Thursday, November 21, 2024
How the City of Vancouver will pay for its 2026 FIFA World Cup costs
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/fifa-world-cup-vancouver-hotel-tax-costs
https://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/bus-network-improvements.aspx With so many narrow streets, its difficult to have a proper network of bus-lanes, especially on the bridges.
https://visionzerovancouver.ca/2024/07/10/take-action-add-bus-lanes-to-translinks-priority-routes Unfortunatly, most of the bridges in the Greater Vancouver Region are just too narrow. There was no logic to have enough extra width for future bus-lanes and HOV lanes.
https://www.biv.com/news/transportation/vancouver-new-dedicated-bus-lanes-translink-2024-9267523
Unless there is a regional network of new bus-bridges, Greater Vancouver will remain in a bottleneck or chokepoint nightmare. Stuck with only a half-assed express or BRT attempt. I suppose that would be impressive to Kelowna-Victoria-Prince+George-Kamloops (K-V-PG-K) standards. Unfortunatly, those aren't big league cities.
Of course the 3rd line, or the YVR-Canada-Line or the Canada (embarrassment) Line, still hasn't been expanded up to a 2.5 car train, let alone having 5 car trains. Right from the start, the trains should have consisted of at least three, 20m coaches, with a provision for 6 car trains. Apparently, because of budget cuts, the station platforms weren't built to be 60-100m long in the first phase, they are only a 50m joke.
The stations could have been roughed out to initially accomodate 3-4 car trains and eventually, 8 car trains. 8 x 20m= 160m. The Montreal Metro stations were built to accommodate a 152.5m train. Fortunately, Quebec doesn't have anything like a backward BC planning mentality to hinder it.
The YVR-Canada (embarrassment) Line doesn't have to be stuck as a symbolic example to not properly plan & build for longer trains in BC. This 3rd Metro-Vancouver rapid transit line doesn't have to be stuck with a 2.5 car train buildout. The incredibly short stations should be extended to 60m, which could accomodate a proper 3 car, walkthrough train. Then, with Selective_Door_Operation Technology, a 3 car train can become a 5 car train of 100m. Then, only the middle 3 cars would directly have access to the YVR-Canada-Line station platforms.
Unfortunatly, due to the shortsighted planning mentality that is Vancouver & BC, the underground stations don't have enough level clearance to be lengthened to 152.5m or 500 feet, like the Montreal Metro stations, which can accomodate nine, 55 foot cars. At least a 5 car, 100m or 328 foot train is still possible in short-minded Vancouver.
For some strange reason, the YVR Canada+Line wasn't designed to eventually provide a link beyond the Vancouver_International_Airport to Waterfront_station. Indeed, a 2nd phase of the inadequate line should have connected Waterfront_station with the Park_Royal_Shopping_Centre and the Horseshoe_Bay_ferry_terminal. Then the 3rd phase to connect the YVR-Airport_station with the Tsawwassen_ferry_terminal.
#/media/File:Vancouver_064.jpg){kind=link}
Like the Catheter Line, the George_Messey_Tunnel was designed to be inadequate, right from the start.
The George_Massey_Tunnel should have had at least 2 wide emergency lanes for future truck or HOV lanes. Plus, there should have been another tunnel section to accommodate a future express or rapid bus corridor & 2 tracks for a light rail train. Instead, cars, busses & trucks were all funneled into a 4 lane chokepoint. Ironically, over the past few decades, a bus & train tunnel or bridge should have been built, at least.
Express Bus lanes or Rapid Bus lanes vs. HOV & Truck lanes. Any bus lane has the potential to move many more people than any HOV lane. Any major port city & metropolitan area should have a truck lane as well as a bus lane. Thus any HOV lane would be more efficient in bussing people & trucking payloads.
Of course the new George_Massey_Tunnel still won't have a provision for a train section. No emergency lanes, but 2 bus lanes in addition to only 3 general lanes each way. Once again, backward BC gets its wrong. Greater Vancouver is suppose to be a major seaport. Unfortunatly, the new tunnel will only have 4 lanes each way & no HOV or emergency lanes, of course.
Even if there are only 3 general lanes each way, there should have been a provision for a truck lane in addition to a bus lane each way. That would be at least 5 lanes each way, but no emergency lanes & still no provision for 2 train tracks either.
