath-the-hidden-infrastructure-crisis/

 https://www.mammoet.com/resources/urban-plannings-top-three-challenges-and-how-to-beat-them/

https://policyoptions.irpp.org/2017/11/the-five-is-of-failed-urban-planning/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264275125003075 

https://metropolismag.com/viewpoints/scott-burnham-infrastructure-reprogramming/  

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=the+missing+element

Delta and Surrey road closures part of Metro water main project

 https://www.delta-optimist.com/local-news/delta-surrey-road-closures-part-of-metro-water-main-project-12516337 

The Delta, Roberts_Bank_Superport has the potential to be so much bigger than the inner Port of Vancouver Harbor. Unfortunately, there still seems to be no official plan to have an LRT link between YVR and the Tsawwassen_ferry_terminal. 

Surrey is set to become the biggest city in BC and needs proper big city infrastructure.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrey,_British_Columbia#Economy 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrey,_British_Columbia#Current_transportation_network

SkyBridge between NW and Surrey, BC

Unfortunately, due to inept regional transportation planning, the SkyBridge (1990) wasn't built with any extra width for bus lanes, bike lanes and sidewalks. Everything was just expected to be crammed onto the inadequate, 4 lane Pattullo_Bridge, which only had 1 narrow sidewalk. Back in the day, there was no concept of allowing additional future space for 2 wide truck lanes, 2 car lanes and 2 bus lanes on the Pattullo_Bridge_in_1937.

It was as if someone really didn't want to ever have any bus lanes on the Patullo Bridge and the SkyTrain Bridge.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkyBridge_(TransLink)#Details 

Then, it was as if someone still didn't want to have any bus lanes on the Stalewasem_Bridge as well. Since the train isnt running 24hrs, a BRT crossing is important.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalewasen_Bridge This new bridge should have opened with at least 3 lanes each way, plus a bus lane each way. However, an 8 lane bridge with 2 wide emergency lanes and 2 wide shoulders would look too much like big city infrastructure. Big city scale infrastructure is difficult to establish in backwards BC. 

North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant independent review goes forward

 https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/06/26/wastewater-plant-review-team-appointed/ 

How could a project run several billions of dollars overbudget? It was as if there wasn't any proper oversight with the project. A few of those lost billions could have gone towards a bus and train tunnel near the Lion Bridge (LGB). And, a bus and LRT bridge beside the Iron Bridge. 

There are always allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement around the world. However, the Greater Vancouver Region has been stuck with several watered down versions of what should be proper BIG city size infrastructure.

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.