Urban Tech Links: UTL

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmonton_LRT#History Unlike what backwards Vancouver would end up doing, Edmonton understood the importance of having long underground stations, right from the start.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_Line#Stations If you are from Edmonton or Seattle, you will be immediately surprised as to how short & small the underground Vancouver train stations are.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churchill_station_(Edmonton) 1978

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Churchill_LRT_station_platform_facing_Clareview_and_NAIT%2C_11-04-2023.jpg

"The underground station has a 129-metre-long (423 ft) centre loading platform that can accommodate two five-car LRT trains at the same time, with one train on each side of the platform. At just under 8 m wide (26 ft), the underground platform is narrow by current Edmonton LRT design guidelines." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churchill_station_(Edmonton)#Station_layout

Yet, this is big by narrowminded Vancouver & BC standards. Despite Vancouver having its own version of cold & crappy weather, there just isn't the same concept or desire to have a network of elevated & especially, underground corridors like what Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Dallas & Houston have.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_station_(Edmonton) 1978

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay/Enterprise_Square_station 1983 Being from wattered down Vancouver, it's hard to fathom a 130m long underground station in Edmonton, but Albertal doesn't have anything like a backwards BC mentality to contend with. The first 2 SkyTrain lines were designed to only have 80m stations. The 3rd line to Richmond & YVR, was only designed to have 50m stations. While this initially might have made sense as a cost saving measure, it will cost so much more to eventually try to lengthen these short stations. Thus, all the stations should have been designed to eventually be at least 153m, or just over 500 feet.

"The station has a 130-metre-long (430 ft) centre loading platform that can accommodate two five-car LRT trains at the same time, with one train on each side of the platform." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay/Enterprise_Square_station#Station_layout

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corona_station_(Edmonton) 1983

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_Centre_station 1989

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_station_(Edmonton) 1992 It remains to be scene if Vancouver might have a UBC station by 2032. While geology & climate can vary between cities, the laws of physics in the BC part of Canada isn't supposed to be different. Yet, it takes a long time to get things done in backwater BC.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_Line#Stations

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

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

The Valley LRT Line in Edmonton

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_Line_(Edmonton)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_Line_(Edmonton)#Valley_Line_Southeast

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churchill_station_(Edmonton) A nice, long underground train station with a surface line connecting station above it.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Valley_Line_Downtown.jpg A nice, long train in Edmonton, which just isn't allowed in Vancouver. Indeed, long trains were possible for the Montreal Metro, Toronto Subway, Edmonton LRT, Calgary C Train & Seattle's Link_light_rail didn't have the backwards BC mentality to thwart them.

https://majorprojects.alberta.ca/details/Valley-Line-West-LRT/3692

https://marigoldinfra.ca/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_Line_(Edmonton)#Valley_Line_West_(under_construction)

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

Edmonton to test patience of west-end motorists with accelerated LRT construction

https://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/columnists/keith-gerein-west-edmonton-lrt-construction

https://globalnews.ca/news/11014951/valley-line-west-lrt-stony-plain-road-construction-pace/

https://www.edmonton.ca/projects_plans/transit/valley-line-west

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-valley-line-west-lrt-construction-road-closures-1.7452882

https://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/letters/tuesdays-letters-edmonton-makes-getting-there-none-of-the-fun

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_Line_(Edmonton)#Valley_Line_West_(under_construction)

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

Montreal has completed 5% of snow-loading operation, as city braces for winds and chilly temps

https://montreal.citynews.ca/2025/02/18/winds-to-intensify-montreal/

https://montreal.citynews.ca/2025/02/18/rem-service-disruptions-continue Montreals version of the Skytrain should have a snow-plough at both ends of each train.

https://montreal.citynews.ca/2025/02/18/exo-trains-cancelled-snow-accumulation Even for the big trains, at a certain point a snow-plough might not be able to properly clear the tracks.

https://montreal.citynews.ca/2025/02/18/montreal-snow-disabled-mobility-challenges/

https://montreal.citynews.ca/2025/02/17/snow-piling-up-montreal-clearing-loading

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

Edmonton is the biggest provincial capital after Toronto.

https://dailyhive.com/edmonton/edmonton-weather-forecast-temperature-change-alberta

Despite the severity of such cold winters, that never seem to reach down to mild Vancouver & Victoria, Edmonton is quite a thriving northern city. The decades of being a provincial outpost with waggon roads, are long gone.

https://dailyhive.com/edmonton/edmonton-weather-forecast-temperature-change-heat

One might think that since Greater Victoria is the most mild provincial capital region in Canada, it might have at least the same population as Edmonton. It can't even match Winnipeg and Q. City, or even Halifax. Unfortunatly, almost living anywhere is expensive, but if you don't want to endure the real harsh Canadian winters, then Victoria to Nanaimo and Vancouver to Abbotsford, are the best choices.

However, BC has been reluctant to properly keep up with is infrastructure.

Overnight closures for highway 17 in BC

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/overnight-closures-highway-17-pattullo-bridge-replacement-project

It's unfortunate that the Pattullo-Bridge-Replacement wasn't designed to have 2 levels. Just like the SkyBridge didn't. The new bridge won't be opening with any bus & HOV lanes. Opening a 4 lane bridge in the 2020s with the same number of lanes as the one from the 1930s is a sad joke, an insult & an indication of the reluctance to plan & build for the future.