Thus, the new tunnel will eventually have to have a bus & train bridge or tunnel next to it. That would allow the tunnel to have 3 general lanes each way & 1 HOV lane each way. A rapid bus & rail corridor would ensure 24 hour high capacity transit, even when the YVR-Canada-Line is shutdown overnight.
Unfortunatly, none of the 80m & 50m SkyTrain stations were designed to have 4 tracks. That would have allowed for a proper express & local train system. The BC mentality seems to be about keeping the trains as well as the roads inadequate to meet future high transportation demands.
The LG Bridge in Vancouver should have had bus, HOV & train tunnels near it decades ago. Surrey_and_Richmond also should have had proper bus, HOV & train tunnels, decades ago.
Why have 3 sets of tracks like the O'Hare_station in Chicago? Or, have at least have 2 tracks like at the SeaTac/Airport_station. The small-scale YVR-Airport_station just has a single track to make congestion more likely. The Vancouver_International_Airport should have had at least 4 long runways by now.
The multigenerational backwater BC mentality is a combination of overlapping restrictions and a, keep it small or backwards agenda. Why plan and build like a big city, when Vancouver can mostly do things that are only impressive to smaller places like, Kelowna-Victoria-Prince+George-and-Kamloops?
Short trains, mostly stumpy buildings and mostly narrow bridges, provides powerful symbolism for the antigrowth agenda. Building up proper size infrastructure is the opposite.
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Tuesday, November 19, 2024
Monday, November 18, 2024
Friday, November 15, 2024
Brisbane-Sydney-Melbourne-Toronto
The Greater Toronto Area has been the only place in Canada where some Australian size residential towers have been permitted. So far, Montreal & Vancouver won't allow any residential towers to even reach 65 stories.
If Montreal were to ever allow something like a La_Defense, Parramatta or a Canary_Wharf on the London_Docklands, then some Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Toronto size towers would potentially be allowed.
Extremely restrictive Vancouver can't stop Burnaby, Coquitlam & especially Surrey from eventually having some Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Toronto size towers.
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/3200-east-broadway-vancouver-rupert-station-mst-aquilini Since these buildings would be within the small city linmits of Vancover, they won't be allowed to be on the scale of what Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Toronto permit.
No residential or office tower within the city limits of little Vancouver is allowed to be as tall as the Telus_Sky tower at 222.3 m (729 ft) in Calgary and Seattle's Rainier_Square_Tower at 850-foot (260 m).
The Living_Shangri-La tower, at 200.86 metres (659 ft) and the Paradox_Hotel_Vancouver at 188-metre (617 ft) are the tallest within Vancouver.
Unfortunatly, Montreal can't quite be included into the category with, Brisbane-Sydney-Melbourne-Toronto (BSMT). That's because their tallest buildings still have to be shorter that what Paris & Melbourne allow. However, the Greater Montreal transportation infrastructure is at a level of what you would expect for a big city to have. Fortunately, Québec has never been thwarted by anything like a BC Mind Virus (BCMV).
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Brisbane%2C+Sydney%2C+Melbourne+and+Toronto
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=GTA
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Brisbane+Airport+Railway+Line
Thursday, November 14, 2024
The Oakridge-41st Avenue Stations' expansion
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/skytrain-oakridge-41st-avenue-station-upgrade-design-renderings
Despite the absurd cost-cutting measures, the Canada+Line still could have been designed & built to eventually have 152m long stations, like the Montreal Metro. However, Vancouver & BC are all about inadequate or congestive infrastructure. Planning for a future high capacity train line goes against the backward BC mentality. Thus, all of the underground train stations are shorter than those in Edmonton, Seattle, Toronto & Montreal. Having proper big city long stations isn't a problem for real cities, but Vancouver wants to be more like a false front or a movie set.
https://thecanadaline.com/station-guides/oakridge-41st
LA & SF have their versions of a C-Train or an Edmonton LRT, but they also have proper big city size subway stations & trains.
