Walking over the Inlet- Thank you SeaBus!

It is winter on the West Coast and that means occasionally we have beautiful, dry sunny days. We know that you are as excited about sustainable transportation as we are, so we thought of sharing another experience on public transit with yet another walk ‘n transit tour. 

Did you know? With a single tap of your Compass Card, you can travel not only on the Skytrain but take the SeaBus as well! In just 12mins, you can be on the other side of the Vancouver Harbour without thinking traffic delays and parking troubles.

Keep reading to find out how easy and seamless the trip can be from Waterfront (Vancouver Downtown) to Lonsdale Quay (North Vancouver).

The access to the SeaBus Terminal is integrated with the Waterfront SkyTrain Station. The visual indications are clear and quite easy to follow. There are screens showing how much time you have until the next vessel leaves (yes, a countdown!).

SeaBus Terminal access.

Unless you’re rushing, walk slowly through the corridor, enjoy the views of the Canada Place and the Gastown façades on either side. It can be as exciting and fun as walking above the city (quite literally). At the end of the corridor you can go down the escalators or head right, where there are two elevators. We (my toddler and I) took the new shiny elevator and it is all glass-walled (see through), so do not worry about feeling claustrophobic.

Most of the passengers will go through the turnstile and if you are in a wheelchair or with a baby-stroller, the staff will open the big doors for you. (Public transit can be so fancy). Once all the (arriving) passengers have exited the vessel, your boarding doors will be opened. Wait patiently in this boarding area, it won’t be long.

Canada Place view from the corridor

Walking corridor with Canada Place and mountains views.

Escalators

New elevator at SeaBus Terminal

Turnstiles

Turnstiles and doors for accessing the boarding area.

Waiting for the boarding doors to open

SeaBus heading to North Vancouver

Passengers on the SeaBus.

When inside the SeaBus, if you board by the doors marked as accessible, there is a space for placing the stroller without blocking any seats. Put on your (stroller) brakes, sit’n relax, enjoy the views on your way to North Van. In this short ferry ride you will be treated to the breathtakingly beautiful views of the Lions Gate Bridge, the forever lovely Stanley Park, the snow capped mountains...need I say more!

Stroller traveling on the SeaBus

As soon as you arrive in North Vancouver, onward you go with the next part of your trip to Lynn Valley or Grouse Mountains or other North Vancouver destinations via bus connections at the exchange depo. Turn right on to the Lonsdale Quay Market and you can enjoy a short walk along the newly renovated public space.  

Bus loop at Londsdale Quay

Lonsdale Quay Market

With a glorious sunny morning right in the middle of a Canadian winter, we couldn’t pass on the temptation to take a stroll. We walked at toddler pace enjoying the crisp views of Vancouver skyline and the mountains. Heading back, we took delight in this waterfront while we were waiting for the SeaBus to arrive. It is easy to see the vessel approaching and it only takes a couple of minutes to board again. Do not panic if you miss one. There’s one in every 15mins!

Happy walking!

This article is written by BEST’s Isabel Garcia. #walkability

Summary card of the walk.

Know your transit...

The wheels of the bus go...

Public transit is the best option to complement a truly walkable community. MetroVancouver is one of the well serviced regions. Whether your destination is too far, too steep, the day is too hot or too rainy you can always take the bus and/or Skytrain.

Public transit is probably the most comfortable way to travel longer distances, especially with young kids. You might be surprised how much they love it and how well they behave. This might also be because they can travel in their beloved cozy stroller. As for you, you can sit next to them and relax, not worrying about the traffic. If they become a little bit fussy, there’s always the bear-hug or lap-time that they very much love. My (now) 2 year old and I have been traveling via the Skytrain and buses since we moved to the city and can tell you a thing or two about how convenient it has been.

Prefer the Skytrain to the bus? For all you young stroller-pushing mothers out there with doubts about boarding the bus, there are only a few simple rules to follow so that you enjoy your journey. When you arrive at the bus stop, make sure to position yourself near the boarding area. You will have priority boarding, of course after wheelchair/mobility aid users. The driver will kneel the bus (this means that it will lower down the entrance to make it closer to the curb). My little one just loves to see this!

After greeting the driver, you tap your Compass card and move toward the reserved area. The seats fold up leaving space for at least two strollers. The driver will wait until you put the breaks on your stroller. Let them know with a simple “...brakes on”.

Source: BEST

Image description: Two strollers travelling on a bus in their reserved area.

When you need to leave, let the driver know in advance so you will have priority getting off. Depending on your stroller and ability to maneuver it, you might want to back up all the way to the street, so your little one has a smoother way out.

Ah and one last thing, don’t forget to thank your driver!

For the Skytrain it is a little bit easier. Tap your Compass card, go to the elevator (most of the platforms are a level or two above/below the entrance level), and wait at the platform. Simple as A-B-C! Waiting times are usually less than 3 minutes and in no time, you can enjoy amazing views of the city. The newer trains have seat-less areas designated to give extra space for wheelchairs, strollers or bicycles, but if it is possible have a seat on the front window (that’s what I prefer). Your little one would love playing the train-driver..toot-toot!

If it works for you, plan your trip at off-peak hours where the experience is even better. Check out what precautionary measures TransLink’s taking to ensure safe transit commutes here. Always wear a mask while it’s mandatory (preferably one for your little one too) and disinfect your hands before and after boarding for that safer experience. Be safe. Enjoy transit.

Increased bus services in Surrey - TransLink

Owing to increased ridership and in line with efforts to support essential workers as we kick-start the new year, TransLink announced adding additional services in 15 bus routes in and around Surrey. Despite the steep fall in ridership last year, TransLink made efforts and had been able to maintain most services. Overall in MetroVancouver, TransLink has increased services in 27 routes. More information on TransLink’s service changes here.

