Wednesday, August 20, 2025
Popular Vancouver outdoor pool forced to close until further notice
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/new-brighton-pool-closed-mechanical-issue
Its strange that the area from Horseshoe+Bay to Hope,_BC, which has over 3 million people, only has a few outdoor swimming pools. That's the, pay more and get LE$$ in BC approach to things.
https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/swimming-pools.aspx While Vancouver has less than a million people, the Lower_Mainland of BC does have over 3 million residents.
https://604now.com/vancouver-will-be-opening-more-outdoor-swimming-pools-this-may-long-weekend Unfortunatly, the Greater Vancouver Region should have had two dozen swimming pools by now, with most of them being enclosed.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordie_Howe_International_Bridge
https://gordiehoweinternationalbridge.com Its always nice to see a new bridge in the world that wouldn't be allowed in backwater Vancouver.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordie_Howe_International_Bridge#Design
The bridge should have had a 4th lane or wide shoulder on each side. That would have been good extra space for a potential bus lane on each side of the bridge.
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ipd/project_profiles/mi_gordie_howe_int_bridge.aspx
https://www.aecon.com/our-projects/current/gordie-howe-international-bridge Backwards Vancouver sure could have used a nice bridge like this across Burrard_Inlet.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambassador_Bridge Its amazing how a big city was stuck with a narrow Vancouver type bridge for several generations.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambassador_Bridge#Design
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit-Windsor_tunnel Its strange that and additional 4 lane tunnel wasn't built.
Tuesday, August 19, 2025
Sydney Ferries
Fortunately, Sydney_Ferries never took the backwards Vancouver approach to things.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Ferries#Network
https://transportnsw.info/routes/ferry
https://transportnsw.info/sydney-ferries-network-map
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circular_Quay_ferry_wharf
https://www.sydney.com/articles/best-ferry-trips-in-sydney
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circular_Quay_ferry_wharf#Transport_links
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circular_Quay#Transport
NSW is about as far away as you can get from the backwater BC mentality.
Vancouver harbour sailings
https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/travel/vancouver-cruises-top-harbour-sailings-2025-11093357
The SeaBus and the Aqua-Bus just aren't enough, there needs to be more capacity.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SeaBus , https://theaquabus.com/
https://www.translink.ca/schedules-and-maps/seabus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SeaBus#Service Ideally, there should be a daytime departure every 5 minutes & 10 minutes during the evening.
https://www.translink.ca/schedules-and-maps/line/seabus/direction/0/schedule
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SeaBus#History
As of 2025, there still isn't a Downtown to Deep+Cove ferry and not in 2026 either. Thus, the 6 lane Iron+Bridge will still be overloaded. Had the bridge been constructed to have very wide shoulders, there could have been an efficient bus lane each way. Instead, any bus is stuck in the almost perpetual traffic jam. A Boundary+Road Bridge could make for an excellent bus and HOV lane crossing consisting of at least 4 lanes, with a provision for a middle rail section.
Of course there is no ferry from Downtown+Vancouver to the Horseshoe+Bay+ferry+terminal. Just like there is no train from Horseshoe+Bay to Deep+Cove and to the Tri-Cities.
It's strange that the North-Shore didn't keep up with improving its passenger rail system.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Shore_(Greater_Vancouver) , https://monova.ca/the-story-of-streetcar-153/
Vancouver’s New Brighton Pool closed ‘until further notice’
https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/vancouvers-new-brighton-pool-closed-until-further-notice/
Pay more for less services, that's Vancouver.
How Vancouver stunts or thwarts its growth
Create a series of overlapping restrictions and imposed limitations.
https://x.com/CityofVancouver/header_photo
https://x.com/CityofVancouver/status/1957805016305267125
Short trains and a lack of bus-bridges all help to increase congestion.
Sunday, August 17, 2025
Warm temperatures forecast to return to Metro Vancouver
Wow, Greater Vancouver still might get to have a few more weeks of summer. Its so unfortunate that almost everything in Vancouver has to be watered down or scaled back, summer is no exception.
https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/heavy-rain-breaks-record-in-west-vancouver-11088531
Half of the year is cold, damp crappy weather.
Is Vancouver an ocean city or a mountain city?
https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/poll-vancouver-ocean-city-mountain-city-11088387
Is it a big city, or just a town full of imposed restrictions pretending to be a big city? Short, congested trains & mosty narrow bridges is all part of the symbolism to remain like a small, backwards city.