The entire SkyTrain-and-Canada+Line should have been built with a provision to eventually have 172m long stations, or at least 152m. While the elevated stations could somewhat be lengthened, it's much more difficult & costly for the underground stations. Had they already been roughed out, it would have just been a matter of eventually completing them.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Oakridge-41st+Avenue The edge of the ridiculousley short train platform. This joke of a train really should have been designed to eventually accomodate 8-10 car trains. However, that would go against the multi-generational, KEEP THINGS SMALL OR BACKWARDS IN BC mentality. Apparently, even having 4-6 car trains would be too symbolic of recognizing urban transportation growth in backwater BC. Thus, a 2 car joke of a train, which can eventually become a 2.5 car train, was decided to be enough.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Oakridge-41st+Avenue At least some of the absurdly short underground stations are level enough to potentially be doubled in length, but not tripled.
6 towers with 2,500 homes proposed for strip mall near Lougheed Town Centre SkyTrain station
Nothing in the 70s or 80s like in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Toronto. So many of these buildings should be designed in which an extra 20-30 floors can eventually be added.
The Lougheed Town Centre is one of the few areas in BC where some Australian & Southern Ontario size buildings could be constructed.
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/pinnacle-lougheed-burnaby-western-canada-tallest-building While this might seem like a very tall buildig complex by backwater BC standards, it would only be of an average tall size in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Toronto.
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
In China, authorities put an end to Henan students' late-night bike rides
The Police & Military STATE of control provided a reminder.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/11/12/asia-pacific/society/china-night-biking-control/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/11/china-midnight-dumpling-bike-ride-zhengzhou-kaifeng
Oakland Airport vs. SFO (San Francisco)
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2024/11/14/oakland-airport-san-francisco/8381731560943/
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/judge-oakland-airport-new-name-court-battle-sfo/3707682/
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/judge-oakland-airport-new-name-court-battle-sfo/3707682/
TransLink's tower projects
Hopefully, the first of dozens throughout the region.
As a proponent of transit oriented development, especially for housing, various BC transportation entities should have had a real estate development department decades ago. Then by now there could have been a series of bus and HOV bridges.
The inadequate Lions+Gate+Bridge should have had truck, bus & HOV tunnels next to it by the 1980s or 90s.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=The+Ironworkers-Bridge
Sunday, November 10, 2024
New Merseyrail connected trains
https://www.railengineer.co.uk/new-merseyrail-connected-trains/
Unlike Vancouver, they can run 8 car trains when needed.
Saturday, November 9, 2024
Why free public transport doesn't fix traffic vs. what does
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6md7gny4pY
Trains and BRT can easily move the most amount of people efficiently.
Friday, November 8, 2024
Has living in Canada has become Impossible?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJHm03osbHc
No, just unaffordable for most people.
The Horrific Economy of Canada Explained https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySxdfdl8gwU
Why are so many buildings going bust? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ydd6R9vv0c
Why are so many big-city condos sitting empty? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGfFBP7U7pQ
If someone has the money to own an empty condo, that's their problem or benefit. However, unless enough highrises mid-rise & low-rise residential structures are built, there will always be a housing shortage in Canada.
Luxury condos aren't so much of the problem, it's the lack of affordable apartments & condos being built.
Vancouver earthquake damage injuries deaths study
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-earthquake-damage-injuries-deaths-study
Why ‘The Big One’ could be worse than we thought https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1qr9qnWR7E
Cascadia: The Earthquake that will Destroy West Coast America? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR-8PZ_nCvE
The Really Big One; The Feared Cascadia 9.0 Earthquake https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt6UxFIK17w
San Andreas Fault: When the Big One Hits https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGTv4XdZhko
Great Earthquakes of the Pacific Northwest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ7Qc3bsxjI 2016 CWU
Marine Drive station
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Drive_station
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Drive_station#Services
https://www.urbanyvr.com/marine-gateway-cineplex/
https://thecanadaline.com/station-guides/marine-drive/
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/marine-gateway-2-pci-developments-8530-cambie-street-vancouver
https://cptdb.ca/wiki/index.php/TransLink_SkyTrain_Marine_Drive_Station
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Drive_(Greater_Vancouver)#Main_section
https://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/marine-drive-upgrades.aspx
https://www.translink.ca/schedules-and-maps/station/marine-drive/map
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-housing-unit-construction-completion-statistics
Thursday, November 7, 2024
Canada's Rail Network
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/via-rail-on-time-performance-1.7374337
https://www.viarail.ca/en/explore-our-destinations/trains
Is Canada's Getting High-Speed Rail? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pMIDqGMP0A
https://cnebusiness.geomapguide.ca/?map=TL&lang=en
Japan & Switzerland have great population density & excellent intercity train service. Just because Canada is a vast, underpopulated country, there should have been a long term, 4 track intercity linking plan. 6-8 tracks in the larger cities. Almost every major city eventually being connected with at least 1 freight track & 1 passenger track, each way. Plus, an east-west high-speed line to almost or sort-of compete with air travel.