COVID-19: How to safely ride transit during a pandemic?

TransLink has taken many measures to ensure safety of its riders. While promoting social distancing norms, it has also encouraged using the Compass Card (which by the way can be remotely loaded through the website or Park&Go app) supporting contactless payments.

Firstly, the basics. If you’re unwell, stay home and help keep our community safe. While on transit and waiting at platforms, please wear a mask. An added precaution is also to remain as silent as possible. This not only prevents the remote chance of transmission but also allows one to be polite to others. Physical distancing is encouraged, but might not be very effective during peak hours. Planning ahead and working towards adjusting your timings to skip the rush-hour is always helpful. That way you don’t rush and can mindfully take the transit while following all safety precautions. 

TransLink is the first transit operator in North America to install and test Copper and Organosilane coated surfaces on buses. Copper alloy surfaces are naturally antimicrobial with self-sanitizing properties. Literature shows that copper alloy surfaces destroy up to 99.9% of bacteria and viruses within four hours. Organosilane is a wipe-on coating that can provide long-lasting protection against damaging microbes such as bacteria, mold, mildew and many viruses. When used in tandem with good hygiene and cleaning protocols, copper and organosilanes can help inhibit the buildup and growth of viruses and bacteria. Currently there are 2 buses and 2 SkyTrain cars featuring these installations. Learn more about it here.

TransLink (TL) has deployed Pit Crews for cleaning surfaces on transit frequently (platforms, stations and even the interiors of trains). In addition to daily schedules, buses, HandyDART vehicles are being cleaned twice a week to ensure disinfection of high touch surfaces.

Do make sure to subscribe to Transit Alerts on TL’s website or follow them on social media for regular updates about services. More information on TL’s COVID-19 precautions here.

New Location for The Bicycle Valet at Granville Island in 2021

Granville Island is one of Vancouver’s favorite places to visit all year round. And there’s always a huge uptick of visitors during the spring-summer season. With countless local artisan shops to choose from, you’re assured of a great time at the Island. Getting to the island is a breeze too. Think car-less. The location is conveniently connected to few of the main arteries of TransLink’s bus services. You could even use the aquabus to get there if you fancy enjoying the views of the False Creek. And of course, you can ride your bike there. Don’t worry we got you covered.

BEST’s Bicycle Valet will be available for the 2021 spring-summer season once again. Following the first wave of the pandemic induced lockdown, we are now experienced (from last year) in providing COVID-19 safe services. This year although it will be a new location.

Source: granvilleisland.com

Image description: Location map for the Chain and Forge public space

The Chain and Forge location is quite centrally located. While we liked the older location, this one is bigger and more accessible. (we also like the fact that we get to occupy one of the car parking spaces #sustainabletransportation). Owing to the size of the plot, we will be able to park more number of bikes. In the pre-pandemic years, we’ve always found ourselves scrambling for space. The wide access points to the parking lot adds to the convenience and helps us in getting creative with our workflow and operations.

The new location, if you didn’t know already, is the place to host many events too! Valet parking right by the side while you enjoy the festivities at the island. The island creates a wonderful ambience with seating arrangements and a stage at the Chain and Forge. You must check it out. 

Similar to the past years, we will have complimentary Project529 registrations on-site. Check out the program here. With over a million bikes registered in Vancouver alone, this initiative supported by the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) takes your bike security to the next level. Since introduction, bike thefts in the city have been reduced by 40%. The tags are unique identifiers to help identify your bike down if stolen. Why should you register your bikes at The Bicycle Valet? Because we do it for free (yes this is free too!) and more so because the tags that we receive are pre-registered by the VPD. All the more reason to pay us….um...a visit =)

Source: Project529

Image description: The world’s largest bike registry announcement. 1 million bikes

We also plan to add a few more info/services at our desk at the island. Do ride your bike and check us out. We hope to serve you at the island during your visit this season. Visit us here.

Walkable New Westminster - A short walking tour of the Agnes Street Greenway

Source: www.newwestcity.ca

Image description: Map with the Greenway intervention phases

Happy New Year! What better way to welcome the new year than taking a stroll down the neighborhood. Especially, when it’s a new walkability project!

The Agnes Street Greenway is a part of the City of New Westminster’s commitment to sustainable transportation and climate emergency response. This is a new 1.2-kilometre greenway along Agnes Street to support Active Transportation.

Always excited about new infrastructure advancements promoting walkability, we could not wait to experience it ourselves and virtually take you on a tour. As a part of the engagement process, the City has been installing an interim greenway using temporary materials along a portion of the designated route. The temporary route will run along Agnes Street from First Street in the east, connecting south onto Lorne Street before terminating at Carnarvon Street. 

Video shot on relive.cc APP

We took the Phase-1 route. This route connects, in about 15 minutes walk, Queen’s Park with New Westminster Skytrain Station. It is comfortable to walk and a relief from the noisy streets. Owing to the route's elevation, you are treated to great views of the river. We noticed some shared pathways which encourages all road users to be more aware of their surroundings.

The elevation is mostly flat with the exception of Lorne Street where the BC Provincial Court building is located. This area might be challenging due the natural inclination of Lorne and its connection with Agnes by stairs. You might find it safer to share the lane with cyclists in this section because the sidewalk provides access to the Court garages.

If you have difficulty using stairs, we recommend you take a detour through Carnarvon Street until Fourth and then head up back to Agnes. If you are cycling and/or able, you might use the short bicycle ramp/stairway.