Saturday, August 16, 2025
Vancouver used to have special electric sightseeing streetcars
https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/history/photos-vancouver-electric-sightseeing-streetcars-11079520
The city and greater region have made damn sure that it's almost impossible to ever bring them back. It's all part of the PAY MORE & GET LE$$ mentality.
Friday, August 15, 2025
Taking a second look at a third crossing for the North Shore
You couldn't have a worse congestion scenario there.
https://www.westernstandard.news/topic/lions-gate-bridge An enduring 3 lane pathetic joke of a bridge! No bus & HOV tunnel & especially no train tunnel around there.
https://www.westernstandard.news/topic/ironworkers-memorial-bridge A 6 lane crossing that should have had at least 2 emegency lanes & 2 wide shoulders for future dmand. No bus & HOV bridge & especially no train bridge around there.
No one ever stopped the Horseshoe+Bay+ferry+terminal from being built. However, its like various people have done their damndest to make sure that no express bus lanes & no HOV lanes cross the inlet, & especially no rail rapid transit. It's so sad that the congestive planning folks keep rising to the top of the B$.
Thursday, August 14, 2025
Parts of coastal Washington, Oregon and British Columbia may pick up five to 10 times their August monthly rainfall
June, July & August are usually the best times for Vancouver to have the best weather of the year & it always goes by too fast. September is a shortchanged month, because things cool down too soon in Vancouver. While most of September is still supposed to be summer, by the 2nd week its more like spring & then fall by the 3rd week. So at best, summer in Vancouver can go from the first week of June to the first week of September.
https://www.accuweather.com/en/ca/vancouver/v6c/august-weather/53286 Vancouver still might have three days that are at least 25 C or 77 F and possibly 2 days that are at least 30 C.
https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/seattle/98104/august-weather/351409 Seattle still might have a few days that are at least 30 C, or 86 F.
32 C https://www.extremeweatherwatch.com/cities/seattle/yearly-days-of-90-degrees
https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/seattle-90-degree-day-record-most-in-a-year/281-f472a02d-003c-46a0-8b05-093f4dc09398 In September 2022, Seattle was still having some days that were at least 90 F. In contrast by mid September, its difficult for Vancouver to even have a 70 F day. Summer is supposed to be at least 3 months.
However, that hardly means that all 3 months will be like typical summer weather. Soon, the last 20 C day will arrive in shortchanged September and then the next 20 C day in Vancouver will likely be in mid April. In between are 7 months of Vancouver not having even one 21 C or 70 F day. WTH?
At least Seattle gets a little less rain than Vancouver & has hotter summers, but it still has cold, damp crappy winters. Fortunately, Grunge didn't start up & grow in Vancouver, because more people might have given up from the cold & damp crappy fall & winters.
https://www.revolutioncomeandgone.com/articles/1/the-origin-of-grunge.php
https://recordweekly.com/2020/05/01/seattle-grunge-story/
Wednesday, August 13, 2025
Seattle's sizzling temps-will cool down soon
The Granville Connector
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/granville-connector-celebration-free
It's still the Granville+Street+Bridge, but it's also the Connector. Unfortunatly, it wasn't designed to have a lower deck for streetcars and busses. Such is the irony of backwards Vancouver to be one of the first cities to get rid of its streetcars and doing its damndest to be one of the last to bring them back.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Granville+Connector
Tuesday, August 12, 2025
Kits Pool will be closing soon for the end of this season
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/kits-pool-closing-date-summer-2025
Vancouver notoriously has short summers, because those 3 months aren't always hot & dry.
Closing September 1st is a sad joke when summer is supposed to go into late September. Unfortunatly, by the 2nd week of September the days are more like spring than summer. Then by the 3rd week & especially the last week, another short Vancouver summer has fades into fall.
The last 20 C day in September 2024 wasn't met with another 20 C day until April 2025. That's 7 months for Vancouver to be under 20 C.
Fire on SkyTrain’s Expo Line causes major delays
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/skytrain-fire-22nd-street-station-august-12-2025
Had there been some real proper long-range planning, the stations would have been at least twice the length, with enough side station clearance to eventually accomodate 2 express tracks.
