https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-commute-times-canada
Thursday, August 29, 2024
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Tuesday, August 27, 2024
Monday, August 26, 2024
The Boundary Road corridor between North Vancouver, Burnaby and Richmond
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/boundary-road-vancouver-burnaby-shared-maintenance-history
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/driving-in-vancouver-the-worst
Boundary+Road should have had a bridge over Burrard_Inlet and over the North_Arm_of_the_Fraser_River by now. A North and South Boundary Road+Bridge could provide a good truck, bus & bike connection between the North Shore, Vancouver & Burnaby. Then between Burnaby & Richmond with a Number 8 Road Bridge. Then a Nelson Road Bridge to Delta and the Deltaport. However, such regional port city infrastructure still seems beyond what the backwater BC mentality can fathom.
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/boundary-road-bridge-vancouver-burnaby-richmond An April Fools articale hightligted the absudity of Greater Vancouver ignoring or neglecting The Boundary Road corridor.
Boundary+Road has the potential to be a regional north-south axis for trucks, buses, cars & bikes, that would really enable more people & goods to efficiently get around.
Lynnwood Link extension
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynnwood_Link_extension
https://www.soundtransit.org/system-expansion/lynnwood-link-extension
https://seattletransitblog.com/2024/07/20/lynnwood-link-opening-ceremony
https://www.theurbanist.org/2024/04/04/lynnwood-link-light-rail-will-open-august-30
https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/metro/programs-and-projects/lynnwood-link-connections
Ottawa to limit low-wage temporary foreign workers in Canada
https://globalnews.ca/news/10715377/temporary-foreign-workers-limit-canada/
Canada has less people than California and Australia has less people than Texas.
Sunday, August 25, 2024
Kensington (Philadelphia)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWGwCbSUECw
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kensington,_Philadelphia
https://6abc.com/post/kensington-avenue-shooting-leaves-man-fighting-life/15228913/
https://www.newsnationnow.com/crime/fentanyl/philadelphia-opioid-crisis-kensington/
https://time.com/jeffrey-stockbridge-kensington-philadelphia-photographs/
Saturday, August 24, 2024
LA's Most Dangerous Hood
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMdonaTqgGc
SF, the City that Pays You to Do Drugs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypZu61OgITE
The Ironworkers Memorial Bridge will experience lane closures over the following week
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/ironworkers-memorial-bridge-lane-closures
Even from a late 1950s backwards BC perspective, there should have been at least 2 wide emergency lanes. 4 emergency lanes would have been even better, because in addition to 3 general lanes each way, a provision for 2 bus & HOV lanes would have been great. There also should have been a provision for a lower truck & train deck.
Of course any replacement bridge should not only provide 3 general lanes each way, but also 1 truck & 1 HOV lane each way. Then another section or level for at least 2 train tracks & 2 express bus lanes. Since BC doesn't like to provide 24hr train service, there must be 2 bus lanes always open, especially whenever the rail component is closed for maintenance or some emergency.
Unfortunatly, BC Bottleneck planning waters things down. Vancouver, Victoria & Kelowna like to excel in such congestive planning.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=The+Ironworkers-Bridge
Friday, August 23, 2024
Thursday, August 22, 2024
Surrey-Newton Guildford LRT
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/surrey-skytrain-lrt-metro-vancouver-transit-projects-future
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrey_LRT
https://businessinsurrey.com/policy/lrt/
https://skytrainforsurrey.org/tag/surrey-newton-guildford-light-rail/page/4/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4saz4VSuW3I
https://surreylangleyskytrain.gov.bc.ca/
Wednesday, August 21, 2024
Rail strike would halt B.C.'s West Coast Express
Ideally, any commuter rail & intercity lines should have their own tracks so that there is no conflict with the tracks for freight trains.
Tuesday, August 20, 2024
Toronto’s CNE is off to a rough start after record-setting rainfall on opening weekend
It's always unfortunate when a Vancouver type rainstorm causes the CNE to be watered down.
Quebec to limit temporary foreign workers in Montreal with six-month freeze
https://globalnews.ca/news/10706534/quebec-temporary-foreign-workers-program-freeze/
There are labor shortages, but the push is on to slow things down for a while.
