Canada Day Traffic Chaos Takes Over Vancouver

[Rusty Gull]

Update: Ironworkers Memorial Bridge remains closed after police incident

Ironworkers Memorial Bridge empty
Photo courtesy Seb Bruski

Tuesday, July 01 - 04:30:00 PM
News1130 Staff

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - The Ironworkers Memorial Bridge remains closed in both directions due to a police incident that started just after 1 pm. And it's impacting traffic in Vancouver, North Vancouver and West Vancouver.

TransLink is rerouting buses that normally head over the bridge to instead provide access to Seabus and using Lions Gate Bridge. SeaBus is now at full capacity.

With drivers forced to use the 3 lanes of the Lions Gate Bridge, traffic along Georgia St. through downtown Vancouver is gridlocked.

Vancouver Police say the bridge remains closed as officers try to help a very distraught woman.

[Distill3d]

the Lions Gate was also closed due to a 5 car accident earlier today. taking the SeaBus going to downtown from North Vancouver would've taken at least 5 - 7 sailings as the line for that was line up out the terminal, through the bus and taxi loop, and then up Chesterfield to about Esplanade. the Lions Gate had just opened, however the traffic line up for that was backed up to Third and Lonsdale..

and that was at 630pm as i was coming home from festivities downtown.

so my question now becomes, given this WORST case scenario...when the hell are we building a third crossing?!?! i mean at this point i don't care if its a potoon bridge made from baloons that goes from deep cove to belcarra, it NEEDS to be built!!

[Yume-sama]

Well, now protesters know how to completely screw up the games. Block the bridges and the city shuts down while police try and figure out what to do

It has been known for ages the Lions Gate has been inadequate, and really, before most things done for the Olympics, something should have been done about that.

[b5baxter]

And it's impacting traffic in Vancouver, North Vancouver and West Vancouver.

CORRECTION: it's impacting AUTOMOBILE traffic....

, traffic along Georgia St. through downtown Vancouver is gridlocked.

CORRECTION: automobile traffic along Georgia St......

Bicycle traffic was moving quite nicely over the Lions Gate Bridge, along Georgia Street, throughout downtown and North Van.

What we really need is one or two more sea buses and less people driving in single occupancy vehicles. We don't need a third crossing.

[worldwide]

meh... i got screwed on my bike today. i was riding from burnaby mountain to the seylynn bowl series skateboard comp (near phibbs) just after 1. i rode right to the beginning of the bridge and got turned away by the police. i ended up riding to the seabus and then riding the low road over to mountain highway. i wish bike traffic had been going through but hey, i understand it was a shitty situation. i hope that young girl survived.

[Nutterbug]

Glad I didn't go anywhere.

[Hong Kongese]

Luckily I didn't go to Vancouver as planned because of there was one or more stupid virus screwing around in my computer and I decided to stay home trying to get rid of it. I ended up have to format it and reinstall everything back on my desktop and it took me almost a whole day to do it.

[EastVanMark]

Yet another example of the piss poor infrastructure in the city. An incident on one bridge, and the whole city grinds to a halt. For shame

[mr.x]

yea, i didn't go either.....i hate taking the bus out of downtown after the fireworks. The view of the West Van fireworks from Jericho last year was just terrible.

I definitely won't miss the Celebration of Lights though.

[lightrail]

What is it with people on this board - build another bridge because I'm inconvenienced when there's an incident. How often does that happen? Not often. A third bridge will make absolutely no difference. As soon as you build it, more traffic will start travelling into the city, so when there's an incident on one of the bridges, you've got gridlock to the other two.

The best option is the third seabus and more buses over the existing bridges, when this is running, it will provide 33% more capacity and can be brought in as needed.

Get a grip!

[zivan56]

Well that's a nice idea and all, but most voters in Vancouver drive a car....and probably over 80% in North/West Van...and most of them want better road infrastructure.
How do you justfy the ideas of a minority of people being forced upon a majority?? I would say for a North American city, be happy that people are only asking for another bridge.

[WarrenC12]

By the sounds of the news clip it was a jumper. I say the police should just keep walking towards her. She either jumps or they grab her and take her to a psych ward. Either way the situation is resolved quickly.

