Paul @ City of Vancouver
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17 results found
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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
An error occurred while saving the comment Paul @ City of Vancouver
commented
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 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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92 votes
Some 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…
An error occurred while saving the comment Paul @ City of Vancouver
commented
Some 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 require support from the Province to make the necessary legislative changes. There's a bit of the chicken-or-egg thing happening here too, since (a) for congestion pricing to be seen as equitable, good transit options need to be in place, and (b) congestion pricing is one of the primary ways we might help fund the necessary improvements.
The topic of park-and-ride is a tricky one as well, and generally one we don't support in the city, but which may have limited application elsewhere.
Park-and-ride generally works best in *suburban* locations, particularly at stations where pedestrian volumes are low and/or feeder bus service is less frequent or reliable. There are a number of park-and-ride locations in Greater Vancouver, including several rapid transit stations: Scott Road, King George, Bridgeport, and Production Way - University. Some offer free parking, while others require a nominal fee.
Park-and-ride is less appropriate in urban areas where pedestrian volumes are higher, or where there is potential for higher-intensity, pedestrian-oriented development. In urban settings, most people get to the station on foot, by bike, or other transit. Ensuring that the public realm around stations is pleasant and pedestrian-oriented is a top priority. Park-and-rides can be problematic, first of all because the large parking lots associated with them tend to be pedestrian "dead zones" that discourage walking, and secondly because they tend to increases motor vehicle congestion near stations, further worsening the situation for pedestrians, cyclists, and other modes of transit.
Finally, urban park-and-rides occupy space within the walking catchment of a station that might have a better use. As a general rule, it is better to have more people living close to transit than to provide spaces for people to park near transit and live further away! -
626 votes
This idea is not included in the Draft Greenest City Action Plan, but it is supported in principle. Convened a high speed rail summit in July 2010 to discuss this proposal
An error occurred while saving the comment Paul @ City of Vancouver
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The city is very supportive of faster, more frequent, and more reliable inter-regional train service. However, implementation is challenging, since it requires the support and coordination of multiple agencies and levels of government on both sides of the border.
While bullet train-type service may not be feasible given the corridor's curvy nature, there is a lot of room for improvement, and it should be possible to develop a service that competes favourably time-wise to driving.
The recent addition of a second Amtrak train to Seattle has been very successful to date, providing an attractive and more environmentally-friendly long distance commuting option, and generating high ridership in the process. Unfortunately it is under threat of cancellation due to the imposition of $550,000 in annual border inspection fees, despite generating an estimated $11.8 million in economic benefits to the province.
Click the following links to learn more:
http://thetyee.ca/News/2009/05/27/RailMyth/
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/09/21/bc-amtrak-vancouver-seattle-portland.html
http://transportactionbc.wordpress.com/2010/09/23/take-action-to-save-amtrak-train/
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229 votes
Transit (and transit fares!) are controlled by TransLink, not the city. Having said that, reducing or eliminating transit fares is an interesting idea.
Unfortunately it’s not very feasible, at least as TransLink is currently funded. Unlike most North American cities, Vancouver’s transit problems aren’t due to a lack of demand but rather a lack of capacity. Anyone who’s ever tried to squeeze onto one of our busy buses or trains knows this all too well — there isn’t enough space even when people have to pay, let alone accommodate the additional demand that would be created if transit were free. Compare this to cities with fare-free zones, which are typically struggling for increase demand, and which typically have (a) less frequent service and/or (b) plenty of extra capacity to accommodate more riders.
In Vancouver, we need to provide more transit capacity to meet existing demand — and a LOT more…
An error occurred while saving the comment Paul @ City of Vancouver
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Transit (and transit fares!) are controlled by TransLink, not the city. Having said that, reducing or eliminating transit fares is an interesting idea.
Unfortunately it's not very feasible, at least as TransLink is currently funded. Unlike most North American cities, Vancouver's transit problems aren't due to a lack of demand but rather a lack of capacity. Anyone who's ever tried to squeeze onto one of our busy buses or trains knows this all too well -- there isn't enough space even when people have to pay, let alone accommodate the additional demand that would be created if transit were free. Compare this to cities with fare-free zones, which are typically struggling for increase demand, and which typically have (a) less frequent service and/or (b) plenty of extra capacity to accommodate more riders.
