Change to Horseshoe Bay-Departure Bay ferries coming-no good news

Dogbreath

Dogbreath

Well-Known Member
If you thought it was bad now-and it is-wait until the cack handed IT department @ BC Ferries starts 'developing digital twin technology'. šŸ¤£

Warning reading the press release might cause guffawing and hysterics ending in tear drenched emotion overload this is UGLY.

News release | BC Ferries advances construction, introduces customer-focused improvements for Horseshoe Bay

BC Ferries is advancing critical infrastructure renewal at the Horseshoe Bay terminal, with planning and procurement underway and the first major phase of construction set to begin this fall.
www.bcferries.com www.bcferries.com
 
The release isn't all that well written but it seems pretty standard. The Horseshoe Bay terminal would be an awful place to execute a large demolition & reconstruction project.

Modelling movements will likely be done by consultants. This is pretty typical for optimization studies for terminals of all sorts.
 
A guy at work was stuck in Gibson's last week when that one ferry broke down. The workers said that the plan was to replace that ferry run with new ferry's that don't fit at either dock, so there is going to be major renovations coming at some point. It's going to be a gong show.
 
Pineapple Express said:
The release isn't all that well written but it seems pretty standard. The Horseshoe Bay terminal would be an awful place to execute a large demolition & reconstruction project.

Modelling movements will likely be done by consultants. This is pretty typical for optimization studies for terminals of all sorts.
Click to expand...
Consultants lol. I had one try to explain to me the machine I was running should be able to do ā€œthis many bales an hourā€. Wouldnā€™t shut up about it til I asked why it took him four hours to drive up from the coast if his speedometer said his car could do 260km hour.
 
In Nanaimo there are 3 ferry terminals around 3 miles apart. Wouldn't it be nice if "the ferry corporation" saved us taxpayers some money and just ran all 3 out of one place. Duke point.
 
While they were at it. Maybe some kind of a deal could be worked out with local FN to actually build something on Newcastle island. You know, stanley park like.
 
Corey_lax said:
A guy at work was stuck in Gibson's last week when that one ferry broke down. The workers said that the plan was to replace that ferry run with new ferry's that don't fit at either dock, so there is going to be major renovations coming at some point. It's going to be a gong show.
Click to expand...
Woah, I think I could do a better job.
More like a **** show.
 
Horseshoe Bay is a huge problem with no easy solution. It is impossible to expand the terminal's geographical footprint, yet an entire highway system has been built to deliver an ever-expanding population to it. Larger ferries aren't a solution, as in peak times they can't move enough vehicles through the terminal to completely fill the vessels they have now.

From my read of the articles, the work they're about to undertake is repair of the crumbling suspended slab upper level holding area, and some works that will provide more flexibility by allowing vehicles to access more than one berth. Plus seismic hardening and post disaster resiliency measures. There's no mention of an increase in vehicle holding capacity when the works are complete, which, sadly, makes sense: you can't pull extra real estate put of thin air.

What I think we will see is that the interim measures like increased Tswassen to Duke Pt and Departure Bay runs will remain in place after the big Horseshoe project is done. And expect to see the reservation-only policy expand across most of the Horseshoe operations, and stay there.

They can't do nothing. Some of the terminal structures are seriously degraded by salt corrosion and are already causing restrictions in holding capacity. No question the experience is going to get worse before it gets better.
 
The first bridge over to Bowen then to Gibsons then phase two Lund-Cortez-Campbell River.

Open up that whole part of the province with a new Hyw.
 
Dogbreath said:
Taking out most of the granite hill behind the terminal would be one place to start.
Click to expand...
I was thinking electronic prepayment like that used on bridges and freeways to cut the bottleneck caused by the row of toll booths, but OK, maybe. BC Rail up on top of the cliff might have some objections though.
 
ryanonthevedder said:
The first bridge over to Bowen then to Gibsons then phase two Lund-Cortez-Campbell River.