The Lion Bridge and The Iron Bridge
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Lion+Bridge As of 2025, still no official plan for a train tunnel and a bus & HOV tunnel. A 3-4 track train tunnel and a 6-8 lane road tunnel would actually improve that absurd 3 lane crossing area.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Iron+Bridge As of 2025, still no official construction plan to add a 4 lane bus & HOV bridge, plus a 3-4 track rapid transit train bridge.
Why a 3-4 track train tunnel or bridge? Someday, enough sensible people might realize the benefit and importance of having a train linking the Horseshoe+Bay+ferry+terminal to YVR and to the Tsawwassen+ferry+terminal.
Unfortunately, when so much money was wasted on a $HIT-PIPE and a $HIT-BOX, more money was lost that could have gone towards improving transit to & from the North Shore.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=The+Lion+Bridge+and+The+Iron+Bridge
Community groups want a public inquiry into North Shore sewage plant debacle
https://globalnews.ca/news/11332030/north-shore-wastewater-public-inquiry
A cost overrun of at least 3 billion dollars for a $HIT-BOX and a $HIT-PIPE is outrageous! https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=North+Shore
This SHIT-BOX mentality must be challenged and stopped.
Monday, August 11, 2025
Seattle's 90-degree heat wave on Monday and Tuesday
https://www.fox13seattle.com/weather/seattle-90s-heatwave
Wow, a 2 day heat wave. Some places are at least 90 F or 32 C for a 2 week stretch or even 2 months. It's so tough for Vancouver to get over 32 C or 90 F, but it does occasionally happen.
https://mynorthwest.com/pacific-northwest-weather/heatwave-weather/4120160
Sunday, August 10, 2025
BC Conservatives support third North Shore crossing to ease 'endless traffic gridlock'
Saturday, August 9, 2025
Why Northern Japan Is Forced To Stay Empty
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hn4Bdh6gNmY
Hokkaido is a little like a smaller version of Siberia or Alaska.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokkaido
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapporo While Sapporo is a typical big city, most of the island is rural or wilderness.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapporo#Transport
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seikan_Tunnel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokkaido_Shinkansen
Friday, August 8, 2025
North East Link Tunnels - The Big Build Victoria, Australia
https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/news/north-east-link/tbms-resume-digging-victorias-longest-road-tunnels
https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/projects/north-east-link/design/north-east-link-tunnels/map
https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/projects/metro-tunnel
https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/projects/suburban-rail-loop London has the Circle Line, Chicago has its elevated loop, Toronto has an underground loop, so it makes sense that Melbourne would also have a train loop.
https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/news/suburban-rail-loop/faster-easier-journeys-with-srl-east Melbourne like most real cities, have an extensive regional road system, but having a good regional rail network might even be more important & beneficial. https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/projects/suburban-rail-loop/about/project-benefits
Unfortunately, Greater Vancouver is still lacking with its transportation infrastructure.
https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/projects/regional-rail-revival
https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/projects/roads
https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/library/west-gate-tunnel-project/maps
L.A. and Melbourne in the 1960s really started to plan on a big scale. Of course Vancouver went in the opposite direction.
https://libraryarchives.metro.net/DPGTL/maps/1968_final_proposed_transit_master_plan_concept_map.jpg , https://cityplanning.tumblr.com/post/24841307901/past-visions-of-l-a-s-transportation-future
https://transitmap.net/1969-melbourne-plan , https://images.theconversation.com/files/303673/original/file-20191126-112489-1mpon3i.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip , https://theconversation.com/50-years-on-from-the-melbourne-transportation-plan-what-can-we-learn-from-its-legacy-127721
Canada weather
https://www.accuweather.com/en/ca/canada-weather
https://weather.gc.ca/data/wxoimages/wocanmap0_e.jpg , https://weather.gc.ca/canada_e.html
Overall, as parts of the world heats up, most of Canada remains as a place where you can avoid 45, 40 or even 35 C summers. Unfortunatly, winter always returns and by late February many people are fed up with it.
Montreal
https://www.accuweather.com/en/ca/montreal/h3a/august-weather/2-56186_1_al Montreal still might have 9 or 10 days that are at least 30 C.