What Canadian high speed rail could look like — if it ever happens https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXOKVIokp-Q
Even when the railroads were first built in Canada, there should have been 2 tracks on all the main lines. Thus, any bridge & tunnel should have been wide enough to immediately or gradually accomodate 2 sets of tracks.
The TCH has just been a 2 lane country road for most of its history, so far. At least its better than a waggon road. Of course in the cities, its more like a modern highway. https://tc.canada.ca/en/corporate-services/policies/trans-canada-highway-map
The inadequate Queensborough Bridge in BC
https://x.com/DriveBC/status/1523759813179494401
Just another backwards 4 lane BC bridge with narrow sidewalks & no emergency lanes. There is no traffic safety divider or barrier & of course no provision for bus & HOV lanes. Thus, its a classic bottleneck or choke point. If such an inadequate bride were in Australia or the US, it would have been duplicated or twinned by now.
Two 4 lane bridges would allow for 2 lanes each way, plus 1 bus lane & 1 HOV lane each way. A newer bridge would also have enough room for a wide bike path as well as wide sidewalks. This really should be a 10 lane crossing, bust at least 8. Only for lanes today is such a sad joke.
Fortunately, the NYC QB was built on a grand scale, right from the start.
The Queensboro_Bridge, or the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge in NYC, is a fantastic 9 lane wonder from 1909. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queensboro_Bridge#Description
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queensboro_Bridge#Levels
https://www.ascemetsection.org/committees/history-and-heritage/landmarks/queensboro-bridge
https://www.webuildvalue.com/en/infrastructure/queensboro-bridge.html
https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2023/05/23/not-again-queensboro-bridge-pedestrian-path-delayed-til-mid-2024 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0Ivfo0DCpw
If the QB only had four lanes, it would have been twinned decades ago.
The Old Georgia Viaduct and Burrard Street Bridge
The first Georgia_Viaduct was supposed to have 2 active streetcar tracks in the middle. Unfortunately, no one in authority was around to make sure that the viaduct would be strong enough to support fully loaded streetcars, as well as trucks and cars. So, it was just for cars and trucks.
https://www2.laiwanette.net/fountain/project/georgia-viaduct-archive
https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/10a4f31/tbt_downtown_georgia_viaduct_october_5_1957
The Burrard_Bridge was also suppose to have 2 streetcar tracks, but in typical Vancouver style, it never happened.
https://viewpointvancouver.ca/2017/10/02/burrard-bridge-1934when-motordom-reigned-supreme/
The original configuration of the BB had a 6 lane top deck and a provision for 2 streetcar or tram-train tracks on a lower level.
https://viewpointvancouver.ca/2017/10/04/burrard-bridge-always-controversial/
Given the backward Vancouver planning mentality, a 2 level bridge was like something out of a Sci-Fi movie. Thus, a lower level crossing was never completed.
https://vancouversun.com/news/metro/vancouvers-viaducts-were-built-in-anticipation-of-a-freeway-that-never-happened The freeways plans between the 1950s and 1970s would have meant clearing various swaths of land through the city.
https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/history/georgia-viaduct-1915-1933837
https://placesthatmatter.ca/location/georgia-st-viaduct/
https://viewpointvancouver.ca/2009/02/08/tear-down-that-viaduct
https://viewpointvancouver.ca/2015/01/13/john-mackie-the-georgia-viaduct-and-the-freeway-fight-1972
https://scoutmagazine.ca/vancouver-lexicon-grandview-cut After the official cancelation of the freeway, the viaducts should have continued in the form of 2 express bus lanes into the Grandview Cut.
https://www.facebook.com/elevationrailway/videos/climbing-the-grandview-cut/10153022444271781/
https://www.tiktok.com/@uncouver/video/7234753547152133381 By the mid 1970s, the Grandview Cut should have been upgraded to being double tracked. That would have made it easier for the flow of freight trains, Amtrack and a future commuter train to and from Abbotsford and the Lower Fraser Valley.
https://globalnews.ca/news/3701535/bc-hydro-proposed-new-cycling-and-pedestrian-bridge-for-grandview-cut Not only should the Grandview Cut have been double tracked, but have 2 rapid bus lanes and 2 bike lanes and footpaths.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/128486813979056/posts/1106138719547189/
https://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/streetscape-design.aspx
Vancouver just had to be one of the first cities to get rid of its streetcars and interurban tram-trains. It will likely be one of the last cities to reinstate some of its streetcar lines.
