Why the Sky is Blue

[Mill Bay]

Apr 17, 2013 22:29:32 GMT -8 Neil said:

A slightly mitigating factor: the hash browns with my 'all aboard' breakfast this morning actually tasted like oniony potatoes and not so much like deep fried hockey pucks, so the Universe was obviously working to even things up.

I am not sure if that is actually a positive element. I have long been of the notion that any of the premade deep fried hashbrowns from fast food places, and even a BCFerries breakfast should be classed as bio-hazards

[Low Light Mike]

Deep thought of the moment:

- this is the last 4/20 day before the Tokitae goes into service.

[Mike C]

Apr 20, 2013 13:29:04 GMT -8 Low Light Mike said:

Deep thought of the moment:

- this is the last 4/20 day before the Tokitae goes into service.

I think, similar to our Queen of Richmond tradition on April 1st, we should have a Tokitae tradition on April 20th.

Brownies will be served fresh in the Galley.

[Koastal Karl]

I dont really know where to put this so I will put it here. I noticed today while on the ferry the dirty water of the Fraser River I would assume extended all the way to the Village Bay side of Active Pass today. Not sure how long it has been like that but I have never seen it that far before into the Gulf Islands.

[Blue Bus Fan]

Apr 21, 2013 20:17:49 GMT -8 Koastal Karl said:

I dont really know where to put this so I will put it here. I noticed today while on the ferry the dirty water of the Fraser River I would assume extended all the way to the Village Bay side of Active Pass today. Not sure how long it has been like that but I have never seen it that far before into the Gulf Islands.

Wow. I thought the dirty water from Fraser River only went out 2 km from Richmond. Thank you for the information, Koastal Karl. The dirty water maybe came from some where else.

[WettCoast]

Apr 21, 2013 20:17:49 GMT -8 Koastal Karl said:

I dont really know where to put this so I will put it here. I noticed today while on the ferry the dirty water of the Fraser River I would assume extended all the way to the Village Bay side of Active Pass today. Not sure how long it has been like that but I have never seen it that far before into the Gulf Islands.

I have seen it extending into Active Pass, but only when the Fraser is in full snow melt discharge which has not happened this year, yet.  Normally this happens in late May or June when hot weather all over the province melts the high elevation snow pack rapidly. 

So why do you see it now?  I don't know.  Perhaps A/C is right in that it is from some other source.

[Neil]

Apr 21, 2013 20:47:39 GMT -8 WettCoast said:

Apr 21, 2013 20:17:49 GMT -8 Koastal Karl said:

I dont really know where to put this so I will put it here. I noticed today while on the ferry the dirty water of the Fraser River I would assume extended all the way to the Village Bay side of Active Pass today. Not sure how long it has been like that but I have never seen it that far before into the Gulf Islands.

I have seen it extending into Active Pass, but only when the Fraser is in full snow melt discharge which has not happened this year, yet.  Normally this happens in late May or June when hot weather all over the province melts the high elevation snow pack rapidly. 

So why do you see it now?  I don't know.  Perhaps A/C is right in that it is from some other source.

Provincial election is on. Paid operatives for all parties are so active that  nature cannot handle the runoff, and normally clear waters are full of debris.

[northwesterner]

Apr 21, 2013 20:36:13 GMT -8 Blue Bus Fan said:

Apr 21, 2013 20:17:49 GMT -8 Koastal Karl said:

I dont really know where to put this so I will put it here. I noticed today while on the ferry the dirty water of the Fraser River I would assume extended all the way to the Village Bay side of Active Pass today. Not sure how long it has been like that but I have never seen it that far before into the Gulf Islands.

Wow. I thought the dirty water from Fraser River only went out 2 km from Richmond. Thank you for the information, Koastal Karl. The dirty water maybe came from some where else.

Maybe it was a confluence of the Fraser River water and the raw sewage Victoria pumps into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

[Neil]

The internet has been credited with all sorts of things, among them, the promotion of democracy and free speech, given that the Egyptian uprising of a couple of years ago was partially co-ordinated by bloggers and planners with online access.