Toronto weather
https://www.accuweather.com/en/ca/toronto/m5h/august-weather/55488
So, Toronto still might have some 30 C days in August.
https://www.accuweather.com/en/ca/toronto/m5h/july-weather/55488?year=2025 According to AW, Toronto only had 6 days that were at least 30 C. Some places around the world would be happy to have 6 days under 30 C, but without the humidity.
https://www.accuweather.com/en/ca/toronto/m5h/june-weather/55488?year=2025 Wow, Toronto actually had a couple of days in the mid 30s in June.
Temperatures to climb up to 30 C during a sunny streak in Metro Vancouver
https://www.theweathernetwork.com/en/city/ca/british-columbia/vancouver/monthly?m=8&a=2025
https://www.accuweather.com/en/ca/vancouver/v6c/august-weather/53286 Perhaps some upper 20s, but it's tough for Vancouver to reach 30 C , especially 35 or 40 C. However, some parts of Greater Vancouver might reach 30 C.
https://www.accuweather.com/en/ca/vancouver/v6c/july-weather/53286?year=2025 There were only 2 days that were 30 C in July in Vancouver.
https://www.accuweather.com/en/ca/vancouver/v6c/june-weather/53286?year=2025 Vancouver had no 25 C days in June.
Thursday, August 7, 2025
YVR-Canada Line
https://www.yvr.ca/en/passengers/transportation/public-transportation
Even if the excuse of a limited budget is used at the time, the YVR-Canada-Line should have been designed with at least roughed-in 100 m stations, right from the start, with enough clearance to eventually become 160 m.
https://thecanadaline.com/station-guides/yvr-airport
Its like there was no concept to eventually connect both ferry terminals with the YVR-Canada-Line.
https://www.translink.ca/schedules-and-maps/skytrain?page=1#canada-line
Indeed, the YVR-Canada-Line should have been envisioned to be a long-range high capacity rapid transit corridor. A 40-50 m joke of a train can't do the job of a 150-160 m train.
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/canada-line-skytrain
Short trains and mostly narrow bridges are a multigenerational way of life that was planned for SW BC.
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/north-shore-burrard-inlet-vancouver-third-crossing-bridge
Who knows where so much of the money went, because it sure didn't go towards proper big city size infrastructure.
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/skytrain-future-station-locations
If ever some serious improvements can be made to the Canada+Line, it should be renamed, the YVR-Canada-Line or SkyTrain-Canada+Line. With some proper upgrades it could almost become like a proper airport+line.
Toronto Pearson International Airport Train
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Pearson_International_Airport#Train
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nippon_Sharyo_DMU
| Car length | 85 ft (25.91 m) |
|---|
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/UP_at_Bloor.jpg While a 2 car joke of a train is only about 170 ft or 52 m, a 3 car train is about 255 ft or 78 m. Unfortunatly, the embarrassingly short train to YVR was only designed to have 164 ft or 50 m stations. The YVR-Canada-Line was deliberately constructed to not allow for enough clearance to eventually double the length of each station. Thus, any underground station can't be extended from the absurd 50 m to 100 m.
Depending upon the busy and general demand times there are three-car and two-car train sets.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Pearson_Terminal_1_station
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Pearson_Express#Rolling_stock
"Seven trains comprise the fleet of Union Pearson Express (UP Express), grouped into 4 three-car and 3 two-car train sets (for a total of 18 cars)." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nippon_Sharyo_DMU#Union_Pearson_Express
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_rail_transit_in_Canada#Existing_systems
Heat and humidity set to return to the GTA starting Friday
https://toronto.citynews.ca/2025/08/07/toronto-weather-gta-heat-humidity
While Toronto & especially Montreal, can have cold winters, they're always set to have hot summers. In contrast, Vancouver sort-of has a summer that's more like spring or fall at times.
New gates at the Montreal Trudeau airport probably won’t have ‘significant’ environmental impact
https://www.montrealgazette.com/news/article1084656.html
Handling of environmental-impact consultation for Trudeau airport expansion is ‘scandalous,’ activist says https://www.montrealgazette.com/news/article1058167.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A9seau_express_m%C3%A9tropolitain#Stations
https://rem.info/en/airport , https://rem.info/en/map
https://rem.info/en/travelling/stations/yul-aeroport-montreal-trudeau Length of each platform: 80 m
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/montreal-rem-vancouver-skytrain-comparison Montreal built a Metro with 152.5 m stations & a commuter rail system, then eventually the REM.