The inadequate Lions Gate Bridge
https://viewpointvancouver.ca/2017/09/28/twinning-the-lions-gate-bridge/
No twinning the LGB ever happened, but what about a tunnel with dedicated bus lanes?
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/north-shore-rapid-transit-study-skytrain
A 6 lane highway, plus 2 bus lanes and a 3 track train tunnel+deep+under+Stanley+Park is possible, but still unlikely for the foreseeable future. It's ridiculous that there is no official plan to connect the 2 BC Lower Mainland ferry terminals with the Canada (embarrassment) Line. Unfortunatly, the congestive planning approach keeps winning out in backwards BC.
Wednesday, November 6, 2024
The Sydney Metro Train
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Metro , https://www.sydneymetro.info/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InYZw4mIWGA
https://www.sydneymetro.info/citysouthwest/project-overview
| Train length |
|
|---|---|
| Headway | 4 minutes (peak) 5-7 minutes (intra-peak) 10 minutes (off-peak) |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Metro#Operations
"The Metro North West Line currently operates with 6-car trains running on 4-minute headways. After the addition of the Stage 2 extension to Bankstown, the stations’ platforms will be configured to allow for future use of 8-car trains and the signalling system designed to allow for 2-minute headways, both of which are planned to be introduced once increased patronage demands it. Eight-car trains have a design capacity of 1,539 customers and increasing the running frequency to ultimately 30 trains per hour (2-minute headway) would provide a maximum capacity of 46,170 passengers per hour per direction." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Metro#Capacity
Unlike backward Greater Vancouver, Sydney makes it easier to have longer trains to better handle future capacity.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Metro_Metropolis_Stock
Fortunately, Sydney builds to NSW standards, not the backwater standards of backwards BC.
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Vancouver prepares to dig a tunnel deep under Stanley Park
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/stanley-park-water-supply-tunnel-vancouver-construction
https://globalnews.ca/news/10853316/stanley-park-water-tunnel-timeline/
https://brander.ca/watertunnel/
https://www.mottmac.com/en-us/projects/stanley-park-water-supply-tunnel
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=a+new+water+tunnel+deep+under+Stanley+Park
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://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=streetcars+and+trams
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://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://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=streetcars+and+trams
Thousands without power, trees down in B.C. as storm sweeps through on Monday
https://globalnews.ca/news/10850151/bc-storm-monday-power-outages-pooling-water/
https://vancouversun.com/news/vancouver-wind-rain-storm-live-updates-thousands-lose-power
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/overnight-power-outages-expected-after-destructive-b-c-storm-1.7097643
https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2024/11/04/metro-vancouver-delta-capilano-wind-warning-trees-fall/
NYC "A" train subway service to be suspended for 5 months
https://pix11.com/news/transit/a-train-subway-service-to-be-suspended-for-5-months-what-to-know
https://new.mta.info/maps/subway-line-maps/a-line
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B_Division_(New_York_City_Subway)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Division_(New_York_City_Subway)
Edmonton's historic Mill Creek Trestle Bridge is being replaced
https://dailyhive.com/edmonton/mill-creek-trestle-bridge-replaced-edmonton
https://www.edmonton.ca/projects_plans/roads/mill-creek-ravine-trestle-bridge-replacement
https://hermis.alberta.ca/ARHP/Details.aspx?DeptID=1&ObjectID=4664-0060
https://www.edmonton.ca/projects_plans/roads/mill-creek-pedestrian-bridges
https://islengineering.com/project/mill-creek-pedestrian-bridges/
https://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/edmonton_archives/edmonton-bridges
https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=6f9421d312f5455c85ccbbe29727bd24
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Bridges_in_Alberta
TransLink seeking creative ‘retirement plans’ for old SkyTrain cars
At least a couple of them should be in a special exhibit to show more evidence of backwater BC planning that was supported by inept Vancouver planning.
