Sunshine Coast Fixed Link

[GlassCity]

I don't really believe in 'artificial isolation' though. The only reason it's like that is because commuting by ferry sucks. There will always be other remote areas for people to settle.

My main interest doesn't even lie in accessing or developing the Sunshine Coast. But it provides the only viable road link to Vancouver Island, and so it'll need to be connected to Vancouver eventually. And I think it will, within the next few decades.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by GlassCity

I don't really believe in 'artificial isolation' though. The only reason it's like that is because commuting by ferry sucks. There will always be other remote areas for people to settle.

My main interest doesn't even lie in accessing or developing the Sunshine Coast. But it provides the only viable road link to Vancouver Island, and so it'll need to be connected to Vancouver eventually. And I think it will, within the next few decades.

Which routing do you see as most plausible?

[GlassCity]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

Which routing do you see as most plausible?

Vancouver - Gibsons/Sechelt - Powell River - Campbell River

Not my idea though, someone else brought it up on this thread before. I've fantasized about it ever since

[ssiguy]

Absurd idea. What they need is a commuter-type Seabus service to the SC and Nanaimo and potentially even Courtney for that matter. The problem is that BC Ferries is far more interested in moving cars than it is people.

[waves]

Originally Posted by GlassCity

Vancouver - Gibsons/Sechelt - Powell River - Campbell River

Not my idea though, someone else brought it up on this thread before. I've fantasized about it ever since

I took a look at what it might look like and came up with the below. It would be 67 km from Campbell River to Lund and would need five major bridges (0.7k, 1.2k, 1.8k, 2.4k and 3.0k) Those are long spans - much much larger than what was proposed for the Anvil Island and Earls Cove. I would bet those would happen before the below will, if ever.




https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Rw...OK&usp=sharing

[Pinion]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Exactly. The residents of the Sunshine Coast are there to get away from the City.

Seniors in West Vancouver still have this attitude and you can still see their old summer cabins while walking along Ambleside. Things change, cities grow. If they want permanent rural serenity they shouldn't live so close to the biggest city in western Canada.

And yeah, this is a logical road link to Vancouver Island too. It's silly that it wasn't done a while ago.

[GlassCity]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Absurd idea. What they need is a commuter-type Seabus service to the SC and Nanaimo and potentially even Courtney for that matter. The problem is that BC Ferries is far more interested in moving cars than it is people.

This is definitely the logical short-term goal. Even 60 minute frequency, passenger-only ferries around a SeaBus size between West Van/Downtown and Gibsons & Bowen Island, and maybe Nanaimo eventually.

And one day when the demand (and connecting transit) is there, maybe between Courtenay and Powell River, or Powell River and Sechelt. Smaller ferries that don't have 3 hours between sailings. The SeaBus is a good idea - it should be more widespread.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by GlassCity

Vancouver - Gibsons/Sechelt - Powell River - Campbell River

Not my idea though, someone else brought it up on this thread before. I've fantasized about it ever since

And how and precisely where do you view Vancouver ><Gibsons Sechelt, please.

[Conrad Yablonski]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Absurd idea. What they need is a commuter-type Seabus service to the SC and Nanaimo and potentially even Courtney for that matter.

The SC service already exists albeit suspended for the moment and FWIW anyone who thinks there's going to be daily boat travel from Courtney/Comox to Vancouver is smoking something far too strong/has never been in a boat of any type.

Originally Posted by ssiguy

The problem is that BC Ferries is far more interested in moving cars than it is people.

That is not in any way the problem-BC Ferries is an extension of the BC highways systems and highways are not for pedestrians; countless operations have tried and failed to make a Sunshine Coast to Vancouver route work.

[GlassCity]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

And how and precisely where do you view Vancouver ><Gibsons Sechelt, please.

The route over Anvil Island as outlined in the provincial report released last year. It's somewhere on this thread I think.

Should be somewhere here:

[cornholio]

Unfortunate. More years of no major projects to open this province up.

Important as this is ignored even though its the most important aspect of this project.

In addition to the user benefits underlying the initial benefit cost analysis, all of the four scenarios have
potential resource and other economic development benefits that would improve their economic
outlook. These are not included in the scope of quantified benefits and costs, but are qualitatively
assessed as providing longer-run economic benefits.

Here is the link to the study: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/dr...edownload=true

Here is a link to the consultation summary: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/dr...edownload=true

[rofina]

Is it expensive? Yes.

But I don't see how any one could argue that's its not beneficial linking areas of this province together.

We need to quit thinking so small town.

There is a complete lack of vision in the West right now. We are growing. We are one of the most attractive places in the world.

Maybe the link doesn't make sense today, or even in 5 years. But projects like this take a decade or longer to complete - start now, not in 15 years when we can have conversations about " hmm, yah, it would have been smart to get this going like, 10 years ago."

On a much smaller scale I say the same of Skytrain.

I look at the demand at Brentwood right now - its already packed in the morning. Station is busy.

I see 20-30 new towers going in. Guess what? That station is going to be completely overwhelmed with its grand total of 3 turn stiles.

Where is leadership? Why is the station not being worked on right now!? Do we always have to wait for crisis, or can we not actually put some foresight into decisions?!

Very frustrating.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by rofina

Is it expensive? Yes.

But I don't see how any one could argue that's its not beneficial linking areas of this province together.

We need to quit thinking so small town.

There is a complete lack of vision in the West right now. We are growing. We are one of the most attractive places in the world.

Maybe the link doesn't make sense today, or even in 5 years. But projects like this take a decade or longer to complete - start now, not in 15 years when we can have conversations about " hmm, yah, it would have been smart to get this going like, 10 years ago."

