Transportation decisions will be critical and need public comment Changes in Key Transportation Characteristics in the morning peak period in Greater Vancouver . 1985-1992 ! Population Commuting autos Trips by car drivers Trips by transit Transit's share of trips Total trips Trips per person . ‘ Trip distance & 1 Trip time Trip speed -10% 0. +10% +20 +30% +40% Perceritage of Change 1985-1992 Residents of the Lower Mainland are becoming more dependent on cars, and our transportation system is‘becoming strained and ineffective as a result. Why are we becoming more dependent on cars? Mainly, because right now peo- ple have liule choice. Housing and job locations are widely spread throughout the region, and there are too few people in many areas to enable reasonable transit service, During the Creating Our Future process, people said they wanted more choice in how they travel. So how do we increase our choice and change the way we travel? Just building more roads simply won't work. It's too costly, and consumes too much land. Bridges quickly become clogged with more cars. TRANSPORT 2021 — a nine- member committee of municipal and provincial senior staff — suggests we need to manage our transportation sys- tem more effectively by using all available levers such as: ® control end inanage land use through zoning regulations @ apply transportation demand manage- ment (to change travellers behaviour) @ adjust transportation service levels by letting congestion worsen for solo drivers and improving public transit @ increase transportation capacity by building more roads and public transit links TRANSPORT 2021's transportation plan proposes that we use both: incentives and disincentives designed to get people out of their cars and into alternative forms of trans- portation. Key recommendations in the plan include: @ Making public transit more cost-effective by planning for town centres and other higher-density areas ® Promoting tele-commuting and ride- sharing programs @ Encouraging carpooling and transit use by installing special bus and carpool lanes and allowing traffic congestion for solo drivers to get worse ® Expanding bikeways and cycling fucili- ties @ Making people aware of how much their car travel actually costs (in dollars and in environmental damage) and finding ways to make the automobile pay its way . @ Improving transit service @ Introducing tolls, and/or fuel taxes and parking taxes to discourage driving and sit use EAS $10 billion may ease transportation problems, but can we afford it? Paying for the TRANSPORT 2021 trans- portation proposals through to the year 2021 could cost $10 billion in 1992 dol- lars. That's about $150 per person per year over the next 39 years. If recommended bridge tolls and fuel taxes are phased in over the next 30 years they will generate approximately $1. bil- lion per year; enough to finance the plan. Here’s What You Can Do To Ensure We Have A Livable Region: * Take public transit or carpool at least once a week. ¢ Support protection of Greater Vancouver's unique ecology sind farmland. ¢ Support the construction of more duplexes, townhouses and single-family houses on smaller lots, * Encourage development of your community’s town centre as a focus for business, transit and community life. ¢ Be aware that transportation in general will get more expensive, especially travelling long distinces alone in a cur. Think about how you could change your lifestyle or location in com- ing years to adapt to these circumstinces, ¢ Think about your nest household move being towards a community which does not depend on cars, Where more amenities are within walking distince.