Source: BEST

Image description: a mother pushing a baby stroller in front of the Agnes-Lorne intersection

Still under construction, the bike lane intersections look like they will be protected from the vehicular traffic, but they will need to share lanes with pedestrians at certain nodes.

In the images below you can see Agnes-Fourth intersection lined with protected (concrete markers) bike lanes.

Source: BEST

Image description: Provisional intersection Agnes-Fourth

One of the added benefits of this route is that it will expand the mobility choices for the students and staff of the École Qayqayt. The Merivale intersection is a traffic calmed zone (speed limit 30km/h) where the bike lane merges into the curb extension creating a shared space for cyclists and pedestrians.

Source: BEST

Image description: Provisional intersection where the bike lane merges into the sidewalk

Active Transportation allows us to move safely and responsibly in our communities and more so grown in popularity since the pandemic. 

So there you have it, our short take on the Agnes Greenway project. Check it our for yourself and we encourage you to share your inputs with the City. It will be considered by the project design team as they create a greenway that is safe, comfortable, and accessible for people of all ages and abilities in this link. Help design your neighbourhood better. More about it here.

Happy walking!

This article is written by BEST’s Isabel Garcia. #walkability

Moving in a Livable Region - All Candidates Forum

On October 15, Moving in a Livable Region held an online forum with three candidates seeking to be elected as MLAs in the Metro Vancouver area. George Affleck (BC Liberals), Bowinn Ma (BC NDP) and Harrison Johnston (BC Green Party) participated in a transit nerd, polite and positive debate about mobility and land use.

All three candidates agreed that public transit, not highways, are the solution that will keep the region moving. Conversation ranged from long term planning to funding, policies, and opportunities to improve the service without increasing fares.

Bowinn Ma, speaking from her experience in government in the last sitting of the legislature, noted that the BC NDP is assuring public transit operators that continuing operational funding will be available.

Harrison Johnston argued that free transit for youth will encourage people to make public transit their preferred option. He noted that collaboration with municipalities would be important in developing this program.

George Affleck talked about the need to support local economies by creating a predictable long-term funding formula would help deliver economic stability.

All three candidates expressed support for the idea of extending the Broadway Subway Project from Arbutus to UBC.

Walking for Health and Fitness: 3 Reason Why

Year-round walking is a great way to get your daily dose of physical activity. By making a conscious effort to walk every day, it can be easily incorporated into your daily routine, using 30-minutes to collect your thoughts, connect with friends or get in your daily podcast. 

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, cities and towns all over the province have been making efforts to improve the quality of outdoor spaces for pedestrians in order to make more space to walk (and bike, and roll) with more physical distance between one another. Check out the What’s Happening page to see what’s going on in a community near you.

My Maps makes it easy for you to create beautiful maps and share them with others.

Here are 3 reasons why walking is a great way to get active:

1. It can add years to your life. Walking improves cardiac risk factors such as cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, vascular stiffness and inflammation, and mental stress. Studies have shown that walking reduces the risk of cardiovascular events by 31% and cuts the risk of dying by 32%, in both men and women. Walking every day at a casual pace can achieve this, although the longer you walk and the faster the pace, the greater the results. Read More>>

2. It’s the cheapest form of exercise around. You don't need any special equipment to walk in the course of your daily life. All you need to walk is a good pair of shoes (something well-fitting and supportive) and somewhere to walk! Proper footwear is important in order to avoid foot, leg, hip and back pain in the future. Read more>>

   Consider getting off the bus one stop early or taking the further parking spot to get in a little extra walking. 30-minutes of walking a day is best recommended and can be done all at once or over the course of the day. Consider all those little ways you can incorporate walking into your daily routine and get the benefits!

3. It’s a guilt-free social networking tool. A great way to make time to get together with friends, family or coworkers. It’s a low impact exercise making it accessible to most individuals. Consider grabbing your catch-up coffee with a friend while taking a walk around the block, or walk to a park and enjoy lunch, the walk and the fresh air and see the benefits for your mental and physical health! Or consider bringing a pair of earbuds with a built-in microphone for your phone and take meetings while you walk, instant mobile office!

Walking is an easy way to get a little exercise in and realize the benefits for your health and fitness, your pocketbook and your social interactions, personally and professionally! Challenge yourself to walk 30-minutes every day, and see how it improves your day!

Urban inequities in the Era of COVID 19

The history of walking, we can imagine, dates back to the history of man. I don’t know anyone who questions why we walk or how we walk, it’s simply ingrained in the human experience. However, the history of walking itself has not looked the same for all, often highlighting social, health, and economic inequities of different individual walking and urban experiences.

This comes down to a number of social factors and often, how these present themselves in the built environment of our cities. This means the physical infrastructure of sidewalks, roads, green spaces and lighting.

 As we begin to acknowledge these inequities in the urban walking experience, cities are beginning to put plans and actions in place to remediate past decisions and improve conditions of historically marginalized places and people. During a pandemic, however, these inequities have been further made clear. Read more>> 

The COVID 19 pandemic has revealed these inequities in the urban experience that have historically affected vulnerable and marginalized communities. As individuals went into social isolation and now into social distancing, we are quickly noticing a need for more access to space for recreation in many urban areas. In turn, many communities around BC, Canada and in the world have acted on this, relocating road space to serve the needs of pedestrians and cyclists. These quick and dirty urban changes have blown the door of bureaucracy open and pointed to a new era where necessary urban changes can be put in place quickly and effectively with results that indicate success. 

As individuals turn to taking more bike and walking trips, it’s important that cities reflect this shift in the space available to these groups in order to help keep both separate and safe. It is important to remember the different needs of both these groups in an effort to minimize traffic accidents and promote road safety. Read more>>

Curb cut vs. no curb cut.