One multibillion-dollar project at a time. Not saying the Sunshine Coast shouldn't be connected, only that Site C, Trans Mountain, the Massey replacement and three rapid transit lines take priority over a bunch of small resort towns.

[Tvisforme]

Originally Posted by Pinion

And yeah, this is a logical road link to Vancouver Island too. It's silly that it wasn't done a while ago.

I can understand the desire and the rationale for a fixed link to the Island. Is the Sunshine Coast really a practical route, though? Travelling to Parksville from the North Shore is a couple of hours with the Nanaimo ferry. Scheduling convenience aside, it seems it would take much longer to drive all the way up the SC and then back down from Campbell River.

[officedweller]

It's longer if you factor in ferry line-ups.

[Tvisforme]

Originally Posted by officedweller

It's longer if you factor in ferry line-ups.

I don't know about that. The times for a road are roughly as follows:

• half hour at least from North Vancouver to Gibsons (by bridge) or an hour (by road)
• just over two hours from Gibsons to Lund (not including ferry time, I used Gibsons - Earl's Cove and Saltery Bay - Lund)
• Probably at least half an hour from Lund to Campbell River
• An hour from Campbell River to Parksville

That's at least four hours (if my numbers are roughly accurate) to get to Parksville, which is already half an hour north of Nanaimo. If you're going to Nanaimo, or anywhere south, it gets even worse - not to mention there's a lot of driving. With the current route, I can get to Horseshoe Bay at 8 for an 8:30 ferry, relax for two hours and then have an easy half-hour drive to Parksville. Obviously, there are delays at peak periods but there are also delays, heavy traffic and adverse conditions that can extend the SC route.

I'm not saying a fixed link would not be beneficial, as I would like to see one someday. I just think there would need to be a much larger population north of Nanaimo to make the Campbell River route viable.

[cornholio]

The big thing with the Sunshine Coast is you got well over a 1000 square km's of easily developable land right next to Metro Vancouver. It has a deep sea port. Its gently sloping land facing south west. All the area needs is a reliable fixed connection because the ferries are next to useless for reliability and business.

The fixed link would immediately make a deep sea port more viable at Port Melon. It would make businesses serving the South West Region more viable. This would all create jobs, growth and allow the region to develop and expand the clout of South West BC. The fixed link would not make the Sunshine Coast a suburb of Vancouver, quite the opposite. It would also make a passenger ferry from Gibsons to downtown Vancouver more viable as you can make the trip in under 30 to 45min if you have enough users, which you would once BC Ferries is out of the picture. That would further make transportation easier and reliably bind the regions.

Lastly Powell River. Its a resource rich area of the Province. Some 100km's from Vancouver. The city is shrinking. That city can be another Nanaimo and has another good 1000 + square km's of developable land around it, if only it had a reliable connection to the rest of the world.

Look at google maps and you can see how important strategically the SSC region is to southwest BC and how important it would be to open it up. 3 4 billion is a pretty good deal to open up over a thousand square km's of land to the region for economic development, another 1000 + square km's if you link Powell River. Beautiful areas by the way with so much potential.

[Zassk]

Originally Posted by cornholio

The big thing with the Sunshine Coast is you got well over a 1000 square km's of easily developable land right next to Metro Vancouver. ....

Lastly Powell River. Its a resource rich area of the Province. Some 100km's from Vancouver. The city is shrinking. That city can be another Nanaimo and has another good 1000 + square km's of developable land around it, if only it had a reliable connection to the rest of the world.

But do we want to develop it? From another perspective, isn't it a good thing that this land is so close to the city, relatively easy accessible, and kept underdeveloped? I love this area and I was there recently, marvelling at the seeming possibilities around Earls Cove etc., but isn't it more valuable in its current state?

There are many candidate locations with flat developable land in which to build "another Nanaimo" which do not require $4B of new infrastructure to open up. Almost any spot along inland Hwy 19 between Parksville and Campbell River is flat gently sloping easily accessed land, just ripe for bulldozing. As is the whole valley around Duncan. Is this what we want?

[wrenegade]

The province has much bigger fish to fry. Of all of the things to spend 2, 3, or 4 billion dollars on, this has to be pretty close to the bottom of the list. Any of the following are both more needed and more economically beneficial.

Millennium line extension
Surrey LRT
Patullo Bridge
Massey Tunnel replacement
North Shore rapid transit
Okanagan Lake Second Crossing
Ironworkers Memorial replacement

Frankly this belongs in the "fantasy" department for at least another decade.

[Mininari]

Seems this idea is fading, but the Third Crossing Society is not giving up.

https://www.vancourier.com/news/fixe...ion-1.23212001

Third Crossing Society maps out new route to connect Powell River and coastal communities
David Brindle / Powell River Peak

March 24, 2018 05:00 AM

...
The plan includes building a bridge over Jervis Inlet and constructing a deep-sea port near St. Vincent Bay near Hotham Sound.

“An extension of the port of Vancouver is what we're looking at,” said Fribance. “We don't know if [Vancouver Fraser Port Authority] has an appetite for this or not, but we're investigating and our investigations are not anywhere near complete. It's just really starting.”
...



...
According to senior engineers with a firm Fribance would not name, it is possible to build a 1.5-kilometre suspension bridge across the narrowest point on Prince of Wales Reach near the bottom of Jervis Inlet.

“Instead of going around Jervis Inlet at its head, we could cross it,” said Fribance. “The route would start near Brackendale, but ascend the Ashlu Forest Service Road, cross a short 1,311-metre summit and descend the Vancouver River, cross Jervis and follow the west side of Hotham Sound and St Vincent Bay to Highway 101 near Saltery Bay.”
...