I'd suggest a taser but zivan56 wouldn't like that.

Does anybody know what the city's policy is? Obviously its to negotiate the person down safely, but do their tactics change if it keeps dragging on?

[zivan56]

^^ Yes, taser someone on a ledge...a very good idea
You might as well push them off then or just walk up to them....as it would have the same effect.
I suggest really tall anti-suicide fence on those two bridges ASAP.

[SpongeG]

i read a report that the olympic is planning bridge shutdowns!

can you imagine if thats true

VPD: 'We're sorry we had to close the bridge, but a life was at stake'

July 1: Ironworkers Memorial Bridge sits empty
Photo courtesy Seb Bruski
Wednesday, July 02 - 01:52:00 PM

Shane Bigham/Jim Goddard
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - Vancouver Police say they are really sorry for the inconvenience, but say they absolutely had to close the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Bridge yesterday. The 6 hour closure created traffic chaos on both sides of the bridge on the July 1 holiday.


July 1: Ironworkers Memorial Bridge sits empty
Photo courtesy Seb Bruski


VPD say it all boils down to one fact: a life was in the balance. The bridge (3 lanes in each direction) was completely shut down just after 1 pm, due to a distraught woman on the bridge. Police say officers and counsellors couldn't hear the woman over the sound of traffic, so the bridge was closed because a life was in the balance.

Canada Day drivers were forced to use the Lions Gate Bridge (3 lanes total), which led to gridlock through downtown Vancouver, along with Marine Drive, Capilano Road and Taylor Way in North Vancouver and West Vancouver. Others chose to use the SeaBus, which led to huge lineups.


Photo courtesy Seb Bruski

The bridge was reopened after 7 pm, but it took some time for traffic to return to normal, especially with people wanting to see fireworks at Canada Place and on the North Shore.

Yesterday's gridlock is raising concerns about a similar bridge shutdown during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. The Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee (VANOC) says their plans are still being drawn up, but will be made public early next year, a year before the Games.

http://www.news1130.com/news/topstor...02_150955_7332

[SpongeG]

I suggest really tall anti-suicide fence on those two bridges ASAP.

yes that might help - i would vote for pushing her j/k its awful but crikey

its fasirly common though - the patullo has been shut down a few times for jumpers - and some actually do jump - we got to watch the boats search for the body after one women jumped after holding up morning rush hour traffic

[SpongeG]

there was talk just last week on the news of putting on suicide line phones on teh lions gate bridge - but people are whining about doing that

maybe this change their minds

[MistyMountainHop]

Glad I biked to the beach. But where I was, the traffic wasn't bad at all.

[Nutterbug]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

there was talk just last week on the news of putting on suicide line phones on teh lions gate bridge - but people are whining about doing that

maybe this change their minds

Meh. We need some of these...



They need to just let the traffic flow through, and negotiate with the woman quietly from the sidewalk, while attracting minimum attention. If that's a less effective strategy in preventing the suicide, so be it. It's not worth holding up the entire city and potentially causing other emergencies, in addition to inconveniences, for.

[quobobo]

I was really unimpressed with Translink's service for Canada Day. One of the only times ever where there's a lot of people trying to leave Stanley Park late at night, and two scheduled 19's just didn't show.

The 22 was horrible as well - it was leaving people behind at West 4th and Kits Beach, and running at about half speed because of all the people and still no extra buses as far as I could tell.

[twoNeurons]

I know this isn't Japan... but generally, something like this happens and the person's family is sued for the cost of the hold-up.

Even if a train stops in time, if it's during rush hour, there is a cost calculated for every passenger on the train and the family bears the burden of the cost... or the person, if they survive.

I'm not saying i support the idea, by the way, I'm just throwing out that's what they do. Culturally, it works better in Japan.

This is a different situation, however, being that it's on a bridge.

I've always wondered if large nets, suspended 5 metres below the deck and extending out 5 metres would help allay this problem.

I know it likely won't stop suicides, as there are many other ways to off yourself... but it may take the high profile issue out of the equation.