While NW & Surrey aren't officially against bus & HOV lanes, this was another case of 2 cities & the province not properly communicating & planning to gradually build a proper regional express bus & HOV network.

The Skybridge opened in 1990 without any future capacity for 2 express bus lanes & 2 HOV lanes. The inept Pattullo_Bridge just has 4 narrow lanes. Yet, somehow the SkyBridge didn't open with at least 3 tracks & 2 sidewalks & 2 bike lanes on an upper deck & 2 express bus lanes & 2 HOV lanes on a lower deck. Instead, it's just a single level bridge with only 2 SkyTrain tracks.

Derailment and extreme snowfall disrupt train service between Montreal and Toronto

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/rail-traffic-snow-storm-montreal-toronto-1.7462013

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/southern-quebec-snowstorms-schools-closed-1.7461516

REM’s snow struggles persist in Montreal

https://www.montrealgazette.com/news/article760907.html

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alstom_Metropolis_Saint-Laurent

Train length	38.1 m (125 ft) per unit
Car length	19.05 m (62 ft 6 in) over coupler faces

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alstom_Metropolis_Saint-Laurent#Design_and_construction Two 125 foot trains = 250 feet, or half the length of a 9 car Metro train.

An 8 car [19.05 m (62 ft 6 inch)] REM train version of this would be great for Vancouver, but an improved Skytrain could be just as good. Unfortunatly, BC has a tough time thinking big for the future.

https://montreal.citynews.ca/2025/02/18/rem-service-disruptions-continue/

However, any elevated line or exposed rapid transit train in Montreal, is always potentially disrupted during the winter.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-rem-out-of-service-1.7461000

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A9seau_express_m%C3%A9tropolitain#Future_sections

The genius of the Montreal_Metro trains is that they are all underground.

https://montreal.citynews.ca/2025/02/17/stormy-weather-continues-in-montreal/

Vancouver & BC always have a difficult time in properly planning & building infrastructure for significant future capacity. Thus, just because the SkyTrain is considered to be a Light Rail Vehicle, it still should have been designed to eventually have (152.5m) long trains, like the Montreal Metro has. If you are visiting from Montreal or Toronto, you will be shocked as to how short the Vancouver SkyTrains & stations are.

It's not that BC is in some kind of a timewarp, it's just that there has been some kind of a strange multigenerational mentality or agenda. Since the BC part of Canada doesn't have the authority or the technology to generate a force_field around its perimeter, the next best thing was to have very restrictive laws. That's especially the case for Vancouver & Victoria. Plus, a general encouragement to symbolically think small & backwards.

Having short trains, narrow bridges & mostly short buildings, all fits in with the symbolism of a reluctance to accommodate significant urban growth. Canada it self is also part of this larger predicament. Despite its size, Canada is nowhere close to containing even just 1% of the worlds population. Given that most of the human population is non-white, this poses an interesting dilemma.

Of course during tougher economic times, immigration is generally frowned upon. However, even during various economic boom-times, Vancouver & Victoria continued to lag behind with the scale of its infrastructure development.

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

People told to stay home or use the métro, but avoid taking the bus in Montreal

https://www.montrealgazette.com/news/article761925.html

Man dead after he is found in snow-covered car with engine running in Montreal https://globalnews.ca/news/11023614/man-dead-snow-covered-car-montreal/

Montreal snow clearing proceeding slowly after record storm https://www.montrealgazette.com/news/article761613.html

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/blizzard-school-closure-montreal-1.7460989

https://www.theweathernetwork.com/en/news/weather/severe/montreals-historic-snowfall-nearly-ties-this-127-year-record-quebec

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

Bitter cold arrives in Toronto, GTA with additional snow possible this evening

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2025/02/18/toronto-weather-snow-storm-extreme-cold-forecast-southern-ontario/

Relief from Calgary cold could be on the way with positive temperatures in forecast

https://calgary.citynews.ca/2025/02/18/calgary-february-warm-up

While Calgary isn't as populated as Montreal, it has some of the tallest buildings in Canada, outside of the Greater Toronto Area.

https://calgaryherald.com/news/calgary-in-for-its-latest-upward-tempertaure-swing-this-week

Monday, February 17, 2025

Tacoma Narrows Bridge history

https://wsdot.wa.gov/tnbhistory/tale-of-three-bridges-1940.htm

https://wsdot.wa.gov/tnbhistory/1940-bridge.htm Wow, its like the first TN Bridge was just built to a narrow & inadequate BC standard.

https://wsdot.wa.gov/tnbhistory/tale-of-three-bridges-1950.htm Of course the 4 lane replacement was built well enough that it could eventually be twinned. Backwater BC logic would be to still cram everything into just 2 lanes each way.

https://wsdot.wa.gov/tnbhistory/default.htm#3 1950 w

https://wsdot.wa.gov/tnbhistory/default.htm#4 2007 e

https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/tnbhistory

https://www.gigharbornow.org/news/community/new-tacoma-narrows-bridge-turns-15-years-old

The Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge in Seattle

The Lacey_V._Murrow_Memorial_Bridge opened in 1940 with 4 lanes. Once the Homer_M._Hadley_Memorial_Bridge opened in 1989, the Lacey_V._Murrow_Memorial_Bridge could be renovated. This was all part of a plan to have an 8 lane crossing with 2 train tracks.

