Active Transportation and the 2024 Provincial Election

HUB Cycling has developed a list of practical actions and policies – our 2024 Provincial Elections Focus Areas – that will help make active transportation accessible to people of all ages and abilities. These focus areas will help ensure that our next provincial government will prioritize investment for active transportation infrastructure projects, and improve social equity. 

 

Provincial Elections will occur across British Columbia on Saturday, October 19, 2024. Register to vote at elections.bc

We invite all candidates to share their positions on these key Focus Areas by October 1st by filling out HUB Cycling’s survey.
If you are a candidate and have not yet received a survey, please contact HUB Cycling at community(@)bikehub(.)ca.

HUB Cycling has developed a list of practical actions and policies – our 2024 Provincial Elections Focus Areas – that will help make active transportation accessible to people of all ages and abilities. These focus areas will help ensure that our next provincial government will prioritize investment for active transportation infrastructure projects, and improve social equity. 

Focus Area 1: Continued Reform of the Motor Vehicle Act

In spring 2023, the BC Government made some much needed improvements to the Motor Vehicle Act, including adding a vulnerable road user definition, a safe passing distance, and stronger penalties for unsafe behaviour around vulnerable road users. Bill 23 is a first step to reforming the outdated Motor Vehicle Act. However, there is still much more work to be done. HUB Cycling will be publishing a new list of recommendations for improving the Motor Vehicle Act to the Provincial Government in early 2025. 

One of HUB’s priority changes includes setting default neighbourhood speed limits at 30km/hour across BC for residential streets without centre lines. With the current default of 50km/hour for these streets, municipalities need to sign every block if they want slower streets for children or bikeways. The opposite should be required. Slower speeds will dramatically improve safety in our communities. It is widely recommended by health agencies, including the World Health Organization and BC’s Provincial Health Officer. Most people want slower speeds in their neighbourhoods: in a 2013 survey by the Canadian Automobile Association, 94% of respondents reported that speeding on residential streets was a serious threat to their personal safety.

 
Q: Will you continue to reform the BC Motor Vehicle Act?
 

We invite all candidates to share their positions on these key
Focus Areas by October 1st by filling out HUB Cycling’s survey here.

 

Focus Area 2: Equitable Funding for Active Transportation that helps deliver Clean BC goals.

HUB Cycling is encouraging equitable access to active transportation that supports CleanBC goals. Active transportation programs should also help deliver accessibility by connecting to existing and future attainable and affordable housing developments including transit-oriented developments.  These programs should: 

  • Include building active transportation networks suitable for people of all ages, abilities and socio-economic backgrounds.
  • Connect areas of high community interests, major destinations and First Nations Communities 
  • Encourage cycling uptake with income-tested rebate programs like provincially managed E-bike rebate. 

We need a provincial government that will ensure that British Columbia is the leader in supporting active transportation in Canada, which should include:

  • Increasing cost-share funding to municipalities through the BC Active Transportation Infrastructure Grant Program (BCATIG) so they can develop nation-leading safe and comfortable cycling networks for people of all ages and abilities,
  • Creating cycle highways between municipalities that other provinces will model their own on, and 
  • Coordinating with municipalities to remove the barriers to quickly implement active transportation infrastructure and services in areas of provincial jurisdiction like MVA reforms, highways, bridges, and ferries.​

Q: Will you commit to supporting increased funding for active transportation infrastructure and programs, including increasing the B.C. Government’s BC Active Transportation Infrastructure Grants (BCATIG) municipal cost-share contribution for active transportation to $100 million per year (up from $40 million in 2023/24 and $20 million in 2024/25)? Read HUB Cycling’s 2024 - 2025 Provincial Budget Recommendations here.

 

Q: Will you support the implementation of an ongoing income-tested rebate program like provincially managed e-bike, wheelchair and mobility scooter rebates to encourage more people to adopt active transportation?

 

We invite all candidates to share their positions on these key
Focus Areas by October 1st by filling out HUB Cycling’s survey here.

 

Focus Area 3: Support TransLink’s Access for Everyone Plan in Metro Vancouver and similar programs across the province

Essential services such as public transit and safe and equitable access to active transportation networks are crucial for creating well-functioning, prosperous, and healthy communities, where affordable housing is accessible to everyone. 

Support the funding of TransLink’s Access for Everyone Plan in Metro Vancouver and similar initiatives across British Columbia are needed to address expanding population, housing and equity issues on a provincial level. This will in turn foster a better climate for cycling and active transportation.

 
Q: Will you support funding the Access for Everyone Plan In Metro Vancouver and similar initiatives outside Metro Vancouver in the next provincial budget?

 

Feedback from candidates will be published at bikehub.ca, the beginning of October 2024.