Walking

Vancouver's top priority

Pedestrians are Vancouver's top transportation priority. Making all streets more accessible, safe and enjoyable for walking is an important strategy in the City's effort to become the Greenest City in the World by 2020. We support walking by designing and maintaining streets to meet pedestrians' needs for commuting, recreation and other activities.

Of all trips taken in Vancouver, walking represents 17%. There are 318,000 walking trips made every day in the city. And it is more than just Vancouverites who think that Vancouver is a great city for walking. In 2008, the Canadian Federation of Podiatric Medicine (CFPM) recognized Vancouver as the Best Walking City in Canada.

The City of Vancouver maintains approximately 2100 kilometres of sidewalk. Each year the City installs upwards of 200 pedestrian ramps adjacent to "accessible" bus stops and along arterial streets, pedestrian collector routes, and local residential streets. Currently, the City has completed approximately 20,000 corner ramps and is working to complete curb ramps for the entire city. Besides making all streets more accessible and safe, the City is also establishing corridors dedicated exclusively to pedestrians, such as pedestrian corridors during the Olympics and along greenways. Already there are 65 kilometres of Greenways in Vancouver. By investing in pedestrian infrastructure and programs, we are creating ways for walking to be a safe, everyday way of getting to work, school, shops, events, or connecting to other modes of transportation for longer trips.

The reasons to choose walking are numerous , but here are a few:

• Improved health - Walking helps reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, and depression (just 30 minutes of walking per day produces measurable benefits).
• Saving money - Operating a car includes gas, insurance, and maintenance costs. Walking is FREE!
• Social benefits - Walking builds a sense of place and increases opportunities for community interaction (e.g. getting to know your neighbours), which are difficult in cars and on bikes due to speed and/or enclosure.
• Environmental sustainability - No greenhouse gases are produced while walking and pedestrian space is an efficient use of limited land space.

Whether you're going to work, taking the kids to school or just picking something up at the grocery store, choose walking!

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