The Samuel-De_Champlain_Bridge in Montreal opened in 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel-De_Champlain_Bridge#Specifications

Vancouver might eventually try to have its own version of train & highway bridge to the North Shore. However, what's straightforward for Seattle & Montreal is difficult to accomplish in backwards Vancouver.

https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/study-reveals-potential-replacement-options-for-ironworkers-bridge-8926848

However, it takes a long time to get things done in BC. At least an 8 lane crossing with 2 train tracks should have been built there decades ago, but there is such a reluctance to think big & build BIG in Vancouver & BC, in general.

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2023/05/18/ironworkers-memorial-replacement-bc-transit/

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/north-shore-skytrain-burrard-inlet-rapid-transit-brt-lrt-study

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/upper-levels-highway-north-shore-upgrades-study

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/north-shore-rapid-transit-study-skytrain

Of course Seattle & Montreal would have an 8 lane crossing with 2 train tracks long before slow Vancouver would consider an upgrade to the inadequate Ironworkers+Memorial+Bridge.

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=North+Shore

The original Second Narrows Bridge and its replacement

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Narrows_Rail_Bridge#Original_bridge_(1925) This is a smaller bridge than what was originally planned. Of course, that's the backwards BC way.

https://www.nsnews.com/in-the-community/time-traveller-the-first-second-narrows-bridge-1925-3118875

https://vancouversun.com/news/this-week-in-history-1930-the-first-second-narrows-bridge-was-a-disaster-magnet-for-ships

https://www.northshoreheritage.org/blog/2023/11/23/bridge-over-burrards-water

https://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/second-narrows-bridge-vancouver-b-c-opened-november-7th-1925-2

https://search.nbca.unbc.ca/index.php/second-narrows-bridge-in-vancouver-bc-6

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Narrows_Rail_Bridge (1969)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thornton_Tunnel#History Unfortunatly, the new tunnel & bridge weren't designed to be wide enough to eventually accommodate a parallel track. Thus, N. Vancouver & Vancouver are still in the single track crossing trap, just like NW & Surrey are.

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=old+and+new+narrow+bridges

Old and new narrow bridges in BC

The New_Westminster_Bridge opened in 1904 and in typical backwater BC style, it was too narrow to do the job, right from the start. Not only should the bridge have been double-tracked, there should have been at least a 2 lane upper deck. At least having a provision for 2 tracks and more than just a 1 lane wagon road.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Fraser_River_Bridge%2C_New_Westminster%2C_BC.jpg

https://historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=britishcolumbia/newwestminsterrailwaybridge/

http://archives.newwestcity.ca/Results.aspx Thats all you got back then, just a 1 lane wagon road.

http://archives.newwestcity.ca/Results.aspx? Despite the bridge being required to handle passenger trains as well as freight trains, everything is funneled into a single track, even well over a century later.

http://archives.newwestcity.ca/Results.aspx?AC Had there been some real forward planning, there should have been at least 4 wagon lanes on the upper deck & at leas 3 tracks on the lower deck.

Unfortunatly, NW only saw itself as a provincial capital backwater & that also became the case when the BC capital was relocated to Victoria.

http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/photos/bridges/Vancouver_area.htm

https://www.newwestrecord.ca/local-news/looking-back-and-looking-forward-pattullo-bridge-opened-85-years-ago-today-6106270 It must have been amazing to finally have a bridge with 4 wagon roads. Unfortunatly, there was no provision for a lower deck to accommodate interurban tram-trains & trucks. https://historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=britishcolumbia/pattullo

https://www.reddit.com/r/SurreyBC/comments/yhf6wg/pattullo_bridge_in_silver_grey_1957 Had there been a provision for a lower deck, then perhaps by 1960, both decks could have provided a wider 3 lanes each way.

Unlike the SHB in NSW, the Old-Pattullo-Bridge wasn't built with the same level of quality and wasn't designed to last that long.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/pattullo-bridge-new-replacement-construction-update-2024 Of course the new bridge is a year behind schedule and once again, doesn't seem to be designed with much that much future capacity in mind.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/pattullo-bridge-new-crossing-widening-six-lanes-surrey-board-of-trade Aparently, opening the new bridge with 6 lanes & a provision for a lower deck with 2 bus & HOV lanes & 2 truck lanes is too advanced thinking for BC infrastructure development. Just like the short Skytrain stations, having double deck bridges goes against the congestive planning agenda. So, the new bridge will open with only 2 lanes each way & no emergency lanes & especially no bus-HOV lanes or truck lanes for a seaport region. Thus, everything will be crammed into a 4 lane crossing. Why would such a bridge not open with enough width for 2 bus & HOV lanes? Most people in the Greater Vancouver Region know that the Skytrain isn't open 24 hours, so a good bus & HOV bridge between NW & Surrey would make sense, but this is the BC part of Canada where a lot of things don't make sense.

https://www.pattullobridgereplacement.ca/

https://www.pattullobridgereplacement.ca/about/projectoverview/

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

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=old+and+new+narrow+bridges

Toronto got more snow in the last week than it did all last winter, says climatologist

https://www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/local/article/toronto-got-more-snow-in-the-last-week-than-it-did-all-last-winter-says-climatologist-but-relief-may-be-on-way-with-warmer-than-normal-march/

Snow in even the more prepared cities can still be such a pain.