Why have trains as long as those in Montreal (152.5m), when Greater Vancouver is all about excelling in congestive planning?
Sunday, November 3, 2024
Saturday, November 2, 2024
The North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant saga
https://thebreaker.news/news/nswwtp-progress-reports-foi
Why have proper train, HOV and bus lanes going to and from the North+Shore when the wasted funding can go down the toilet instead?
https://metrovancouver.org/services/liquid-waste/north-shore-wastewater-treatment-plant-project
This $HIT-BOX planning mentality is totally inept!
The City of Paris, Île-de-France region
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%8Ele-de-France
Exploring Paris Metro Line 10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxRFFPAfTqc
The Paris Métro station where the trains DON'T stop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERX68Ye0btg
Evolution of the Paris Metro & RER 1900-2035 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZZo33zrOEc
The old SkyTrain cars are finally entering their retirement phase
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/skytrain-mark-i-cars-ideas-reuse-proposal
Such ridiculously small, plastic railcars. They were designed to be even smaller that the steel ones in Chicago, which can have longer trains than backward Vancouver.
Service interrupted on Metro's green line, REM back to normal
Unlike BC, at least Montreal has a good level of infrastructure, when its working.
https://montreal.citynews.ca/2024/11/01/service-green-line-montreal-metro/
Friday, November 1, 2024
Vancouver's narrow bridges over the Fraser River
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-knight-street-video-concern
The Knight_Street_Bridge (KSB) was deliberately designed to not have a couple of emergency lanes. No truck lanes and especially no bus and HOV lanes. No proper bike lanes, just 2 narrow sidewalks.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knight_Street_Bridge#Infrastructure
Thus, the Knight_Street_Bridge is one of the best examples of BC bottleneck planning.
https://images.drivebc.ca/bchighwaycam/pub/html/www/695.html
The Knight_Street_Bridge is so narrow and inept, that a new HOV, bus and bike bridge should be built right next to it. The Knight+Street+Bridge is only 4 lanes wide in the middle, so a parallel 4 lane bridge would greatly improve things. One lane on and one lane off between the twin bridge crossing and Marine-Drive. Then the main 3 lanes each way onto the 6 lanes of Knight+Street up to Kingsway.
The incredibly narrow Fraser_Street_Bridge (FSB) was torn down and should have been rebuilt or replaced by the 1970s, especially by the 1990s. The city and the Provincial_government didn't seem to understand that a new bridge there would be great as a HOV, bus and bike bridge. A couple of wide emergency lanes would have made it a lot easier for emergency vehicles to go between Vancouver & Richmond.
Despite Oak Street being 6 lanes wide, the BC bottleneck mentality wanted to force everything into a 4 lane Oak_Street_Bridge (OSB). Even if there was no concept to have bus lanes in the late 1950s, the OSB should have had 6 lanes, plus 2 wide emergency lanes and 2 wide sidewalks.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak_Street_Bridge#Infrastructure
By now, there should have been a HOV, bus & bike bridge built next to the narrow & inept Oak_Street_Bridge.
The Arthur-Laing-Bridge (ALB) is only 2 lanes each way. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Laing_Bridge
The multigenerational inept Vancouver & BC planning agenda is all about creating more congestion.
Fortunately, the 8 lane Champlain+Bridge also has 2 passenger train tracks. This was possible, because Montreal and Quebec don't have anything like the Vancouver & BC mentality to hinder them.
Why have a provision for 10 car SkyTrains, when a 2-4 car joke of a train can enable more congestion? That's the backward BC way.
It's amazing that the Montreal+Metro was designed to have 9 car trains, even back in the 1960s. Montreal and Quebec in general, just don't have anything like a backwater BC mentally to contend with. Quebec isn't just able to do more because it has more people than BC, Quebec has been able to accomplish more because it isn't BC.
https://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/bridges-and-structures.aspx
Despite being a newer crossing, the Arthur+Laing+Bridge was only designed to have 4 lanes, just like the older Oak+Street+Bridge. Both bridges should have been built with very wide shoulders, so that they eventually could have provided 6 lanes. Plus, both bridges should have had very wide sidewalks. However, that goes against the chokepoint planning mentality.