Singapore and Switzerland
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLdDep1t6YY
Why is Switzerland home to so many billionaires? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuEpU_IdvNo
Canada vs. Australia
https://www.solmigration.com/blog/canada-vs-australia/
Unfortunately, unless you like crappy, cold weather for half of the year, Australia is the better country.
https://financialpost.com/diane-francis/why-australia-doing-so-much-better-than-canada
https://www.canozvisas.com/blog/pros-and-cons-of-living-in-canada-vs-australia/
Two Economies, With One Set of Flaws: The Economies of Australia and Canada https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gu5lPuaZ9Jo
Canada or Spain?
https://www.blogto.com/travel/2024/08/canadian-move-spain/
https://www.mylifeelsewhere.com/cost-of-living/spain/canada
Well, if you like crappy, cold weather for half of the year, then Canada is where it's at.
https://www.canadacis.org/blog/moving-to-canada-from-spain-pros-and-cons/
Monday, August 19, 2024
The Monorail vs. the Subway
Why Monorails Are A Bad Idea https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f__nhlHC1g A monorail is OK to go from one end of a line to the other. However, having several branches and junctions can be quite problematic.
How Los Angeles Rejected the Monorail https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piF7adQyXCk
How Seattle Rejected the Monorail https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVQ-2lcBOjI A long double track monorail line might have worked for Seattle. However, conventional rail is still much more practical.
Why Tokyo's Metro Is Profitable and New York City’s Isn’t https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdJwAUdvlik
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4YFFtTEUQc The Broadway subway in Vancouver, BC.
The Columbia River Crossing project (CRC)
Expanding transit options between Portland and Vancouver, WA. https://wsdot.wa.gov/accountability/ssb5806/docs/6_Project_Development/PublicInvolvement/Transit_FactSheet.pdf
https://bikeportland.org/2022/04/21/interstate-5-expansion-project-proposes-repeat-of-crc-or-slightly-less-wide-version-352609 Just because this is a bridge that will extend partially into Vancouver, WA, it should still be as wide as possible. Narrow bridges are part of the narrow mindset of Vancouver, BC.
https://bikeportland.org/2022/04/22/i-5-project-leaders-pick-light-rail-as-transit-option-for-columbia-crossing-352639 A wider bridge makes it easier for rail rapid transit, bus & HOV lanes, truck lanes & bike lanes.
https://www.interstatebridge.org/updates-folder/river-crossing-visualizations/
Freight Train issue blocks major Langley intersections
https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2024/08/19/langley-train-traffic-stops/
There should have been several more overpasses in the valley by now. Urban railway crossings that are at grade are such a hindrance to truck & vehicle traffic in general.
https://www.aldergrovestar.com/local-news/fatal-train-crash-shuts-down-langley-thoroughfares-7363504
https://www.abbynews.com/news/train-crash-with-construction-truck-blocking-langley-roads-7117877
Thursday, August 15, 2024
Transforming Nanaimo into a public transit hub for Vancouver Island
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/hullo-ferries-nanaimo-hub-vancouver-island-public-transit
https://www.dpworld.com/canada/projects/nanaimo
Victoria to Nanaimo should all be one urban strip.
A mixed-use building development at VCC-Clark SkyTrain station with rental housing, office, childcare, grocery store, and retail uses
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/1155-east-6th-avenue-vancouver-vcc-clark-pci-low-tide-redevelopment
This is small considering how close it is towards downtown Vancouver. Its big when compared to developments in Kelowna, Kamloops & Prince George, but small by big city standards.
Surrey-Langley SkyTrain construction cost balloons by 50%
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/surrey-langley-skytrain-new-cost-opening-date
This should have been started decades ago, but BC always has to be behind schedule.
Wednesday, August 14, 2024
8-km-long Highway 1 widening in Abbotsford
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/highway-1-widening-abbotsford-fraser-valley-cost-bc-phase-3b
This should have been done in the 1980s, or at least by the 1990s. Still no bus & HOV lanes after all these decades. Of course no provision for rain rapid transit. This is BC congestive planning at its best.
Slate-Owned Metrotown Place Office Towers Under Receivership Listed By CBRE
https://storeys.com/metrotown-place-office-slate-receivership-listing Such a small office complex that would only be impressive in places like Victoria & Prince George.
Richmond has to find a place where office buildings can not only be over 20 floors, but well over 30 stories.
