Showing posts sorted by relevance for query LGB. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query LGB. Sort by date Show all posts

Friday, July 25, 2025

Who controls the 3 lane Lions Gate Bridge?

 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/who-controls-the-centre-lane-on-the-lions-gate-bridge-1.7589996

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. 

Saturday, April 19, 2025

The narrow bridges of Vancouver, Canada

https://montecristomagazine.com/community/forgotten-bridges-vancouver

The LGB just wasn't designed with any future capacity in mind. 

History of the Lions Gate Bridge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHqi7Kijedw 

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

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Lions_Gate.jpg 

The inadequate 3 lane LGB is currently the most narrow road bridge in backwards & stubborn Vancouver. It's been in that category since the removal of the 2 lane Fraser Street Bridge in the 1970s. There was a refusal to twin the absurdly narrow LGB between the 1950s & 1970s. By the 1980s there should have been a subway tunnel and an 8 lane tunnel. Then two of the lanes could have been for buses. Georgia+Street is 7 lanes wide as it gets closer to Stanley Park. Thus, the main part of a tunnel through the park could have provided 3 general lanes each way & a bus lane each way. Instead, the 7 lanes of the westernmost part of Georgia Street are funneled into a 3 lane causeway & a 3 lane bridge. The LGB would be fantastic as just a bike & foot crossing, with train, bus & road tunnels well beneath & beside it.    

The Burrard_Bridge, BB or  BSB opened with 6 lanes, but now it only has 4 lanes. There are 2 bike lanes & 2 sidewalks. Had a parallel bike-bridge been built, the BB could have still had 6 lanes. While the BB has a lower level provision for streetcars or tram-trains, Vancouver did its damndest to phase out streetcars well before the 1960s. 

The Ironworkers_Memorial_Bridge has 6 lanes, but should also have had 2 wide shoulders & 2 very wide sidewalks. Unfortunatly, there was no provision for a lower deck, as is also the case with all of the other Vancouver  bridges. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ironworkers_Memorial_Second_Narrows_Crossing

Any replacement of the inadequate Ironworkers+Memorial+Bridge should be on the scale of what Perth, Seattle and Montreal have done.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granville_Street_Bridge#Third_bridge_(1954)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=vPSdF0jRTC4 The Granville-Bridge or GSB is the widest bridge in the city limits. It opened with 8 lanes, but is being transformed into a 6 lane bridge with 2 bike lanes & 2 sidewalks. Had there been a paralel bike & foot bride, the GSB could have still been 8 lanes wide. Then there could have been 2 exclusive bus lanes.

https://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/granville-bridge-connector.aspx

The Oak Street Bridge should have been 8 lanes wide, with 2 wide sidewalks.

The Knight+Street+Bridge should have been 8 lanes with 2 wide sidewalks. Instead, its a 4 lane chokepoint.

The Arthur+Laing+Bridge should have been at least 6 lanes with 2 proper bike lanes & 2 sidewalks.

If the Cambie_Street_Bridge had 2 very wide sidewalks, then its likely that it would still have 6 lanes instead of 5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambie_Bridge#The_present_bridge

Unfortunatly, bottleneck or chokepoint planning is part of the Vancouver & BC mentality.

Of course BC & the Metro+Vancouver Region just hasn't put enough funds and effort towards proper big-city planning & infrastructure development. 

If Perth+and+Seattle had to conform to the extremely restrictive Vancouver approach to things, those cities would be in a perpetual state of chaos. Fortunately, nothing like the BC Mind Virus has ever reached WA.


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

Sunday, July 6, 2025

SkyTrain's Rupert and Renfrew stations

 https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/vancouver-neighbourhood-next-broadway-plan-treatment

Most of BC is wilderness and there are only a handful of potential big urban areas in BC.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/rupert-and-renfrew-station-area-plan-vancouver-final

The Greater Vancouver Region has been held back for several decades. Of course affordable housing should be part of the overall growth plan. All of  BC still has less people than just the Greater Toronto Area & Canada has yet to have even just 1% of the world's population.