Vancouver & BC should have designed the SkyTrain to initially have all of its stations at 100 m with the capability to be expanded to at least 155 m. Unfortunatly, the first 2 lines only have 80 m stations & the YVR-Canada-Line only has 50 m stations.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_rail_transit_in_Canada#Existing_systems
Wednesday, August 6, 2025
Vancouver fourth most expensive city worldwide
https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/08/06/vancouver-fourth-most-expensive-city-worldwide-report
You always pay more for less. Short, congest trains and mostly narrow and congested bridges, because that's all part of the pay more for LE$$ agenda in backwards BC.
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-impossibly-unaffordable-housing-market
Victoria sur le Parc
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_sur_le_parc
https://www.guidehabitation.ca/fr/9606/victoria-sur-le-parc/
https://forum.agoramtl.com/t/victoria-sur-le-parc-58-etages-2024/174
https://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=115682
https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?searchID=109775715&page=22
https://dailyhive.com/montreal/tallest-building-montreal-victoria-sur-le-parc
https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=232780&page=2
900 Saint-Jacques Montréal
https://chevaliermorales.com/projets/900-saint-jacques
https://www.architexgroup.com/projects.asp?id=84
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/900_Saint-Jacques
https://imtl.org/image.php?id=23855 , https://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=107840
https://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?searchID=109775715&page=24
Tuesday, August 5, 2025
Notable impacts that the FIFA World Cup will have on Vancouver
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/fifa-vancouver-impacts-aug-2025
The lack of proper urban planning is astounding. The Canada+Line should have connected YVR with both ferry terminals by now. None of the regional bridges have had bus and HOV lane bridges built next to them.
Monday, August 4, 2025
Sunday, August 3, 2025
Friday, August 1, 2025
The B intersection
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaverton,_Oregon , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaverton,_Oregon#Transportation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brookline,_Massachusetts , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brookline,_Massachusetts#Transportation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burbank,_California , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burbank,_California#Transit
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burlington,_Ontario , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burlington,_Ontario#Public_Transit
The Burnaby Mountain Gondola Saga
https://www.translink.ca/plans-and-projects/projects/rapid-transit-projects/burnaby-mountain-gondola
While winter is only a few crappy months out of the year, SW BC still gets cold, damp & depressing.
https://www.burnaby.ca/our-city/projects/burnaby-mountain-gondola
Special mountain climbing busses, or in this case, a big hill known as Burnaby Mountain always needs good hill climbing busses during the winter.
https://vancouversun.com/news/translink-100-buses-winter-tires
A gondola would really improve transportation there.
https://the-peak.ca/2024/10/what-grinds-our-gears-winter-commutes-to-burnaby-mountain
https://www.sfu.ca/gondola.html
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/sfu-top-universities-global-rankings There should be a crappy winter transportation award for SFU.
https://www.sfu.ca/srs/announcements/archive/be-prepared-for-winter-on-burnaby-mountain.html
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/sfu-burnaby-mountain-gondola-translink-delays
https://buzzer.translink.ca/2022/11/shuttle-buses-during-snow-days-explained/
Two weeks in February 2025 almost had 24hr freezing. One week in January 2024 had a week of almost 24hr freezing. Almost, because some of the days actually might have gotten to 1 or 2C, but the nights were always freezing. Nothing melts under such horrible conditions.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/translink-plans-winter-2017-2018-1.4385226 Unfortunatly, the #0 Not in Service is common during the winter.
Of course winter in Australia is mild when compared to Canada. Most of Canada has winters with -5C days and -10C nights. Some parts get the -10C days & the -20C overnight option & anything colder than that, you might as well just give up.
It's amazing that Australia doesn't have 14 million more people than Canada, but it's the other way around. http://www.bom.gov.au/places/
Thursday, July 31, 2025
August forecast for Vancouver
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-august-forecast
Wow, there still might be about a dozen days that are at least 25 C. Most places won't even call anything a heatwave until its at least 30 C, some might even say 35 C.
https://www.accuweather.com/en/ca/vancouver/v6c/august-weather/53286
Unfortunatly, by September there might not even be 10 days reaching 20C. Usually, by the last week of September, that's it for Vancouver having any days at or above 21 C or 70 F until mid or late April.
https://www.accuweather.com/en/ca/vancouver/v6c/september-weather/53286?year=2025
By October, Vancouver is hard-pressed to even have one 20 C day.
https://www.accuweather.com/en/ca/vancouver/v6c/october-weather/53286?year=2025
It took until the 3rd week of April for Vancouver to have its first day of at least 20 C.
https://www.accuweather.com/en/ca/vancouver/v6c/april-weather/53286?year=2025
From late September to late April is 7 months without a 21 C or 70 F day in Vancouver.