It is also responsible for the cinnamon challenge, a current Youtube phenomenon where countless videos are posted of people attempting to ingest a tablespoon of powdered cinnamon. Warnings have been posted in newspapers and on news sites about the dangers of doing such a stupid thing.

Still, hundreds of thousands of people are watching this nonsense. I watched some of it today. Why? I have no idea. The novelty wore off real quick. People snorting cinnamon... and then gagging, coughing, and sometimes barfing, often with a camera person laughing hysterically.

Makes me think of those witless 'memes', where people take generic photos and attach lame catchlines.

Some of us, me included sometimes, clearly have waaaaay too much time on our hands, and too much computer access.

[Mill Bay]

Apr 22, 2013 21:55:49 GMT -8 Neil said:

It is also responsible for the cinnamon challenge, a current Youtube phenomenon where countless videos are posted of people attempting to ingest a tablespoon of powdered cinnamon. Warnings have been posted in newspapers and on news sites about the dangers of doing such a stupid thing.

Still, hundreds of thousands of people are watching this nonsense. I watched some of it today. Why? I have no idea. The novelty wore off real quick. People snorting cinnamon... and then gagging, coughing, and sometimes barfing, often with a camera person laughing hysterically.

Makes me think of those witless 'memes', where people take generic photos and attach lame catchlines.

Some of us, me included sometimes, clearly have waaaaay too much time on our hands, and too much computer access.

Neil, this is a very good description of the reason they are called viral videos: as in, they are generally nothing more than an infectious disease.

[Mike C]

Heads up everybody: EQ HD's latest episode of Canada: Over the Edge features the eastern coast of Vancouver Island - inevitably this includes a lot of content on the ferry services.

Airtimes are:
Tonight: 6, 7 and 11 pm ET
Sunday, May 19: 6 and 7 pm ET

Unfortunately, TELUS fiber optik customers such as myself will not be able to view it, as we don't get that channel apparently - it is 540 on Rogers, and 1629 on Bell.

eqhd.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=322:canadaovertheedge&catid=5:catc&Itemid=3

[Nick]

May 12, 2013 19:15:46 GMT -8 Mike C said:

Heads up everybody: EQ HD's latest episode of Canada: Over the Edge features the eastern coast of Vancouver Island - inevitably this includes a lot of content on the ferry services.

Airtimes are:
Tonight: 6, 7 and 11 pm ET
Sunday, May 19: 6 and 7 pm ET

Unfortunately, TELUS fiber optik customers such as myself will not be able to view it, as we don't get that channel apparently - it is 540 on Rogers, and 1629 on Bell.

eqhd.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=322:canadaovertheedge&catid=5:catc&Itemid=3

Interesting... I got it on Telus when I was home 5 months ago at Christmas... I was enjoying their Nova Scotia series at the time. I wonder if that was a limited time trial?

[Neil]

Mr Horn, one for you. Actually, for me as well. Ran into this while reading a BBC article on grammar.

www.apostrophe.org.uk/

[Low Light Mike]

May 13, 2013 13:20:29 GMT -8 Neil said:

Mr Horn, one for you. Actually, for me as well. Ran into this while reading a BBC article on grammar.

www.apostrophe.org.uk/

I'm very grateful for your pointing out this article's values.

[Low Light Mike]

For those who like their hockey history, here's an interesting quirk re this year's final-four:
- 2009 Stanley Cup Champions - Pittsburgh Penguins
- 2010 Stanley Cup Champions - Chicago Blackhawks
- 2011 Stanley Cup Champions - Boston Bruins
- 2012 Stanley Cup Champions - Los Angeles Kings


The final-four for 2013 are the previous 4 champions.

[compdude787]

Apr 20, 2013 13:40:39 GMT -8 Mike C said:

Apr 20, 2013 13:29:04 GMT -8 Low Light Mike said:

Deep thought of the moment:

- this is the last 4/20 day before the Tokitae goes into service.

I think, similar to our Queen of Richmond tradition on April 1st, we should have a Tokitae tradition on April 20th.

Brownies will be served fresh in the Galley.

