GC 2020
657 results found
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Ban all disposable bags
It won't take long for people to learn to how easy it is to bring their own bags. Somehow, I've gone two years without taking any paper or plastic bag for my groceries or purchased items.
146 votes -
Green Hastings Park
This public asset is being used by a Casino, a dying horse racing industry, a year round comercial rental industry, a noisy amusement park, and two coorporate ball clubs.
Daylight the salmon stream, return the community soccer fields. etc...
145 votes -
Turn existing "bike streets" into proper separated bike routes
The network of bike streets is a great start, but drivers aggressively squeeze cyclists close to parked cars, increasing the risk of accident. Create physically separated bike lanes on these routes - perhaps by getting rid of one or both sides of street parking. (Or forbidding driving altogether on those routes!)
138 votesThanks for sharing this idea!
The city’s new active transportation plan will soon be in development, and hopefully completed within the next year.
A big part of the work ahead is to identify the complete cycling network, and the type of facility that is most appropriate and/or feasible for different routes. In some cases (e.g. busy arterial routes), separated lanes might be the best approach; in other cases (e.g. lower car volume neighbourhood streets), enhanced traffic calming and/or further reducing car access might be more appropriate. Travis cited some great examples in the Netherlands where cars are ‘guests’ that are allowed in, but do not dominate.
In all cases, the goal should be to make routes that feel safe to all potential cyclists, including beginners, children, and seniors.
For more information, visit http://vancouver.ca/cycling .
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136 votes
You may be interested in learning more about the following programs:
UBC Line Rapid Transit Study – http://vancouver.ca/ubcline and http://www.translink.ca/ubcline
Central Broadway Planning Program – http://vancouver.ca/broadway
Cambie Corridor Planning Program – http://vancouver.ca/cambiecorridor
____________________Outside City of Vancouver boundaries:
Surrey Rapid Transit Planning Program – http://www.translink.ca/en/Be-Part-of-the-Plan/Public-Consultation/Current-Consultations/Surrey-Rapid-Transit-Study.aspx
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Car Free granville island
Hardly a new Idea, this would enhance the experience of the island. It is treacherous walking around there on a weekend....that is if the cars are moving at all, as often they are just sitting in a giant line idleing.
There may need to be a nearby structure with limited parking, but increased shuttle and transit service (olympic line) would go a long way to make it feasible.
Think about all that extra real estate available without parking lots and wide roads down there! Even the Growth mongers must smile at that prospect
133 votesImplementation of the City’s streetcar plan (http://vancouver.ca/streetcar) might help to enable this, by providing dramatically improved transit service to Granville Island.
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create an urban farm network
Create an urban farm network, a hub that links farms, farmers, local food distribution and storage in the city and provides resources to everyone (including organized farms, non-profits, individuals, schools, community groups, city, etc) and provide business advice, links to funding, assistance in creating and sustaining local jobs, training farmers, and develop partnerships and connection to other urban farm resources throughout the city
121 votesCommunity groups are in early stages of discussing the implementation of this idea.
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Expand recycling program to include all Recyclable Materials
Pacific Mobile Depots operates an number of regular depots around the Lower Mainland to collect recyclable materials that are not collecting in the current municipal programs. Residents PAY to properly dispose of material that can be recycled. The City should partner with a private operator to expand the current program if the existing programs cannot be quickly expanded. http://www.pacificmobiledepots.com/services.php
118 votes -
Work with the Province and Feds to create more light rapid and mass transit to outlying GVRD areas.
So much of our traffic comes from the outlying areas,even as far as Abbotsford. As housing in the downtown core continues to remain expensive many are seeing these areas as their best hope for a family scale living space. If we had high speed trains like in the city regions of the EU, Japan and other high density centres car dependency would be lessened and the region as a whole would be better serviced. Spend an afternoon in a traffic jam going east-west or west-east and I imagine you'll agree.
115 votesOutside City jurisdiction. TransLink is continually looking at ways to improve transit throughout the region, but additional funding is needed to make progress. A number of regional projects and plans are under way, including the Evergreen Line, and South of Fraser Rapid Transit Study.
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Higher parking fees / cheaper transit tickets
Unfortunately people are motivated by their wallets. When parking downtown is cheaper than the 4 bus tickets a couple needs to attend an event, they might choose to drive. (Ignoring of course purchase/operation costs of the car).
Raise parking prices and lower transit fees to encourage more people to shift to transit.
113 votesPoint taken that adjusting costs of different travel modes to support more sustainable choices is a good idea. The City will continue to review parking fees to better reflect street value and market demand, and the Greenest City Plan adds a more explicit environmental lense to this work. Transit fares fall outside City jurisdiction, and there are multiple factors to consider. Fares are an important revenue source for TransLink; at the same time, it is important that prices are affordable and equitable.
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Organic, Fair Trade and Low carbon agricultural products
Promotion of Fair Trade, organic and low carbon imports. Why not take social and environmental responsibility for your consumption? People will always want an avocado, mango, a cup of coffee or tea on their tables. There are agricultural products that can not been grown locally, so why not import them but making sure they are low carbon, and that they are not harming our planet and its producers?
