7623 replies to this topic

[aastra]

Check out this comment over at the TC's website:

Airport numbers may be optimistic
Times Colonist
Published: Friday, November 30, 2007

The 20-year master plan revealed by the Victoria Airport Authority projects growth of 65 per cent in passenger numbers over that span of time. Contrast that scenario with the fact that world petroleum production has plateaued and that major oil-company executives have begun to publicly acknowledge that even with high prices and ramped up demand, production will be unlikely to be able to meet that demand. Current crude oil prices are approaching $100 per barrel. It is reasonable to expect far higher prices and severe limitations in supply by 2025, the end-point of the VAA's 20-year plan. Will those 2.3 million passengers really be there or will the $20 million have been spent on a huge white elephant?

Methinks this fellow would probably agree with the other guy who said the airport was too grand. A $20 million "huge white elephant"? In the year 2025? How much will your average house in Victoria be worth in 2025?

I'm detecting an anti-transportation bias in a lot of the comments people make about possible fuel shortages and the like. One way or another there will still be automobiles, ships and airplanes. Anybody who's hoping all the highways will get returned to nature is going to be disappointed. No matter what petroleum's ultimate fate happens to be, people will still need to get around.

[Mike K.]

By 2025 it'll be cheaper to fly a family to Edmonton than drive a family to Edmonton given escalating fuel costs, more fuel efficient jet engines and the cost advantages of sharing fuel/operating costs over several hundred passengers all going to the same place.

[aastra]

Drive to Edmonton? Are a lot of people doing that these days?

[Mike K.]

There are hundreds of cars driving between Vancouver/Edmonton on any given day, I'd say. And probably hundreds more during the summer.

I used Edmonton as an off hand example but you're probably aware of the American "driving season" where highways become congested with vacationing travelers. I'm willing to bet we'll see a decrease of long distance driving trips and an increase in air travel.

[UrbanRail]

Actually you will probably see an increase in rail travel, which is 100 times more efficient than a plane and 10 times more efficient than a car.

[Mike K.]

Yeah, good point.

Rail travel might very well (one day) become a North American mode of travel (I mean now it's quite pathetic with our dayliner a prime example).

[Ms. B. Havin]

Bullet trains, Japan, Europe, etc....

[LJ]

Actually you will probably see an increase in rail travel, which is 100 times more efficient than a plane and 10 times more efficient than a car.

Now if only they could get their prices down to match those of the airlines.

[LJ]

[quote name='aastra']Check out this comment over at the TC's website:



Methinks this fellow would probably agree with the other guy who said the airport was too grand. A $20 million "huge white elephant"? In the year 2025? How much will your average house in Victoria be worth in 2025?

Completely agree - $20m is a miniscule amount of money for an airport to spend on improvements in today's dollars let alone 2025 dollars.

[gumgum]

21 Most Insane Runways in the World

[Mike K.]

This November's passenger count was just shy of 11% above November 2006.

Overall for this year passenger traffic is up 6.4% over 2006.

[rchauhan]

The Airport Authority has issued a call for expressions of interest for an upcoming
project involving the construction of a combined Fire Hall and Airside Operations Centre.

[Coreyburger]

Now if only they could get their prices down to match those of the airlines.

Yep, it will come down, if the gov't subsidising railways the same way they have done airports. In fact, from London to either Paris or Brussel via the Eurostar or the new Spanish high-speed link from Madrid to Sevilla (and soon from Madrid to Barcelona), air travel has dropped considerably as the rail eats up a large portion of the travellers. For an example closer to home, although it does not involve rail, the creation of BC Ferries led to a drop in flights between Van and Vic during the 60s.

[ressen]

They should have kept the Fast Cat ferries and used them for roll on/roll off pasenger train service between Galiano Island and Tsawwassen.

[Coreyburger]

They should have kept the Fast Cat ferries and used them for roll on/roll off pasenger train service between Galiano Island and Tsawwassen.

And then do what with the passengers? Beam them to Victoria? If you are talking bridge to the islands, good luck. Even if it was a feasible or sane thing to do (it isn't), you would have naked islanders lying down in front of the bulldozers before you can say "bridge". For that matter, all those rich Saltspringers (the ones the old locals are *****ing about) would likely oppose as well and while the gov can likely ignore naked hippies, rich yuppies it cannot.

[Coreyburger]

I should also mention that if we are also talking bridge, we have some serious issues with geology. Unlike the Confederation Bridge, which was built in a seimically stable part of the world onto rock in shallow waters, even going to Saltspring would present with you with deeper waters and a silty bottom in an earthquake zone.

[Mike K.]

And then do what with the passengers? Beam them to Victoria? If you are talking bridge to the islands, good luck. Even if it was a feasible or sane thing to do (it isn't), you would have naked islanders lying down in front of the bulldozers before you can say "bridge". For that matter, all those rich Saltspringers (the ones the old locals are *****ing about) would likely oppose as well and while the gov can likely ignore naked hippies, rich yuppies it cannot.

In the 70's a super terminal serving Victoria and Nanaimo was approved, or on the verge of being approved pending an election (more on that later) for Galiano. The island was to be connected to the Victoria (perhaps Cowichan) and Nanaimo areas with bridges (bridges aren't a problem between the islands, it's the Georgia span that's the problem) and ferries were to sail between the mainland and Galiano significantly cutting down travel time. The party that supported the terminal lost the following election and the plan was ditched.

[Galvanized]

^I believe it was Valdez Island (north of Galiano) with bridges connecting to Gabriola, Mudge and Vancouver Island. One major problem is most of Valdez is native land.

[Coreyburger]

In the 70's a super terminal serving Victoria and Nanaimo was approved, or on the verge of being approved pending an election (more on that later) for Galiano. The island was to be connected to the Victoria (perhaps Cowichan) and Nanaimo areas with bridges (bridges aren't a problem between the islands, it's the Georgia span that's the problem) and ferries were to sail between the mainland and Galiano significantly cutting down travel time. The party that supported the terminal lost the following election and the plan was ditched.

Ah, the era when concrete was cool. I am very glad we on the west coast managed to avoid most of the highway building insanity of the 60s and 70s.

And yes, you are correct in that islands are less of a challenge but you still have deep water and we are still in an earthquake zone.

[Mike K.]

I think, but I'm not 100% sure on this, that the spans would have floated on the water much like the bridge crossing Lake Union. By far that would have been the simplest way to engineer an island hopping system of bridges.