Tuesday, August 13, 2024
Hullo Ferries celebrates a busy first year, and looks ahead to growth and expansion
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/hullo-ferries-vancouver-nanaimo-high-speed-ferry-service-statistics
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Ferries NSW can do so much, because it was never under anything like the Vancouver restrictions & the backward BC mentality in general.
https://transportnsw.info/travel-info/ways-to-get-around/ferry#/
https://www.myfastferry.com.au/destinations/circular-quay/
https://www.sydney.com/articles/best-ferry-trips-in-sydney
https://www.transdev.com.au/solutions/sydney-ferries/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Ferries#Network
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferries_of_San_Francisco_Bay How can the SF+Bay+Area do so much? That's because it never had anything like the backward BC mentality to thwart it.
https://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=Ferries_on_the_Bay
https://sanfranciscobayferry.com/
http://calurbanist.com/san-francisco-bay-ferries/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferries_of_San_Francisco_Bay#Current_ferry_routes
Monday, August 12, 2024
Several Vancouver narrow bridge issues
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/metro-vancouver-bridge-cyclist-wire-allegations
Someone might have been very angry with bike people and not with car, bus & truck people. The real problem is that so much of the older BC infrastructure just wasn't designed to be more of a multi-modal crossing. The+Lion+Bridge+and+The+Iron+Bridge have no rail rapid transit crossings to help them.
The Ironworkers-Bridge is so narrow for a highway bridge in that location & wasn't designed for substantial future capacity. When it was initially designed in the 1950s, there was no concept to have 2 bus lanes, 2 HOV lanes, 2 truck lanes & 2 emergency lanes for a port city. Plus, at least 2 general traffic lanes each way & a provision for 2 train tracks. Thus, the 6 lane bridge is so overwhelmed, because it just can't do the job of an 8-10 lane wide bridge. While the Iron Bridge has 2 improved bike+lanes, they are part of the sidewalks.
The former 8 lane Granville+Street will have 6 lanes, while the & Oak+Street only has 4 lanes. The inadequate Oak+Street+Bridge (OSB) should have opened with at least 8 lanes, instead of only 4. Plus, 2 wide emergency lanes & 2 wide sidewalks. There still should be a new southbound OS Bridge, but the city would be against it. A narrow 4 lane bridge just doesn't have the space & capacity for 2 express bus lanes, 2 HOV & 2 truck lanes. Apparently, it's better to just funnel everything into only 2 lanes each way.
The OSB should be twinned or replace with something like the Samuel-De_Champlain_Bridge in Montreal. The largest city in Quebec is allowed to have a nice wide bridge & long metro trains, because Quebec isn't bound by anything like the backwards BC mentality.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-montreals-new-44-billion-champlain-bridge-opens-to-traffic-for Fortunatly, the Vancouver mentality wasn't able to ever reach back to Montreal & prevent such a nice modern bridge from being built there. https://www.flatironcorp.com/project/champlain-bridge If you are from Montreal & have visited Vancouver, you will be surprise to see how much shorter an underground Vancouver train station is than what is allowed underground in Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton, Seattle, SF & LA...
https://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/granville-bridge-connector.aspx A bike & foot bridge should have been built next to it decades ago. Then the Granville Bridge could have 3 general lanes each way, plus a bus & HOV lane each way. Instead, if 2 bus & HOV lanes are designated, there will only be 2 general lanes each way in the downtown core.
The Burrard Bridge should have had a bike & foot bride next to it. Instead, it was reduced from a 6 lane crossing to a 4 lane bridge.
The very narrow Oak+Street+Bridge & the Knight Street Bridge, should have had bus+and+bike+bridges built next to them decades ago.
Most bridges in Vancouver & the metropolitan region just weren't designed with that much future capacity in mind, especially for buses & HOV lanes. Thus, it's a travesty that by now, almost every crossing should have had bus & bike bridges built next to them.
https://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/walk-bike-and-transit.aspx Unfortunatly, provisions for bus & bike lanes just weren't the thing to do several decades ago in BC.
A truck lane is just as important as a bus & HOV lane. That's because freight should be efficiently & easily be transported in any major urban region.
https://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/trucks-commercial-and-oversize-vehicles.aspx
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Oak+Street+and+Granville+Street
Sunday, August 11, 2024
Friday, August 9, 2024
Should downtown Vancouver eventually require a 3rd major train station?
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/downtown-vancouver-train-station-new-railway-line-ideas
Perhaps eventually there could be a deep underground train station below Robson_Square. However, it's more likely that Waterfront+Station+and+Pacific+Central+Station would be extensively upgraded first.