Carbon emissions have fallen due to the effects of these changes and a renewed perspective on active transportation. Walking and cycling are modes of transportation that are accessible to the majority of the population physically but not necessarily socially in the context of the urban environment. Walking should be an accessible and positive experience for all -- after all, it is human instinct to do so, no question. 

Let us consider the perspectives gained through the COVID 19 pandemic to improve the walking experience for all individuals. Improving the equity of walking will in turn make it a more viable option for running errands, getting to work, recreation and leisure. After all, walking is part of human history and as such should be a viable option for everyone, regardless of social, economic and health status.

BESTs’ Living Streets program is learning about barriers to walking for individuals around BC, and if your walking habits have been affected by COVID 19. Fill out the Living Streets survey to tell us about your walking habits and how walking could be improved in your community.

Reallocating space for walking: How communities around BC are stepping up to make a change.

Municipalities around BC are taking action to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic introducing new measures — and in some cases changing local laws and regulations — to support physical distancing for residents in public spaces and retail areas. More>>

These exciting changes have been popping up all around BC in various locations and scales. From the north, to the interior, to the south coast, communities are taking action to make more space for pedestrians, in part through the reallocation of driving and parking lanes on our streets  to meet the needs of people trying to meet health guidance related to physical spacing.

Here are 8 communities around BC that have reallocated space for pedestrians.

Castlegar

The City of Castlegar has initiated a six-month Open Streets Pilot Project in support of the business community by making streets, sidewalks, parking areas and open spaces available to assist businesses in meeting the physical distancing measures of the Province and to encourage residents to get outside and feel safe. More >>

Kitimat

A pilot project for a temporary outdoor plaza in the Lower City Centre parking lot. The 2020 Summer Plaza provides a place to gather in small groups whistle maintaining physical distancing. More>>

Merritt

Merrit’s Economic Recovery Plan has created opportunities for street parking and plaza parking to be converted into temporary patios to make room for distance-friendly dining at local restaurants. If this temporary plan results in favourable responses, there may be an opportunity to make these reallocations permanent! More >>

Nelson

The City has passed new legislation that provides flexibility in the use of on-street parking allowing for the increase of outdoor seating for restaurants and cafes. More>> 

North Vancouver

By reallocating existing road space in key areas, the city is improving access to businesses while supporting the health and safety of residents with more space for physical distancing, encouraging safe walking, cycling and business operations. More>>

Oak Bay

The community has made amendments to the Streets and Traffic Bylaw to expedite the approval process for temporary sidewalk and parking stall patios. In addition, application and administrative fees for these applications will temporarily not be collected. More >>

Powell River

A bylaw has been passed to allow for sidewalk patios and parklets. Over a dozen patios have opened since the bylaw was passed earlier this summer. More >>

Vancouver

Temporary road closures, or ‘slow streets’ have been implemented in and around the city to limit vehicle access to select roads and paths to limit large gathering and help maintain a 2 metres of physical distance while exercising and getting fresh air. More>>

Let us know what your community is doing to make space for pedestrians and we will feature it on our What’s Happening Page! Contact us at living.streets@best.bc.ca

Living Streets on the Amazing Places podcast

Earlier this month, 3-term former Saanich councillor Dean Murdock spoke to Alix Tier from our Living Streets team on his new Amazing Places podcast.

Dean and Alix spoke about how walking should always be a consideration in our communities, and how especially now — in this time of living, working and playing locally — we might be able to encourage communities to make changes to facilitate better walking environments.

Click the image to go to Amazing Places: Episode 4.

Dean asked all the right questions, such as the big one: why focus on walking? As Alix points out, walking is great for our physical health, but especially when the pandemic has led to a work-from-home boom, it's been an important way to maintain mental health and social connections. Staying inside, feeling the COVID-19-related uncertainty, and having to maintain physical distance was challenging for all of us, and continues to place limits on how and where we move about. It has also has allowed walking (or rolling, depending on your mobility challenges) to serve as common ground for all — a democratizing activity, if you will.

How about walking without a purpose? Dean and Alix delve into the many ways we have changed our approach to walking. And not just from the perspective of the ‘average citizen’. Thanks to the creativity of cities and towns across BC, we now see ‘slow streets’ — low-tech engineering measures, like speed humps, raised intersections, or narrowing of roadways, aimed at reducing motor vehicle speeds and congestion in local communities, to make more space and safer walking conditions for people.

As Dean notes, it sometimes also takes political will for local governments to make decisions around transportation changes, even those that are common sense for all the right health and environmental reasons. And as Alix notes, changes that make streets in our communities more conducive to local trips “challenges our thinking, and why we used to make certain decisions and choices about where we shop, where we recreate, and how we interact with the urban realm.”

Take a listen to this episode of Amazing Places.

The environmental benefits of walking : 3 reasons to walk more

Beyond the many mental, physical and community health benefits of walking, it can also result in a number of benefits for the environment. 

These benefits may not be immediately visible, but over time walking can contribute to the sustainability of our communities, the places we work, and the places we recreate. Increasing the number of local trips we take on foot rather than in a vehicle — and making an effort to stay local and reduce our carbon footprint — can result in long term benefits for our local and global communities.

Here are 3 reasons walking helps the natural and physical environment, and us.

Improves Air Quality

When choosing walking over other modes of transportation (such as a car), we reduce the number of harmful emissions created and released into the atmosphere. These emissions damage the natural and physical environments, in addition to impacting our physical health.

