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

Saturday, March 16, 2024

17 Ave. S.E. Bus Rapid Transit, Cushing Bridge, Calgary

 https://www.calgary.ca/council/ward-9/h-17-av-se-bus-rapid-transit.html Of course Calgary would get around to doing this type of crossing, long before Vancouver would. The BRT bridge next to the Cushing+Bridge

The 4 lane Cushing+Bridge could have easily remained as a Vancouver type bottleneck or chokepoint, but building a bus-bridge next to it, makes all the difference. The Greater Vancouver area has so many narrow streets & bridges. Its as if there is a different set of physics in BC than in Alberta. Fortunately unlike slow moving Vancouver, Calgary was able to get the 17_Avenue_Transitway mostly completed, years ago.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calgary_Transit#Bus_rapid_transit_and_future

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAX_(Calgary)#BRT_routes

Of course Calgary seems to have a better system of bike bridges than Vancouver as well.

https://www.visitcalgary.com/things-to-do/stories-from-calgary/10-epic-bike-pathways-in-calgary

https://outandacross.com/5-best-bike-paths-calgary/

https://www.calgary.ca/bike-walk-roll/pathways.html

Wednesday, December 27, 2023

Vancouver's little Canoe Bridge vs. much better examples

The Canoe+Bridge_in_Vancouver,+BC is a fine example of a quaint little bridge to nowhere. 
The Elizabeth+Quay+Bridge+in+Perth, WA is a far better pedestrian bridge.
For some reason, Greater_Vancouver refuses to build a system of proper pedestrian, bike & bus bridges that could actually help to relieve traffic congestion. 

Unlike in Calgary, Edmonton & Winnipeg, there just isn't an adequate amount of pedestrian, bike & bus bridges crossing the Fraser River between Vancouver, Burnaby, NW, Delta, Surrey & Langley.

So many other cities are able to build new pedestrian, bike or bus bridges, without removing lanes from the older bridges. Thus, actually reducing congestion.




The new Disraeli+Bridge_in_Winnipeg should have had a provision for 2 bus lanes & even 2 HOV lanes, so its a little like a 4 lane BC bridge. The highway at either end of the bridge is wider than the bridge itself, so its like some Vancouver narrow-mindedness was put into the design.  
https://legacy.winnipeg.ca/PublicWorks/construction/pastProjects/DisraeliBridges No bus or emegency lanes makes it like a narrow Vancouver bridge. https://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/disraelibridge.shtml Unfortunatly, unless the bridge was designed to be expanded from 4 to 6 lanes, a parallel bus bridge might have to be built someday. Especially if the city is intending to expand its rapid-bus-transit-route-networkhttps://info.winnipegtransit.com/en/service/blue-rapid-transit/


Fortunately, the Vancouver mentality wasn't able to take hold in Calgary & so many other cities.





https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bridges_in_Calgary#/media/File:C-Train_bridge-lower_deck Of course the first Skytrain bride in BC has no such provision, let alone bike & bus lanes. That's the backward BC way.


Tuesday, December 26, 2023

Tilikum Crossing in Portland vs. other bridges

The Tilikum_Crossing is the type of transit structure that should be in various parts of Greater Vancouver, BC. While such planning isn't a problem in Oregon, for BC, it might as well be something out of science fiction story.

https://trimet.org/tilikum , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIYPA7jyELs

https://www.tylin.com/work/projects/tilikum-crossing-bridge-people

The North_Arm_Bridge should have had similar features to what the Tilikum_Crossing would have. Unfortunately, as part of the Canada_Line_and_Skytrain, it had to be symbolically underbuilt. Even with first phase budget limitations, the bridge could have been designed to eventually be at least as wide as what the Tilikum would be. Just because it's a light rail train line, all the stations could have been designed to eventually be 152m, like the high capacity Montreal Metro stations are, instead of the 50m joke that it has become. Thus, the Catheter_Line is one of the best examples of infrastructure financial drainage. Indeed, for all of its cost, the bridge should have been twice its width by now & the stations at least 3 times longer, simply by designing it with the potential to become a proper big city train.

 

https://therabbitportal.blogspot.com/search?q=Tilikum+Crossing

Monday, December 18, 2023

The Steel Bridge (Portland) and Washington Avenue Transit Bridge (Minneapolis)

The Steel_Bridge and the Washington_Avenue_Bridge, if only such bridges were allowed in Greater_Vancouver...

The Steel-Bridge is old, yet adequately functioning as a multi-model crossing.

Upper: 2 outer lanes for general traffic, 2 inner lanes solely for MAX Light Rail, and sidewalks on both sides
Lower: Union Pacific Railroad (incl. Amtrak toward Eugene) and walkway. 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Amtrak_talgo_train_crossing_steel_bridge.jpg

"The bridge has two decks, with the lower deck designated for motor vehicle traffic and light rail trains and the upper deck used for pedestrians and bicycles (lanes specifically for bikes are on the north side)." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Avenue_Bridge_(Minneapolis)

Unfortunately, the Skybridge between NW & Surrey, has no bus & bike lanes. Thus, its another fine example of backward BC planning. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skybridge_(TransLink)

Even though the SkyTrain wasn't intended to run 24hrs, no adequate future capacity provisions were included into the design of the SkyBridge. Ideally, the bridge should have had at least 3 tracks on 1 deck. Plus, 2 bus & bike lanes on another deck, with 2 lanes for emergency vehicles that would all be open 24-7. 

Apparently, it was better to funnel everything into the inept Pattullo_Bridge. A narrow 4 lane joke of a crossing with only 1 narrow sidewalk. Its so nice that the Sydney-Harbour-Bridge has 2 pathways. Surrey is set to become the largest city in BC. Thus, Surrey & NW should have had several bridges like Portland_OR by now.

