Transport 2050 Recommendations - Round 1
TransLink has issued a call for ideas on what the future of moving in the region will look like as part of Transport 2050. HUB Cycling is excited to propose our vision for this project. What follows is our overarching vision for 2050, and then the ideas that we believe will help achieve that vision.
HUB's Transportation Vision
Cities are designed for people. Communities are compact and dense, making it even easier to walk, cycle and use other active modes to get to destinations.
Residents have the freedom to choose their transportation mode and can move around in a variety of ways. New technology is incorporated in a way that harnesses its power without further contributing to congestion, pollution, and cluttering the public realm. Technology enables people to move away from car ownership and dependence and toward a shared model where vehicles are available, but only used when needed.
Most travel is done by sustainable transportation modes including walking, rolling, biking and transit. Technology has enabled a variety of sustainable modes to be easily accessible. People can seamlessly move between transit, micromobility (e.g. bike share and scooter share) and car share.
Cycling is easily accessible for everyone. The cycling network is high-quality, is safe, connects the whole region and is comfortable for All Ages and Abilities. Everyone in the region is close to the network, and can get to their destination on cycle routes that are direct and comfortable. New and emerging technologies such as e-bikes have enabled more people to cycle including older individuals and those with mobility concerns.
These transportation changes have resulted in cleaner air, healthier and happier residents, a more equitable society, improved safety for all road users (especially vulnerable ones), and reduced congestion.
A Vibrant and Sustainable Region
HUB Cycling supports a region that is vibrant and sustainable even as our population grows dramatically from now to 2050.
Challenges/Opportunities
Accommodating a million more people in a smart and sustainable manner will result in a region that is healthy, active and equitable.
Idea Implementation
This is achieved by:
- Creating a compact urban area and integrating land use decisions with transportation decisions
- Supporting a sustainable economy
- Protecting the environment and responding to climate change impacts
- Protecting and enhancing the health of our population, including safety measures and active transportation enhancement
- Developing complete communities
- Supporting sustainable transportation choices
Most Trips by Sustainable Modes
By 2050, 20% of all trips less than 8 km are made by bicycle. Sustainable transportation (walk, bike, roll, transit) accounts for 60% of all trips across Metro Vancouver.
Challenges/Opportunities
As the population of Metro Vancouver continues to grow, the region cannot afford the pollution, congestion, health costs and infrastructure spending that continued dependence on motor vehicles for most trips entails.
Idea Implementation
This is achieved in part by robust investment in cycling:
- Every year, $270,000 is invested for cycling training in schools covering 50% of the cost to deliver Everyone Rides Grade 4-5 (systemic school cycling education) to all elementary schools in Metro Vancouver, and would be cost-shared with municipalities and the Provincial government
- $120,000 per year is invested for public and workplace adult courses
- $7.50 per resident is invested in cycling per resident from 2019 to 2029 ($18M in 2019, increasing year over year to match population growth). From 2030 - 2040 this increases to $10.00 per resident, and to $15.00 per resident from 2041 to 2050. This is up from the $1.30 invested per resident in 2012
- Enforcement and public education campaign to improve road safety, protect vulnerable users and reduce bike theft is funded with $25,000 per year
- Cycling data collection and benchmarking continues to expand starting with funding of $150,000 per year
- $240,000 is invested per year for a full cycle marketing program
Network Connectivity
A high-quality network of All Ages and Abilities cycling facilities connects the region, allowing people to easily access jobs, schools, workplaces, shopping and everything in between.
Challenges/Opportunities
The road network for motor vehicles is largely complete due to decades of dedicated and aggressive funding. The same cannot be said for the cycling network, which with a much smaller investment, could be completed relatively quickly, providing active transportation options for hundreds of thousands of residents.
Idea Implementation
The existing bikeway network is expanded and improved. Minor and major gaps in the network are filled in. The BC Parkway (e.g. Stewardson Way) and the Central Valley Greenway have been upgraded to improve comfort and safety.
The Major Bike Network (MBN) connects all major destinations, and most residents are within 400 metres of the network. The Major Bike Network is updated so it is comfortable for All Ages and Abilities (AAA). Cycle highways form part of the Major Bike Network, providing paved, lit and direct bikeways with minimals stops that are comfortable for All Ages and Abilities. All bicycle facilities are regularly maintained with clear and consistent wayfinding, and can be used any time of the day and any time of the year.
Major and minor transit centres are easily accessible on bike facilities that are All Ages and Abilities. The rest of the bike infrastructure is comfortable for most people.
These changes were begun with a review of potential bikeway routing options that would be most direct with fewest interruptions in partnership with HUB Cycling and local municipalities.
End-of-Trip Facilities
Across the region, safe and convenient end-of-trip facilities make it easy for people cycling to store or park their bike at their destination.
Challenges/Opportunities
Improving access for people cycling to transit stations, workplaces and residents will lower barriers and encourage more people to cycle more often.
Idea Implementation
All major transit stations and exchanges have secure bike parkades with plugs for electric assist bicycles. Demonstration bus-bike racks are installed at all major transit stations allowing people cycling to become familiar with loading their bikes on the bus in a low stress setting. All transit stations with staircases have bike ramps, allowing people with bikes better access.
Major bus routes serving ferry terminals have increased bus-bike rack capacity, and people with bikes are able to access these key buses easier.
TransLink works with developers and building owners in Metro Vancouver to help unbundle the cost of motor vehicle parking spaces, charging separately from the cost of the unit. People and businesses have an opportunity to save money if they don’t need the parking spaces. Money usually spent by developers on underutilized parking can be put toward quality bike parking and end-of-trip facilities for tenants and residents who cycle.