According to the BC Government’s website on Climate Action, “Emissions from the transportation sector have grown 42% since 1990 and made up 37% of BC’s total GHG emissions in 2005. Within the sector, 60% of these emissions came from road vehicles, and most of the road vehicle emissions came from light passenger vehicles.” Read more >>

By choosing walking for small and local trips, we greatly contribute to the overall reduction of air pollution and contribute to an improvement in air quality, benefiting the overall health of the environment and ourselves. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has improved pollution levels across BC and the globe. Read more >>

Less Demand for Motor Vehicles

Canadians on average use almost more energy than any other country in the world — one of the reasons is our heavy reliance on motor vehicles. For many of us living in urban areas, many of our shorter trips can be taken on foot, bike or public transit. These shorter trips are particularly harmful to the environment with increased levels of fuel consumption (through frequently turning on the ignition, traffic congestion and idling), producing higher rates of harmful emissions. Read more >>

By reducing the need for motor vehicles we can directly influence the reduction in manufacturing and sales, which can result in less carbon-intensity in the manufacturing and supply chains. These changes over time can have a significant effect on the reduction of harmful emissions and air pollution resulting in better air quality. 

“The millions of Canadians who drive vehicles every day can take steps to help reduce fuel use, CO2 emissions and slow down the rate of climate change. The solutions include actions such as carefully planning trips by combining errands, driving at the posted speed limits, avoiding jack rabbit starts and stops, maintaining proper tire pressure, or even walking or taking a bus instead of the car.” Read more >>

Lowers Noise Levels

Greater pedestrian traffic and lower vehicle traffic can help to reduce noise pollution. Noise pollution affects the health of the environment and people, and can discourage wildlife and vegetation from coming into urban areas. 

“It [noise] can affect an animal’s ability to hear or make it difficult for it to find food, locate mates and avoid predators. It can also impair its ability to navigate, communicate, reproduce and participate in normal behaviours.” Read more>>

Significant noise can also discourage walking as a viable alternative to driving and reduces the quality of life for those living in high traffic areas. “Exposure to prolonged or excessive noise has been shown to cause a range of health problems ranging from stress, poor concentration, productivity losses in the workplace, and communication difficulties and fatigue from lack of sleep, to more serious issues such as cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment, tinnitus and hearing loss.” Read more>>

Walking more and driving less can contribute to making neighbourhoods more desirable. Read more >>

Find out how your daily habits and lifestyle affect the environment. What changes could you incorporate on an individual scale to make affect change at a global scale?

Check out your carbon footprint Here >>

Inclusive & Accessible: 10 Great BC Walks

We walk to get food, we walk to seek shelter, we walk for pleasure and exercise, and we walk for community and connection. In many ways, since the beginning of time, why and where we walk have changed very little.

In British Columbia, we have the opportunity to walk in various regions and across a variety of beautiful landscapes. These landscapes define many of the communities we live in. Fortunately in BC, many communities have put infrastructure and projects in place to encourage walking and make it a safe and accessible option for people of all ages and abilities. This comes in the form of well connected and maintained sidewalks and walking paths and pedestrian plazas. 

Inclusive and accessible walking trails are defined as being wide enough for individuals in wheelchairs or with a stroller, low grading, smooth for ease of walking and rolling, and well signed.

Here are 10 walks around BC that are inclusive and accessible to all ages and abilities.  

1. Shorepine Bog trail - Tofino

https://www.gotofino.com/tofinobeachestrails/all-beaches-trails/shoreline-bog-trail-tofino-bc/

Walk among the sphagnum moss that carpets the forest floor.

2. Hidden Groves - Sechelt

https://hiddengroves.ca/home

Two fully accessible trails. 

3. Accessible Trails - Cariboo Regional District

https://www.cariboord.bc.ca/services/recreation-2/accessible-trails/

25 trails that are all ability friendly!

4. Seymour Valley Trail - North Vancouver

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/sports/seymour-valley-trailway-1920829

Many kilometres of accessible trails 

5. Inland Lake Trail - Powell River

https://sunshinecoastcanada.com/blog/2014/01/52-weeks-of-trails-week-3/

13 km, fully accessible trail that loops around the entire lake. 

6. Kaslo River Trail - Kaslo

https://westkootenayhiking.ca/kaslo-river/

The first 650m is wheelchair accessible

7. Naikoon Provincial Park - Haida Gwaii

https://sci-bc.ca/haida-gwaii-opens-wheelchair-friendly-boardwalks-and-virtual-hike/

Accessible boardwalks and virtual hiking trails 

8. Kinuseo Falls - Tumbler Ridge

https://tumblerridge.ca/discover/id/10/kinuseo-falls

9. Ancient Forest - Prince George

http://bcparks.ca/explore/parkpgs/ancient-forest/

2.3 km of boardwalk provides access to magnificent “Big” Tree, Tree Beard, Radies Tree and a beautiful cascading waterfall.

10. Forbidden Plateau - Strathcona Provincial Park

http://bcparks.ca/explore/parkpgs/strath/forbid.html

The Darkis Lake Trail is stable, firm and slip resistant. 

Urban vs. Rural Walking - A Divide?

Depending on where you live in BC walking can look quite different, whether because of infrastructure, the landscape or the culture that surrounds walking.

Where many urban areas have been pushed to allocate more physical space and resources to active transportation, this poses a bigger challenge in many rural areas where distances are longer and it may be less feasible to get around on foot. Walking around BC can have many perspectives.

Here are 4 factors that can affect your walking experience, depending on where you live:

Distance

In urban areas, you may be more likely to live within walking distance of shops, markets and cafes, and often with an abundance of choices. You may also live with a number of neighbours — beside, below and above. This density of dwellings often means that we can walk to a variety of destinations from our homes and often see people we know; counter-intuitively, such highly social environments can also make it easier to keep to ourselves, even while being in close proximity to many people. 

