Gulf Islands Idea

[YZFNick]

Hey, I was reading the Wright Report and in there he mentions possibly using bridges and reduced routes in the Southern Gulf Islands. I thought I'd try something that I'd do if I were in charge.


The ships suggested do not include any older ships that would be retired soon. The Nanaimo could be added as a second ship between Galiano and Tsawwassen to have sailings leave each port every hour.

The Crofton-Vesuvius run would stay in place until a future bridge from Saltspring to near Cowichan Bay would be built to replace the Crofton run and the Mill Bay run.

All the residents of the Southern Gulf Islands would get reliable, consistant service. The largest downside I see besides the huge cost is that lots of people would shortcut across Saltspring and Galiano to take the shorter ferry route.

Questions, comments?

[Political Incorrectness]

Sounds fabulous!

[Koastal Karl]

Yeah those are some good ideas. Might have to make Sturdies Bay bigger to handle more traffic that would probably come from both islands. That would be a neat idea!

[NMcKay]

i wouldn't choose those areas, but it is a good idea.

[YZFNick]

I'm not familiar with the geography of the region. I chose those purely based on the map. If I remember where I put the Galiano bridge approach it would run straight into a bluff and a provincial park.

[Quinsam]

what would happen to Howe Sound Queen and Mill bay?
New route?

[Koastal Karl]

Well that area on Saltspring where the bridge would go is down the road that goes right through long harbour and out to the point which is a narrow road, and lots of houses and could be a problem with locals. Galiano, the mountain is to the right which you can overlook active pass. Darn it I forget the name. Well the bluff on Galiano is right where that 4th line is you have through active pass from Mayne Island. These would be two way traffic right? Gulf Island roads are sometimes pretty narrow. I dont think you would want like a 4 lane bridge or anything like that.

[YZFNick]

All the old boats would be retired by then.

The bridges would all be two lane divided by medians. This is to restrict traffic and prevent the islands from becoming suburbs and it's also to reduce costs. These bridges would serve a maximum of 20000 people. The Confederation Bridge is a two lane bridge.

[Quinsam]

like pattulo bridge in New westminster?

Did anyone on here know that Howe sound Queen was built in Quebec?
To me that makes her extra special because she was built halfway to my home country from where she is now.

[YZFNick]

The Pattulo is 4 lands undivided. I can't think of any bridges on the coast that would be like it. Think the Oak Street Bridge but with only one lane in each direction. The bridge style would be concrete box girders like the Confederation Bridge



This with a divider to make it safer.

[NMcKay]

I know its farely large but bear with me

option A (red) involves 4 bridges. 2 concrete box, 1 tunnel, and 1 a single span suspension. it involves using alot of expanded existing roads.

option B (Blue) involves more bridges. but with shorter spans. using the tip of an island as a base for part of the bridge. more road work required.

the yellow represents the routes. id use the C class now, because no active pass, and i would create a new route, short (-/+ 15 mins) using the mill bay or a new small vessel (K class) to ferry people from the island, to the new main ferry terminal. it would also link up with the old swartz bay terminus, which would allow for spare moorage. i used a combo of topographical maps, and the google sattelite map. if you look in active pass you can see 2 vessels passing each other (SOVI SOBC?)

[Alex]

I think that's a little outrageous. Building bridges like that would cost billions of dollars. The reason there's a ferry service there right now is because it's much less expensive to just use a ferry.

No one would ever go for this. Think about how much opposition there is to twinning the Port Mann bridge, and that's a heavily used route that's horribly congested. You would never ever be able to get public support for a project of this magnitude that would only serve such a small number of people.

[YZFNick]

Nothing on this magnitute will ever happen. Give it 100 years and I'll bet there will be a bridge to Vancouver Island and to Saltspring.

[Political Incorrectness]

No it is possible now, if more strikes happen lets just build a ton of bridges and get it over with it. the Georgia Strait routes, earls cove and the northern routes and cortes and some others could stay.

[Doug Ubell]

...And here's my opinion toward this idea: .

[Curtis]

I dunno about this one though it's a good idea they should just keep running ferries cause that would cost Millions...maybe even Billions

[Doug]

Trash the idea. Alex is right, thats bull poopoo.

[Quinsam]

certainly, I like the ferries on their original routes right now, let it stay that way for at least another 15 years (except the mill bay, tsawwassen and the Howe Sound Queen that soon maybe all be retired soon).

[Quinsam]

I like harbourlynx teen's Idea for mill bay to run a short route through active pass and to mayne island from galiano through the pass, but what's wrong with these routes right now?

[Scott]

Who will the bridges be primarily for? Gulf Islanders. And they wouldn't go for it in a million years.

[cascade]

I have to agree with John - the cost - well your taxes would go up by 1,000% just to pay for the study - which would take about 50 years - and then you trust the local government to project manage it - I don't think so.

I can't really understand the Wright report comments on the "Permanent Link to some gulf Islands" - as a possible cost saving option. What planet does this guy live on - and he was asked to look into the Fastcat problem - and this is what he comes up with. You wonder about the rest of the report and how many grey brain cells he has.
Commercial and logical sense would tell you it's a non-goer from the beginning. There just isn't the population on the island to justify the costs. Maybe if a few million people lived on the island - you might be able to make some sort of claim.

[NMcKay]

what if the bridges caused lots of people to move in, then suddenly it would be worth it.

[Koastal Karl]

Leave the ferries the way they are now. Personally I wouldent like to see bridges built. Sometimes I think it would be neat as it would be faster to get the mainland but the majority of the time I like the ferries. Quadra, Denman and Hornby Islands they could build bridges to but the gulf islanders would never go for it!

[Mac Write]

That side of long harbour is private property (as in the 75% of that whole section is private club) so that would 100% not happen.

[NMcKay]

wouldn't it? you forgot how little the world thinks about the islanders. just call the banks. forclose on thier properties (or just raise taxes till they cant afford it) and then suddenly the giant fist that is the government, owns the property.