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Transportation
in Vancouver, has many of the features of modern cities worldwide and some interesting
differences. Unlike many large metropolises, Vancouver has no freeways into or through the
downtown area. A proposed freeway through the downtown was rejected in the 1960s by a coalition of
citizens, community leaders and planners. This event "signalled the emergence of a new
concept of the urban landscape" and has been a consistent element of city planning ever
since.
As the city is surrounded by water on three sides, it has several bridges to the north and south.
Although similar to most other cities in that it is, generally, in thrall to the automobile, it
does have alternatives, such as the longest automated light rail system in the world and an
extensive network of bike routes.
Public transportation
The Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) operates a regional rapid transit system, under the
auspices of the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority, known as TransLink, an organization
which is responsible for all aspects of municipal transportation. In addition to public transport,
TransLink is also responsible for maintaining roads and providing ferry service within the GVRD.
Bus service
Bus service operates throughout most the region under a private subsidiary known as Coast Mountain
Bus Company. Service in West Vancouver and Lions Bay is contracted through West Vancouver Blue
Bus.
Most buses are wheelchair accessible and a large number carry bike racks, able to carry two
wheelchairs and bicycles respectively. Some older trolley and suburban diesel buses do not carry
bicycle racks and are not wheelchair accessible. Unlike other North American cities which are in
the process of phasing out trolleybus service, Vancouver is actively maintaining and upgrading its
fleet. With recent purchases of 188 E40LFs and 40 E60LFs from New Flyer Industries, the trolley
network will serve the downtown core with fully wheelchair accessible and bike friendly
zero-emission buses. Certain diesel commuter buses which travel to the suburbs have bicycle racks,
wheelchair lifts, and comfortable high back Greyhound-style seats. Frequency in Greater Vancouver
ranges from every few minutes within the City of Vancouver to two to three trips a day to Maple
Ridge and Aldergrove.
SkyTrain
The SkyTrain is an Advanced Rapid Transit system operating fully-automated trains on two lines.
Built for the Expo 86 World's Fair, it has since become the world's longest automated light rapid
transit system utilizing the world's longest transit-only bridge, the SkyBridge. The Expo and
Millennium Lines link downtown to the suburbs of Burnaby, New Westminster, and Surrey.
West Coast Express
The West Coast Express, a commuter rail train serves Port Moody, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Pitt
Meadows, Maple Ridge, and Mission. These services have an integrated ticketing system, making
public transport inexpensive and efficient.
SeaBus
A foot passenger and bicycle ferry service known as SeaBus, crosses the Burrard Inlet to the City
of North Vancouver.
Future expansion
A third rapid transit line connecting Vancouver to Richmond and the airport (with future extension
possibly to Tsawwassen), the Canada Line, is under construction, with completion planned for the
2010 Winter Olympics, which are to take place in Vancouver. In addition, the Evergreen Line, an
at-grade light rail transit to Coquitlam and Port Moody is scheduled to be completed by the end of
2011. The city is also planning the first phase of a downtown streetcar from Granville Island
around False Creek to Waterfront Station. Currently, the Vancouver Downtown Historic Railway is
running in the summer months as a demonstration.
Cycling
Vancouver is served by a network of 170km of on- and off-road bicycle routes. Most of these
routes are bikeways, streets that have extensive traffic calming measures such as traffic circles,
and signal control to facilitate crossing of major roads. Neighbourhoods are encouraged to plant
and care for the circles and boulevards and add public art along bike routes. Since 2004, the City
has been adding more bicycle lanes on roads in the densely populated downtown core, signalling its
desire to encourage greater commuter use of bicycles. The biggest deterrents remain heavy traffic,
bicycle routes that suddenly end, and poor bridge crossings. In particular, the busy Burrard
Bridge, where pedestrians and cyclists share a narrow sidewalk, is considered a bottleneck between
the Kitsilano neighbourhood and downtown. The Second Narrows Bridge connecting Vancouver with
North Vancouver is also a weak link in the system with its narrow sidewalk and poor connections.
The Central Valley Greenway, a 25-kilometre green bicycle corridor, is expected to be
completed in March 2007. Translink permits bicycles aboard SeaBus, SkyTrain for most of the week,
and buses that are equipped with bicycle racks.
Freeways
Municipal bylaws and geography have protected Vancouver from the spread of urban freeways, and
the only major freeway within city limits is Highway 1, which passes through the eastern edge of
the city. All other limited-access routes entering the city (Highway 99, Knight Street, Grant
McConachie Way), cease being freeways before they enter Vancouver's city limits.
The reason for the lack of freeways in Vancouver is primarily due to the protests of concerned
citizens during as the city was being developed. During the late 1950s proposals were made by the
City to put a freeway through the heart of Chinatown. The Chinese community joined together with
white supporters to prevent the freeway from being implemented and by 1971 Chinatown was declared
a historical area. The only sections built were the Dunsmuir and Georgia viaducts.
Vancouver Airport
Vancouver is served by Vancouver International Airport (YVR), located on Sea Island in the City of
Richmond, immediately south of Vancouver. YVR is the second busiest airport in Canada and one of
the busiest international airports on the west coast of North America. Vancouver Harbour Water
Aerodrome on Burrard Inlet and a heliport near Waterfront Station link downtown directly to
Victoria, Nanaimo and YVR.
Rail
Regional rail is operated by West Coast Express from Waterfront Station (Vancouver) to
Mission. Inter-city passenger rail service is operated from Pacific Central Station by VIA Rail to
many other Canadian destinations aboard The Canadian. In addition, Amtrak Cascades operates
between Vancouver and Seattle, Washington. Other train services include the Rocky Mountaineer,
which provides train tours of the interior and Rocky Mountains en route to Calgary and Jasper.
Recently, the Whistler Mountaineer started daily service between Vancouver and Whistler.
Ferries
Two BC Ferry terminals serve the Greater Vancouver area. One is to the northwest at Horseshoe Bay
in West Vancouver, and the other is to the south, at Tsawwassen. Routes link the mainland to
Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, and the Gulf Islands. In competition with these services,
HarbourLynx provided passenger-only fast-ferry service from Vancouver harbour to Nanaimo harbour
on Vancouver Island. Two private companies, Aquabus and False Creek Ferries, operate passenger and
bicycle ferries around False Creek. Stanley Park Ferries offers water tours around Coal Harbour
and Burrard Inlet.
Taxi Cabs
Several private taxicab companies operate 24 hour service in Vancouver, including Yellow Cabs,
Vancouver Taxi, Black Top Cabs, and MacLure's Cabs. Taxis and drivers are regulated by the city
and, as of 2006, 477 licensed cabs operate in the city, including 59 wheelchair-accessible
vehicles. A taxi ride to or from Vancouver International Airport costs approximately $23-$26. Cabs
in Vancouver are powered by gasoline, natural gas, and electricity. Limousine services are also
readily available.
Source: Wikipedia under GNU Free Documentation License |