Wait, why? It doesn't make sense, because the whole point of having a Queen of Richmond trip (or a Sequim trip for Washingtonians) is that those trips take place on April Fool's Day and that these are <sarcasm>totally real </sarcasm> happenings. What's the significance of April 20th, was it the day of the Tokitae's keel laying?

And why brownies; does it have to do with marijuana or something?

[compdude787]

I know, I'm reviving month-old conversations. But anyway:

Apr 21, 2013 23:18:08 GMT -8 northwesterner said:

Apr 21, 2013 20:36:13 GMT -8 Blue Bus Fan said:

Wow. I thought the dirty water from Fraser River only went out 2 km from Richmond. Thank you for the information, Koastal Karl. The dirty water maybe came from some where else.

Maybe it was a confluence of the Fraser River water and the raw sewage Victoria pumps into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Oh yeah, that's right. Victoria STILL doesn't treat its sewage. What the heck?

But I don't think that the sewage would go to the north of Victoria; it seems like it'd be dumped into the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the south.

[Low Light Mike]

May 29, 2013 20:05:44 GMT -8 compdude787 said:

Apr 20, 2013 13:40:39 GMT -8 Mike C said:

I think, similar to our Queen of Richmond tradition on April 1st, we should have a Tokitae tradition on April 20th.

Brownies will be served fresh in the Galley.

Wait, why? It doesn't make sense, because the whole point of having a Queen of Richmond trip (or a Sequim trip for Washingtonians) is that those trips take place on April Fool's Day and that these are <sarcasm>totally real </sarcasm> happenings. What's the significance of April 20th, was it the day of the Tokitae's keel laying?

And why brownies; does it have to do with marijuana or something?

Here is all that you need to know:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/420_(cannabis_culture)

[Low Light Mike]

Hit LIKE to this post, if you know what I'm talking about with these 2 quotes, and why I'm saying it today.

==========================

"The dice are on the table"

"It is hot in Suez"

==================


....I will reveal it tomorrow (or do a Google search now, but don't spoil it here)

[Neil]

Are any of our Washington state members also soccer fans? Specifically, Seattle Sounders fans?

Watching tonight's match, I was once again in awe of what Seattle Sounders management, and their fans, have created in terms of atmosphere and team spirit. 53,000 fans at Century Link Field, constant chanting, singing, and dancing from the more rabid supporters, and no letdown even when their team got behind. I recall the intimidating presence of the Sounders fans at the temporary Empire Field setup here in Vancouver in the Whitecaps' first year, and how they drowned out the Southsiders... although that was admittedly a dismal season for the hometown fans.

Sounders fans show what soccer can be in North America. They are heads and tails above every other franchise in the MLS.

In comparison, our Whitecaps have failed to capture the imagination of Vancouver soccer fans. They continue to play in a scaled down version of BC Place, with fabric closing off well over half of the stadium that can't be sold. Bob Lenarduzzi and the rest of Whitecaps management seem content with mediocrity, and the uninformed and disinterested Vancouver media fail to take them to task on their questionable decisions- such as giving away Alain Rochat, or Martin Renney's odd player selections.

Thirty five years ago, Empire Stadium was rocking to tilts with the New York Cosmos, and the Whitecaps seemed to be providing an insight into how the rest of the world viewed 'football' with such passion. Today's Whitecaps have lost their way, but our neighbors to the south have risen to the challenge. I hope to get down there for a game some time in the near future... I imagine the current park is much more invigorating than that old Kingdome mausoleum.

[Mike C]

And now for something completely different:

I am on the train right now, off to a lecture at SFU Harbour Center on walking and cycling in the urban realm, probably the two least represented modes of transportation in the planning process.

I attend these lectures as often as I can, as it pertains to my study of transportation planning, although it has been a while (the last one I attended was early spring, and that studied the neuroscience of different people utilizing different modes - spoiler alert: the happiest people are walking). Transportation is also fairly underrepresented as a subject at pretty much any institution, I've learned, so one has to seek out an outlet of knowledge through other means.

Tonight's lecture is from John Pucher (not to be confused with Action 4 News' Tom Tucker), and will focus on how to increase walking and cycling as transportation modes, and how those changes relate to culture and government policy. It will also cover infrastructure, funding, and statistics of different cities in North America. John has been a professor at Rutgers University since 1978, and studies urban systems, economics, and finance. The focus of his studies is in North America and Europe.