Frigid Arctic cold returns: back into deep freeze

https://www.alberta.ca/blizzards-freezing-rain-ice-storms-and-extreme-cold

Some people really like winter.

https://www.newmarkettoday.ca/local-news/snow-strong-winds-may-make-travel-hazardous-environment-canada-10245592

While many others dread the perpetual cold weather.

https://www.collingwoodtoday.ca/local-news/up-to-60-cm-of-snow-accumulation-possible-environment-canada-10245159

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-flights-cancelled-as-much-of-ontario-and-quebec-contends-with-second/

https://www.ctvnews.ca/kitchener/article/snowy-weather-continues-in-waterloo-region-environment-canada/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canada-severe-winter-weather-1.7460768

https://weather.gc.ca/data/wxoimages/wocanmap0_e.jpg A time of the year when every city in Canada is frozen over, except for Victoria & Vancouver. A lot of people from within Canada, or from around the world don't like -10C days & -20C nights with a windchill in the -30s. Usually mild Vancouver & Victoria have been very reluctant to accept the scale of growth that is commonplace in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary & Edmonton.

https://weather.gc.ca/canada_e.html

https://www.severe-weather.eu/global-weather/polar-vortex-frigid-arctic-cold-blast-winter-storm-february-2025-canada-united-states-mk/

Airport delays and road accidents pile up as severe winter weather grips much of Canada

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canada-severe-winter-weather-1.7460768

Nothing like crappy, cold weather.

Saturday, February 15, 2025

Three dead, one injured in crash on Pattullo Bridge

https://vancouversun.com/news/three-dead-in-crash-pattullo-bridge

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/02/15/new-westminster-surrey-pattullo-bridge-fatal-crash/

https://www.castanet.net/news/BC/533640/Three-killed-one-seriously-injured-in-crash-on-Metro-Vancouver-bridge

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/pattullo-bridge-crash-closed-1.7460474

https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/3-dead-1-hospitalized-with-life-threatening-injuries-after-major-crash-on-metro-vancouver-bridge/

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/pattullo-bridge-fatal-crash-february-2025

https://www.pattullobridgereplacement.ca Fortunately, the replacement bridge will have a central safety divider.

https://www.pattullobridgereplacement.ca/about/projectoverview Unfortunatly, the new bridge will open with only 4 lanes & no provision for a lower deck. However, there will be 2 bike & 2 footpaths. Despite being what is supposed to be a major port region, there are no truck lanes. Since Skytrain isn't a 24hr system & the Skybridge wasn't designed to have 2 bus lanes open at least during track maintenance, the new bridge should have had 2 bus lanes. Instead, cars, trucks & busses will all be funneled into only 2 lanes each way. So just like with the first bridge, BC bottleneck planning wins out.

https://www.highway99tunnel.ca While its several decades behind schedule, an 8 lane crossing is at least on the horizon.

https://www.highway99tunnel.ca/project-overview-frt Unfortunatly, in accordance with backwards BC infrastructure planning, there is no provision for a train tunnel or a bridge to Delta & especially the Tsawwassen_ferry_terminal. That seems to fit right in with not having a train from Waterfront_station to Park_Royal_Shopping_Centre and the Horseshoe_Bay_ferry_terminal.

Until the stations on the first 2 Skytrain lines are lengthened, they will be stuck with 5 car trains. Proper long-range planning should have allowed for 8-10 car trains. The joke that is the Canada Line, should have had stations that could initially handle 4-5 car trains, with a provision to eventually accommodate 8-10 car trains. The existing ridiculously short stations can only handle 2.5 car trains. WTH?

This unofficial congestive BC planning initiative is a multigenerational ME$$! Aparenty, narrow bridges & no regional bus bridges & short trains, can adequately move people around in a region of over 3 million people. Fortunately, when greater Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Sydney, Melbourn, Seattle & especially the SFBA all surpassed having 3 million people, they weren't bound by anything like the backwater BC mentality.

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

Pattullo Bridge closed after three killed in crash

"The Pattullo Bridge between New Westminster and Surrey, B.C., remains closed Saturday morning after three people were killed and one person was left with life-threatening injuries in a crash Friday evening..." https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/pattullo-bridge-crash-closed-1.7460474

Why not have a few more bridges for Surrey, NW, Richmond & Delta? Apparently for several decades, a inept 4 lane P Bridge & an inadequate 4 lane D Island Tunnel, which can easily get blocked & temporarily shutdown, was the best way to go. Unfortunatly, the concept of redundancy in BC has never really caught on.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/pattullo-bridge-5-things-you-didn-t-know-1.3564197

https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/pattullo-bridge-history-built-in-1937-the-span-was-expected-to-last-50-years

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

Another deadly crash on Pattullo Bridge

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/pattullo-bridge-fatal-crash-february-2025

When the narrow Pattullo+Bridge was built, NW was a provincial backwater & it was amazing to have plumbing & electricity in Surrey. Being in the BC part of Canada there was such a lack of vision that someday NW & Surrey might become mighty river cities. Such as Montreal, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary & Portland, Oregon.

Despite being close to the Pacific Ocean, NW & BC weren't just half a world away from Sydney, NSW, they might as well have been on a different world, altogether. Thus, there was no need or vision to build a structure on the scale of the Sydney+Harbour+Bridge (SHB).

https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/pattullo-bridge-history-built-in-1937-the-span-was-expected-to-last-50-years Only one narrow sidewalk on a very narrow bridge. Of course the SHB had the budget & the foresight to have a sidewalk on both sides.