100 votesThe City has a procurement policy covering our own procurement choices that includes many of these issues; it is now being implemented throughout City operations. http://vancouver.ca/policy_pdf/AF01401.pdf
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Place More Blue Recycling Bins Around The City
Usually, people don't want to hold onto their garbage while walking, so they throw away whatever they have in their hands, even if it's meant for recycling.
I believe there should be a recycling bin right beside every garbage can, if not even more recycling bins than garbage cans.99 votes -
Kitchen Compost Containers for the counter to store household compost easily before collection day.
Distribute conveniently-sized Kitchen Compost Containers made of recycled materials to Vancouver households to allow for easy and odourless storage of egg shells, uncooked fruit, veggies scraps, coffee grounds, filters and tea bags. A convenient storage place until collection day when compost materials can be dumped in the green bin!
98 votes -
Indoor farmer's markets and community garden spaces for winter months.
Create indoor farmer's markets and community garden spaces for winter months in order to support healthy eco-living and eating.
94 votesCouncil has worked with Farmers Market Society to locate a new winter market site at Nat Bailey Stadium. Garden sites an interesting idea, but would need more study.
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Close downtown to traffic like London, expand Park & Ride to compensate
If Downtown were a car-free zone on weekdays, like London, and if Park&Ride were more available including parking getting a free transit daypass more people would use it, and there'd be less cars driving around downtown.
92 votesSome interesting ideas here.
First, a bit of clarification: London doesn’t prohibit cars from entering the city centre; rather it imposes a fee to discourage their use. This is commonly called congestion charging and it can serve multiple purposes: first, it reduces motor vehicle congestion so that the people who really need to drive (e.g. goods movement, taxis, and essential service vehicles) can get around without getting stuck in gridlock; second, it provides a potential revenue source which can be directed to support improvements to more sustainable modes (public transit, active transportation).
Congestion pricing is an interesting idea for Vancouver — both as a means to reduce congestion and to generate revenue to improve transit service. It might make more sense to think about it at the regional (rather than city centre or municipal) level, though, given that it would affect travel patterns across the metropolitan area. It would also…
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Take the buses off Granville and turn it into a City square like europe with patios (and drinks)
Granville street is a compromise that doesn't work. Having buses on the street won't allow a city square to develop (and connect to Robson Square to create an epicentre of community activity downtown - in much the same way it is in many european cities). The buses / dedicated cars need to stay off Granville and the restauranteurs and bars should be able to extend their patios onto the street. Street performance and parades should be encouraged within the area north of Smithe. Compromising creates a lose-lose situation, though delivery trucks, etc. could be allowed to pass between 4am-10am. At…
92 votes -
One city block: integrated waste pickup, resource sharing, back-alley commons, community building.
Turn the back alley into a place for community building and sharing.
-Consolidated garbage collection at each alley's intersection with main street, in order to reinhabit the space for different uses and minimize footprint of garbage pickup.
-Share a lawnmower, garden implements, internet, cup of sugar, spare bikes, dishes, pots, BBQs, spare cot or car with your neighbours!
-Provide a space for free exchange of goods.
-Comunity garden, common building (arts, cooking, celebrations, gatherings, etc.), energy resources (ie. geothermal or solar power), strom water collection, grey water filtration (ie. "ecocells" on the property)90 votesThis idea has been included in the Draft Greenest Ctiy Action Plan; we encourage neighbours to get together and develop project ideas.
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Plant trees to reduce your property tax.
Driving through Vancouver (especially eastern parts) you can notice many front yards that just consist of lawn. No bush, no tree just an empty front. The city should allow home / property owners to get deductions from their property tax (or any other incentive) by proving certain amount (and types) of trees per square-meter open undeveloped property. Vancouver could soon be literally much greener and enjoy all the benefits that come with the trees.
89 votes -
All single-use disposal items in Vancouver must be made of compostable bio-plastic or paper.
It’s ironic, and unacceptable, that most items designed to be disposed after a single use, are made of plastic which takes thousands of years to decay (if at all). Many items made of plastic today could be produced using the new compostable bioplastics. This would include: packaging (produce bags, Styrofoam, etc), food containers (coffee/drink cups, baked good and takeout containers, etc), medical equipment (syringes, latex gloves etc), personal care items (razors, qtips etc). This should extend into the industrial sector too. This idea might not be feasible in 100% of the instances, but it would go a long way to…
87 votes -
Subsidies for Veggie Dining
How about offering economic incentives for new vegetarian or vegan restaurants? Such as giving tax breaks, or subsidizing start up costs to encourage investment.
86 votesConsideration of ways to incentivise and encourage lower footprint dining are included in the plan.
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Regulate non-road emission sources like diesel generators, lawn mowers and leaf blowers
Diesel particulate matter (PM) is one of the biggest air quality threats to human health in the city. Its health impacts include lung cancer, heart and respiratory disease, and even premature death.
Non-road emissions, which are a significant source of diesel PM, come from a broad range of sectors including industrial, construction, recreational, lawn and garden, agricultural and other sectors. Their emissions often occur close to ground level and close to where people live, work and play. While emission standards for new non-road engines are already in place, older equipment will continue to be used for decades.
The city should…
82 votesCity of Vancouver to assist Metro Vancouver in their Non-Road Diesel Engine Initiatives & consider application to City of Vancouver equipment. This idea is considered in the draft Greenest City Action Plan