[Neil]

Jun 14, 2013 17:42:41 GMT -8 Mike C said:

And now for something completely different:

I am on the train right now, off to a lecture at SFU Harbour Center on walking and cycling in the urban realm, probably the two least represented modes of transportation in the planning process.

I attend these lectures as often as I can, as it pertains to my study of transportation planning, although it has been a while (the last one I attended was early spring, and that studied the neuroscience of different people utilizing different modes - spoiler alert: the happiest people are walking). Transportation is also fairly underrepresented as a subject at pretty much any institution, I've learned, so one has to seek out an outlet of knowledge through other means.

Tonight's lecture is from John Pucher (not to be confused with Action 4 News' Tom Tucker), and will focus on how to increase walking and cycling as transportation modes, and how those changes relate to culture and government policy. It will also cover infrastructure, funding, and statistics of different cities in North America. John has been a professor at Rutgers University since 1978, and studies urban systems, economics, and finance. The focus of his studies is in North America and Europe.

Walking. How quaint. One thing that always struck me about living in the 'burbs was how so few people walked. I recall one time, driving down- or more accurately, crawling down- King George Highway, I noticed how all the retail parking lots seemed to be full, and how the street was choked with traffic... and the sidewalks were empty. No one walking anywhere.

Many neighborhoods in Vancouver proper have lots of pedestrian traffic. My eldest daughter recently moved to Kerrisdale; a wonderfully civilized place with shops and restaurants that make for a lively streetscape. But the 'burbs will always be a challenge. Maybe Surrey will create something worthwhile in the Whalley area. The north end of Nanaimo, along the highway, is an absolute wasteland in terms of an urban environment... and there are many more like it. Every place that is designed for the automobile is hopeless on a human, walking level.

[Mike C]

When Mr. Pucher hopped on stage, it was fairly clear that nothing makes him more excited than cycling.  His denim jacket and yellow baseball hat were practically spinning every time he said the words "separated bike lanes" (and I thought I was going to be under-dressed in flannel...)

As with most of these presentations, examples from Coppenhagen, Brussels, Stockholm, and various other progressive European cities were examples of what can be done in any city, when you just put your mind to it. He cited a separated bikeway in Copenhagen that sees 60,000 bikes per day, and how the attitudes, policies, and culture differ. He did believe that Vancouver, as with most North American cities, are on the right path and have the right vision, however still have a long ways to go (Seattle was shockingly lagging in statistics for trips made without a personal vehicle, and even examples of what not to do came from Bellevue).

An interesting fact that he mentioned is that women are used widely as an indicator of how safe the cycling network is. The average split between women/men cycling is 30/70 in most North American cities, meaning that there is a relatively low level of confidence in safety and other drivers. It is also noted that when more women are cycling, children and seniors follow suit.

Jun 14, 2013 21:23:47 GMT -8 Neil said:

Walking. How quaint. One thing that always struck me about living in the 'burbs was how so few people walked. I recall one time, driving down- or more accurately, crawling down- King George Highway, I noticed how all the retail parking lots seemed to be full, and how the street was choked with traffic... and the sidewalks were empty. No one walking anywhere.

Many neighborhoods in Vancouver proper have lots of pedestrian traffic. My eldest daughter recently moved to Kerrisdale; a wonderfully civilized place with shops and restaurants that make for a lively streetscape. But the 'burbs will always be a challenge. Maybe Surrey will create something worthwhile in the Whalley area. The north end of Nanaimo, along the highway, is an absolute wasteland in terms of an urban environment... and there are many more like it. Every place that is designed for the automobile is hopeless on a human, walking level.

The 'burbs have always proved to be a challenge, and down here in North Delta is certainly no exception - encouraging walking, cycling, and taking transit, is quite a feat when almost all of the infrastructure is designed around the personal automobile. And now that funding is tight at our transportation agency mothership, TransLink, it will be an even larger challenge to find the money to make these visions a reality. Surrey's bold plan for their City Center will be a positive change for them, and their leader, Dianne Watts, has a vision that I think will profoundly change it for the better.

