Transportation Issues in the Vancouver Area

Discussion on Vancouver transportation system and urban planning, June 24th 2007.

Action:
Letter sent to the City Hall, the BC Ministry of Transportation and MetroVancouver.



To the Honourable Mayor of Vancouver,

We are writing regarding Vancouver's transportation policies. Transportation represents a major issue for a growing city: it impacts the environment, the well-being of inhabitants, their health and is a subject of concern for us as for all Vancouverites. Browsing the City website, we were surprised to read that the 2024 transportation targets were already met. We dare think that it means these targets were not ambitious enough. There is still a lot of room for improvement in the GVA.From our readings, comparison with our cities experiences and our daily experience, we would like to share a few points with the Department of Transportation and other regional bodies.

Service improvement: - Skytrain: The skytrain is a very efficient mode of transportation but also very busy at rush hour. Would it be possible to add an additional coach to each train? The skytrain would then be able to transport an additional number of passengers per trip.
- Bus: Some routes should get better service, specially in East Vancouver where people have no other option than to take public transit. If passengers were continually reminded to move to the back of the bus, and to remove backpacks, the capacity of buses could be increased. This can only happen through bus drivers, and although this must be a source of frustration for them, we have noted that some drivers manage to get this message across with energy and humour. - Bike routes seem easy to set up as they require less fitting out than bike path. They are safer routes for bikers and should be more common. It is obvious that some areas of Vancouver are not equiped by these facilities. Additional well-marked bike paths should be added downtown where traffic is very dense. The safer riding a bike will be, the more people will opt for this mode of transportation.

If service improves and people are informed, it will create a greater demand for public transportation.

Promotion is another key to improvments. You may spur the public to change their habits in different ways: - U-pass incentive is said to have reduced the car traffic on the UBC campus by 30%. Why not broaden this initiative to universities, hospitals, city employees and make it part of the benefits some large companies could offer their employees? Translink would be granted a predictable income and could reinvest part of it in infrastructure/service improvement. - Incentives to take public transport/bikes should exist. Deterrents should be put in place aswell: - in London tolls have been set up: air pollutants and CO2 have decreased by respectively 16% and 20% in 3 years in the British capital. These tolls are offset by excellent transit service within the city core. - in Paris, bike and bus lanes have been widened and added to the transport network. This has resulted in increased bike and public transport use. More room and infrastructure for pedestrians, cyclists and public transit will make transportation around the city much more pleasant, as in most European cities. - Vancouver also has to promote alternative modes of transportation: A communication campaign to promote carpooling, cycling, public transit would reach this goal.

Greener and better transportation is a choice every citizen makes but structures only rely on provincial government and city hall decisions.

It is in your power and your responsability to offer more efficient, more environment-friendly ways to get around the city and its suburbs and communicate this to the citizens of the Vancouver region.

We look forward to hearing about how the department of transportation plans to expand public transit and encouraging biking.