Thursday, August 8, 2024
Longer Trains for Crossrail?
https://www.londonreconnections.com/2024/longer-trains-for-crossrail/
Ideally, it's always better to allow for enough future clearance for longer trains.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossrail
It's even better to have longer stations or at least a roughed out provision established in the first place.
https://www.londonreconnections.com/2024/bonus-trains-for-crossrail-more-details/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossrail#Route
https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/more-elizabeth-line-trains-arriving-in-summer-2026-73566
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=The+Elizabeth+Line
Wednesday, August 7, 2024
Tuesday, August 6, 2024
Why is anti-immigration sentiment on the rise in Canada?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txyjmNXcWiU
Part of bringing more wealth into a country is to have most of the immigrants moderately wealthy to very wealthy. Then a smaller percentage of migrants & refugees would be less of a strain on the system. However, even if 60-70% of immigrants were well off or financially comfortable, some people still might get too jealous of them.
Unfortunately, Canada has been several decades behind in keeping up with a necessary level of infrastructure. Canada is one of the largest countries in overall area, yet it doesn't even have 1% of the world's population.
Monday, August 5, 2024
Railway rolling stock
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Generation_Rollingstock Brisbane
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Docklands_Light_Railway_rolling_stock London
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Docklands_Light_Railway#Future_rolling_stock
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Docklands_Light_Railway_rolling_stock#B23_rolling_stock
Airport Trains and Stations
An Airport+Station is essential, but not all major airports have gotten around to building them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Airport_railway_station,_Brisbane
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#Rail
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_de_Gaulle_Airport#RER
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasgow_Airport_Rail_Link , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasgow_Airport_Rail_Link#Planned_reinstatement_of_the_link
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_International_Airport#Transit
Sunday, August 4, 2024
Is Montreal the best city in North America?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yDtLv-7xZ4
The tallest buildings in Montreal aren't that impressive when compared to what's allowed in Melbourne, Toronto, Chicago & NYC.
https://reporter.mcgill.ca/montreal-named-best-student-city-in-north-america/
Montreal doesn't have the very wide freeways that LA, Houston, Dubai & Toronto have, but its not stuck with the narrow bridges that Vancouver has.
https://vocal.media/wander/why-montreal-is-the-greatest-city-in-north-america
https://blog.mtl.org/en/montreal-ranks-top The Metro is fantastic! Especially the newer walk-through 9 car trains.
https://www.mtlblog.com/2-quebec-spots-ranked-among-best-cities-in-canada
https://www.mtlblog.com/quebec-cities-cheapest-rent-prices-canada
https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal/what-montreals-iconic-habitat-67-was-supposed-to-look-like-photos
At least Montreal hasn't been forced to adhere to the same restrictions as Vancouver. The first 2 SkyTrain lines only have 80m stations, when the Montreal Metro has 152.5m stations. The Canada Line only has 50m stations. It would have been chaos if Montreal had decided to have short stations & narrow bridges.
Saturday, August 3, 2024
Thursday, August 1, 2024
The Economies of Australia and Canada
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gu5lPuaZ9Jo
In some ways Australia is able to think & plan as if its a bigger country than Canada.
Waterfront Station and Pacific Central Station (Vancouver, BC)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterfront_station_(Vancouver)
"Waterfront station was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and opened on August 1, 1914.[2] It was the Pacific terminus for the CPR's transcontinental passenger trains to Montreal, Quebec, and Toronto, Ontario." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterfront_station_(Vancouver)#History
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Central_Station
"Pacific Central Station was built in 1917 by the Canadian Northern Railway as the terminus of its line to Edmonton.[4] It was dedicated on November 2, 1919, a day after the first Canadian National trains began using the station.[5][6] It was originally named False Creek Station..." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Central_Station#History
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Waterfront+Station+and+Pacific+Central+Station
Wednesday, July 31, 2024
LRT, Semi-metro and Heavy Rail Rapid Transit...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_rail , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_rail#Types ,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_rail#Comparison_to_other_rail_transit_modes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premetro
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-metro
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_transit
Of course when Vancouver & the greater urban region became obsessed with keeping the roads & bridges narrow, it was as if there wasn't a proper concept of having express bus lanes & dedicated rapid bus lanes.
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/translink-funding-issues-impacts-traffic-congestion
The 1959 George_Massey_Tunnel should have opened with 3 lanes each way. Plus, 2 wide emergency lanes. Then over the course of its first 2 decades, it could have become a 6 lane crossing with 2 bus & HOV lanes.
By the 1980s, the inept 4 lane George_Massey_Tunnel should have had a parallel higher & wider bus & HOV tunnel consisting of at least another 4 lanes & at least 2 emergency lanes. Thus making it more capable as an eventual replacement to the old tunnel. Then by around 2000, there should have been a bike, truck & train bridge or tunnel as well.