In Vancouver, we need to provide more transit capacity to meet existing demand -- and a LOT more capacity to meet our long term targets -- and to do so we need to identify additional funding sources. On that front, some good news: in September 2010, the Province of BC and Mayors' Council on Regional Transportation signed an MOU opening the doors for possible new ways to help pay for transit.
For more information on the MOU, visit http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2009-2013/2010PREM0169-001129.htm .
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46 votes
Requires support from the provincial and federal governments. The draft Greenest City plan will advocate for new sources of funding for improved transit (e.g. congestion pricing, vehicle levies).
An error occurred while saving the comment Paul @ City of Vancouver
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Some good news: in September 2010, the Province of BC and Mayors' Council on Regional Transportation signed an MOU opening the door for possible new funding sources for transit.
For more information, visit http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2009-2013/2010PREM0169-001129.htm .
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138 votes
Thanks 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 .
An error occurred while saving the comment Paul @ City of Vancouver
commented
Thanks for sharing this idea!
The city's new 10-year cycling program master 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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18 votes
Thanks for sharing this idea!
The city’s new 10-year cycling program master plan will soon be in development, and hopefully completed within the next year. A big part of the work ahead is to identify where separated bike lanes might be appropriate.
Lessons learned from the downtown trial will be an important input into the plan. The results so far support evidence elsewhere that separated bike lanes are a great way to make cycling more attractive on busy streets.
For more information, visit http://vancouver.ca/cycling .
An error occurred while saving the comment Paul @ City of Vancouver
commented
Thanks for sharing this idea!
The city's new 10-year cycling program master plan will soon be in development, and hopefully completed within the next year. A big part of the work ahead is to identify where separated bike lanes might be appropriate.
Lessons learned from the downtown trial will be an important input into the plan. The results so far support evidence elsewhere that separated bike lanes are a great way to make cycling more attractive on busy streets.
For more information, visit http://vancouver.ca/cycling .
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19 votes
The city’s new 10-year cycling program master plan will soon be in development, and hopefully completed within the next year. A big part of the work ahead is to identify where separated bike lanes might be appropriate.
Lessons learned from the downtown trial will be an important input into the plan. The results so far support evidence elsewhere that separated bike lanes are a great way to make cycling more attractive on busy streets.
For more information, visit http://vancouver.ca/cycling .
An error occurred while saving the comment Paul @ City of Vancouver
commented
Thanks for sharing this idea!
The city's new 10-year cycling program master plan will soon be in development, and hopefully completed within the next year. A big part of the work ahead is to identify where separated bike lanes might be appropriate.
Lessons learned from the downtown trial will be an important input into the plan. The results so far support evidence elsewhere that separated bike lanes are a great way to make cycling more attractive on busy streets.
For more information, visit http://vancouver.ca/cycling .
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37 votes
The city’s new 10-year cycling program master plan will soon be in development, and hopefully completed within the next year. A big part of the work ahead is to identify where separated bike lanes might be appropriate.
Lessons learned from the downtown trial will be an important input into the plan. The results so far support evidence elsewhere that separated bike lanes are a great way to make cycling more attractive on busy streets.
For more information, visit http://vancouver.ca/cycling .
An error occurred while saving the comment Paul @ City of Vancouver
commented
Thanks for sharing this idea!
The city's new 10-year cycling program master plan will soon be in development, and hopefully completed within the next year. A big part of the work ahead is to identify where separated bike lanes might be appropriate.
Lessons learned from the downtown trial will be an important input into the plan. The results so far support evidence elsewhere that separated bike lanes are a great way to make cycling more attractive on busy streets.
For more information, visit http://vancouver.ca/cycling .
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19 votes
TransLink is currently leading a study to determine the best approach to deliver high-capacity, fast, frequent, and reliable rapid transit for the Broadway Corridor from Commercial Drive to UBC. A number of technologies and alignment options are being considered, including rail rapid transit (e.g. SkyTrain), surface light rail transit, and bus rapid transit. Electric-powered trolleys are included as part of the bus options.
The City of Vancouver is directly involved as a partner agency in the study. In April 2010, City Council endorsed ten principles to guide City input into this process ( http://vancouver/ubcline/principles ).
Visit http://vancouver.ca/ubcline to learn more about this work, including upcoming public engagement events.
An error occurred while saving the comment Paul @ City of Vancouver
commented
TransLink is currently leading a study to determine the best approach to deliver high-capacity, fast, frequent, and reliable rapid transit for the Broadway Corridor from Commercial Drive to UBC. A number of technologies and alignment options are being considered, including rail rapid transit (e.g. SkyTrain), surface light rail transit, and bus rapid transit. Electric-powered trolleys are included as part of the bus options.