In the 1930s, NSW already had a sense of Sydney being a substantial state capital on the Pacific for quite a while. In contrast, NW, BC emphasized its status of a former backwater provincial capital & perpetuated its small-minded city mentality.

Thus, the Sydney_Harbour_Bridge was originally built with six lanes, 4 sets of tracks & two sidewalks. Where as the Pattullo_Bridge was a fine example of backwater BC thinking & planning. Unlike the impressive Sydney_Harbour_Bridge, there is no comparable high level bridge in BC which is capable of carrying double deck passenger trains. Of course it should be noted that NSW has seen itself as a mighty state on the Pacific for quite a long time. Thus, the 1930s Sydney_Harbour_Bridge remains so far ahead of anything in backwater provincial BC.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Harbour_Bridge_cycleway Unlike the BC aproach, NSW didn't have to remove any traffic lanes. Ultimately, Vancouver will have traffic lanes removed from 3 of its bridges, because the city refuses to build anything like the magnificent Tilikum_Crossing in Portland, OR. Vancouver was one of the first cities to get rid of its streetcars & will likely be one of the last to ever bring them back. Well fortunately, there was nothing like the BC mentality to stop the Portland_Streetcar_or_the_Tilikum_Bridge

The tram-train MAX_and_bus_on_Tilikum_the_Crossing. If only backward Vancouver, BC would allow such a fine transit bridge, then there would be less congestion on the existing narrow bridges. Indeed, Greater Vancouver refuses to build a series of bus-bridges, even though that would relieve some of the regional congestion.

Unlike in the largest urban area in BC, Portland,_OR was able to build many more bridges.

https://www.pattullobridgereplacement.ca Of course the bridge wasn't built with the provision for a lower deck similar to what's on the Tilikum Bridge. https://www.pattullobridgereplacement.ca/about/projectoverview It wasn't allowed to have 8 lanes like the Anzac_Bridge_in_Sydney. So no bus & HOV lanes, just have everything crammed into a 4 lane bottleneck. No emergency lanes, it will open with only 2 lanes each way, but with the potential to become a 6 lane bridge, some day. So, just like the Skybridge, it won't have 2 dedicated bus lanes. 

Unlike the Skybridge in NW, at least the North-Arm-Bridge to Richmond has 1 bike lane, but there should have been 2 as well as 2 bus lanes & even 2 emergency vehicle lanes on the North_Arm_Bridge. Since the North_Arm_Bridge doesn't have 24hr train service & no bus lanes, late-night buses only have the 4 lane bottlenecks that are the Oak_Street_BridgeKnight_Street_Bridge & the Queensborough_Bridge. Of course there are no emergency vehicle lanes, because even they should be subjected to the overall congestion of the region.

The Sydney_Harbour_Bridge, the Anzac_Bridge & the Tilikum_Crossing were all possible, simply because they aren't subjected to anything like the restrictions impose in Greater_Vancouver or BC in general. The BC part of Canada is trapped in some kind of a stagnation loop or a series of restrictions to stiefel or thwart infrastructure upgrades & progress. However, so many other cities around the world just aren't subjected to anything like the BC approach to things. 


https://therabbitportal.blogspot.com/search?q=Portland

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Monday, June 19, 2023

Multimodal Bridges and Tunnels

 https://oklahoma.gov/content/dam/ok/en/odot/federal-grants/raise/2023/multimodal-connections-on-i-35-over-the-oklahoma-river/application/Project%20Description.pdf

There used to be a time, especially in the mid 20th century, when several bridges were built with narrow sidewalks, or none at all. Forget about emergency lanes & especially not allowing for bus & bike lanes. Just have the crossing get all plugged up, so you are still punished, even if you use public transit.

http://waterlooarchitecture.com/bridge/blog/2018/09/14/multimodal-manila

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-08-19/why-portland-is-building-a-multi-modal-bridge-that-bans-cars This is one of the best bridges of its type in the world. The Interstate bridges in downtown Portland,_Oregon have no bike and pedestrian access. However, the Tilikum_Crossing was intended to be a nice counterbalance. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilikum_Crossing#Design

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

Vancouver, BC could have really benefited from something like the Tilikum_Crossing_in_Portland. However, no such streetcar or tram-train bridge exists in Vancouver, BC. Fortunately, Portland & Seattle were able to revive some of their old streetcar lines. Cities like New Orleans, Philadelphia, Boston, Toronto, SF & Melbourne retained some of their streetcar or tramlines, unlike Vancouver. 

https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2012/tc/T41-1-50-eng.pdf

The George_Massey_Tunnel in BC, Canada is a sad joke. It wasn't designed to accommodate 2 bus & bike lanes. No footpaths & no emergency lanes. It is a fine example of BC bottleneck planning. The Louis-Hippolyte_Lafontaine_Bridge-Tunnel in Montreal, is slightly a little better.

https://www.highway99tunnel.ca While this new tunnel will have 2 bus - HOV lanes & a bike path, there is no provision for a train connecting the airport to the ferry terminal. https://www.delta-optimist.com/local-news/interurban-rail-not-on-the-horizon-for-delta-6448841 This means that eventually some day, a new train tunnel or bridge will have to be built to provide a rail link between the Tsawwassen_ferry_terminal and the Vancouver_International_Airport

Some day, when enough sensible people can implement proper big city regional planning, a train could run from Waterfront_station_(Vancouver) to the Park_Royal_Shopping_Centre and onto the Horseshoe_Bay_ferry_terminal. Unfortunately, backward & slow-moving Vancouver is only just starting to think about having its own version of a North_Shore_railway_line.

https://www.websiteplanet.com/blog/best-green-web-hosting-services

Whether its for environmental reasons or just for overall efficiency, transportation corridors that are designed for various modes of of transit, can effectively move more people.


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