The 3 lane Lions+Gate+Bridge and the 2 car joke that is the Canada+Line are fine BC examples of the reluctance to build proper big city size infrastructure. There should have been at least 2 bus tunnels & 2 HOV tunnels near the LGB. If the C Line couldn't have 10 car trains, the stations should have at least been designed to accomodate 5 car trains, not an eventual 2.5 car joke of a train. There also should have been a train tunnel near the LGB by now, but that's what a proper big city would have done.

Tuesday, July 18, 2023

West Georgia Street in Vancouver

 https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/west-georgia-street-rush-hour-vancouver-bc--72550243987409307

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/skytrain-north-vancouver-west-vancouver-north-shore

The Lions+Gate+Bridge is a classic 3 lane bottleneck, or the quintessential urban chokepoint. The LGB could become an excellent foot, bus & bike bridge, if only a tunnel could be built close to it.

Five-blocks east of the park, Georgia Street is continually seven lanes wide.

https://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/west-georgia-complete-street.aspx

While that segment of W. Georgia_Street is 7 lanes wide, an 8 lane tunnel could cross the 1st Narrows. A 7 lane tunnel might be a little cheaper with a middle centre lane section & barrier, two 4 lane compartments would be much better. During the morning, all 4 lanes could be heading into Vancouver with 1 as a HOV lane. Then, during the afternoon, all 4 northbound lanes would be open with the 4th being a HOV lane.

The 4 lane northbound tunnel could emerge just north of the LGB. Then the surface route could connect to Marine Drive and then turn onto Capilano Road. The Cap interchange is already there. Simply moving the yellow line over one lane would allow 3 lanes of northbound traffic on Capilano Road. 

A reconfigured TCH & Taylor Way interchange could allow for 3 southbound lanes right down to the mall, simply by moving the yellow line over 1 lane. Then, a 3 lane Taylor Way southbound tunnel could start just south of the Marine Drive intersection. A southbound HOV lane would have to be routed into it.

https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/this-week-in-history-the-great-georgia-harris-viaduct-opens-in-1915 Aparently, no one bothered to make sure that the 4 lane structure could properly support streetcars. Thus, the inept city couldn't use it as a major east-west streetcar route.

https://spacing.ca/vancouver/2011/06/16/the-viaducts-past-present-and-future-part-1 Even in the 1970s there was no concept to have an express bus corridor betwen Vancouver, Burnaby & Coquitlam. 

https://viewpointvancouver.ca/2015/01/13/john-mackie-the-georgia-viaduct-and-the-freeway-fight-1972

Then when the first 2 SkyTrain lines were built, the stations were barely half the length of the 152.5 meter Montreal Metro stations. Evidently, this was to save money, but the stations should have still been built to proper big city standards. Then to further reinforce the symbolism of congestive planning agenda, the 3rd line only has enough clearance for 50 meter stations. 

Sydney started to have taller buildings than Vancouver by the early 1960s. https://ca.pinterest.com/pin/west-georgia-street-1960--497647827546801125 It took until the end of the 1960s for Melbourne to start having taller buildings than Vancouver. Then as Melbourne soared into the 1970s, Vancouver started to create a series of overlapping restrictions to thwart the city.

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/british-columbia-vancouver-skyline-1970s-with-possible-building-site-of-west-coast-transmission-building--716424253196467928 Despite being a Pacific city, Vancouver & Canada don't seem to be interested in having a proper metropolis on the scale of Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane. The tallest buildings in Vancouver must be shorter than even the tallest in Perth, Seattle & Calgary. Most of the roads & bridges are to be half the width & the trains are also to be a half-length joke. Thus, Greater Vancouver has been in a perpetual state of congestion.


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

Saturday, May 3, 2025

The Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge, Kentucky

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

This 2 lane wonder with 1 sidewalk could have been a backwater BC bridge. 

https://historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=kentucky/maysville/

Unfortunatly, the LGB only has 3 lanes & 2 sidewalks. Both are little, narrow backcountry type bridges, but the inadequate LGB is forced to do the job of a big city crossing.