A George_Massey_Tunnel#Replacement by 2030? The first phase of this really should have been started by the 1980s. Of course the new tunnel with 8 lanes & 2 bike lanes, won't have 2 truck lanes & there won't be 2 HOV lanes. Plus, in accordance with a perpetual congestive planning mentality, there is no provision for an extension of the Canada Line to Delta.
The new tunnel should not only have had 3 general lanes each way & 1 bus lane each way, there should be 1 truck lane each way as well. Plus, 2 wide emergency lanes which could eventually be repurpose for a north & southbound rapid bus transit corridor. That's because, even if there is ever a YVR-Canada-Line to the ferry terminal, it won't be open 24 hours.
Someday the YVR-Canada-Line should not only have 2.5 car trains, but an actual 5 car train consisting of five, 20m coaches. Selective_door_operation technology would make this possible. Of course it would have simply been much better to have designed all the stations to already be at least 100m, instead of the inept 50m. Unfortunately, backward BC thinking keeps getting in the way.
https://www.richmond-news.com/local-news/province-considering-filling-george-massey-tunnel-with-sand-8777369 Despite the old tunnels height restrictions, a slightly smaller version of the Road_Train could have been ideal for it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_train#Trailer_arrangements
Keeping the old tunnel as a freight corridor between Delta & Richmond would be of tremendous benefit. Delta has the Roberts_Bank_Superport & the Tsawwassen_ferry_terminal.
Richmond has the Vancouver_International_Airport & the inept Canada_Line.
Despite budget limits at the time, the Canada_Line should have been designed to eventually have 5 car trains & ultimately, 10 car trains. It should have been envisioned as a high capacity rail link between downtown Vancouver, YVR, Richmond & Delta. With an ultimate connection between the Tsawwassen_ferry_terminal and the Horseshoe_Bay_ferry_terminal.
For some reason Vancouver & BC never seemed to really take off in the 1980s like Calgary, Seattle & Perth. Indeed, while Vancouver seemed to continue on its sleepwalking path after Expo_86, Brisbane really started to boom after its World_Expo_88.
Unlike SW BC, the Brisbane Airport & seaport are much closer to each other.
https://upload.wikimedia.org If you are from Brisbane & visiting Vancouver, you will be shocked to see such a short airport train. Being from Vancouver, its difficult to grasp how Brisbane was able to build such nice long trains. This is something to be very proud of, as it can move a lot of people in both directions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Airport_railway_station,_Brisbane This opened in 2001 & Vancouver's inept version had to be ready by 2010 with just 2 car trains. Yet, Brisbane designed their train to be high capacity capable as soon as it open for service. From a backwards BC perspective, it's amazing how Queensland is able to think & function on such a grand scale & to properly allocate the necessary funds. Who knows where so much of the funds went in BC? That's because not enough of it seems to have gone into the infrastructure.
https:://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver_International_Airport#Rapid_transit_(SkyTrain)
Unfortunately, this is an embarrassment line because, that's not a 4 car train, its only two, 2 car trains on a single track. How can Vancouver ever rank as a proper city & metropolitan area, when the trains are so short & most of the bridges are so narrow?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YVR-Airport_station Why have a double track station allowing for at least 155m - 200m long trains? Do it the backwards BC way with only a single track & a 50m station. This isn't just an example of extreme cost-cutting. Its not properly designing crucial transportation infrastructure for eventual high capacity. Fortunately, most proper big urban areas are able to think & build big right from the start. Case in point is Queensland.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/Gateway_Bridge This 6 lane & then a 12 lane crossing was possible, because Queensland isn't under anything like the backwater BC restrictions.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sir+Leo+Hielscher+Bridges,+Queensland,+Australia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Leo_Hielscher_Bridges This has the potential to still have 4 lanes each way. Plus, 1 bus lane & 1 HOV lane each way.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_Brisbane , https://www.portbris.com.au ,
https://www.portbris.com.au/portbris-2060
Unlike backwater BC, Queensland is able to properly think, plan, invest & build for the future. Queensland just isn't hindered by anything like the BC Mind Virus (BCMV).
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=YVR-Canada+Line This is almost the worlds shortest train, because it only has 2 cars.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=old+and+new+narrow+bridges
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Brisbane+Airport+Railway+Line
Loblaw parent company suffers $253M loss due to bread price-fixing settlement
Some companies just can't understand why they have no sympathy from the public.