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

Friday, February 14, 2025

History of New Westminster, BC

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Westminster#History

Considering how much smaller New_Westminster is than Vancouver, Burnaby & Surrey, NW permitted its first 40 & 50 story building before it even had 100,000 residents.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queensborough,_New_Westminster#History

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Westminster#Geography

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_of_British_Columbia_(1866-1871)

Unfortunatly, by the 1860s NW didn't start to acquire much more of the Burrard_Peninsula. It should have also annexed more or all of Lulu_Island. However, as a provincial backwater, there just wasn't a long-range vision to be that big on the BC map.

Then by the mid & late 1860s, Victoria,_British_Columbia went through the process of becoming the new capital of BC. Unfortunatly by the 1960s & 1970s, NW was firmly entrenched into the small city mentality trap.

Since the 1980s, NW should have been promoted and developed as the link-city between Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey & especially the Tri-Cities.

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Tri-Cities

40-year wait to develop Vancouver’s Expo lands ‘unacceptable’: Housing Minister

https://globalnews.ca/news/11019889/kahlon-pressure-concord-northeast-false-creek/

Burnaby's old Brentwood Mall will soon be closing for good

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/burnaby-brentwood-town-centre-closing-spring-2025

Outdoor sections of any mall in Canada can be OK for the warmer half of the year. However, most people want to be inside a proper warm & dry mall, especially during the crappy & colder half of the year.

Thursday, February 13, 2025

Trade tariff turmoil pushes Canada to rethink US ties | DW News

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJKe_m9CL-0

It's strange that by now Canada isn't fully independent of the UK and the US.

New West small businesses are suffering during the Pattullo Bridge replacement project

https://www.newwestrecord.ca/opinion/letter-new-west-small-business-is-suffering-during-the-pattullo-bridge-replacement-project-10224820

If only the 1937 Pattullo-Bridge was built a little higher & with a provision for a lower deck, It easily could have become a 6 lane bridge. Or, there was a provision to widen the narrow bridge at least a few meters on both sides, but that would indicate thinking & planning for the future.

Some people have houses that are wider than the incredibly narrow Pattullo-Bridge. The PB should have been twinned in the 1950s, especially by the 1960s. Thus, a new bridge could have provided 3 lanes 1 way, while a refurbished old PB could have 3 lanes in the opposite direction, with not just 1, but 2 wide sidewalks on both bridges.

Then when the Skybridge was finally built, it should have had at least 3 tracks & 2 bike lanes & a lower deck for 2 express bus lanes, which emergency vehicles could also use & 2 truck lanes, given that this is supposed to be a major seaport region.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Skybridge%2C_British_Columbia.jpg A 2 car joke of a train, on a single deck narrow bridge, just like the 2 car Canada Line.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/SkyBridge_sunset.jpg This is a 6 car mark 1 train. There would have to be a 12 car train of Mark 1 cars, just to reach the length of a 9 car Montreal Metro train. The newest Skytrain coaches will only form 5 car trains, because unlike Montreal, the first 2 lines only have 80m stations. The almost inept Canada Line has an absurd 50m stations, when the Montreal Metro stations are over 3 times the length, at 152.5 meters, or 500 feet.

Unfortunatly, backwards BC continually demonstrates what not to do. Why go the correct way, when you can go the inept BC way?

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

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

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge

The Arthur_Ravenel_Jr._Bridge was built wide enough to accomodate 8 lanes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Ravenel_Jr._Bridge#Construction

The Alex Fraser Bridge

Despite being situated in what is suppose to be a major seaport region, the Alex_Fraser_Bridge only opened with 2 lanes each way. Then it was widened from 4 to 6 lanes & more recently to 7 lanes. Unfortunatly, there is no provision for a lower bus & train deck.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Fraser_Bridge#Overview

Vancouver’s rental plan would have city competing with private sector

https://globalnews.ca/news/11014345/vancouver-market-rental-plan-critics/

The developers building luxury towers & especially top floors for people who can afford 5, 10, 20 or even 40 million dollar properties, isn't the issue. Thus, the city providing decent, basic affordable housing can be of great benefit. However, if the city would allow developers to build 20-30 floors taller on the condition that approximately the lower 5th or quarter of the building is for affordable housing, that can also make a big difference. A 60-80 story luxury condo tower just catering to the high-end market doesn't help most people. However, when a taller residential tower can provide affordable housing on the lower floors, that benefits more people.

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=City+of+Vancouver+strategy+for+market+rental+housing+on+City+land

Langley sewer fees to rise by 25% due to North Shore Waste Water Treatment Plant

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/02/12/north-shore-waste-water-sewer-costs-metro-vancouver/

https://vancouversun.com/news/metro-vancouver-on-track-with-north-shore-wastewater-treatment-plant-final-price-still-uncertain

Total financial North+Shore mismanagement and excrement!

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/what-you-need-to-know-north-shore-wastewater-treatment-plant-1.7235368

https://www.nsnews.com/in-the-community/north-vancouver-district-asks-province-for-public-inquiry-on-sewage-plant-debacle-9777554

https://globalnews.ca/news/10378493/north-shore-wastewater-4-billion/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/wastewater-vancouver-b-c-utility-1.7153369

https://metrovancouver.org/services/liquid-waste/north-shore-wastewater-treatment-plant-program-timeline

https://westvancouver.ca/government-administration/major-projects/north-shore-wastewater-treatment-plant

https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/acciona-and-metro-vancouver-beef-goes-public-in-north-shore-wastewater-fiasco-9879874

Abraham Lincoln Bridge

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Kennedy_Memorial_Bridge

London Drugs says privacy laws bar it from sharing security video of violent crimes

https://globalnews.ca/news/11015114/london-drugs-crime-security-video/

Once any suspected thief or criminal suspect in general, has been found guilty, their image should be shown.