The City of Vancouver is directly involved as a partner agency in the study. In April 2010, City Council endorsed ten principles to guide City input into this process ( http://vancouver/ubcline/principles ).
Visit http://vancouver.ca/ubcline to learn more about this work, including upcoming public engagement events.
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Build an underground UBC Line SkyTrain along the Broadway corridor that connects with the existing V
29 votesTransLink is currently leading a study to determine the best approach to deliver high-capacity, fast, frequent, and reliable rapid transit for the Broadway Corridor from Commercial Drive to UBC. A number of technologies and alignment options are being considered, including rail rapid transit (e.g. SkyTrain), surface light rail transit, and bus rapid transit.
The City of Vancouver is directly involved as a partner agency in the study. In April 2010, City Council endorsed ten principles to guide City input into this process (http://vancouver/ubcline/principles).
Visit http://vancouver.ca/ubcline to learn more about this work, including upcoming public engagement events.
An error occurred while saving the comment Paul @ City of Vancouver
commented
TransLink is currently leading a study to determine the best approach to deliver high-capacity, fast, frequent, and reliable rapid transit for the Broadway Corridor from Commercial Drive to UBC. A number of technologies and alignment options are being considered, including rail rapid transit (e.g. SkyTrain), surface light rail transit, and bus rapid transit.
The City of Vancouver is directly involved as a partner agency in the study. In April 2010, City Council endorsed ten principles to guide City input into this process ( http://vancouver/ubcline/principles ).
Visit http://vancouver.ca/ubcline to learn more about this work, including upcoming public engagement events.
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289 votes
TransLink is currently leading a study to determine the best approach to deliver high-capacity, fast, frequent, and reliable rapid transit for the Broadway Corridor from Commercial Drive to UBC. A number of technologies and alignment options are being considered, including rail rapid transit (e.g. SkyTrain), surface light rail transit, and bus rapid transit.
The City of Vancouver is directly involved as a partner agency in the study. In April 2010, City Council endorsed ten principles to guide City input into this process (http://vancouver/ubcline/principles).
Visit http://vancouver.ca/ubcline to learn more about this work, including upcoming public engagement events.
An error occurred while saving the comment Paul @ City of Vancouver
commented
TransLink is currently leading a study to determine the best approach to deliver high-capacity, fast, frequent, and reliable rapid transit for the Broadway Corridor from Commercial Drive to UBC. A number of technologies and alignment options are being considered, including rail rapid transit (e.g. SkyTrain), surface light rail transit, and bus rapid transit.
The City of Vancouver is directly involved as a partner agency in the study. In April 2010, City Council endorsed ten principles to guide City input into this process ( http://vancouver/ubcline/principles ).
Visit http://vancouver.ca/ubcline to learn more about this work, including upcoming public engagement events.
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3 votes
The median on W 1st Ave is to accommodate a future streetcar system.
An error occurred while saving the comment Paul @ City of Vancouver
commented
The wide median on 1st Avenue is designed as dedicated space to accommodate a future streetcar. Giving transit its own space on the street(separate from other traffic) will help to increase travel time reliability.
You may have noticed the bike-lane stencils on the street -- a painted bike lane will be appearing soon. For cars, this is primarily a local-access street, so high-speed or through-moving vehicles are not anticipated.
For more information on the City's streetcar plan, check out this website:
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199 votes
The City supports this idea, but implementation requires action outside municipal jurisdiction. The City will continue to advocate to the Province and ICBC for PAYD insurance.
An error occurred while saving the comment Paul @ City of Vancouver
commented
This is an excellent idea that requires support from the Province and ICBC to happen.
If you'd like to learn more about pay-as-you-drive insurance and how it might be implemented, check out this 2009 report by Todd Litman of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute:
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8 votes
City crews have marked potential conflict areas on the Dunsmuir separated bikeway—i.e. intersections, driveway paths, and bike boxes—in bright green. It’s intended to remind all users—cyclists, drivers, and pedestrians alike—to be a little more mindful in these areas.
This approach could be rolled out elsewhere if it is shown to be effective.
We have chosen the colour—a bright, reflective green that is visible even on dark, rainy winter days—as it is an emerging North American standard for cycling facilities. We’re moving away from the colour we used to use, red, since it has recently become the standard for transit. Blue designates special accessibility zones.