Thursday, October 31, 2024
Why Canada’s making massive cuts to immigration
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqNF7hF5u3E
Is our 'addiction' to cheap foreign labour hurting young people? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV11Z437758
Toronto and Freeway Widening: The Gift That Keeps on Giving (More Traffic)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBESmfpB3vw
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto#Transportation
The Real Reason Hwy 401 is the Busiest in North America https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFBQDIY3V74
More Lanes are (Still) a Bad Thing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHZwOAIect4
How Toronto Got Addicted to Cars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkO-DttA9ew
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Toronto_Area#Transportation
Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Bus Lanes and Bus Rapid Transit
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus_lane
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_transport_bus_service#Express_bus_service
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus_rapid_transit
Unfortunately, Greater_Vancouver is one of the worst examples of Regional_Transportation_Planning. With so many narrow bridges and a refusal to build a proper network of bus-bridges, things remain chaotic on the existing inept bridges.
The SkyTrain_(Vancouver) should have been designed to be a little like a light rail version of the Chicago_L Trains. However, instead of designing the stations to eventually accomodate 8 car trains, like the Chicago_L, the Vancouver maximum was a 6 car train of the Mark_I_fleet. Shorter railcars & shorter trains, that's the name of the congestion planning game in backward BC.
As of late 2024, the first 2 SkyTrain lines are still only running 4 & 2 car trains, not counting the original smaller coaches. The 3rd line or Canada_Line, is only running 2 car trains. All 3 lines should have been designed to eventually have 8-10 car trains, but that would be properly planning for future capacity on a multi-billion dollar system.
Tuesday, October 29, 2024
Vancouver House Condominiums and Apartments
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-apartment-1480-howe-st
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/condo-vs-apartment-whats-the-difference
https://www.bankrate.com/real-estate/condo-vs-apartment/
https://www.forbes.com/advisor/ca/mortgages/difference-between-condo-and-apartment/
Monday, October 28, 2024
Why "Nobody" Lives In Upstate New York
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLs4hLIuHVY
The New York Nobody Knows About https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5rnrX5ZFYo
BC and Canada
The BC part of Canada has been engrossed by a backwater and backward mentality since its inception.
Victoria,_British_Columbia is still a sleepy backwater, while Melbourne is a mighty city in Victoria_(state), Australia. Sidney,_British_Columbia is another classic BC backwater, while Sydney is the mighty capital of NSW. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_central_business_district
Due to an extremely slow growth mandate & agenda, Greater_Victoria is a far cry from reaching the scale of Sydney and Montreal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downtown_Montreal
Victoria and SW BC are the mildest parts of Canada during the horrible winter. It just so happens that a series of various overlapping restrictions were imposed so as to hold back the scale & progress of backwater BC. Most of BC remains as a wilderness, but it's been very difficult to establish a half-dozen major cities in BC.
While Montreal is big by small Vancouver's standards, Montreal is small when compared to the scale of Melbourne. Despite bing in Canada, Toronto was gradually allowed to become a proper big city. Toronto has some taller buildings than Sydney, NSW, but no 100 story towers like Melbourn & Chicago have. However, Toronto was eventually allowed to have its own 100+ story building.
Why "Nobody" Lives In The VAST MAJORITY Of British Columbia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdeZV_caT78
Sunday, October 27, 2024
Saudi Arabia’s Neom megaproject
https://www.the-sun.com/news/12762755/saudi-arabia-neom-workers-dying-slaves/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neom#Controversies
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neom#Abusive_work_culture
Neom is a huge project with big problems.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neom , https://www.neom.com/en-us
Damp, grey week ahead for Greater Vancouver
There are always several people who look forward to the cold & crappy fall & winter Canadian weather.
Of course, BC gets its share of cold & crappy fall & winter weather.
