Showing posts sorted by date for query streetcars and trams. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query streetcars and trams. Sort by relevance Show all posts

Monday, December 29, 2025

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 SydneyAucklandSan_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_BridgeGoodwill_BridgeKurilpa_BridgeJack_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

Friday, December 12, 2025

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

Saturday, July 12, 2025

Vancouver's forgotten streetcars and interurban trams

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/transportation-old/interurban-streetcar-hydrogen-rail-line-fraser-valley-bc-1942783

Fortunately, Toronto, NO, SF and Melbourne never got rid of all their streetcar and tram lines.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/downtown-vancouver-false-creek-streetcar-route-map

While backwards Vancouver wanted to be among the first cities to get rid of them, Vancouver will likely be one of the last cities to bring them back.

https://viewpointvancouver.ca/2021/04/06/a-bump-in-the-road-kits-points-hidden-streetcar-line/

Atlanta, SD, LA, Edmonton, Calgary, Seattle & Portland brought back some of their trollies in the form of modern LRT or tram-trains.

https://montecristomagazine.com/community/vancouvers-forgotten-streetcars

The sad irony is that Vancouver, Burnaby & NW really could have benefitted from following the Toronto, SF and Melbourne examples. 

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/history/last-ride-oak-streetcar-vancouver-1937040

https://www.facebook.com/groups/128486813979056/posts/1968090176685368

 https://maps.nicholsonroad.com/bcer/

https://humantransit.org/2010/02/vancouver-the-almost-perfect-grid.html

There used too be a streetcar route along Robson St., Denman St. & Davie St. A revived version of this could provide a nice downtown transit loop. However, that would go against the backwards mentality of Vancouver. Fortunately, the Vancouver mentality never made it to Atlanta & Dallas.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta_Streetcar#Downtown_Loop_route_funded

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

Unfortunatly, Vancouver & BC are all about congestive planning.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/2026-fifa-world-cup-vancouver-1.7559067

With less than a year to go, its impossible to revive any streetcar lines, because that can take 5-10 years. There isn't even a network of regional bus bridges. Such inept transportation planning means that busses have to squeeze onto bridges that are mostly just 2 lanes each way. 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-rising-costs-fifa-2026-world-cup-1.7573669

Despite the first SkyTrain line opening in 1985, it took until 2025 to start having5 car trains. The 2nd & 3rd lines are still only running 2 car trains.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/vancouver-short-on-hotel-rooms-silent-on-safety-costs-for-2026-world-cup/

Of course the city is decades behind in keeping up with having enough hotel rooms.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-hotel-shortage-2026-world-cup-1.7117696

https://vancouverfwc26.ca 

https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026/articles/vancouver-host-seven-matches-canada-stadium-bc-place


https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Trams-Trains+and+Streetcars

Tuesday, January 28, 2025

SF, Melbourne and Toronto...

 https://googlemapsmania.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-streetcars-of-san-francisco.html

Streetcars and trams were gotten rid of in Vancouver & Victoria by the mid 1950s. Vancouver will likely be one of the last major cities to bring them back. It's such a backwards mentality to totally block out a key mode of transit.

Its cool how the CTrain runs down the middle of Memorial-Drive. Just like the C_Line and_Interstate_105 in LA go well together. Unfortunatly, backwards Vancouver isn't allowed to function like a proper big city like SF, Melbourne and Toronto...

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Inbound_N_Judah_train_boarding_at_48th_Avenue%2C_September_2019.JPG Almost like a tram-train in Melbourn, but it's in SF.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/S200_CTrain_leaving_City_Hall_Station.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CTrain Calgary

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C_Line_(Los_Angeles_Metro)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Line_(Los_Angeles_Metro)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_Line_(Los_Angeles_Metro)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K_Line_(Los_Angeles_Metro)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G:link GC

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inner_West_Light_Rail Sydney

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premetro_(Buenos_Aires)

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

Its always amazing to see what other cities are allowed to do, simply because they aren't in BC.

Monday, November 4, 2024

The Seattle Streetcar

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

https://www.seattle.gov/transportation/getting-around/transit/streetcar

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle_Streetcar#Future_expansion

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

https://www.theurbanist.org/2024/02/02/it-could-be-the-end-of-line-for-the-seattle-streetcar Hopefully, thais can be resolved. Otherwise, Seattle might start to emulate some of the backwards planning that is in Vancouver, BC.

https://www.ggnltd.com/seattle-streetcar-city-center-connector

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

https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/vehicles/press-release/55137917/king-county-metro-transit-service-resumes-on-south-lake-union-route-of-seattle-streetcar


https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=streetcars+and+trams

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

The Portland Streetcar

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland_Streetcar#Proposed_expansions

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland_Streetcar#Comparison_with_light_rail