My favourite Urban Planning atrocity is Kelowna - no other city in British Columbia has accomplished a divided, but continuous strip-mall along a 9-lane roadway in quite the same way they have. Their commercial areas are not only difficult to utilize without a vehicle, but are entirely dependent on their residents having a vehicle to use. Rather unfortunate, as the city's physical location and surrounding geography is absolutely beautiful.

[compdude787]

Jun 15, 2013 13:35:04 GMT -8 Mike C said:

When Mr. Pucher hopped on stage, it was fairly clear that nothing makes him more excited than cycling.  His denim jacket and yellow baseball hat were practically spinning every time he said the words "separated bike lanes" (and I thought I was going to be under-dressed in flannel...)

Separated bike lanes? Interesting. There's a few of these in Seattle, but if I was a transportation planner, I wouldn't put those in on a street if it would mean a reduction in lanes for cars. That's going to increase congestion for cars, and you can't just expect that everyone who was formerly driving that street will switch to bikes. Let's be realistic, that isn't likely to happen.

Jun 15, 2013 13:35:04 GMT -8 Mike C said:

As with most of these presentations, examples from Coppenhagen, Brussels, Stockholm, and various other progressive European cities were examples of what can be done in any city, when you just put your mind to it. He cited a separated bikeway in Copenhagen that sees 60,000 bikes per day, and how the attitudes, policies, and culture differ. He did believe that Vancouver, as with most North American cities, are on the right path and have the right vision, however still have a long ways to go (Seattle was shockingly lagging in statistics for trips made without a personal vehicle, and even examples of what not to do came from Bellevue).

Wow, I never thought of Seattle being lagging in terms of bike use. But I'm not surprised about Bellevue being so pedestrian-unfriendly, because it really is. I do credit them for making wide streets downtown to reduce congestion, and it seems that they've been improving their pedestrian-friendliness. I think Seattle is focusing too much on making bike lanes on busy arterials, and that's still really unsafe because what biker would want to have tons of cars whooshing past them? In Seattle, they even take arterials with two lanes in each direction and reduce them down to one lane and then put in a bike lane. That is plain ridiculous, because you can't just assume that putting in a bike lane will get the people who regularly drive on that road to switch to bikes. One place where this was done was on a street near my house that goes up a big steep hill, and who would want to ride up that on a bike? Nobody, unless you're training for the Tour de France or something. So I really hate it when they put in bike lanes on four-lane roads and then reduce them to two-lane roads. Personally, just because there's now a bike lane on a street doesn't mean I'm going to start riding on it. When I ride my bike somewhere, I prefer to stick to side streets and bike trails as much as I can since it's much safer.

BTW how many bike trails are there in Vancouver? Here in Seattle, we've turned a former railway into a bike trail (Burke-Gilman Trail and Sammamish River and lake Trail). A railroad track is plenty wide enough, and there aren't any steep grades either, which makes it perfect for conversion to a bike trail. There are also a couple bike trails that follow the route of powerlines.

Jun 15, 2013 13:35:04 GMT -8 Mike C said:

The 'burbs have always proved to be a challenge, and down here in North Delta is certainly no exception - encouraging walking, cycling, and taking transit, is quite a feat when almost all of the infrastructure is designed around the personal automobile. And now that funding is tight at our transportation agency mothership, TransLink, it will be an even larger challenge to find the money to make these visions a reality. Surrey's bold plan for their City Center will be a positive change for them, and their leader, Dianne Watts, has a vision that I think will profoundly change it for the better.

That reminds me of what a suburb of Seattle, Bothell, is doing to revitalize their downtown to make it more walkable, and they are even moving some major streets. Check it out here.

[Mike C]

Jun 15, 2013 20:49:52 GMT -8 compdude787 said:

Separated bike lanes? Interesting. There's a few of these in Seattle, but if I was a transportation planner, I wouldn't put those in on a street if it would mean a reduction in lanes for cars. That's going to increase congestion for cars, and you can't just expect that everyone who was formerly driving that street will switch to bikes. Let's be realistic, that isn't likely to happen.