Australian Migration Program planning levels
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/what-we-do/migration-program-planning-levels
In several ways Australia will always win out over Canada, simply because Australia doesn't have to endure the carappy, cold Canadian winters.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/mar/21/migration-numbers-australia-2023-rise
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_to_Australia#Current_immigration_programs
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-67609963
Food of the GNAW
The_Food_of_the_Gods_(1976) is a standard GIANT mutant animals on a rampage movie.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Food_of_the_Gods_(film)#Plot
GNAW: Food_of_the_Gods_II (1989) has even larger enraged animals running rampant.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_of_the_Gods_II#Plot
R42 (New York City Subway car)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R42_(New_York_City_Subway_car)
| Train length | 2 car train: 120.4 feet (36.7 m) 4 car train: 240.8 feet (73.4 m) 6 car train: 361.2 feet (110.1 m) 8 car train: 481.6 feet (146.8 m) 10 car train: 602 feet (183 m) |
|---|---|
| Car length | 60 ft (18.29 m) |
| Width | 10 ft (3,048 mm) |
| Height | 12.08 ft (3,682 mm) |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R42_(New_York_City_Subway_car)#History
Friday, October 25, 2024
320 Granville Street, Vancouver
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/320-granville-bosa-faria-flooding-dispute
It's a nice looking building, but once again, it's only a half-size figurine, or a stump.
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bosa-waterfront-centre-320-granville-street-vancouver-office-tower
Unlike scenic Auckland, NZ & especially Sydney, Australia or SF, California, Vancouver continues to cut off the top 15-30 floors of any office tower development.
https://bosadevelopment.com/project/320-granville , https://320granville.com/
https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/320-Granville-St-Vancouver-BC/27653032/
https://storeys.com/vancouver-bosa-waterfront-office-complete/
Even no residential tower within little Vancouver has been allowed to be as high as the tallest condo tower in Seattle, Calgary, Edmonton & Toronto. Especially, Melbourne, Sydney & Brisbane.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Brisbane-Sydney-Melbourne-Toronto-SF
Thursday, October 24, 2024
17-Building Development Proposed In Vaughan, Ontario
https://storeys.com/behemoth-17-building-development-vaughan/
No building within the city limits of Vancouver has been allowed to rival what Vaughan & Mississauga are permitting.
Van https://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=9790 , https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?cityID=1&status=15
Vau https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?cityID=2797&status=15
Mis https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?cityID=306&status=15
New pro soccer team Vancouver Rise pitch Burnaby on stadium partnership
The new women’s professional soccer team wants Swangard Stadium as its home venue, but the facility would need improvements to meet league standards. https://www.burnabynow.com/local-news/new-pro-soccer-team-vancouver-rise-pitch-burnaby-on-stadium-partnership-9699516
It's always been difficult for backwater BC to get things up to a league standard, or especially international standards.
Appreciative transit culture in BC, etc.
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/canadian-transit-shout-out-reaction
People are happy whenever public transit is working reasonably well and running at an appropriate level of capacity. Unfortunatly, that's not always the case and its not the fault of the transit operators and attendants. It's the inept planning that refuses to improve bottleneck water crossings and other chokepoints. Various BC governments providing limited construction budgets and or not providing structures with built-in higher capacity capabilities.
Fortunately unlike in BC, most real cities around the world have longer trains & wide enough roads & bridges to accommodate proper bus & HOV lanes.
The goal to build one of Metro Vancouver's new tallest buildings
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/citizen-tower-anthem-properties-burnaby-metrotown-ipo
Unlike Calgary and Seattle, Vancouver won't permit any residential building to be this tall within its strictly controlled city limits. Fortunately, Burnaby, Coquitlam and Surrey will allow taller buildings.
https://www.biv.com/news/real-estate/vancouver-developer-seeks-to-raise-82m-for-metrotown-project-via-ipo-9508936 This is Business Outside of Vancouver.
https://storeys.com/anthem-properties-burnaby-66-storey-citizen-metro-king-metrotown This is like an average semi-tall building in Toronto and the GTA.
https://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/real-estate/two-more-towers-up-to-80-storeys-tall-more-rental-housing-could-be-coming-to-burnabys-brentwood-8461795 There has been an unwretten ruel in Greater Vancouver for several decades. As long as something is impressive by PG, Kamloops, Kelowna & especially Victoria standards, that's good enough for backwater BC.
https://www.burnabynow.com/local-news/burnaby-councillor-opposes-plan-for-80-storey-tower-in-burnaby-5509305 No buildings taller than 40 stories & no roads wider than 4 lanes is very symbolic of the, KEEP IT SMALL mentality of BC. Even the newer SkyTran cars still only form 4 car trains. The Canada Line only has 2 car trains.
https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?p=9875630 When the scale of things in BC have been kept back for several decades, its difficult for some people to fathom an attempt to have a taller or larger scale of developments and infrastructure.
Even the mountains just north of LA are allowed to be taller than those of (Greater_Vancouver).