Wednesday, July 30, 2025
Tuesday, July 29, 2025
HWY 99 northbound offramp to Steveston HWY in Richmond reopens
https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/07/29/steveston-nb-offramp-closed-hwy-99-richmond
The H-99 corridor is such a transportation joke. No bus and train tunnels were ever built next to the LGB. The narrow tunnel between Richmond & Delta won't have any bus lanes until 2030 & still no train bridge or tunnel between YVR & the ferry terminal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Columbia_Highway_99#Route_description
https://www.richmond-news.com/search?search=on&q=George+Massey+Tunnel
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Richmond+and+Delta
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Delta+Transportation
Major mixed-use residential, commercial, and industrial expansion of Marine Gateway
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/marine-gateway-phase-2-vancouver-pci-rezoning-application-proposal
Marine+Gateway area has the Marine_Drive_station, which all links with Bridgeport+Station , Capstan+Station , Aberdeen Station , Lansdowne+Station and Richmond-Brighouse.
Unfortunately, being backwards BC and not Oregon, there was no vision to design the North_Arm_Bridge to be as good as something like the Tilikum_Crossing in Portland.
https://structurae.net/en/structures/north-arm-bridge
The Tilikum_Crossing isn't just a bus and bike bridge, it's a MAX-LRT and streetcar bridge.
Of course the Middle_Arm_Bridge between YVR and the main part of Richmond has no bike or bus lanes.
Monday, July 28, 2025
Saturday, July 26, 2025
New pedestrian and cycling upgrade to Granville Bridge opens to public
Once again Vancouver gets its wrong, at least the Burrard Bridge is a better example, despite the loss of 2 lanes..
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/granville-connector-bridge-walking-cycling-pathways-open-complete
For a bridge that was 8 lanes wide with 2 narrow sidewalks, there should have been a bike lane & a wide sidewalk on both sides. The decision was to have 2 bike lanes on the west side of the bridge with a wider, uneven sidewalk & a slightly wider sidewalk on the east side of the bridge.
Metro Vancouver Regional District delays review of North Shore wastewater treatment plant project until legal battle resolved
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/north-shore-wastewater-treatment-plant-project-review-delayed
So much money has been wasted that could have otherwise have gone towards a train & bus bridge or a tunnel across the inlet.
The+Ironworkers-Bridge will still have to be upgraded or rebuilt and it should be on the scale of the New Samuel-De_Champlain_Bridge. The New_Champlain_Bridge_in Montreal has 4 lanes each way, plus 2 train tracks. More things are possible in Montreal and Quebec, simply because they don't have anything like Vancouver's restrictions & the backwards BC B$ mentality to thwart them.
https://www.samueldechamplainbridge.ca/traffic-and-detours/
https://www.samueldechamplainbridge.ca/pedestrians-and-cyclists/
https://www.arup.com/projects/samuel-de-champlain-bridge-corridor/
Friday, July 25, 2025
Who controls the 3 lane Lions Gate Bridge?
The LGB has to be the worst or at least one of the worst traffic bottlenecks & chokepoints on the planet. Over the course of the past several decades, there should have been a bus and HOV tunnel and then a train tunnel close to the alignment of the LGB.
Seven lanes of Georgia+Street funneled into a 3 lane LGB is nuts! The LGB is already a nice bike bridge, with sidewalks, but it should also be a bus bridge. That would be possible if a proper big city tunnel was built. An eight-lane-tunnel would really help the LGB.
Of course in both cases, the Lion Bridge was never expanded, twinned or duplicated & the M Tunnel (H-99) wasn't replace with a 10 lane bridge. Unfortunatly, no serious consideration for rail rapid transit was considered for both crossings. It was as if the regional & BC governments just didn't think it was that important to have a train from the Horseshoe+Bay+ferry+terminal and the Park+Royal+Shopping+Centre to Vancouver-International-Airport. Just like not having a train from the Tsawwassen+ferry+terminal and Tsawwassen+Mills to the airport.