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Abbotsford and Mission, BC

There should have been proper regional planning between Abbotsford & Mission several decades ago.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Columbia_Highway_11

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbotsford,_British_Columbia#Transportation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission,_British_Columbia#Transportation

https://missionmuseum.com/local-history/the-story-of-the-mission-bridge Instead of thinking & planning for the future by building it wide enough to eventually accomodate 2 sets of tracks, its just a single track BC train bridge. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_Railway_Bridge

By 2010, the BC Lower_Mainland should have had all freight train bridges double tracked & also had double track crossings for regional passenger rail.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/fraser-valley-metro-vancouver-regional-rail-west-coast-express

The FVRD is the third most populous Regional District in British Columbia,^[3] incorporating roughly the eastern half of the Lower Mainland of southwestern BC...

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

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Abbotsford+and+Mission

Dry conditions may bring chillier weather and sun to Vancouver this week

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/weatherhood-local/dry-conditions-colder-weather-sun-forecast-vancouver-february-2025-10216728

Cold by SW BC standards, but not cold by what winter is for most of Canada.

The first half of February means cold and crappy weather for Vancouver & Victoria. However, the latter half of February is expected to be more fall like than winter. Then by March, its back into spring, even if some days in March might seem more like autumn. As the population grows, more people might want to avoid most of the harsh Canadian winters & opt for SW BC instead. However, the scale of BC infrastructure is so far behind what Alberta & Washington State have. The antigrowth mentality has been very entrenched in backwater BC for generations.

Despite the size of Canada, there is only the Vancouver, Surrey & Abbotsford area that usually has mild winters. The same for Victoria, Nanaimo & Comox. Yet, there seems to be a multigenerational mentality or agenda to not build a series of bike & bus-bridges & efficient rail corridors.

There has been a multigenerational resistance to have the Vancouver to Chilliwack corridor, or the BC Lower_Mainland becoming the 2nd largest urban region in Canada. Just like a resistance to have the Victoria to Comox corridor rivaling the population of Greater Montreal or Greater Seattle. Thus, backwater BC remains in a perpetual half-assed urban planning trap. Allowing anything on a big scale would be too symbolic of planning for growth on a world that is mostly non-white.

There should have been a double track intercity passenger train corridor between Vancouver & Mission several decades ago, with a counterpart south of the Fraser River. Plus, a double track freight version as well. Also, a 4 track rail corridor between Abbotsford & Mission in the Fraser_Valley_Regional_District.

There should have been an intercity passenger & freight train service between Victoria, Nanaimo & Comox for decades. A minimum 4 track, grade separated rail corridor could efficiently move people & freight very efficiently.

Canada as a multicultural nation, still has less than 1% of the worlds population.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_in_Canada#British_Columbia

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Abbotsford+and+Mission

B.C. Premier David Eby sets eyes on Republican lawmakers, labour leaders in Washington, D.C.

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/economy-law-politics/bc-premier-david-eby-sets-eyes-on-republican-lawmakers-labour-leaders-in-washington-dc-10215427

Home builders warn of 'brutal blow' to housing sector from steel, aluminum tariffs

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/national-business/home-builders-warn-of-brutal-blow-to-housing-sector-from-steel-aluminum-tariffs-10215685

Metro Vancouver’s Zero Waste Conference is a sad joke

https://globalnews.ca/news/11012428/metro-vancouver-zero-waste-conference

Monday, February 10, 2025

City of Vancouver launches new strategy for market rental housing on City land

https://vancouver.ca/news-calendar/new-strategy-for-market-rental-housing-on-city-land-feb-2025.aspx

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-city-market-rental-housing-program-impacts

https://storeys.com/vancouver-city-burrard-pacific-hornby-towers/

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/1402-1460-burrard-street-900-pacific-street-1401-1451-hornby-street-vancouver-burrard-bridge-towers

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=City+of+Vancouver+strategy+for+market+rental+housing+on+City+land

Stubborn cold and crappy Vancouver weather

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-freezing-flurries-forecast-weather

Rain might be a pain, but its better than ice and snow slowing things down.

Sunday, February 9, 2025

Joe Fortes

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

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14431078-our-friend-joe

https://ronsdalepress.com/books/our-friend-joe/

https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/our-friend-joe-the-joe-fortes-story/9781553801467.html

Saturday, February 8, 2025

Hot nights expected in southern Australian states as heatwave sweeps east

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/08/hot-nights-expected-in-southern-states-as-heatwave-sweeps-east

There are some summer days in Australia when you really feel like you are in an oven.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/03/intensely-hot-weather-to-continue-in-south-eastern-australia

Of course you can head up to Canada and freeze your A$$ off!

Extreme heat and extreme cold are just too uncomfortable and even dangerous.

Friday, February 7, 2025

the Eglinton Crosstown LRT

https://dailyhive.com/toronto/eglinton-crosstown-opening-date

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_5_Eglinton

https://www.blogto.com/city/2025/02/eglinton-crosstown-opening-date/

https://www.metrolinx.com/en/projects-and-programs/eglinton-crosstown-lrt

https://www.infrastructureontario.ca/en/what-we-do/projectssearch/eglinton-crosstown-lrt/

https://www.blogto.com/city/2025/01/eglinton-crosstown-lrt-repairs/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/eglinton-crosstown-opening-june-ttc-1.7400691

https://www.aecon.com/our-projects/current/eglinton-crosstown-lrt

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

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

Trudeau tells business, labour leaders at economic summit Trump's 51st state threat 'is a real thing'

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-trump-economy-summit-1.7452748

Vancouver-Bowen-Sunshine Coast ferry proposal

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bowen-sunshine-coast-ferry-proposal-backing-bc-politicians

Something like this should have been already running for the past several decades. Its called redundancy.