The City of Vancouver has actually seen a fairly substantial reduction in motor vehicle trips around the downtown core - as of 2011, 56% of trips within Vancouver Proper were made by car - all others are by transit, cycling, and walking. With vehicle traffic on the decline, especially in our downtown core (where parking is $30 p/ day), and gas prices soaring (1.45 p/ litre, or approx $6 p/ gallon), alternatives to the vehicle become a superior option.

Jun 15, 2013 20:49:52 GMT -8 compdude787 said:

Wow, I never thought of Seattle being lagging in terms of bike use. But I'm not surprised about Bellevue being so pedestrian-unfriendly, because it really is. I do credit them for making wide streets downtown to reduce congestion, and it seems that they've been improving their pedestrian-friendliness. I think Seattle is focusing too much on making bike lanes on busy arterials, and that's still really unsafe because what biker would want to have tons of cars whooshing past them? In Seattle, they even take arterials with two lanes in each direction and reduce them down to one lane and then put in a bike lane. That is plain ridiculous, because you can't just assume that putting in a bike lane will get the people who regularly drive on that road to switch to bikes. One place where this was done was on a street near my house that goes up a big steep hill, and who would want to ride up that on a bike? Nobody, unless you're training for the Tour de France or something. So I really hate it when they put in bike lanes on four-lane roads and then reduce them to two-lane roads. Personally, just because there's now a bike lane on a street doesn't mean I'm going to start riding on it. When I ride my bike somewhere, I prefer to stick to side streets and bike trails as much as I can since it's much safer.

You mentioned a lot of good, important points here, but I think the main message here was addressing safety. A few things to think about:

- Cycling on busy arterial roads is not anyone's preference, however I think many cities, including Vancouver, have worked the grid system into mitigating this issue: taking biking designations off of busier roads, and putting them on not-as-busy residential streets, which is beneficial for both cyclists and motorists. Cyclists are safer, and the arterial road does not have as much traffic.

- Park trails and "rail trails" are fantastic for daytime recreation, however due to the nature of where they run (most of the time), they aren't good for commuting or night-time riding. In fact (according to Pucher), cyclists rated park trails at night to be even less safe than biking on a busy arterial road at rush hour.

- From personal experience: last summer, I was a cyclist commuter in suburban Surrey, which currently has a mess of bike routes. About 2/3 into my commute, I would have to merge into regular traffic on the arterial, using my hand signals and confidence (and sometimes a middle finger). At first this was a situation where I would be holding my breath every day (since I commuted in and out during rush hours), but I did grow used to it.

Jun 15, 2013 20:49:52 GMT -8 compdude787 said:

BTW how many bike trails are there in Vancouver? Here in Seattle, we've turned a former railway into a bike trail (Burke-Gilman Trail and Sammamish River and lake Trail). A railroad track is plenty wide enough, and there aren't any steep grades either, which makes it perfect for conversion to a bike trail. There are also a couple bike trails that follow the route of powerlines.

Metro Vancouver has a phenomenal network of cycling trails outside of the road network. One of my favourites encompasses the entire perimeter of the City of Port Coquitlam. I enjoy riding distance, so my rides tend to be about ~30 km.

I'm not sure what the total distance of cycling routes are, but here's a couple of maps that I hope will answer your question:

Vancouver, Richmond, Delta, Surrey, Port Moody, Coquitlam, Burnaby, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, and New Westminster: www.translink.ca/~/media/documents/cycling/cycling%20routes/full%20maps/translink%20regional%20cycling%20map%20west.ashx

Port Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows, Langley, Anmore, Belcarra, Maple Ridge and points east:
www.translink.ca/~/media/documents/cycling/cycling%20routes/full%20maps/translink%20regional%20cycling%20map%20east.ashx

Jun 15, 2013 20:49:52 GMT -8 compdude787 said:

That reminds me of what a suburb of Seattle, Bothell, is doing to revitalize their downtown to make it more walkable, and they are even moving some major streets. Check it out here.

Suburban revitalization has been a real challenge for pretty much every city in North America. As a planner-in-training, it is my personal goal to see this through.