Vancouver FINALLY wins the right to be called The Most Congested City in North America
31 replies, posted
[img]http://citynoise.org/upload/14721.jpg[/img][img]http://investmeinmymotley.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/vancouver_traffic_jam-thumb-480xauto-1585.jpg[/img]
[quote]Los Angeles may be home to three-hour traffic delays and Toronto may host perpetually backed-up downtown thoroughfares, but according to a new report by a Netherlands-based GPS manufacturer, traffic congestion in Metro Vancouver beats them all.
The 2013 TomTom Travel Index, released Wednesday, has Vancouver narrowly edging out Los Angeles for the top spot.[/quote]
[quote]The Amsterdam-based manufacturer collects raw travel data from millions of its GPS customers to track traffic flow. The company then compares travel times during non-congested periods with travel times in peak hours, a standard equation to measure traffic congestion.[/quote]
[url=http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/11/06/vancouver-traffic-congestion-worse-than-in-toronto-or-even-los-angeles-report/]**SOURCE**[/url]
Good to hear they managed to bump out LA.
[QUOTE=Medevila;42784323]What is going on in that top left picture[/QUOTE]
People crowdsurfing in an overloaded train.
Surprised they beat L.A in traffic, that place is a hellhole to drive in during traffic. Quite sad honestly.
Huh, I didn't know there were so many vancouver fp users.
We should all go meet at science world since it's only 2 blocks away. I'll get in the car right now and if I'm lucky I'll be there by next monday.
[QUOTE=01271;42784819]Huh, I didn't know there were so many vancouver fp users.
We should all go meet at science world since it's only 2 blocks away. I'll get in the car right now and if I'm lucky I'll be there by next monday.[/QUOTE]
Sure, let me get my camping supplies and I'll set up in the nearest SkyTrain station while I wait for an actual SkyTrain to arrive.
[QUOTE=The golden;42784780]Unsurprising. The entire city relies almost exclusively on a single highway and very few artery roads. In order to actually get anywhere you need to use these roads and during rush-hour they can be backed up with stand-still traffic which you have to sit up for up 2.5 hours or more. Another problem is we have people out in the sticks which are commuting into the city and vice versa which all use one goddamn highway. It can't handle it.
On top of that, we have other bullshit problems like buses not being given pull-over lanes so when they stop to pick people up they choke up an entire lane. Vancouver also has no left-turn lanes so the people who want to turn left also choke up an entire lane. That leaves you with one functional lane. What if there is only two lanes? You're fucked. Actually you're double fucked because they let people park in the far right lane so it chokes traffic even more. Who thinks of this shit?
Also our transit system is pants-on-head retarded and is very expensive so it's not used to any extent which would actually help lessen traffic.[/QUOTE]
Sounds like Austin, TX.
We have one main freeway (IH-35) which traffic backs up [B]20 miles[/B] in both directions starting at 5:30 AM every week day except Friday and stays that way until 9 or 10 AM. It then starts up again at around 3:00 PM and goes on until 7-9 PM.
On Fridays, traffic is considerably less in the mornings because many state workers don't have to work in their office buildings and can stay home. However, afternoon and evening rush hour is much worse due to people leaving for Dallas and the coast.
Saturday traffic can be completely random depending on what's going on down town, or if there are any wrecks.
Sunday you may as well not drive anywhere. You have all of the coast and Dallas folks coming back in droves at all times of day.
The only public transportation system we have is bus service, which is so inadequate that it's almost not worth mentioning. There used to be some trams around down town but they were decommissioned and torn up years ago.
Driving in Vancouver is nothing but frustrating and aggravating at the best of times.
Passengers often wonder why drivers look a little pissed off at all times, but it's seriously the traffic.
Unless you're going into the city at odd times of the day, you're screwed. I should mention that there's been non stop construction going on for over 2 years, it will continue for a minimum of 3 more years, and after that, they'll have to do a radical change again to get an entirely new highway in. Speaking of that new highway, it's pretty much impossible due to the way the city decided to suburbanize itself in the 60's and 70's. There's no path that a highway could take that isn't through vast swathes of homes, no one expected vancouver to grow like this, but it did and most likely will continue to grow.
I love the city, but unless you're really lucky and find a bargain place(rare as a leprechauns gold) or are rich and can afford to rent or own one of the fantastically expensive downtown apartments, you can't live there. You can't transit there easily, and even with the addition of a new skytrain line that won't be done for several years, there's no solution in the works.
We don't really have the best government historically.
[QUOTE=The golden;42784837]I live on the north shore.
I'll see you there in 3 years.[/QUOTE]
I too am on the north shore.
Lets meet up and awkwardly say hello, then avoid eye contact and shuffle off back to our respective places to be.
[QUOTE=Cakebatyr;42785316]I too am on the north shore.
Lets meet up and awkwardly say hello, then avoid eye contact and shuffle off back to our respective places to be.[/QUOTE]
Ooh! can I visit to make it an akward three-way meet-up?
