Golden Ears Bridge

This weekend, the Golden Ears Bridge will open up and provide a direct link between the Northeast sector of Metro Vancouver and the Southeast sector. Located about 11km east of the existing Port Mann Bridge, it will provide a much needed extra link across the Fraser River and hopefully reduce congestion.

On July 31st the Albion Ferry, which has been operating since 1957, will cease operations.

If you're interested, you can walk across the bridge deck this Sunday, June 14th between 11am - 4pm. Details here.

This is a great addition to the traffic infrastructure for residents in this part of our metropolitan area!

Rainy Day Traffic in Metro Vancouver

I took my dad out for lunch and caught this video before we left.

Thoughts about the Port Mann Bridge

A few years ago Kevin Falcon spoke to a professional group I belong to. He explained that the main purpose of the bridge was to facilitate truck traffic leaving the Port of Vancouver and venture out to the rest of North America. This is not a "sexy" issue that most British Columbians care much about though . . . no matter how much new income it might bring into the province.

As for the toll, it is just sooooo typical of Canadians to want something for nothing, isn't it? Falcon also said to our group that the primary reason for the toll is to lengthen the usable time of the bridge before congestion clogs it up too. This fact of life is yet something else that the average person does not appreciate.

To make everyone happy though, I have a suggestion: A 10 lane bridge will mean 5 lanes each way. Make 3 of them Express, which will be electronically tolled, and 2 of them will be free. Allow people access to the Express lanes several kilometres back in both directions. Provide angled cut-ins - only from the free lanes to the toll ones - every 500 metres or so. If people still want to wait 30 or 60 or more minutes for the free crossing, that's their prerogative.

Trip Photos: North Dallas

The hotels in Dallas available through Hotwire were plentiful and unbelievably inexpensive. We stayed at the Westin Park Central in North Dallas, just off of I-635.

Urban Driving

Earlier today Danny and I, and another BCDD volunteer, Bruce, drove out to Langley to meet up with our fellow volunteers. The trip is only about 40km but with construction, bridge traffic, and other obstacles, it seemed to take forever! My heart goes out to everyone around the world who has a commute longer than 30 minutes. I only had to do it once and it annoyed me to no end. To do this every day would destroy my soul.

On the way back Danny told us how an uncle & aunt of his in Mexico City have to load their 3 daughters into their van every morning at 5am, in order to get them to their school by 7am. Day in, day out, day in, day out . . . . Yikes!

Driving an SUV in London

Do you think it's expensive to drive where you live? In London, England the daily fee for SUVs driving in the central part of the city will rise from £8 to £25 in late October. That works out to about US$48.75 per day. And the fee applies even if you live in that part of the city!!!

Views from the Granville Bridge

Even with all the problems Vancouver has, there's no mistaking that we do live in a very special, very beautiful city. My walk back home today reminded me of that:

Driving Quiz

You are driving along a narrow two lane road with a NO PASSING sign posted and come upon a bicycle rider. Do you:

1. Follow this slow-moving bicycle rider for the next 2 miles, or
   
2. Break the law and pass?

Most yuppies in their fancy cars and soccer moms in mini-vans, who always seem to drive like their lives are more important than everyone else's, would naturally break the law and pass.

But the law-abiding, non-yuppie men of this world would, of course, make the correct choice, slow down and carefully follow the bicycle rider. We would do this because we are selfless, responsible, and extremely law-abiding citizens. Simply put, it's just naturally the right thing to do.

Miami Drivers ... Ughhh!

Those Miami drivers are driving me up the wall! Well, they drove some poor soul up the wall!!!