Despite Richmond,_British_Columbia having YVR, its as if no one really considered that Richmond should be a major intermodal transportation hub. Proper Transportation Planning has always been lacking in backwards BC.
https://www.theprogress.com/news/province-receives-business-case-for-new-massey-crossing-1911335
https://www.highway99tunnel.ca While an 8 lane tunnel is a good start as the first phase, eventually there will have to be a train, bus & bike bridge (or tunnel) next to it.
https://www.highway99tunnel.ca/project-overview-frt Then the H-99 tunnel could be 3 lanes each way with the 4th as a HOV lane. A new parallel bridge (or tunnel) could then have 2 rapid bus lanes, as well as 2 wide sidewalks & 2 wide bike-lanes. Extra width could allow for eventually 2 tracks, 2 HOV lanes, in addition to the 2 bus lanes. That would enable the H-99 tunnel to ultimately have 4 general lanes each way in a later phase. Of course it would have been better to do things correct right from the start, but that goes against the backwards BC mentality.
Its so sad that there was never a proper big city vision to have an airport+train connect to both ferry terminals.
Granville Bridge's new wide, safe pathways for walking and cycling now open
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/granville-connector-bridge-walking-cycling-pathways-open-complete
Its OK, but it could have been better.
Had there been a nice bike & foot bridge built next to it, the Granville Bridge could have had 3 general lanes each way & the 4th as a bus lane. Just like the Burrard Bridge should have had a bike & foot bridge next to it. Then, the BB could have had 2 bus lanes as well as 4 general lanes. Taking lanes away is absurd for a city that already has such a narrow road system. Yet, a proper regional bus & bike bridge system wasn't implemented.
It seems that the public wasn't properly informed decades ago that Greater Vancouver wasn't going to have a 24hr train system. All the more important for the GV Region to have a network of bus & bike bridges. Several the regional bridges are so narrow that there isn't enough room to accommodate 2 bus lanes & 2 HOV lanes.
Australia's housing crisis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia
https://www.fresheconomicthinking.com/p/australias-housing-crisis-was-just
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq5wlevy647o
https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/population-clock-pyramid Still under 28 million in mid 2025.
https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-welfare/housing-affordability
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-01/home-values-hit-record-highs-june-property-prices/105477426
https://population.gov.au/population-topics/topic-population
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia#Cities
Canada's rising home prices and rents
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/canada-immigration-home-price-rent-increase-impact
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_dependencies_by_area#Countries_and_dependencies_by_area Despite Canada being the 2nd largest country in overal area, it has less than 1% of the world's population.
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1710000901 Still less than 42 million in mid 2025.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada#Demographics
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_City-Windsor_Corridor
Four lanes or 6? MLA comments reignite Pattullo Bridge debate
Two bike lanes & 2 sidewalks are great, but the government really tipped their hand with this. Despite the SkyTrain not running 24hrs, the new bridge won't open with any bus lanes & no HOV lanes. Despite Greater Vancouver being a port region, there won't be any dedicated truck lanes & worst of all, no emergency or breakdown lanes.
Since there was such a push to only have 2 lanes each way, the new bridge still should have opened with 2 wide emergency lanes & 2 wide breakdown lanes. Thats 6 lanes already in place, with a provision to eventually add 2 more. However, that would go against the congestive planning agenda that is Greater Vancouver & backwards BC.
It's one thing to say or pretend to support bus & HOV lanes, but opening this new bridge without such additional lanes all fits in with the congestive planning agenda. Just like a 5 car SkyTrain squeezed into an 80 m station, is a far cry from a 9 car Montreal Metro train with 152.5 m stations. Thinking, planning & building big in BC goes against the congestive planning agenda.
Symbolism is very important in backwards BC. Thus, half-size infrastructure is one of the best ways to demonstrate an ongoing reluctance to accommodate growth & efficiency. There have been several decades, even generations where funding has only created half-size & HALF-A$$ED infrastructure. So the big question is, where did so much of the money go, when BC still needs proper size infrastructure?
This multigenerational backwards BC mind Virus is horrible!
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Pattullo+Bridge 4 narrow lanes & only 1 sidewalk.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Pattullo+Bridge+replacement 4 wide lanes with a central divider, pulse 2 sidewalks & 2 bike lanes.
