I don't think you even bothered to look at the design with those comments, actually. In fact I think you just don't like me and something is seriously wrong with you.
Revisions are continuing on this, but the design was made to allow for as much existing movement as possible to be retained in an efficient manner with little redundancy, and so that the designs match what Translink/MOT plans (i.e. Blue Mountain overpass replaces Brunette) and most development can be retained (and isn't Mallardville supposed to be rezoned anyway?). However, it is also downscaleable. The Brunette-Blue Mountain-Lougheed intersection area was designed as a partial intersection to improve the movement and reduce confusion. 3 intersections too close together and not too efficient in operation.... just reminds me of Winnipeg's famous confusion corner, and I do not want it to stay that way.
That said, this design can be downgraded so the Highway 1 EB off-ramp/WB on-ramps meet at Blue Mountain rather than continuing up Brunette (though I was afraid this might wreck business there) and the only intersection there be Blue Mountain/Lougheed (no overpasses or interchanges if that's what you prefer), simpler. I do admit a few movements may not be clear and I should explain those: the narrow grey line crossing Brunette between Bernatchey and Tupper is a mini underpass/overpass, since you would otherwise have to weave with the EB Brunette traffic I decided to add this to link Route 7 EB to IKEA. Movement to IKEA from the east would be facilitated by Schoolhouse St. Movement from the north would be facilitated by the Schoolhouse Street northward extension to Brunette.
Now, to answer your SPECIFIC questions, many of the movements were actually designed with IKEA in mind (i.e. easy access from EB highway 1). Some of the movements are actually quicker. The IKEA > SilverCity Schoolhouse movement you mentioned will actually be a bit faster with the Schoolhouse underpass under Lougheed. I decided to use an extra lane that merges with the Lougheed off-ramp/left turn lanes to keep the traffic signal phasing there a simple two-phase. If you didn't see that, this just proves that you barely had any intent to study my design at all.
Schoolhouse to 7 WB could be done in two ways: 1. using King Edward 2. turning right at that road just before the Superstore, and then using the on-ramp to Highway 7 near the gas station (you'd know this if you actually knew this area, I thought you lived near there). The movement to the United/Blue Mountain area will still be much much faster than before. I understand there will be confusion at first when this new design is implemented. But honestly, I'm pretty sure the same kind of confusion existed with the building of other things such as the Highway 91/99 interchange. As with every upgrade (or the same with moving to a new place/town), some studying WOULD be required. DEAL WITH IT. Have you ever been to Toronto? Shh-yeah, in places the roads can be super confusing... but they are also super-effective. Coming down Blue Mountain and then wanting to get on 1 EB is probably one of the more complicated movements at the moment, I am thinking of a way to address that and I think a loop ramp from Blue Mountain SB to Highway 1 EB would be suitable. From EB 7 to WB 1 (a movement that I think a lot of drivers would rarely have to use) you would turn left at the relocated Brunette Avenue, then use the right turn lane and follow it onto Brunette which would merge directly onto Route 1. From Burnaby to New West... [assuming Burnaby = Burquitlam/SFU area] lol wut, did you ever notice that there's another road that goes down there called NORTH ROAD? Oh yeah, what about the proposed Stormont Connector? You could use that too! If you've been paying attention to the discussions here you'll know that the Stormont connector has been planned for a long long time and if the new Patullo (refurbished Patullo?) comes in they will probably build it.
To make things easier, here's a map I made specifically just for you (I know it looks quick and dirty, but I would rather spend around 6 minutes creating this rather than 4 months [so far] working on the entire thing):
Green: Hwy 1 EB -> IKEA, Blue: Hwy 7 EB -> IKEA, Red: Hwy 1/7 WB -> IKEA, turquoise: IKEA -> Silver City, Aqua: Schoolhouse SB -> 7 WB, Purple: Blue Mountain SB > Hwy 1 EB, Yellow: Hwy 7 EB > Hwy 1 WB, alternate routes in dotted lines
The tracks would have to be sunken at Braid for my overpass, I'm sure this wouldn't be a problem since temporary tracks would be a lot narrower and easier than 6 lanes of traffic that they have to redirect in the same way at King Edward while they sink the highway there.
Construction can be held in stages and there's actually some empty area you could use. See that empty grass where that row of houses ends... the heavy Lougheed > Brunette left turn movements/right turn movements could be facilitated there, while other movements would redirect to Blue Mountain and the Brunette (north of Lougheed) redirection along that route would be implemented earlier than the rest. Considering a lot of the upgrades on Route 1 right now are even tougher to implement (i.e. King Edward overpass, 152nd Street area, the majority of the actual planned Cape Horn interchange & area), I'm sure that BC planners would not have much problem figuring out how to make traffic work during construction.
Seriously, this plan just complements to something that we know is going to definitely happen in a short time (i.e. Blue Mountain being the primary north-south connector and getting an overpass over the 1). Whether you like my version of this or not, it's going to happen anyway. So once again, DEAL WITH IT.