Saturday, June 21, 2025

The Pattullo Bridge replacement project

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/pattullo-bridge-new-indigenous-renaming-art

While it's great to have a new name for the new bridge, there should have been a few more bridges between Surrey, NW, Coquitlam & Port Coquitlam.

https://604now.com/pattullo-bridge-new-indigenous-name

Another lost opportunity for backwards BC. This new bridge should have opened with 6 lanes, plus have at least 2 wide shoulders for future capacity. Then there could have been 2 HOV lanes, as well as 4 general lanes. There also should have been a lower deck for something similar to what the Tilikum_Crossing has. https://trimet.org/tilikum

Such a lower deck not only could have provided 2 sidewalks & 2 bike paths, but a provision for 2 streetcar or tram-train tracks and even 2 separated SkyTrain tracks. Instead, all the traffic will be crammed into just 2 lanes each way with no bus & no HOV lanes & especially no breakdown lanes. In the future, the existing 2 track Skybridge between Surrey & NW might not be adequate. People from all over the world should study the BC bottleneck planning mentality & avoid such bad planning at all costs.

It is foolish for the most urban part of BC to not have wide or double deck bridges. Unfortunatly, this new 4 lane bridge wasn't designed to have 2 bus & 2 HOV lanes & no provision for at least 2 train tracks. At least it will have more than 1 sidewalk & 1 more lane than the LGB and even a safety divider. 

Despite Surrey eventually becoming the most populous city in backwater BC, no 2 track train bridge like the Tilikum has been allowed to be built in backwards BC. https://trimet.org/tilikum/#about

https://trimet.org/tilikum/#:~:text=Bus%20lines%20FX2%2DDivision%2C%209,both%20sides%20of%20the%20river.


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

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

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

A Chateau-style home in West Vancouver, but...

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/west-vancouver-home-sale-2188-westhill-wynd

A person can pay out all that money, but you don't get a French standard of transportation options, or even a Québec-Montreal quality of transportation. You are just stuck with a ridiculous 3 lane LGB  and there are no plans to have any bus & train tunnels under that horrible chokepoint.

Any replacement for the Ironworkers+Memorial+Bridge should be at least as wide as the Samuel-De_Champlain_Bridge in Montreal. It's very difficult in BC to have crossings that have at least 4 lanes each way.

Far away from backwards Vancouver & backwater BC, the Narrows_Bridge_in_Perth-WA was part of a multi-section Bridge plan. 5 lanes each way, plus a Railway_bridge section, which has much longer trains than backwards Vancouver.

Friday, December 26, 2025

Would people pay a bridge toll if it helps solve traffic woes on the North Shore?

 https://www.nsnews.com/opinion/letter-i-would-gladly-pay-a-bridge-toll-if-it-helps-solve-our-traffic-woes-11665442 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Shore_(Greater_Vancouver) 

As of 2026, no bus, car, truck and commuter train tunnel was ever built near the extremely inadequate 3 lane Lions+Gate+Bridge. For if there had then, the LGB could have become a nice bike and foot crossing.

Of course no bus, truck and commuter train bridge was built next to the Iron+Bridge. The inadequate Iron Bridge is so narrow that there isn't any room for emergency lanes and especially no proper express or rapid bus lanes.

By now, there should be a SeaBus crossing of at least every 5 minutes in both directions. 

Its extremely difficult to bring the Greater Vancouver Region up to a proper urban transportation standard. Partly because this is part of backwards BC and partly because there is just such a lack of a normal big city vision. 

For some reason, congestive transportation planning just isn't that popular outside of backwards Vancouver, BC.

Friday, February 26, 2016

Could the Lions Gate Bridge be closed to vehicle traffic by 2030?

"However, there is one major caveat with the plan. For the shutdown to occur, the agreement stipulates that a new replacement crossing across Burrard Inlet from Vancouver to the North Shore would have to be constructed." 


"Any crossing replacement or expansion option would have to consider the reality that downtown Vancouver’s street grid does not possess the capacity to handle a significant increase in vehicle traffic volume. This could be further exacerbated by the City’s plan to demolish the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts, which will redirect traffic to other adjacent arterial streets." https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/lions-gate-bridge-close-vehicle-traffic-2030-government-agreement








Traffic on the Lions_Gate_Bridge should be replaced with a 6-8 lane road tunnel and a double track train tunnel. Then the LGB could become a fine bike & foot crossing.