Senakw's first rental housing towers begin to take shape
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/senakw-squamish-first-nation-vancouver-towers-construction-july-2024
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Vancouver
The tallest buildings in this Vancouver development should have been taller than the tallest building in NW.
https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/pier-west-1/30319
178 m / 584 ft https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/complex/3304
Senakw should have had at least 2 or 3 towers much taller than the Living_Shangri-La, the tallest in Vancouver. Something like the Crown_Sydney scale, is banned in Vancouver, but it's OK for big city Sydney & SF.
| Tip | 271.3 metres (890 ft) |
|---|---|
| Observatory | 250 metres (820 feet) |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_Sydney#Approval
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Vancouver#Tallest_proposed_and_under_construction Most of BC is a backwater wildernes that is unapealling for people, but great for wildlife & vegetation.
The plan was to continually thwart Vancouver, Victoria & Kelowna for as long as possible. That in turn slows down the few key areas of urban grown in BC. NSW & California, just never had the same, KEEP THEM OUT MENTALITY. Thus, they were able to think & properly plan for growth. There seems to be an unwritten rule, that as long as Vancouver can do things which are impressive to Kelowna-Victoria-Prince+George-and-Kamloops, that's good enough.
Sydney, NSW & SF, California just were never under the extreme restrictions that Vancouver has. Plus, Syd & SF haven't been under a multigenerational agenda to keep holding those scenic cities back.
Sydney and SF aren't afraid to build taller next to a bridge, like Vancouver is.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Sydney#Tallest_buildings_(150m+)
"The taller tower, One Rincon Hill South Tower, was completed in 2008 and stands 60 stories and 641 feet (195 m) tall.[A][B] The shorter tower, marketed as Tower Two at One Rincon Hill, was completed in 2014 and reaches a height of 541 feet (165 m) with 50 stories." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Rincon_Hill
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_San_Francisco#Tallest_buildings
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_central_business_district#Transport This is what you are able to do when you aren't bound by the limiting mentality & backward agenda that Vancouver has. For some reason, Vancouver hasn't been able to get established big cities to emulate its congestive & inept planning standards. That's because most major cities want to plan & implement good transportation infrastructure. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco#Public_transportation
Fortunately, Sydney & SF never wanted to take the backwards Vancouver approach to things.
Canada is far off from even containing 1% of the world's human population & BC has yet to have the population of 1 Switzerland. Proper infrastructure planning like in Japan & S. Korea, the UK, CH & Germany, has already been able to accommodate many more people. However, most of the world is non-white & some parts of Canada still want to hold onto the old White British Colonial mentality for as long as possible.
The Fantastic Four and the Baxter Building
https://comicbook.com/movies/news/fantastic-four-first-steps-set-photos-baxter-building-launch-pad-rko-theater-london/
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Citigroup_center.jpg "...it is 915 feet (279 m) tall and has 1.3 million square feet (120,000 m2) of office space across 59 floors." However, if the windows went right up to the top, it would have around 75 levels above ground.
It's unfortunate that the F4 tower or the Baxter-Building, didn't use the likeness of the Citigroup_Center tower.
Tuesday, July 30, 2024
Monday, July 29, 2024
Greece's Olympic legacy: Billions spent, Decaying facilities in ruin
https://www.msn.com/en-ie/news/world/greece-grapples-with-olympic-legacy-decaying-facilities-and-renewed-promises/ar-BB1qLh5X
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1144355/athens-2004-the-squandered-legacy
https://www.politico.eu/article/how-the-olympics-rotted-greece/
Saturday, July 27, 2024
North Shore-Metrotown SkyTrain would see 120,000 riders daily
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/north-shore-skytrain-burrard-inlet-rapid-transit-brt-lrt-study
Since the planned North_Shore train won't be running 24 hours a day, there should be at least 1 bus & 1 HOV lane for each direction. There should also be 2 truck lanes & at least 2 wide emergency lanes. Unfortunately, the Ironworkers-Memorial-Bridge-replacement-concept only depicts 3 general lanes each way, plus only 2 extra lanes that could become a bus & HOV lane. The shoulders don't look like they will be as wide as a regular lane, but still might barely function as an emergency lane for fire-trucks, etc. There also doesn't look like any provision for a bike & foot path for both sides of the bridge.
Thus, once again, it's a narrow-minded Vancouver & especially a backward BC bridge, being designed to be narrower than what it should be.
https://vancouvertraces.weebly.com/the-first-and-second-narrows-crossings.html
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Ironworkers+Memorial+Bridge
Commercial Drive social housing tower
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/800-commercial-drive-vancouver-social-housing-tower-approved
What would be a very tall building for Quesnel or Williams Lake, still gets some small minded Vancouver people upset.
