https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/thanksgiving-long-weekend-events-in-metro-vancouver/
Showing posts sorted by date for query vancouver. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query vancouver. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Thursday, October 8, 2026
Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Old Pattullo Bridge arches to come down this Thanksgiving weekend
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/old-pattullo-bridge-arch-deconstruction-process-october-2026
Over a century ago, there was no concept of having bus lanes across a Fraser River bridge between NW and Surrey.
Even with the new bridge, there aren't 2 dedicated bus lanes. That's despite the Skytrain not being a 24hr system. So, busses have to be funneled into only 2 crowded lanes each way. Its been that way since the late 1930s on the old bridge, as well as the new bridge.
Apparently, in the 1930s, there just wasn't any big city vision to build a significantly wider bridge to better handle the future traffic in the 1960s & 70s. The new bridge should have been built in the 1980s or 90s.
Now, little NW is still stuck with a narrow 4 lane bridge that doesn't even have 2 wide emergency lanes, or 2 wide shoulders, & especially no bus lanes.
"A couple of Pacific Stage Lines buses can be seen at the BCER bus terminal." https://archives.newwestcity.ca/Results.aspx?AC=NEXT_RECORD&XC=/Results.aspx&BU=http%3A%2F%2Farchives.newwestcity.ca%2Fsearch.aspx&GI=&TN=internet&SN=AUTO80&SE=555&RN=8&MR=100&TR=0&TX=1000&ES=0&XP=&RF=WebStartDate&EF=&DF=WebFull&RL=0&EL=0&DL=0&NP=255&ID=&MF=GENERICENGWPMSG.INI&DT=&ST=0&IR=4702&NR=0&NB=0&SV=0&SS=0&BG=&FG=&QS=
https://www.surreyhistory.ca/pacificstage.html
Even the old Port_Mann_Bridge wasn't designed to have 2 bus lanes, just 2 lanes each way with no emergency lanes, or wide shoulders.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Mann_Bridge#Original_bridge Once a 5th lane was squeezed onto the narrow bridge, a parallel 5 lane bridge should have been built. Plus, an extra 2 lane section for express buses and a lower deck provision for future LRT.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Mann_Bridge#Opposition_to_twinning_plan Unlike in Australia, bridge duplication or twinning is culturally difficult in backwards BC.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Mann_Bridge#New_bridge While the new bridge has 10 lanes and can eventually accommodate an LRT line, there should have been a provision for 2 express bus lanes. That's because there is no 24 hour LRT service in Greater Vancouver.
When a train is shutdown for the night, or there is an emergency that stops service, there should always be a high capacity, or rapid bus route in place.
Its very difficult to have a proper regional express bus network in Greater Vancouver. Especially, a proper regional BRT system. That's because most of the bridges are so narrow there isn't enough space for 2 bus lanes.
Since LRT and subways can't cover the entire urban area, the region also needs to have an extensive network of express buses and BRT lines. That can only be accomplished in Greater Vancouver by having a series of bus-bridges.
https://movementyvr.ca/what-even-is-a-brt
Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Sunday, September 27, 2026
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Friday, September 11, 2026
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.
Thursday, September 10, 2026
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.
Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Tuesday, September 8, 2026
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.
Thursday, September 3, 2026
Monday, August 31, 2026
Filming wraps for 'Shōgun' with epic fireworks display in Metro Vancouver
https://www.nsnews.com/highlights/shogun-filming-wrap-party-fireworks-metro-vancouver-2026-12725615
At least Port Moody wasn't thwarted by anything lik the VMV and could actually have some late summer fireworks. Vancouver no longer has any NY Eve fireworks and no Canada Day evening fireworks. However, Vancouver was able to have some fireworks on 1 evening in August.
System from Alaska to bring 'fall-type pattern' to Metro Vancouver
Another summer with only a few hot days and some occasional crappy cold fall like weather. Perhaps every year Vancouver will get a slightly shorter summer.
Some people still build swimming pools in Greater Vancouver, but they are lucky if they could ever use it for half of the year. However, if a greenhouse were to be built over their pool, then they certainly could use it for half of the year.
Then again, if they actually built a pool in a fully enclosed heated building, then its an all year round amenity.
In Vancouver, August is always the last full month of summer. Then, most of September becomes more like spring during the day with autumn nights.
https://www.accuweather.com/en/au/melbourne/26216/august-weather/26216?year=2026
Of course in big city Melbourne, August and September aren't pool and beach months.
https://www.accuweather.com/en/au/melbourne/26216/september-weather/26216?year=2026
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
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.
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