Thursday, November 7, 2024

The inadequate Lions Gate Bridge

https://viewpointvancouver.ca/2017/09/28/twinning-the-lions-gate-bridge/

No twinning the LGB ever happened, but what about a tunnel with dedicated bus lanes?

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

A 6 lane highway, plus 2 bus lanes and a 3 track train tunnel+deep+under+Stanley+Park is possible, but still unlikely for the foreseeable future. It's ridiculous that there is no official plan to connect the 2 BC Lower Mainland ferry terminals with the Canada (embarrassment) Line. Unfortunatly, the congestive planning approach keeps winning out in backwards BC. 


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

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

What Canada Day looked like in Vancouver over 100 years ago

 https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/history/historic-photos-canada-day-looked-like-vancouver-bc-over-100-years-ago-5537944

By the 1920s, Montreal, Toronto, Melbourne, Sydney, SF & LA, all knew that they were going to be major cities. Unfortunatly in the 2020s, Vancouver is still stuck with a 3 lane Lion Bridge and a Canada embarrassment Line with only 50m stations. The Montreal Metro has 152.5m stations. Most real cities by now would have at least built a 4 lane bus & HOV tunnel & a commuter train tunnel near the LGB.

Despite being a cost cutting measure, the Canada embasement Line still should have had the provision to eventually have 10 car trains. Unfortunatly, the underbuilt line between Vancouver & Richmond wasn't even designed to have 5 car trains. Indeed, the joke that is the C Line has stations designed to only have 2.5 car trains, someday. The first 2 SkyTrain lines only have 80m stations, which can just barely accomodate a 5 car train. 


Monday, January 13, 2025

Still, No Twinning the Lions Gate Bridge, and for good reason, sort of

The Lions+Gate+Bridge has been the quintessential, multigenerational symbol of backwards Vancouver planning. While it has a couple of nice bike lanes & sidewalks, the one deck bridge is too narrow for an efficient express bus & train crossing. This is a crossing area that should be on a grand scale like The Sydney_Harbour_Bridge and Harbour_TunnelHowever, the Vancouver version would just focus on the tunnel portion. 

https://viewpointvancouver.ca/2017/09/28/twinning-the-lions-gate-bridge/

https://viewpointvancouver.ca/2013/10/04/1939-traffic-on-and-above-the-lions-gate-bridge/

https://viewpointvancouver.ca/2014/10/21/trick-question-how-fast-has-traffic-been-growing-on-the-lions-gate-bridge/

By now, there should have been a 6 lane highway tunnel, plus 2 dedicated express bus lanes and at least a double track train tunnel. Then the LG Bridge could remain as a very nice bike & foot crossing. 

https://globalnews.ca/news/1946543/government-says-lions-gate-bridge-will-not-close-to-cars-come-2030

Unlike Vancouver, Sydney, SF, Seattle and Montreal don't use water as an excuse to hold back their cities scale of transportation infrastructure.


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

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

Saturday, November 18, 2023

The Lions Gate Bridge and a First Narrows Tunnel

 https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/5-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-the-lions-gate-bridge-6614814

The LGB is a crossing so narrow that it should have only been a foot & bike bridge by now.

The inept Lions+Gate+Bridge should have had an 8 lane tunnel under it several decades ago.

Georgia_Street through most of the downtown is 6 lanes wide, but as you get closer to Stanley Park, its 7 lanes wide. Thus, an 8 lane First_Narrows tunnel could have easily been constructed. 

https://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/west-georgia-complete-street.aspx 

While the likelihood of Georgia_Street feeding into the Georgia_Viaduct & then connecting East Vancouver & Burnaby with a freeway is not possible, Georgia_Street could still feed into a Stanley Park tunnel.

There would be no need for a freeway through the downtown, as a tunnel would simply provide a high capacity crossing. 3 lanes each way, plus a bus & HOV lane each way & even a provision for rapid rail transit. Essentially, an extension of the Canada (embassament) Line. 

https://globalnews.ca/news/1946543/government-says-lions-gate-bridge-will-not-close-to-cars-come-2030/

The stubborn city & region chooses to continually do nothing with the First Narrows LION crossing. However, at least some serious planning has started for the Second_Narrows IRON Bridge upgrade or replacement. 