The Vancouver (stump) House
Vancouver_House is a small building compared to what's allowed in real cities.
155.6 m / 511 ft
Floors52 https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/vancouver-house/13987 Its almost 230 feet shoter than a simialar building in Calgary.
Since Telus_Sky is in Calgary, it's not under any of the Vancouver type restrictions.
https://cityhallwatch.wordpress.com/2020/03/06/lights-out-at-vancouver-house/
So many things are mixed up or upside-down in backward Vancouver.
.jpg/1024px-Calgary_Skyline_May_2018_(wide_crop).jpg)
.jpg/157px-View_From_Calgary_Tower%2C_1991._01_(cropped).jpg)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suncor_Energy_Centre
125 m / 410 ft
Friday, July 26, 2024
Under the Broadway Plan, 6 tower rezonings on West 11th Avenue in Fairview (Burrard to Alder)
All would demolish existing rental buildings. How many renters will be displaced? https://cityhallwatch.wordpress.com/2024/07/26/six-tower-sites-w11th-ave-pine-to-alder-all-sites-include-rental-buildings/
A New vision for the Gastown waterfront railyard in downtown Vancouver
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/downtown-vancouver-central-waterfront-gastown-railyard-farrells-arup
Every time that Vancouver has a chance to have what would be a tall building in Seattle or Calgary, its canceled.
Thursday, July 25, 2024
Copenhagen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfeSjqUfQwE
Denmark - The State of Happiness https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTJnu6lAhvM
50% of bus service and 30% of SkyTrain and SeaBus services could be eliminated due to funding shortfall
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/translink-metro-vancouver-public-transit-service-cuts-2026
Such a backward city & region. Everything has to be watered down in backwater BC.
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/translink-funding-service-bc-conservatives-john-rustad
A North Shore Skytrain on a new Ironworkers Memorial Bridge?
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-united-north-shore-skytrain-ironworkers-memorial-bridge
Either a rapid-bus crossing first, or a train crossing with 2 buss lanes for whenever the train is shut down. The NW Skybridge wasn't designed to have 2 bus & 2 bike lanes & 2 footpaths. Thus, the SkyBridge to Surrey remains as a fine inept example of backward BC planning.
The North-Arm-Bridge to Richmond was also not designed to have 2 bus lanes, 2 bike lanes & 2 footpaths. Just one combined bike & footpath. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Arm_Bridge
Unfortunately, Greater Vancouver doesn't want to provide 24hr trains. Yet, there seems to be a reluctance to have a series of regional bus-bridges, because most of the existing bridges are too narrow to have 2 extra bus lanes.
https://vancouvertraces.weebly.com/the-first-and-second-narrows-crossings.html
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Ironworkers+Memorial+Bridge
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=North+Shore+of+Greater+Vancouver
Wednesday, July 24, 2024
A Fraser River boat tour takes you under five existing and future Metro Vancouver bridges
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/paddlewheeler-riverboat-tours-mv-native-new-westminster-fraser-river-cruises Unfortunatly, most bridges in BC are built to conform to a narrow-minded standard.
Had there been a proper urban vision between NW & Surrey 50-100 years ago, there would have been a lot more bridges by now. It seems that NW just wanted to be a provincial backwater. Eventually, Surrey kept growing & now its planning to become the largest city in BC. Back in the day, just like little NW, Surrey never saw it self as ever becoming a major river city like Portland, Calgary, Edmonton or Winnipeg.
By the late 1800s and especially by 1910, Portland really started to see itself as a major river city. Just look at how many more bridges there are than what's in between NW & Surrey.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downtown_Portland,_Oregon#Bridges
There should have been something like the Tilikum_Crossing between NW and Surrey by now. There also should have been something like a Tilikum_Crossing between Vancouver and Richmond.
Fortunately, the backwater BC mentality never made it down to Oregon.
https://www.travelportland.com/attractions/portland-bridges
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bridges_in_Portland,_Oregon
Automated speed enforcement needed on Stanley Park Causeway and Lions Gate Bridge to improve safety
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/stanley-park-causeway-vancouver-automated-speed-enforcement
A new highway tunnel, as well as a new water tunnel under the park would make such a big difference.
https://westendneighbours.wordpress.com/2023/11/01/stanley-park-water-supply-tunnel
History of (the inept) Lions Gate Bridge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHqi7Kijedw
Tuesday, July 23, 2024
George Massey tunnel-new-replacement-contractor-selected
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/george-massey-tunnel-new-replacement-contractor-selected-bc
This new 8 lane tunnel should be the first phase of a regional transportation crossing. There should be a followup YVR-ferry terminal link between Richmond and Delta, someday.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Massey+Tunnel+replacement
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Richmond+and+Delta
Monday, July 22, 2024
Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA plans for a new I-5 bridge over the Columbia River
https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2024/03/07/interstate-5-bridge-columbia-river-new-construction
The Columbia_River_Crossing between Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA
https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2024/03/07/interstate-5-bridge-columbia-river-new-construction
https://thirdbridgenow.org/benefits-impacts
This won't be some inept V-BC narrow bridge.