Open up that whole part of the province with a new Hyw.
Click to expand...
Won't happen in our lifetime. Govt's don't operate in a forward thinking manner anymore, strictly reactionary. Always operating from behind and playing catch up.
Adding one extra lane each way on the trans Canada hwy is a classic example. It will be full to capacity when built. Should be adding two extra lanes each way.
 
There have been proposals and studies for fixed link solutions to the Sunshine Coast and the Island for over a century. Project cost vs tax base to pay for it has shut down all of them. For your reading pleasure, here's the most recent Sunshine Coast study.

Sunshine Coast Fixed Link Feasibility Study

This study examines the feasibility of a fixed link to replace the ferry service between the Sunshine Coast and the Lower Mainland.
www2.gov.bc.ca
 
onefish said:
Won't happen in our lifetime. Govt's don't operate in a forward thinking manner anymore, strictly reactionary. Always operating from behind and playing catch up.
Adding one extra lane each way on the trans Canada hwy is a classic example. It will be full to capacity when built. Should be adding two extra lanes each way.
Click to expand...
That reminds me of an elementary school we built in Maple Ridge and during the ribbon cutting for the school opening, John Horgan announced another elementary school that will be built within a couple blocks of this one. Probably should have made the first one a two story building instead of building two single story buildings.
 
sly_karma said:
Horseshoe Bay is a huge problem with no easy solution. It is impossible to expand the terminal's geographical footprint, yet an entire highway system has been built to deliver an ever-expanding population to it. Larger ferries aren't a solution, as in peak times they can't move enough vehicles through the terminal to completely fill the vessels they have now.

From my read of the articles, the work they're about to undertake is repair of the crumbling suspended slab upper level holding area, and some works that will provide more flexibility by allowing vehicles to access more than one berth. Plus seismic hardening and post disaster resiliency measures. There's no mention of an increase in vehicle holding capacity when the works are complete, which, sadly, makes sense: you can't pull extra real estate put of thin air.

What I think we will see is that the interim measures like increased Tswassen to Duke Pt and Departure Bay runs will remain in place after the big Horseshoe project is done. And expect to see the reservation-only policy expand across most of the Horseshoe operations, and stay there.

They can't do nothing. Some of the terminal structures are seriously degraded by salt corrosion and are already causing restrictions in holding capacity. No question the experience is going to get worse before it gets better.
Click to expand...
A long time ago when there was another NDP government they tried 24 hours sailings with the really late and early morning sailings having much less conveniences, a coffee shop, but no buffet or other things, they charged less to attract more people to use it, IMO it was great.
No need to increase the fleet or facilities. They are pretty close to that now but could add 2 or more sailings everyday on the main routes or others.
Maybe during seasonal high volume or long weekends something like this could be resurrected.

I think the ferry corporation was saying that the Horseshoe Bay run will be all reservations and they are adding a run on the Duke point leg to dock at Departure Bay.

An off hand question now, if an Airline company screws up a reservation/flight will BC Ferries be subject to the same law if there is reservation only sailings and cancellations? Not that that happens very often but just a question.
 
Fishing? said:
A long time ago when there was another NDP government they tried 24 hours sailings with the really late and early morning sailings having much less conveniences, a coffee shop, but no buffet or other things, they charged less to attract more people to use it, IMO it was great.
No need to increase the fleet or facilities. They are pretty close to that now but could add 2 or more sailings everyday on the main routes or others.
Maybe during seasonal high volume or long weekends something like this could be resurrected.

I think the ferry corporation was saying that the Horseshoe Bay run will be all reservations and they are adding a run on the Duke point leg to dock at Departure Bay.

An off hand question now, if an Airline company screws up a reservation/flight will BC Ferries be subject to the same law if there is reservation only sailings and cancellations? Not that that happens very often but just a question.
Click to expand...
Staffing is already a problem. Sailings have been cancelled due to some staff not showing up
 
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