Advocates believe there is a middle ground that would keep buses on Granville Street as part of its 20-year revitalization

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/removing-granville-street-buses-safety-vulnerable-riders-vancouver-10194735

Oak Street Bridge and Granville Street Bridge

While Oak+Street continues over the Fraser River as a bridge, there is no Oak+Street+Bridge (OSB) over F. Creek. The city foolishly never even allowed for future clearance for a bus & bike bridge over F. Creek. From the Fraser River to F. Creek, Oak Street should have been mostly for northbout travel.

Right now, the Oak+Street-Granville+Street+Corridor has 12 lanes. That's because they are both 6 lane streets. Simply by moving the centerline over one lane, they each can provide 4 lanes one way & 2 lanes the other way. A reconfiguration of 4+2 lanes or even 5+1 lanes.

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

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

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Oak+Street+Bridge+and+Granville+Street+Bridge

From Granville-town to Vancouver City

Somehow Granville was never allowed to become much more of a grand street downtown.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granville_Street#History

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Streetcars_at_Granville_and_Robson.jpg

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-then-and-now-granville-street-photos

https://heritagevancouver.org/top10-watch-list/2010/4-downtown-granville-street/

https://onthisspot.ca/cities/vancouver/granville

There should have been a wide Granville+Street+Bridge over the Fraser River, in addition to the GSB over F. Creek. Then 4 lanes of Granville+Street could be for southbound traffic and 4 lanes of Oak+Street for northbound traffic.

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

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Oak+Street+and+Granville+Street

Thursday, February 6, 2025

A tale of three Safeway redevelopments

https://vancouversun.com/business/vancouver-safeways-developers-density

Revealing Trump's Tariff Motives: Could the U.S. Annex Canada? Political Science Expert Weighs In

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCIZb3VXIzs

Canada has yet to fully become independent from the UK. Then to just become part of the US would be very strange. Canada should consider working towards being totally independent of the UK and have no need to ever become part of another country.

Busy section of Vancouver's seawall closed indefinitely

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/false-creek-seawall-vancouver-closed-indefinitely

Canada Must Offer Alberta More Than Trump Could

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ef8p-kQDRs

It would be quite an irony if Canada went from being a colony of the UK to becoming a US state. It would be much better if Canada could officially become its own republic.

NZ would rather remain independent of Australia and not have to become an Australia state. Australia might eventually want to become its own republic, thus becoming fully independent of the UK. The same could eventually happen for NZ. Canada should never be too quick to give up and merely transfer from being under the authority of the UK to becoming absorbed by the US.

Canada, Australia & NZ should each all consider becoming their own republics. Alliances with the UK and the US can easily remain intact.

A proposed car-free transformation of the Granville Entertainment District

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/granville-strip-entertainment-district-master-plan-vancouver-proposal

This was supposed to be a surface transit mall, but now there is a desire to just have it as a pedestrian mall.

https://storeys.com/vancouver-granville-street-entertainment-district-history-renewal-planning-program/

Granville_Mall should have been designed to eventually have an underground bus, streetcar or tram-train level, several decades ago. The current GSB should have been modified to have a lower transit deck. Unfortunatly, each version of the GSB wasn't designed to have a lower deck.

The First Granville Bridge: 1889-1909:

Just getting a basic bridge across the creek was challenging enough. Thus, there was no reason for the-first-Granville-Bridge to have a provision for a lower level for such a provincial backwater.

The Second Granville Bridge: 1909-1954:

The 21st century was too far away for backwards Vancouver to think big, so the 2nd Granville-Street-Bridge was also designed with no provision for a lower deck & wider sidewalks.

The Third Granville Bridge: 1954 – Present"

The 3rd Granville-Bridge also had no provision for a lower deck for public transit in the 1950s. Since it was intended to be an expressway bridge for a cancelled city freeway plan, there was no need to have wide sidewalks and a lower-deck for streetcars or tram-trains. Unfortunatly, no one seriously considered that the 2nd Granville-Bridge should have been kept as a streetcar or bus and bike crossing, with widened sidewalks. Indeed, the two bridges could have worked well together.

https://placesthatmatter.ca/location/granville-st-bridge 3 strikes & this Vancouver bridge is out, not quite. The reconfigured GSB loses 2 lanes, but gets 2 bike lanes & wider sidewalks. Unfortunatly, still no lower deck for a potentially revived streetcar line. Vancouver was one of the first cities to get rid of its streetcars in the 1950s and will be one of the last cities to revive them. Of course Seattle & Portland would reinstate some of their streetcars long before slow-moving Vancouver ever will.