In rural areas, this often isn’t the case. With longer distances between neighbours and amenities, driving is a more necessary part of an outing. This might mean driving into town, parking and walking that last kilometre to the shops. 

Infrastructure

Proper pedestrian infrastructure is a significant factor in feeling safe while out on a walk. With urban areas much more concentrated and dense than rural areas, the availability of such infrastructure can play a major role in a person’s desire to walk in the first place. With shorter distances between locations, the value of good quality sidewalks - and their network-style connectivity - is much more obvious. Whereas in rural areas, given the distances between destinations, walking infrastructure like sidewalks and paved multi-use paths are harder to fund and implement, and trail networks are sometimes relied upon. 

Aside from sidewalks, infrastructure for healthy living and walking extends to local trail networks, often largely present and accessible in smaller and rural communities where driving to your walking destination is a normal and encouraged activity. 

Connectivity

As a result of distance and infrastructure, urban areas often have more connected walking networks than rural areas. These connected networks make it easy to go from home to work or to shops, and often encourage urban dwellers to get out on foot in their immediate communities. 

Although connectivity from home is convenient, multi-modal connectivity in rural areas is often necessary for getting out and about in the community; driving, biking or busing to a destination before lacing up your shoes are particularly common as part of getting out for a walk. 

Landscape

We are quite fortunate in British Columbia to have beautiful landscapes most everywhere, both urban and rural.  As a result of this, and for the large majority of our communities, we have access to thousands of unique, natural places for walking and general leisure. Whereas in urban landscapes you are often looking out to these beautiful landscapes, rural landscapes are often immersed in these landscapes. Surrounded by water, wildlife and mountains, you’re sure to have somewhere beautiful to walk whether you’re living in Vancouver, Courtenay, Revelstoke, or Smithers. 

Walking throughout BC can look very different, and although distance, infrastructure, connectivity and landscape are important, taking into account the regional and cultural context of our urban and rural communities should help guide how we support walking, as opposed to a single, common set of standards.

Tell us more about where and why you walk by filling out the Living Streets Survey!

Seniors' Mobility: Getting Around During a Pandemic

Public transit use has been greatly reduced in the past five months, especially amongst older adults vulnerable to COVID-19. Until there is greater evidence of the safety of public transit use, many seniors may continue to avoid using our bus and train networks for their daily transportation needs. 

While some older people may be walking, cycling or getting rides from others inside their social bubble, many are driving their privately-owned cars more frequently, which compounds the trends towards increased dependency on cars that can accompany the aging process.

Mobility for senior citizens is important - for shopping, medical appointments, social occasions and continued participation in community life. In the short-term, having older adults drive themselves to avoid COVID risk makes sense. In the longer-term, the liveability and vibrancy of our communities depends on a public transit system to reduce traffic congestion and provide a healthy alternative to driving. 

Economic recovery is, in part, linked to the recovery of the public transit system. Older adults that rely on shared transportation may have better long-term health outcomes if they can avoid social isolation and loneliness that may occur after they no longer hold a driving license.

 To rebuild public confidence in the safety of public transit systems, TransLink has introduced a number of initiatives aimed at reducing health risks. High-touch surfaces like seats, poles, handles, and windowsills are regularly sprayed with disinfectant. Many transit riders follow the signs and announcements which encourage the use of face coverings. Mandatory mask rules have not been necessary to get riders to wear masks at this time. Riders are also being encouraged to help maintain physical distancing by planning trips during off-peak times, when transit vehicles are less busy. Hand sanitizer is also available in many transit stations.

In addition to increasing awareness and encouraging use of public transit, BEST is helping provide transportation to seniors so they can attend to medical appointments and many other activities of daily living without having to rely on a single occupancy vehicle. Since early in the pandemic, we have arranged volunteers and paid drivers to deliver groceries, meal kits, prescriptions and laundry services for seniors. 

Our Living Streets program, featured above, is also doing outreach to senior-serving organizations to encourage older adults to walk more – for transportation, leisure and recreation and physical/mental health. 

If you’d like to get involved with our seniors transportation programs, please get in touch with us.

Vancouver’s Patiotown and Murals of Gratitude Bring New Life to Historic Gastown

Back in 2017, Vancouver began working on Gastown Complete Streets, a transportation plan for the city's historic Gastown neighbourhood, and an offshoot of the city's Transportation 2040 and Downtown Eastside plans. 

The Gastown plan suggested it was time to look into developing Vancouver’s first car-light area, and to look at transit and cycling improvements for the area’s narrow, often cobblestoned streets. The plan would also prioritize celebrating the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations on whose territory it was founded, and acknowledging the area’s complex history in relation to indigenous people.

Then COVID-19 arrived. 

While the long-range plan was temporarily paused, this past June the city launched its Temporary Expedited Patio Program, as part of the COVID response for the local business community. The patio program allows food and liquor serving establishments to expand their indoor seating outside, subject to their ability to adhere to public health requirements around physical distancing. (The temporary patio permits are free to local businesses, and are valid until October 31, 2020.)

Then in early July, in partnership with the Gastown BIA, the city closed a portion of the 200-block of Carrall Street, considered by many to be the heart of the district's nightlife scene. 

Patiotown, as it is now known, consists of many eating and drinking establishments that might be challenged to attract customers in a summer like no other.

Instead, this vibrant stretch of Gastown is now closed to motor vehicle traffic, providing space for public seating, patios, physical distancing, as well as the walking and cycling activity now seen in such significant volumes in cities and towns across BC.

Patiotown now boasts close to 500 outdoor dining spaces, and is supported by The Bicycle Valet, courtesy of BEST, every Friday and Saturday from 5 to 11 pm. (See The Bicycle Valet summer calendar here.)