The Lion & the Iron bridges have been quintessential BC bottlenecks for generations. There really should have been bus & train tunnels and bridges built next to them several decades ago. Despite the region having 2 ferry terminals, there seems to be a reluctance with having the Canada (embarrassment) Line linking both of the ferry terminals. To do so would actually help to reduce congestion, bus backwater BC seems to be against relieving urban transportation congestion.


https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=The+Lion+Bridge+and+The+Iron+Bridge

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

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

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

Friday, February 28, 2025

Former B.C. deputy finance minister to lead audit of North Shore sewage plant

 https://www.burnabynow.com/highlights/former-bc-deputy-finance-minister-to-lead-audit-of-north-shore-sewage-plant-10304011

While a Burnaby to North Vancouver express bus and rail link is a good idea, there should also be a link between Vancouver and West Vancouver. Unfortunatly, so much extra money will be going toward a shit-pipe and a shit-box, instead of a rail tunnel & a new bridge. So many people are still in denial, but urban planning & funding in BC is really the $HIT$ for Greater Vancouver.

https://www.burnabynow.com/economy-law-politics/fractures-deepen-as-metro-vancouver-faces-governance-review-10305334

So much money was wasted on a $HIT-BOX and a $HIT-PIPE that could have gone towards a train tunnel near the LGB.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/vancouver-island/article/metro-vancouver-should-not-be-a-gravy-train-bc-asked-to-partner-in-regional-governance-review


https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=$HIT-PIPE

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=SHIT-BOX

Thursday, April 3, 2025

From the old and inadequate Fraser Street Bridge to the inadequate KSB

Somewhere in between 1950 & 1960, the old Fraser_Street_Bridge (FSB) should have been replaced with a new 4 lane bridge, with 2 very wide sidewalks for bikes & a future provision for 2 bus lanes. Vancouver needs a street and transit connection with No. 5 Rd. in Richmond. Unfortunatly, backwards Vancouver has always been a city without a proper big city transportation vision.

https://evelazarus.com/the-fraser-street-swing-span-bridge

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraser_Street_Bridge_(1894)#Provincial_government_headache

https://www.richmond-news.com/local-news/photos-and-video-was-this-the-unluckiest-bridge-between-richmond-and-vancouver-4475444

https://search.nbca.unbc.ca/index.php/fraser-st-road-bridge-in-vancouver-bc-1 In the late 1800s, just being able to have a bridge roadway width of 2 wagon-roads in backwater BC was amazing. Then, decades & even several generations later, any BC bridge that could provide 2 wagon-roads each way was even more amazing. 

https://structurae.net/en/structures/fraser-avenue-street-bridge

As usual, Vancouver & BC lost & messed up an opportunity to have 2 great new bridges.

https://structurae.net/en/structures/knight-street-bridge (KSB)

https://evelazarus.com/the-knight-street-bridge-part-2

Once again, the lack of a proper big city vision resulted in the inadequate design for the 4 lane Knight+Street+Bridge (KSB). However, it makes sense from a bottleneck congestive planing mentality. Despite Vancouver being part of what is suppose to be a major port region and in need of proper transportation corridors, the Knight_Street_Bridge is a classic chokepoint.

https://www.richmond-news.com/local-news/work-on-knight-street-bridge-in-richmond-below-deck-as-well-7319230

Just because the Knight_Street_Bridge started out as a 4 lane joke, there immediately should have been 2 wide shoulders, which could have eventually become 2 extra bus lanes. Plus, there should have been a future provision to add 2 HOV lanes. Two wide sidewalks & 2 wide bike lanes. However, that would go against the congestive planning mentality of Vancouver & BC.

Indeed, by deliberately planning the KSB to be a 4 lane chokepoint and not building a new Fraser+Street+Bridge, there clearly was no interest to have proper dedicated bus lanes in that part of the Greater Vancouver Region. With so many inadequate, narrow bridges, there should be bus & HOV lane bridges to help improve regional transportation.