An error occurred while saving the comment Paul @ City of Vancouver
commented
Great idea.
City crews will be marking potential conflict areas on the Dunsmuir separated bikeway--i.e. intersections, driveway paths, and bike boxes--in bright green this weekend, weather permitting. It's intended to remind all users--cyclists, drivers, and pedestrians alike--to be a little more mindful in these areas.
This approach could be rolled out elsewhere if it is shown to be effective.
We have chosen the colour--a bright, reflective green that is visible even on dark, rainy winter days--as it is an emerging North American standard for cycling facilities. We're moving away from the colour we used to use, red, since it has recently become the standard for transit. Blue designates special accessibility zones.
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18 votes
Great idea!
The City has been interested in scramble intersections for some time, and staff are currently exploring different locations where they might be suitable. High pedestrian volumes are an important criteria, although there are other considerations as well.
Those interested in learning more about pedestrian volumes downtown and throughout the city might want to check out the City’s 2001-2002 Pedestrian study (http://vancouver.ca/engsvcs/transport/pedstudy/).An error occurred while saving the comment Paul @ City of Vancouver
commented
Great idea!
The City has been interested in scramble intersections for some time, and staff are currently exploring different locations where they might be suitable. High pedestrian volumes are an important criteria, although there are other considerations as well.
Those interested in learning more about pedestrian volumes downtown and throughout the city might want to check out the City's 2001-2002 Pedestrian study.
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1,002 votes
An ongoing process. Many of the City’s recent initiatives (e.g. downtown separated bike lane trial, additional traffic calming on existing routes) work towards this vision. The draft Greenest City action plan will support this idea, and include directions to help inform the upcoming transportation plan update and new active transportation plan.
An error occurred while saving the comment Paul @ City of Vancouver
commented
Re: cyclists paying their fair share
As explained in a recent op-ed piece (http://www.vancouversun.com/travel/Cyclists+freeloaders/3155386/story.html), cyclists do pay their fare share of infrastructure -- and then some:
____________'Most road improvements in the city are funded by property taxes, which we all pay, whether we walk, ride, take the bus, or drive. (Tenants pay through their rent.)
Some provincial highways through the city have provincial funding, and TransLink cost-shares on certain improvements of regional importance, but the vast majority of Vancouver's road work is paid for by the city, not through provincial gas tax. Cyclists seldom use these high-speed, heavy traffic corridors.
So legally, cyclists have every right to share the road, and financially, they do their part.
But they don't get much road for their money.
The amount of city road space set aside exclusively for cyclists -- as opposed to shared with motorists or pedestrians -- including all painted bike lanes, is only about .5 per cent of city roadways. Yet cyclists make about four per cent of the trips.
Engineering staff figure, on a very rough estimate, that the overall allocation of city transportation infrastructure is about two per cent for cyclists, 20 per cent for pedestrians and 78 per cent for cars.
Vancouver's multi-year $25-million investment in cycling, announced in May, begins to close the gap, but some of that money benefits motorists as well -through resurfacing key routes, for example -- and all of it represents funds previously allocated for cycling.'
(Councillor Meggs, June 15th Vancouver Sun op-ed)
____________As others have pointed out, it is also important to consider the larger health, environmental, and socio-economic benefits of cycling, in addition to infrastructure costs. The conclusions of a recent Copenhagen cost-benefit analysis of cycling (http://www.kk.dk/sitecore/content/Subsites/CityOfCopenhagen/SubsiteFrontpage/CitizenInformation/CityAndTraffic/CityOfCyclists/socioeconomicbenefits.aspx) are illuminating:
- a person choosing to cycle provides a net gain to society of DKK 1.22 ($ 0.22 CDN) per cycled km, versus a net loss of DKK 0.69 ($ 0.12) per km driven by car);
- in cost-benefit terms, the health and life expectancy benefits of cycling are seven times greater than the accident costs; and
- the cost of a bicycle is DKK 0.33 ($ 0.06) per km covering purchase price and maintenance, versus DKK 2.20 ($ 0.40) per driven km.
Although the numbers would be different for Vancouver, similar conclusions can be drawn. Riding a bike cuts down on pollution and makes for a healthier population, saving tax-payer dollars and improving quality of life. Cycling is also a lot cheaper than driving from a personal mobility perspective, which increases affordable transportation options in the city.