Need another reason to visit Gastown this summer? Supported by the Gastown BIA, Murals of Gratitude is a volunteer-driven, grassroots public art project which started soon after the COVID-19 outbreak, and has transformed boarded-up storefronts into canvases for local artists. Murals of Gratitude and the murals themselves - which can be seen throughout the neighbourhood — pay tribute to the positive impacts of frontline essential services workers on the Gastown community, and serves as a reminder that we are all in this together.

Visit Gastown’s Patiotown this summer - bring your bike, park it for free with the Bicycle Valet, and enjoy some of the best art, food and drink Vancouver has to offer.

Walking, Educating, Staying Safe - Community Highlight

Communities around BC are actively taking action to make streets safer for pedestrians -- this includes pedestrian plazas, car-free days and slower streets.

Located in the North Coast region of BC, and designed on Garden City principles, the District of Kitimat boasts some unique pedestrian infrastructure and has recently implemented a new pedestrian plaza.

Whereas in many communities around BC homes traditionally face outwards to the street, in Kitimat they face inwards towards a community-wide network of walking paths. This contributes to a friendly and safe community environment, benefiting children, seniors and everyone in between. This unique network of sidewalks stands as a point of pride in the District of Kitimat. Check out the full network here.

In addition to their walking network, the District recently implemented a new pedestrian plaza, converting a section of a large surface parking lot into an activated space with food trucks. Soon to come, picnic tables!

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5 ways almost any community can make walking safer

Walking is a great way to spend time outside and be active, but depending on where you live and your surrounding environment, there may be barriers in the way of you feeling safe. 

Feeling safe while out for a walk, whether it be with proper street lighting, well-maintained sidewalks, or marked crossings. These factors can all contribute to you feeling safe while out on a walk.

Here are 5 ways communities can make their streets safer for pedestrians to encourage walking:

Accessible and continuous sidewalks

Sidewalks make us inherently safer due to physical separation from cars and bicycles. As such, they should be accessible for all users, including those with strollers, wheelchairs, walkers or other devices. Accessible sidewalks mean proper curb cuts, tactile surfaces, crosswalks and enough width to pass or walk with a friend. Continuous sidewalks mean sidewalks that don’t end abruptly and connect to each other.

‘Slow streets’

Greater safety for people on foot can be achieved through ‘Slow streets’, a relatively new term for a variety of measures for slowing vehicle speeds and reducing traffic volumes in neighbourhoods and on local streets,  including speed humps, raised intersections, narrowing of roadways, and reallocation vehicle lanes for retail activity like queuing, dining or congregating in small groups. By slowing vehicle traffic, the number of pedestrian-vehicle collisions is reduced, and the pedestrian activity is more likely to increase.

Car-free spaces

Events like ‘car-free days’ are opportunities for everyone to fill the streets with activity and life, no matter what your typical travel mode may be. Car-free spaces provide a new and safe perspective of the street for pedestrians by temporarily limiting access of the street to cars, which helps reduce air pollution, increases space for leisure activities, and enables physical distancing.

More street lighting

Street lighting increases pedestrian visibility and security, particularly on streets with lots of tree cover. In addition to the spacing between lights, it’s important to keep street lights at a pedestrian scale for optimum visibility while walking. These factors are particularly important during the long and dark winters we often have in BC.

Converting inactive spaces into pedestrian plazas

Pedestrian plazas are a great way to convert underutilized spaces into safe places for people to stop, observe, and interact with their surroundings, which also promotes local businesses and fosters a sense of community. 

Making our communities safer for pedestrians benefits all modes of transportation, and contributes to the fundamental principles of Vision Zero - to promote safe mobility and to eliminate harm to all road users. 

Fill out the Living Streets Survey to let us know what barriers there are to walking in your community. Check out livingstreets.ca to find out more about how communities across BC are encouraging walking and making their streets safer.

Walking for Healthy Living, Healthy Communities

Many of us walk for a variety of reasons, whether it’s to exercise, get groceries, walk to the bus, walk the dog, or just to get outside. All of these are great reasons, and they all contribute to healthy living. 

We know the benefits of walking for health -- it lowers blood pressure, it’s good for the cardiovascular system, it reduces our chance of heart disease, and even helps keep bones and muscles strong. 

But walking for healthy living can also mean mental, social and community health. We walk to clear our minds, whether it be the sidewalks near our home, the main street in town, or on a local trail. 

Walking isn’t just good for us, it also helps us to explore our own communities.

Walking can contribute to the health of our local economies by helping us stay and shop locally, and build relationships with local businesses. This is particularly important during phase 3 of the BC Restart Plan, when many local businesses need our support, including local grocers, cafes, restaurants, galleries, boutiques, and breweries. Walking can help to support the health of all of these businesses and contribute to a stronger, healthier community as a whole.

Consider walking to your local cafe, farmers market or going on an art walk in your community.

Are you looking for a fun way to get out for a walk? Here are some examples of self-guided public walks around BC.

Interior BC

Kamloops Public Art Walking Tour

Kelowna Art Walks

Fernie Art Walk

Nelson Heritage Walk

Revelstoke Historic Walk

Castlegar Sculpture Walk

Lower Mainland

Mount Pleasant Mural Festival Map and Tour

White Rock’s Discover Public Art by Foot

Northern BC

Prince George Historic Downtown

Sea to Sky

Stanley Park Environmental Art Walk

Whistler/Squamish/Bowen Island 

Vancouver Island

Sidney by the Sea Historic Walking Tour

City of Victoria Historic Walking Tours

Tell us more about why you walk, or what barriers stand in the way of you walking more by filling out the Living Streets survey. Check out our Living Streets 2020 group on Strava to be part of an online walking community and see how and why others around BC are walking.

