Translink vehicles may use the Lions Gate Bridge, but not "Trucks"

 Truck Route Maps and Regulations   UPDATED: December 2, 2013

Truck Route via City of Vancouver 2013

 Vancouver City Police could be raking in a ton of cash, for the Santa Claus Parade on bikes, in 2014.

************************

"Truck" means a motor vehicle designed or used primarily for the transportation of property.  Page 8 of 92  City of Vancouver  BY-LAW NO. 2849

NOTE: In the link which we have highlighted below in BOLD BLUE   "First Narrow Bridge" via Wikipedia they have written this:  "Trucks exceeding 13 tonnes (14.3 tons) are prohibited"    WHICH isn't true.  NO TRUCKS are permitted because........... read on Dear Readers.

UPDATE:  July 25, 2013

Prohibited vehicles, bicycles and tire chains

9 The following apply to and in respect of the First Narrows Bridge only:

(a) a person must not operate, on any part of the structure or its approaches, a vehicle having a gross weight in excess of 13 000 kg unless the vehicle is a bus as defined in the Motor Vehicle Act;

(b) a person must not operate a bicycle on the roadway of the structure or its approaches;

(c) a person must not operate, on any part of the structure or its approaches, a vehicle equipped with a tire chain or chains.

More and more times we're seeing "trucks" using the First Narrows Bridge, and probably the cause of this sudden influx/outflux is that the drivers, and/or swampers, have a GPS which is telling them that the shortest route between "A" and "B", "downtown Vancouver" and the "North Shore", or visa versus, is via Stanley Park's Causeway, which is true, it is shorter, but.....

There's one catch though, maybe even two catches....... TransLink buses probably outweigh "Trucks" threefold or more in some instances, but the City of Vancouver has determined that although "trucks" may have a lesser GVW than a Bus and the bridges are strong enough to carry both trucks and buses within the allowed GVW per vehicle, they also have right to write a Bylaw, which they did, to designate that the two bridges are NOT Truck Routes.   Passenger cars and cyclists need only apply.

Coast Mountain GVW:

Gross vehicle weight rating – the maximum recommended weight for a vehicle, including: the weight of the vehicle itself, fuel and other fluids, passengers, and all cargo. The manufacturer determines the GVWR. The Motor Vehicle Act Regulations of British Columbia prohibit vehicle operators from loading their vehicle in excess of its GVWR.   - Page 40

For youngsters, once upon a time our beloved Lions Gate Bridge was given a major face lift with the deck replacement, but before that face lift, the bridge had developed a severe "back" strain to its North supporting column..... because of the heavy loads of "trucks" taking the route as their regular route.

That was stopped once the engineers figured out what was going on, or it should have been stopped.

There's a story from ten or eleven years ago where a trucker arrived in downtown Vancouver a half hour ahead of time after coming over from Vancouver Island, where upon he climbed into his sleeper compartment for a nap.   When queried as to why he arrived so early when he shouldn't have arrived EARLY at all..... they discovered he had used the First Narrows Bridge......the Lions Gate, to cross over Burrard Inlet.   OOOOPS!    The Driver should have used the Second Narrows Bridge which would have taken a half hour longer.....and made him on time for his destination.

*****************************************

For Trucks:

Total width no greater than 2.6m(8’6”).
Total height no greater than 3.81m(12’6”) on any street or 4.3m(14’1”)on any truck route.
Total length (inclusive of load and front and rear bumpers) no greater than:
• 12.5m(41’) for a single vehicle.
• 23m(75’3”) for a vehicle with 1 trailer.
• 25m(82’) for a vehicle with 2 trailers.
VEHICLES EXCEEDING ANY OF THESE DIMENSIONS MUST OBTAIN A PERMIT

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

If the Vancouver City Hall wants to earn more cash, and create a safer driving experience for motorists, then there should be fines collected.   In the case of the First Narrows... Lions Gate Bridge, there are options by which over size, TRUCKs, could learn from their experience.... of receiving multiple fines.   Stanley Park Causeway, north bound, is not the end of the road for Truckers, they could take the off ramp just before heading for the bridge deck... and take a tour of Stanley Park...and eventually end up on the Second Narrows Bridge.  If they continue to cross the bridge, then a Two Hundred Dollar Ticket should be enough of a carrot to deter them in the future....   South Bound truck traffic, same story.   No officers required.  All that is required is a system similar to the Port Mann Bridge, and only three lanes need monitoring.

The Ticket, is in the Mail.