Netherlands
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlands
A very flat & low land that's about the same size as Switzerland, but with twice the population.
https://www.mylifeelsewhere.com/country-size-comparison/netherlands/switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland has 8.9 million people & can fit into BC about 23 times. BC has yet to reach the population of one Switzerland.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switzerland#Largest_cities
Unless BC claims to have a different set of physics than that of CH, mountains can't be used as an excuse for limited urban growth & density.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_in_Switzerland
Italy & Japan also have plenty of mountains, but that hasn't prevented them from proper planning & infrastructure development.
https://www.mylifeelsewhere.com/country-size-comparison/switzerland/netherlands A very flat country with about double the population of CH.
Sunday, July 21, 2024
Metro Vancouver expected to grow by 50,000 people a year
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/metro-vancouver-expected-grow-50,000-people-year
Of course all the real big cities around the world are able to properly plan & build up an appropriate level of infrastructure, were as Greater Vancouver keeps taking a scaled back approach. Especially within the small city limits of Vancouver.
Little backwater NW should have been properly planned as a gateway between Surrey, Burnaby & Coquitlam, decades ago. However, there has been a multi-generational resistance mentality & its quite apparent in the stunted infrastructure.
https://globalnews.ca/news/9489375/pattullo-replacement-six-lanes-debate Open the new P Bridge with only 4 lanes & no emergency lanes, because 2 extra bus & HOV lanes would be what a proper big city would do. Make sure that there is no provision for a LRT deck, because NW & Surrey only needs one rail transit line. A provision for a 2nd deck would ensure future truck capacity, but that would mean to properly plan for growth. This multi-generational congestive planning approach in BC is so absurd.
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/pattullo-bridge-replacement-crossing-capacity-small
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skybridge_(TransLink) When the SkyBridge between NW & Surrey opened in 1990, there was no provision to have 2 bus & HOV lanes. Of course there were no bike lanes & footpaths on the bridge. Apparently, it was better to just squeeze all bike & foot traffic onto the very narrow Pattullo_Bridge, which only has 1 sidewalk no wider than a bathtub.
https://evelazarus.com/aborted-plans-a-third-crossing-for-the-north-shore While V-BC celebrated the cancelation of a series of freeway plans through the small city between the 1950s & into the early 70s, there was never a proper follow-up to a North Shore rapid-transit crossing.
https://www.nsnews.com/opinion/letters-lets-get-going-on-a-third-crossing-for-north-shore-6436538 It is pathetic & embarasing that a bike, bus & train bridge wasn't built across the North+Shore inlet at least by the mid 1980s.
https://www.nsnews.com/opinion/almost-two-thirds-of-north-shore-readers-say-a-new-bridge-is-needed-6423723 It is absurd that there wont be a train, bus & bike bridge crossing the inlet by 2025 or even 2030. https://council.vancouver.ca/010313/tt2.htm
The only hope seems to be an eventual replacement or some kind of upgrade to the Iron Bridge. Transportation_in_Vancouver has always been on a smaller scale than what it should be.
https://viewpointvancouver.ca/2016/08/26/first-rule-for-a-third-crossing
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/this-week-in-history-1967-wacky-bennett-and-tom-terrific-team-up-to-push-for-a-third-crossing Of course a new bus and train bridge should have still been built. Having a freeway system within the city limits of Vancouver would have been too damaging. People got so freaked out about it and didn't properly realize that there still should have been 2 bus lanes and 2 HOV lanes crossing the inlet. The plan should have also included 2 truck lanes and at least 2 train tracks in a bridge or tunnel, no freeway required, just a link to the surface streets of Vancouver & North Vancouver.
BC doesn't even have the population of one Switzerland. Yet, many local people already say that BC is too populated. WTH? Most of the worlds population is non-white. Keeping the infrastructure short, small & narrow is a strange way to symbolically refuse to build for more people on a mostly non-white world.
https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=North+Shore+of+Greater+Vancouver
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