Let us know of any self-directed walks in your community!

Walking for Social Connection and Mental Well-being

The COVID-19 pandemic has led British Columbians to rethink the way we move around our communities and how we inhabit the space within them. 

Walking offers various opportunities for social connection and mental well-being, something many of us might need after weeks of social isolation. Here are a few reasons why walking is good for us and how it can help to improve our overall well being.

1. Walking helps to promote social interaction and is a great opportunity to connect with others during a time that can be quite isolating for many. Walking with friends, family and neighbours is a great way to remain connected and socialize with your community while maintaining the best social distancing practices. 

2. Walking can help to prevent cognitive decline. This means increased memory, learning and thinking abilities. 

3. Walking 30-minutes a day 3-5 times a week can help to boost your mood and energy by releasing endorphins. As many British Columbians shift to working from home, walking is a great way to take a midday break and come back feeling refreshed and alert. 

Consider joining a local walking club in your community or starting one if none already exists. If you prefer walking on your own, but want some extra motivation or sense of community, consider joining one of the Living Streets 2020 online walking groups. The groups can be accessed through either the Strava or ChallengeRunner (challenge code: bc03ru-2d0t) apps. 

With the rise of this ‘new normal’ and Dr. Bonnie Henry’s plea to ‘please go outside’, many municipalities are changing how space is allocated to allow for more accessible opportunities for active transportation -- walking included.

Municipalities across the province are doing their part to improve the accessibility to safe walking spaces. Here are a few examples:

• North Vancouver: Destination and neighbourhood streets are part of the City of North Vancouver’s Open Streets Action Plan. This initiative has the goal of promoting the health and safety of residents while allowing space for physical distancing. 

• Kelowna: Downtown streets are being opened up to pedestrians and limited to cars for the summer month, allowing more space to explore the downtown while adhering to physical distancing measures.

• Oak Bay: The community has temporarily reallocated parking spaces for pedestrian use allowing more space for physical distancing.

Check out the What’s Happening in your Area page to learn more about how communities around BC are becoming more walkable. 

Let us know what your community is doing to promote walking for social connection and mental wellbeing, or about barriers to walking in your community. Fill out the Living Streets Survey.

Seniors are on the Move in Communities in Metro Vancouver

The pandemic has presented transportation challenges to older adults with underlying health conditions.

Now that physicians are opening their offices for in-person appointments and hospitals are recommencing routine procedures, seniors’ transportation remains an unresolved issue. For older adults that do not hold a driving license, getting around could be even more difficult than it was before the public health emergency.

Alternatives to private car ownership do exist, including volunteer driving programs, public transit, and HandiDART; however, they’re less available and accessible than prior to COVID-19 for a variety of reasons.

One community player that has taken action to fill the gap is Modo Cooperative. Following the protocols issued by Vancouver Coastal Health for passenger transportation safety, Modo has outfitted a Toyota Sienna with a plastic partition between the driver’s cabin and the passenger area. Senior-serving agencies that are Modo members can book the vehicle and assign staff or volunteers as designated drivers to use the vehicle and help seniors get to their medical appointments.

This partnership came about through the Safe Seniors, Strong Communities program, an initiative of BC Ministry of Health, the Office of the Seniors Advocate and the United Way. Through this program, senior-serving agencies have supported older adults by making deliveries of groceries, prepared meals and prescription medications.

In some cases, drivers made trips to the laundromat, so seniors didn’t have to leave the house.

As the BC Restart Plan goes into Phase Three, we expect that neighbourhood houses, community centres and senior-serving agencies will soon be opening their doors and resuming regular programming. This will create opportunities for seniors who have been socially isolated to get out of the house and participate in community life.

However, transportation services that allows older adults who cannot drive or use public transit remains a challenge.

Are you interested in helping with seniors’ transportation issues? If you are a Modo member, or have your own car, and you would be willing to serve as a volunteer driver, please follow this link to get connected with senior-serving agencies in your area.

Local Governments Make More Room for Walking, Biking & Rolling

New spaces for walking and queuing. Re-allocated travel lanes for cycling and rolling. Expanded patios on streets to support the restaurant sector.

These are just a few examples of initiatives being introduced by local governments over the past few weeks to support British Columbians, as we all look for ways to get back to commuting, shopping, dining out and recreation…while also aiming to maintain our distance.

If the BC re-opening plan is anything like its predecessor (ie. the lockdown plan), it will be a resounding success! If this happens, it will be due, in no small part, to the guidance of the province's Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (‘MoTI’).

In May, MoTI introduced a series of recommendations and resources for local governments — essential guidance on the reallocation of roadway space for physical distancing, which has in turn paved the way forward for many communities across BC to take this as a cue to take decisive action.

These measures seem to make a lot of sense, as they not only support health guidelines, but also broader efforts to support the CleanBC plan to reduce transportation emissions. And that means making small but meaningful changes to reduce automobile dependency, and use active transportation to form the backbone of many aspects of public life.

Here’s a small sampling of initiatives introduced by BC communities to meet the challenge. We hope there’s more to come!

• Victoria: Vehicle access restrictions, parking realignment, and making space on local streets

• Vancouver: Road closures, repurposed road space, and a study of further street reallocations

• North Vancouver City: Reallocation of road space on destination and neighbourhood streets

• Nelson: Reallocation of on-street parking space for sidewalk 'cafes'

• Kamloops: Reallocation of sidewalk and parking stalls for commercial activity

More actions supporting civic changes to enable physical distancing for walking, cycling and rolling, as well as wide variety of economic recovery activity, are underway now! If we've missed something happening in your community, let us know by sending us a note below.

Space Reallocation Tips - Submit Here