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


https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=streetcars+and+trams

The Dallas Streetcar

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas_Streetcar#Future_expansion_plans

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-Line_Trolley#Future

https://www.dart.org/guide/transit-and-use/dallas-streetcar

https://www.mata.org/about/learn/

https://www.dmagazine.com/frontburner/2023/10/dallas-wakes-up-to-a-hazy-dream-of-a-streetcar-system


https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=streetcars+and+trams

Vancouver's former Olympic Line streetcar

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-olympic-line-streetcar-future

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver_Downtown_Historic_Railway#Olympic_Line

Fortunately, the Vancouver mentality of anti-streetcars and trams was never adopted in Seattle, Portland, Boston, Philadelphia, Toronto, Melbourne, SF & N.O...

https://montecristomagazine.com/community/vancouvers-forgotten-streetcars

https://kumtuks.ca/streetcars-and-metro-vancouver/

https://vancouversun.com/news/this-week-in-history-1890-vancouver-gets-cutting-edge-with-an-electric-streetcar-and-light-system Unfortunatly, over the course of several generations, Vancouver keeps doing the wrong thing, especially with urban transportation planning. 

https://digitize.library.ubc.ca/digitizers-blog/streetcars-before-buses-british-columbia-electric-railway/

https://open.library.ubc.ca/viewer/bcbooks/1.0376526#p6z-8r0f: Greater Victoria could have been a prper big citties like Seattle or Sydney Australia. Greater Vancouver could have been on the scale of a Montreal by now. 

https://monova.ca/the-story-of-streetcar-153

https://westendvancouver.wordpress.com/historical-background/streetcars/

https://spacing.ca/vancouver/2013/06/18/vancouver-transit-the-era-of-street-cars1/

https://buzzer.translink.ca/2017/04/from-rails-to-rubber-a-look-back-at-the-regions-transition-from-streetcars-to-buses


https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=streetcars+and+trams

Wednesday, September 11, 2024

The old and new Pattullo Bridge

Unfortunately, the Pattullo_Bridge of 1937 was built without any wide shoulders, or any shoulders at all. There was only one narrow sidewalk & no provision for trams or streetcars. It was all fitting for NW, a provincial backwater since its start.

In contrast, the 1932 Sydney_Harbour_Bridge opened with 6 lanes and 4 sets of train tracks & 2 sidewalks. Very fitting for the state capital of NSW.

https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-34593-7_49

https://www.targetproducts.com/pattullo_bridge_2024/

In the 1930s, it was still amazing to have plumbing & especially electricity in Surrey.

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/surrey

https://www.cloverdalereporter.com/entertainment/surrey-now-and-then-2367955

https://www.surrey.ca/about-surrey/history-of-surrey

https://604now.com/history-surrey-bc-city/


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

Saturday, October 14, 2023

Montreal Metro

 https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/montreal-metro

It would have been total chaos if the Montreal_Metro (MM) only had 80m stations, just like on the first 2 SkyTrain lines. An absolute disaster if it only had 50m stations like on the very underbuilt Canada Line. Unfortunatly, Vancouver took the watered down approach, decades after what Montreal did right.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_Metro#Rolling_stock

When starting in the 1960s, the MM could have 3 & 6 car trains and a 9 car train during busy times, in recent decades, it's just 6 and 9 car trains.

Streetcars and trams, along with buses, can help any Metro train or Subway system. Unlike Montreal and Vancouver, cities like Melbourne, Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia, SF and New Orleans, retained some of their tram or streetcar lines.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPM-10 

articulated cars per train

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPM-10#Specifications

Of course a good urban transportation network keeps evolving and the REM trains are a nice addition. The REM trains should eventually be at least as long as those on the Sydney Subway.



https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Montreal+Metro

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=REM+Train

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

Saturday, September 16, 2023

The Tilikum Crossing in Portland, Oregon

The Tilikum_Crossing is quite a fine transportation bridge for Portland. Unlike in Vancouver, BC, the Tilikum_Crossing meant that no lanes were reduced from the surrounding bridges.

CarriesTriMet MAX light rail and buses; Portland Streetcar Loop Service; bicycles and pedestrians

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

https://trimet.org/tilikum

Unlike Portland & so many cities, V-BC & the metropolitan region refuses to build something like the Tilikum_Crossing_for_bicycles. The six lane Burrard_Bridge was reduced to 4 lanes in order to accomodate 2 bicycle_lanes. The Burrard_Bridge was designed to accommodate a lower level for streetcars, but never followed through with it. Vancouver-BC became one of the first cities to get rid of streetcars or trams & will likely be one of the last to bring them back. Fortunately, the Vancouver mentality was unable to stop the revival of the Seattle & Portland_Streetcar. Melbourne, Toronto, SF, Boston & New Orleans never totally got rid of their streetcars like backward V-BC.


https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Tilikum+Crossing

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