[QUOTE=pentium;42785406]Ooh! can I visit to make it an akward three-way meet-up?[/QUOTE]
Can you sign the 5.25" floppy drive I have while you're at it?
[QUOTE=Cakebatyr;42785440]Can you sign the 5.25" floppy drive I have while you're at it?[/QUOTE]
Sure but you gotta bring the sharpie.
Well, at least in Vancouver they are doing something about the roads to improve traffic... even if it makes the traffic currently worse.
Also this bridge is amazing [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Mann_Bridge[/url]
driving in vancouver compared to calgary is hell on earth, you got a bunch of congested fucking roads and dickheads who never use their turn signal.
Since most of the city is fully built out widening roads or building new highways is simply not an option given the massive amount of land that would have to be taken.
A [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congestion_pricing]congestion charge[/url] would not only discourage unnecessary car based trips into downtown it would provide a funding source for new rail lines and rapid bus services to cope with the mode shift.
While it wouldn't be a popular solution among the motorist population I don't think there are many other choices.
[QUOTE=Political Gamer;42788980]Since most of the city is fully built out widening roads or building new highways is simply not an option given the massive amount of land that would have to be taken.
A [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congestion_pricing]congestion charge[/url] would not only discourage unnecessary car based trips into downtown it would provide a funding source for new rail lines and rapid bus services to cope with the mode shift.
While it wouldn't be a popular solution among the motorist population I don't think there are many other choices.[/QUOTE]
Many years ago when TransLink was founded the government was to introduce an annual $60 vehicle tax through your ICBC insurance. Essentially this was how TransLink was to make their real money so things like bridge replacements and major road and rail improvements could be funded.
Of course, for some odd reason we voted in the NDP who axed this almost instantly and ever since TransLink has been struggling to pay its own bills because it simply can't make ends reliably meet. They've already maxed out the gas tax limit and transit fare ceiling. They're missing a giant component that was intended to fund them.
I'll try to make my way there from east hastings, wish me luck. Send help if I don't make it there by 3:00 pm
West georgia st at peak is horrible.
[QUOTE=HumanAbyss;42785250]Driving in Vancouver is nothing but frustrating and aggravating at the best of times.
Passengers often wonder why drivers look a little pissed off at all times, but it's seriously the traffic.
Unless you're going into the city at odd times of the day, you're screwed. I should mention that there's been non stop construction going on for over 2 years, it will continue for a minimum of 3 more years, and after that, they'll have to do a radical change again to get an entirely new highway in. Speaking of that new highway, it's pretty much impossible due to the way the city decided to suburbanize itself in the 60's and 70's. There's no path that a highway could take that isn't through vast swathes of homes, no one expected vancouver to grow like this, but it did and most likely will continue to grow.
I love the city, but unless you're really lucky and find a bargain place(rare as a leprechauns gold) or are rich and can afford to rent or own one of the fantastically expensive downtown apartments, you can't live there. You can't transit there easily, and even with the addition of a new skytrain line that won't be done for several years, there's no solution in the works.
We don't really have the best government historically.[/QUOTE]
To have an idea at the priorities of the BC government, they built the capital of BC, not where the people live, but on the part of Vancouver island that was supposed to be American due to the line agreement.
Living on the north shore and going to college in the morning can be terrible. Though it's mainly when the highway is clogged up which means the bus I have to catch at phibbs is late.
Edit: You guys serious at meeting up at science world?
facecouver
I believe you mean [u]Telus World of Science[/u].
[QUOTE=Cakebatyr;42789924]I believe you mean [u]Telus World of Science[/u].[/QUOTE]
When did we stop calling it the Expo Center?
I wasn't born for another five years, that's why
Never done it but living in a city seems very horrible.
A bit surprised they beat Toronto. Some of the highways are terrible, even without the constant construction or seemingly mandatory accidents.
Not a big fucking surprise seeing as every fucking driveway here has 4 cars minimum to lug their fat asses around. 80% of people seem to drive big ass truck as well which just takes more space up cause you know, you need a 4x4 truck to drive on the paved road and it never snows.
[QUOTE=Political Gamer;42788980]Since most of the city is fully built out widening roads or building new highways is simply not an option given the massive amount of land that would have to be taken.
A [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congestion_pricing"]congestion charge[/URL] would not only discourage unnecessary car based trips into downtown it would provide a funding source for new rail lines and rapid bus services to cope with the mode shift.
While it wouldn't be a popular solution among the motorist population I don't think there are many other choices.[/QUOTE]
Because paying over $20 a day for parking, or like $7 to go to park in an alley behind noodle box for an hour isn't a deterrent for driving downtown already?
P.S. Would totally go to science world. Haven't been since I was like 11.
Edit: P.P.S based on how many of you are saying you're from the north shore, are there any FP people that go to ODS?
I can't say that I've ever visited the Office of Dietary Supplements myself.
I'm curious now to see what would happen if people attempted crowdsurfing on the skytrain :v:
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