Thursday, July 24, 2025
Traffic is so bad that the North Shore is contemplating its transportation future, again
https://globalnews.ca/news/11302770/north-shore-traffic-museum/
A bus and train tunnel should have been constructed almost directly under the Lions+Gate+Bridge several decades ago, at the very least.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/north-vancouver-lane-change-1.7336664
https://viewpointvancouver.ca/2016/08/30/north-shore-congestion-another-view
Wednesday, July 23, 2025
Vancouver mayor wants to unlock ‘exceptional’ industrial areas for housing
https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/07/23/vancouver-mayor-industrial-lands-housing
"As of last July, Vancouver’s population was 756,008, after adding 23,790 people in 2023-24." https://vancouversun.com/news/population-booms-langford-surrey-metro-vancouver 2025
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/metro-vancouver-population-three-million-1.7449282
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/metro-vancouver-population-growth-three-million
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1710000901
Not so accurate.
https://worldpopulationreview.com/canadian-cities/vancouver Aproimatley 688,000 in 2025.
https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/massachusetts/boston 639,000
https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/california/san-francisco 767,968
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
City of Burnaby switches to height-based building policies, abandoning density limits
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/burnaby-height-based-development-framework
Fortunately, Vancouver can't stunt and stump Burnaby anymore than it could with Parramatta, NSW. Vancouver is trying its darndest to prevent any buildings from rising above 200 m. Unlike Vancouver, Burnaby doesn't try to look for any excuse to hold its city back.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=building+shadowing+policies
Kits Pool ruling leaves people frustrated
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/kits-pool-decision-vancouver
More overlapping rules, more permits required and more regulations to maintain and enforce the B$ bureaucracy of backwards Vancouver. Officially, Vancouver isn't supposed to be a NO FUN CITY. However, various people through the years like to perpetuate the NO FUN mentality.
The City of Lougheed and The Amazing Brentwood vs. Parramatta Square
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_City_of_Lougheed
https://thecityoflougheed.com/rental/city-vision
https://www.urbanyvr.com/city-of-lougheed-burnaby/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amazing_Brentwood
https://www.urbanyvr.com/the-amazing-brentwood-photo-tour/
https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/6-8-parramatta-square/31473
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parramatta
| Height | |
|---|---|
| Roof | 225.45 m (740 ft)[1] |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 57 |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6_%26_8_Parramatta_Square
https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/complex/2699
https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/city/parramatta
The City of Lougheed and The Amazing Brentwood have no office towers over 55 stories. A 50 story office tower in BC still remains as Science Fiction concept. Indeed, Vancouver still won't permit any office tower to even have a 40th floor.
Monday, July 21, 2025
Trams and Streetcars
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhQxNHrD6fA
https://www.railforthevalley.com/latest-news/zweisystem/tram-streetcar-lrt-why-the-confusion
Call it a lack of vision or a lack of proper urban transportation planning. There were just too many key people who never wanted Vancouver to be on a similar scale as Melbourne, Toronto and SF.
https://kumtuks.ca/streetcars-and-metro-vancouver
https://spacing.ca/vancouver/2013/06/18/vancouver-transit-the-era-of-street-cars1
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Trams-Trains+and+Streetcars
Saturday, July 19, 2025
No-swimming advisories for 9 Metro Vancouver beaches likely to last all weekend
https://globalnews.ca/news/11294472/vancouver-e-coli-beaches/
https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/kitsilano-beach.aspx
So far there hasn't been any momentum to rename Kits Beach into $HIT$ Beach.
https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/video/2025/07/19/e-coli-halts-swimming-at-metro-vancouver-beaches/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/e-coli-vancouver-beaches-july-18-1.7589185
Fortunately, Australia, Hawaii, California & Florida realize that crappy beaches are bad for residents & tourism.
https://www.vch.ca/en/service/public-beach-water-quality#overview
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitsilano_Beach
https://www.destinationvancouver.com/inspirations/beaches
It's so much easier for several other cities to do things better than backwards Vancouver.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Metro+Vancouver+beaches
Friday, July 18, 2025
The Waterfront SkyTrain Station stench
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/waterfront-station-vancouver-stench-smells
This, along with the E.coli beaches could be a part of a crappy Vancouver marketing opportunity.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Metro+Vancouver+beaches