Mobility as a Service
Metro Vancouver residents can access buses, SkyTrain, SeaBus, one way car-share, two-way car share, docked bike share, dockless bike share, bike parkades, etc. with a single account.
Challenges/Opportunities
Lowering barriers to sustainable transportation and micro mobility will allow more people to take transit, bike and other sustainable modes and reduce car ownership and dependency.
Idea Implementation
TransLink builds upon the work begun in 2019 for multi-modal integration. Bike-share is integrated across the whole region. Users need only sign up once and can access any bike share system in Metro Vancouver.
Electric assist bike share has spread all across the region. Thanks to multi-modal integration, users can pick up an electric assist bike share from anywhere in the region - North Shore, south of the Fraser, etc - and drop off anywhere else.
TransLink provides subsidies to encourage e-bike uptake, modelled after similar subsidies in Europe. TransLink works with higher levels of government to combine local subsidies with provincial and federal ones. To further remove barriers, TransLink allows electric assist bikes on bus-bike racks when the battery is removed, similar to BC Transit.
Education, Promotion and Enabling
Cycling initiatives including education and promotion are fully supported.
Challenges/Opportunities
Regionwide, accessible education will improve people’s comfort, capability and knowledge of cycling. This reduces barriers to active transportation, gets more people cycling, walking and biking per the goals in the Mayors' Council 10 Year vision.
Idea Implementation
Cycling education is provided for every child in the region, creating a consistent and sustained culture of cycling for transportation, rules of the road, and all ages and abilities transportation options.
TransLink supports adult cycling education including the general public, newcomer groups, and families.
With all cycling infrastructure cost-sharing, there is a requirement and funding to promote its completion and use, educating the public on how and why to use it, and thus leveraging cycling investments to their fullest mode share potential.
TransLink supports cycling promotion through events such as Bike to Work Week, Bike to School Week, Bike to Shop Days, Bike the Night, Bike Awards, and more.
TransLink supports bike friendly businesses and buildings programming including workshops, assessments, certifications, promotion and recognition.
Road Safety
TransLink works to improve the safety of all road users and especially vulnerable users through policy and partnerships.
Challenges/Opportunities
With a growing region, it is even more important to reduce fatalities and injuries for all road users, and especially vulnerable users, tying into the goals of the Regional Transportation Strategy for safer cycling.
Idea Implementation
TransLink endorses and advocates for modernization of the BC Motor Vehicle Act to be a more inclusive road user safety act that better protects vulnerable road users, sets more relevant rules and expectations, and holds all road users more accountable.
TransLink works with partners such as RoadSafeBC, ICBC, BCAA, Government of BC, etc to improve training for people driving and continuing education regarding vulnerable road users.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Plan and build active transportation infrastructure for All Ages and Abilities including people with mobility challenges and devices, including ramps, construction detours, etc.
Challenges/Opportunities
Reducing barriers for people with mobility challenges to use active transportation will move us toward a more equitable society.
Idea Implementation
Encourage new technologies that reduce barriers for people with disabilities to participate in active transportation and increase their mobility options.
Aim to increase the number and diversity of people cycling among groups that may face social, cultural, and/or financial barriers to cycling.
Most people are within 400 metres of cycling infrastructure that is All Ages and Abilities (AAA). There is no difference in access between neighbourhoods with higher income and those with lower income.
Technology Trends
Challenges/Opportunities
Idea Implementation
Automation: With changes in vehicle automation, encourage policies and regulations that protect vulnerable road users, and discourage idling, unnecessary circling, and single-occupancy or zero-occupancy trips.
Mobility Pricing
Challenges/Opportunities
Idea Implementation
- A regional congestion point charge with charge points at, or close to, some or all of the regionally important crossings, complemented by further point charges at locations within the Burrard Peninsula; and,
- A distance-based charge with two or more zones with varying charge rates throughout Metro Vancouver.
Partnerships
TransLink continues to build and strengthen relationships with local municipalities and the BC Government.
Challenges/Opportunities
Working with municipalities and higher levels of government will bring about cycling and active transportation improvements easier and quicker.
Idea Implementation
TransLink Incentivizes high quality, meaningful bicycle infrastructure, promotion and enabling through cost-sharing program criteria and continuing education/peer sharing of best practices.
The BC Active Transportation Strategy commitments are leveraged to further the active transportation aims of TransLink in infrastructure, policy, and programming. TransLink works together with Provincial Government staff and elected officials to move walking, rolling and cycling forward quickly and meaningfully.
Monitoring and Data
Challenges/Opportunities
Idea Implementation
Cyclelogistics
Bicycles are incorporated into the goods movement network to improve the efficiency of deliveries in congested urban areas.
Challenges/Opportunities
Making deliveries in a dense, urban environment with large delivery motor vehicles is time-consuming, costly, and increases congestion. Cargo bikes can replace many delivery trips currently done by motor vehicles in a more efficient, economical and environmentally friendly way.
Idea Implementation
Infrastructure should be designed to incorporate the use of bicycles to move goods, including larger bicycles like cargo bikes and cargo tricycles. Bikeways should have more generous widths to allow more space for wider bicycles like cargo bikes.
Benefit Analysis
Improve benefit analysis for active transportation projects.
Challenges/Opportunities
Outlining the benefits of active transportation projects will improve understanding of cost savings and ensure that investments are equitable.
Idea Implementation
This will ensure:
- New infrastructure projects provide an equitable benefit for all people cycling and are not better for just a few people
- The cost savings in health benefits for all active transportation projects is included