Port Mann Bridge - Toll Stupidity

There has been a lot of road construction over the last couple years here in the Lower Mainland. I'm sure many of you elsewhere can empathize with what drivers here have had to deal with.

One of the major projects was the expansion of the Port Mann bridge spanning the Fraser river, taking Highway 1 (the Trans-Canada Highway) from the Vancouver area all the way across to the Atlantic Ocean. Before it was a 4-lane bridge, but it's been expanded to eight lanes now.

To help pay for the monumental costs of the expansion, they've decided to implement a toll. Until March, it will cost you $1.50 to cross the bridge. If you sign up for the automatic TReO tolling, then that rate will go until December 2013. Otherwise, you'll be charged $3 every time you cross the bridge.

That's going to be hell on commuters who have to cross that bridge every day. Tolls of $6 a day? That's going to put a major crimp in the budget, isn't it?

Perfect Example...

of what I was talking about in my "Getting Around Downtown" post happened yesterday. This is in regards to pedestrians walking across the street on "don't walk" signs.

I was waiting to turn right on Nelson from Burrard, with one guy in front of me. The "walk" sign was up on Nelson and people were streaming across. Then the "don't walk" sign flashes, yet people continue to step off the curb and walk across the street. The guy in front of me couldn't turn until the light was actually red!

Then, the same thing happened to me on the next light. Pedestrians started across, then the "don't walk" flashes and one guy and a woman step off the curb and start crossing the street. I was so frustrated that, as the guy was walking in front of me, I actually honked. He jumped, looked back at me, and as I was turning behind him, I shouted "Don't walk!" I think he said something, but I was past him by that point and I don't know what it was. He did glare at me, though.

It's this "me-first" attitude in society, where "my" needs come before the needs of efficient traffic flow that really gets on my nerves. Thankfully, because I was a bit assertive, a couple of cars turned right behind me. But that lane was starting to back up, and it was all because we couldn't turn. Because the pedestrians' need to get across at any cost was more important than actually allowing traffic to move on its normal course.

I was proud of myself for honking and giving the guy a little shit. Usually I just meekly take it.

Tips for Getting Around Downtown

I've lived in downtown Vancouver for almost 5 years now, and getting around down here can be a bit hard sometimes. Teeming masses of people crowd the sidewalks during the day, and also on weekend nights when the local clubs have their myriad young people on the make. When the Canucks or the Lions are playing in town, congestion can also get pretty bad (and don't even think about driving when one of these games is going on, or during the summer Festival of Light fireworks nights!).

Whether you walk or drive, there are some things you can do as a driver or pedestrian that will make things a lot easier for everybody around. If everybody would just do these things, getting around downtown would be a lot easier. And Vancouver is not the largest city in the world, so I'm sure these would also apply to any other major metropolitan downtown.

I'd appreciate the thoughts of any other city dweller, either in agreement or in correction.

Am I back in the Midwest?

Temperatures once again were over 30 degrees yesterday, third day in a row that it was super-hot here in Vancouver. I heard on the radio this morning that yesterday had the hottest temperature ever recorded in Vancouver, at 34 degrees. I know you people down south are looking at me now and saying "Only 34? That's cold compared to what we get!" (Incidentally, for those not able to think in Celsius or find a converter, that's around 90 degrees)

But keep in mind that this is the Pacific Northwest. It's supposed to be mild here. It's not supposed to be like this. I also heard that the string of 5 straight 30+ degree days is only the third or fourth since 1881, or something like that. Thankfully, it looks like it might mellow out starting tomorrow, and maybe even slightly today, though probably not. I'm thankful for that because I've been having a lot of trouble sleeping. Last night, I only got about 1.5 hours, maybe 2 (thus, please excuse any incoherence). I feel like my brain synapses are melting.

And when I hear that the average temperature in Chicago for the month of July has been something like 68 degrees F, I have to stick out my tongue at you all.

The beasties in the apartment are doing ok, though the little ones don't like the wife misting them with water. They don't know what's good for them. I know if I were them, I'd love it.

Vancouver is Awesome

Just a quick picture post, because I need to get to work.

I love my commute into work. It's early enough that traffic isn't bad, and I get to see views like this:






And this:





And when I get to work, while this isn't the view from my window (I wish!), it's a short walk away.






Just one of the perks of the job.

-- Post From My iPhone

Downtown pedestrians - where is the repulsifactor when I need it?

(this is my only other post from the previous blog that I'm going to repost. I got stuck behind a few pedestrians when I was trying to get home yesterday, so this is definitely still pertinent).

I don't know if it's a major societal problem or what, but I have to wonder about the mindset of people getting around the downtown of any major city. The drivers can be idiots or just needlessly aggressive (especially the taxi drivers, who seem to want to come close to hitting everything in sight).

But as a driver, I have one major pet peeve that I never see anybody talk about. I'm talking about stupid pedestrians. I know it's hard to get around. We're all busy. Places to go; people to see. We're all in a hurry in this day and age.

But come on, people. Follow some basic decorum! Help the free flow of traffic in the downtown core! You do know what "Walk" and "Don't Walk" means, don't you? You wouldn't know it by watching the people in downtown Vancouver. It's hard enough to get anywhere in the car downtown, but when you have a constant flow of pedestrians completely ignoring the "Don't Walk" sign, and thus getting in the way of those drivers trying to turn the corner, it just makes the entire thing painful. How many times does just one or two cars get through a light because the pedestrians can't follow a simple sign? There's a reason for those Don't Walk signs, people! It's to allow the turning drivers a bit of time to get out of the way.

Don't get me started on those pedestrians who seem to think it's their God-given right to jaywalk across the street, expecting you to stop and let them do so. You've got two legs. Either wait until traffic clears or walk down to the corner! Don't give me a dirty look because I didn't stop for you. We're trying to keep the traffic flowing here, and you're not helping.

Whatever happened to basic courtesy? With just a little of it, driving downtown wouldn't be the chore that it's become. We could all co-exist peacefully and people would get to where they were going. It's not that hard people.