{"id":12126,"date":"2012-08-01T10:00:05","date_gmt":"2012-08-01T17:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spacingvancouver.ca\/?p=12126"},"modified":"2013-01-21T07:10:27","modified_gmt":"2013-01-21T15:10:27","slug":"transportation-transformation-rethink-and-repurpose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/2012\/08\/01\/transportation-transformation-rethink-and-repurpose\/","title":{"rendered":"Transportation Transformation: Rethink and Repurpose"},"content":{"rendered":"

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It is by no means a new idea that car travel and dependency is bad for the environment, health and a host of other derivatives.\u00a0 But as life goes on and the pace of change seems to only move at a crawl, it can be hard to find alternative transport methods and hang up your keys.\u00a0 Finding alternatives is what Transportation Transformations: Building Complete Communities and a Zero Emission Transportation System<\/em><\/a> is all about.\u00a0 As part of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Climate Justice Project, a group of experts\u2014Patrick Condon, Eric Doherty, Kari Dow, Marc Lee, Gordon Price\u2014took a practical look at what transportation options exist, why they exist, and what it might take to make them better.\u00a0 Published just over a year ago, Transportation Transformations<\/em> outlines an ambitious plan for the transformation of our transportation system that would be possible to implement within one generation, using a few simple concepts. As such, it is still extremely relevant and worth looking at more closely.<\/p>\n

The report is broken up to look at transportation in British Columbia as it applies to different situations, from rural to urban.\u00a0 Living in the Lower Mainland, it is easy to forget that British Columbia is a vast area with many different community morphologies and consequently varied transportation needs.\u00a0 A huge metropolitan centre like Vancouver has different requirements\u2014and solutions\u2014than a smaller city or community like Kelowna or Smithers.<\/p>\n

Within large urban centres, transportation alternatives are often more obvious because there are already an array of transit options available that can be expanded upon.\u00a0 There are existing networks of electric trolleybuses, sky trains, and bike lanes in Metro Vancouver, for example, that are slowly being expanded.\u00a0 These, in turn, are easier to expand because precedents within the region exist and are working.<\/p>\n

This points to the fact that revolutionizing the transportation system does not have to mean massive undertakings in terms of infrastructure.\u00a0 A large part of the transformation calls for making the best use of what is available. Re-purposing roads for heavier use by transit, bike and pedestrians is a great way to increase their use, for example, and requires relatively little investment.\u00a0 The 2010 Olympic winter games in Vancouver were\u2014among others\u2014an excellent and successful precedent in re-purposing roads and existing infrastructure to move large numbers of people in and out of the downtown core.<\/p>\n

Another pressing issue touched upon within the report is making transportation more affordable. This is consequently tied to making housing affordable.\u00a0 The cynical mantra \u201cDrive until you qualify\u201d has heavy implications for the transportation system.\u00a0 If affordable housing options were available closer to where people work, more transportation options become available while decreasing the strain on long-distance infrastructure.<\/p>\n

In smaller communities and suburbs, many of the transportation challenges are similar.\u00a0 Often, these types of settlements first grew around compact main streets and town centres, which became less relevant after the advent of the car.\u00a0 Within this context, revitalizing these centres could spark a re-densification and centralization of the community.\u00a0 This could, and should, encourage options such as walking cycling and transit.<\/p>\n

The creation of transit networks in these areas is another alternative.\u00a0 This can be a challenge, however, as transit networks in suburban and rural settings have lower ridership and are more spread out\u2014making route planning and trip frequency difficult to maintain.<\/p>\n

In rural regions, the challenge to go with more sustainable transportation is probably the greatest.\u00a0 Communities are very spread out with low populations and few options besides the car.\u00a0 In these areas, conventional transit models break down, but that does not mean that there is not hope.\u00a0 Creative solutions can be found that are dependent on the needs of the community.\u00a0 Amenities tend to be further apart\u2014 in different communities in some cases.\u00a0 This, however, could open up the potential to creating and strengthening regional bus transit systems.<\/p>\n

Through thinking about transit differently and using what is available, transportation can be greener and more efficient for everyone.\u00a0 There are many excuses for not switching to alternative modes and it often seems that public policy is stuck in limbo waiting for the newest electric car.\u00a0 Viable options like trolleybuses are commonly more cost effective to implement than light rail, for instance.\u00a0 As Transportation Transformations<\/em> suggests, funding such a transition could through existing sources such as carbon tax as well as the reallocation of funds from expensive freeway expansions.\u00a0 Large road and bridge projects are incredibly expensive to build and maintain, and only work to enable more individual car users, ultimately exacerbating the problem.<\/p>\n

In the end, people have to choose to make alternative choices.\u00a0 The key is to make it an easy choice to make by creating convenient and affordable alternatives. As was learned in 2010 at the Olympics, if you build it, they will come. The Transportation Transformation<\/em> report outlines strategies for easing into new transportation rhythms that are more sustainable and cost effective to implement in detail. \u00a0The report includes a section on goods movement which makes up a huge portion of transportation related emissions. \u00a0 Co-Author Eric Doherty also teaches a seminar by the same name at Langara College which goes even deeper into the subject of sustainable transport. \u00a0The next class begins on October 10th.<\/span><\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

You can find the complete Transportation Transformation<\/strong> report here.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

You can find the more information on the Transportation Transformation<\/strong> Class at Langara College\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

**<\/p>\n

Andrew Cuthbert<\/strong> studied Geography at UVic and has worked for the provincial government and private environmental consultants as a GIS Analyst. Andrew has years of experiences working in resource extraction, seeing those industries as the basis from which almost every other industry stands spurred his interest in design and urban sustainability and planning which led to his involvement with Spacing Magazine. He has taken additional courses at BCIT, Emily Carr and Langara College to bolster his education in design and sustainability. <\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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