EcoDensity

EcoDensity's connection to transportation

We know that carbon dioxide from car exhaust contributes to climate change, and in Vancouver about one-quarter of the city's green-house gases come from cars. People who both live and work in Vancouver don't have the long commutes that many others do. With shops and services close to our homes, it's easy to drive less.

Vancouver is growing, and there's no more room for new roads, or to widen existing ones. With all the cars on the road, it's usually faster to take the SkyTrain than to drive. When you factor in time to find parking and walk to your destination, buses can be faster than cars.

Density allows for better and more cost-effective transit. Cities around the world with excellent public transit systems are also the ones with a high density of people who can support those transit systems.

EcoDensity involves finding ways to help people locate near work and if that's not possible, putting housing near transit. Vancouver is making transit more convenient by concentrating new development around SkyTrain stations like Joyce, and along major bus routes like Broadway. Learn more.

A major future challenge will be to create space on a transit system that is over-crowded today. We'll need to consider dramatic increases in transit services, such as expanded rail transit, to satisfy the increased demand for transit.

Density also creates more opportunities for walking and cycling, activities that keep people fit and healthy. EcoDensity is exploring how to make walking and other kinds of active transportation easier and more enjoyable than driving. Mixed use, higher density communities allow for jobs, shops and services closer to your home because there are enough people nearby to support them.

The City actively supports walking as a priority: Sidewalks are being added and widened, with attractive landscaping, street trees, and places to sit. More pedestrian-controlled signals with shorter wait times and curb bulges at crosswalks make crossing easier and safer.

The fastest growing transportation choice in Vancouver is cycling. There are almost triple the number of bicycle trips in Vancouver today compared to 10 years ago. And bicycle paths and bike lanes have doubled in the past decade.

EcoDensity is also exploring parking regulations. New retail and residential developments are required to supply off-street parking for customers and residents. Some are suggesting it is time to revisit this policy or alter the requirements to better reflect the value of the land used for parking.

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Transportation and land use

The link between sustainable transportation and land use planning

Good land use planning is one of the most important tools for reducing transportation’s impact on the environment and our ecological footprint. The transportation sector accounts for 41 per cent of the province’s greenhouse gas total. About one-quarter of the city’s greenhouse gases come from passenger vehicles. Land use planning that puts people close to jobs and amenities is the first step in creating a more efficient and sustainable transportation system. Communities that are easy to walk around and that are less dependent on cars can better withstand mounting pressures around climate change, rising fuel prices or limited global oil supplies.

Advantages of relying less on cars

Driving less saves money, time (that would be spent in traffic) and creates less pollution. The average household in Greater Vancouver spends 13% of their household expenses on transportation. Compare the yearly price of owning and operating a sedan ($9,300) with a bus pass for two ($3,100 per year). There are other costs associated with parking. The typical cost of an underground parking space ranges from $30,000 to $50,000 or more. This cost is usually hidden in the cost of buying a unit. If parking spots were only available at cost for those who needed them, those without cars could save money on the cost of buying condo units. Another way to save is with developments that have car-sharing vehicles. People living in high density neighbourhoods tend to have fewer cars. In the West End and Yaletown, nearly 40% of households don’t have cars. This compares to other multiple-family, medium density areas across Vancouver where 11% of households are car-free. More people in an area does not automatically mean more cars. In higher density areas that have good access to transit, traffic volumes have actually been decreasing as more people choose walking, cycling and transit over driving.

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Cost-effective transportation

The more people there are in an area, the more cost-effective it is to provide more frequent, faster, and higher capacity transit services.

High densities favour transit

The better the service is, the more likely people are to take transit. Faster, more frequent services such as SkyTrain attract more people from their cars than rapid bus services and regular bus services.

Other advantages of active transportation choices:

Improves health and saves money

Walking with your kids to school instead of driving gives you extra time with them. It gives them the daily exercise they need. Most transit trips, as well, also begin and end with a walk. Riding your bike to work or to shop is a good physical activity.

Urban air quality is becoming a public health issue. Canada may face additional health care costs of $11 billion to $38 billion between 1997 and 2020 due to transportation-related emissions.

A dollar spent on public transit generates more economic activity and jobs locally than a dollar spent on either vehicle costs or petroleum.

Reduces GHGs

The actions of individual Canadians account for about 28% of our total national GHG emissions – that's almost 6 tonnes per person per year. Transportation accounts for a significant part of this.

Reduces reliance on gasoline

Oil’s new record highs are merely the latest increases in what has been a steady rise in oil prices since the 1990s. Nowhere were the increases more visible than at the gas pump, where prices can be highly volatile. From July 2000 to July 2005, the price of gasoline climbed 27%.

For more detailed information on the EcoDensity project go to the Ecodensity project web site.

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