A regional express bus system or a rapid bus network requires dedicated lanes. The LGB should have 2 bus lanes & 2 HOV lanes in a tunnel near it. The Iron Bridge, OSB & KSB, all should have a 4 lane bus & HOV bridge next to them. That would allow for a rapid bus lane each way & a HOV lane each way.


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

Friday, April 11, 2025

Metro Vancouver defers $1.1Billion in spending

 https://www.biv.com/news/economy-law-politics/metro-vancouver-defers-11b-in-spending-warns-of-tighter-water-use-10507478

So much money has be wasted over the years and a good part of it should have gone towards proper regional transportation planning & development.

https://globalnews.ca/news/11123828/metro-vancouver-cost-savings/

Crucial funds that could have gone towards a train tunnel by the LGB and the new D Island Tunnel. 

https://vancouversun.com/news/metro-vancouver-board-begins-spending-review

A regional network of bus-bridges still isn't part of any official transit plan. Apparently, its better to just funnel buses onto the existing narrow bridges in the region.

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/02/21/metro-vancouver-regional-district-22m-budget-cuts

Despite most of the bridges being too narrow & inefficient for public transit, the SkyTrain was deliberately built to have stations that are much shorter than the Montreal Metro & TTC Subway stations.  

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/metro-vancouver-governance-review-provincial-government-1.7447724

BC has such a reluctant mentality towards thinking big. Thus, a chokepoint or congestive planning mentality has been firmly entrenched.

https://www.coastalfront.ca/read/metro-vancouver-freezes-staff-travel-amid-outrage-over-spending-and-tax-hike

Long trains & bridges wide enough to properly accommodate bus lanes & HOV lanes would actually help to reduce transportation congestion. 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/metro-vancouver-public-engagement-2025-budget-nswwtp-1.7308921

Who knows where all the billions of dollars went over the past several decades, because not enough funds went towards a proper level of transportation infrastructure.

https://metrovancouver.org/about-us/budgets-and-financial-plans

Of course Greater Vancouver was one of the first urban regions to get rid of its streetcars & interurban tram-trains & it will likely be to be one of the last cities to bring them back.


https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Metro+Vancouver

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

Granville Bridge, Vancouver, etc.

 https://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/granville-bridge.aspx 

Even after 3 tries, Vancouver still couldn't quite get the Granville_Street_Bridge correct. Of course the 3rd bridge wasn't designed to have a lower deck for streetcars or tram-trains. Even though it was generally designed to be a car, truck and bus bridge, the sidewalks should have been double width and have an inner railing. If the city couldn't wait until late March, it should have had the official dedication in early March, not in crappy February 1954.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granville_Street_Bridge#Third_bridge_(1954) "On February 4, 1954, the current Granville Street Bridge opened to traffic after five years of planning and construction; its dedication ceremony was attended by 5,000 spectators after it had been delayed a week due to heavy snow." 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granville_Street_Bridge#21st_century Unfortunatly, new bike lanes and extra sidewalks couldn't be installed below the 8 lane deck. Thus, Vancouver went for strike 3 and removed 2 lanes from the bridge. The Burrard+Street+Bridge lost 2 lanes and the Cambie+Bridge lost 1 lane. A bike and foot bridge could have been built on the west side of the Burrard Bridge, then no lanes would have been removed. The Cambie Bridge already had a wide sidewalk on its east side. The west sidewalk should have been widened, then no lane would have been removed. 

The Granville+Bridge could have had 6 lanes and 2 bus lanes. Now, if there are ever 2 bus lanes, there will only be 2 general lanes each way.

Several cities around the world have bike & foot bridges and don't have to remove lanes from the existing bridges.

For a congested city to have removed 5 lanes from 3 bridges, could there even be more of a reduction of lanes Well, there are some who would like to have the LGB just for bike and foot traffic.

https://globalnews.ca/news/1946543/government-says-lions-gate-bridge-will-not-close-to-cars-come-2030 

That would be OK if an 8 lane tunnel could be built near it. As its projected, the new & improved tunnel between Richmond & Delta won't be ready unto 2030. Since things move so slow in constipated, backwater BC, a First_Narrows_Tunnel might not be completed until 2040.