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Widespread snow accumulations possible in western Washington by Thursday morning

https://www.king5.com/article/weather/weather-blog/snow-accumulations-western-washington/281-130ab1c2-b733-48f5-8ab4-c2dbe01aef0d

https://mynorthwest.com/pacific-northwest-weather/snow-seattle/4040455

https://www.king5.com/article/weather/snow-totals-western-washington-wednesday/281-b46d4754-3b76-4dd4-b05b-4b884524dbd9

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

20 Gorgeous Indoor Pools Around The World

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brittanyanas/2025/01/31/20-gorgeous-indoor-pools-around-the-world/

https://www.archdaily.com/934632/water-and-public-spaces-19-pools-around-the-world

TransLink warns snow could affect Metro Vancouver commutes

https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/translink-snow-metro-vancouver-delays-bus-service-transit-february-2025-10180154

https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/slippery-conditions-vehicles-spun-out-again-on-trans-canada-highway-in-north-vancouver-10180003

Monday, February 3, 2025

Narrowing the Options for Graham Street Station

https://seattletransitblog.com/2025/02/03/narrowing-the-options-for-graham-street-station/

https://seattletransitblog.com/2025/02/02/sunday-triple-feature-10-openings-in-2025/

Sunday, February 2, 2025

Snowy Trans-Canada Highway snarl in North Vancouver cleared

https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/vehicles-stalled-and-spun-out-from-snow-on-transcanada-highway-in-north-vancouver-10170556

Most of BC vs. Metro Vancouver and Greater Victoria

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/metro-vancouver-snow-feb-2-1.7448521

While most of BC has to enduer the full force of the Canadian winter, SW BC usually remains mild.

It-will-be-turning-much-colder-first-comes-snow-then-comes-freezing-in-metro-vancouver-forecast

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/it-will-be-turning-much-colder-first-comes-snow-then-comes-freezing-in-metro-vancouver-forecast-10170678

https://weather.gc.ca/data/wxoimages/wocanmap0_e.jpg

https://weather.gc.ca/canada_e.html?redirectCityCode=bc-74

Saturday, February 1, 2025

This Day in History 1960: Phil Gaglardi, a bulldozer and the Tsawwassen ferry terminal

B.C. Ferries was announced after the two privately owned ferries to Vancouver Island both went on strike https://vancouversun.com/news/this-day-in-history-1960-phil-gaglardi-tsawwassen-ferry-terminal?tbref=hp

Unfortunatly, then & now, there seems to be no plan to have a train from the Tsawwassen+ferry+terminal to YVR.

Joseph Seraphim Fortes, the Legacy of a Black Icon in Vancouver, BC

https://montecristomagazine.com/essay/black-history-month-vancouver-serafim-fortes

https://bcblackhistory.ca/seraphim-joseph-fortes/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Fortes#Arrival_in_Vancouver

Will the first snow of 2025 in Seattle be happening soon?

https://seattletransitblog.com/2025/01/31/first-snow-of-2025

Friday, January 31, 2025

Seattle Boat Show (Jan 31-Feb 8)

https://seattleboatshow.com The SB$ is a nice bigtime winter event. The Vancouver, BC version is watered down in comparison of course.

https://seattleboatshow.com/about-the-show

https://seattleboatshow.com/lumen-field-event-center/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumen_Field#Event_Center

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumen_Field#Transportation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadium_station_(Sound_Transit)

Stadium Place, Seattle

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

https://urbanash.com/blog/stadium-place-seattle-pioneer-square/

https://seattle.curbed.com/2018/3/20/17144018/embassy-suites-hotel-centurylink-field

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

WSDOT HOV Overview

https://seattletransitblog.com/2025/01/29/wsdot-hov-overview/

Translink is-proposing-changes-to-create-these-10-Vancouver-bus-networks

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/translink-is-proposing-changes-to-create-these-10-vancouver-bus-networks-10139107

Any port city & metropolitan region with several narrow bridges must be proactive. Thus, there should have been a plan to build a series of bus & truck bridges.

Unless there is a proper amount of transportation infrastructure funding, it's all a joke. Such is the nature of backwater BC.

https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/a1x7rp/ever_wondered_what_rapid_transit_in_vancouver

Fortunately, the backward Vancouver mentality never made it to Melbourne, HK, SF, NO, Philadelphia, Boston & Toronto.

Surrey city centre and its future downtown skyline

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/surrey-city-centre-future-skyline-downtown

Having been forced to live in Cloverdale as a teenager, I would never want to live in Surrey again. However, whenever Surrey can become the biggest city in BC, then Langley & Delta will all become part of a nice urban area of well over a million people south of the Fraser River.

However, without the necessary urban infrastructure, it will just become another half-assed BC endeavor.

Even if most of the farmland can remain protected, huge farm conglomerates could eventually buy up all of the smaller farms from families that could use the extra cash. Then the farm & food conglomerates can have more leverage to do what they want with the land. Thus, the ALR should have had a provision to help keep the farms as a family business.

Urban densification can easily evolve around the farmland. The Metropolitan Vancouver Region is surrounded by mountains, forests, farmland & water. But that didn't stop Montreal & Seattle from becoming proper big urban areas.

the north-shore-sewage-plant-as-new-contractor is-confirmed

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/highlights/photos-metro-vancouver-offers-look-inside-north-shore-sewage-plant-as-new-contractor-confirmed-10153164

Excrete financial resources so that there isn't enough money for longer trains and bus bridges.

The HUB tower at 30 Bay Street

https://dailyhive.com/toronto/30-bay-street-toronto-hub

https://urbantoronto.ca/database/projects/hub.15059

https://www.blogto.com/real-estate-toronto/2025/01/30-bay-street-toronto-hub/

https://rshp.com/projects/office/the-hub-30-bay-street/

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.