Mayors want mobility tax on drivers to fund $7.5B transit expansion

[GLOW]

don't forget the bike lanes. tons of bikes on those all day err day

[68style]

Everything that happens (at least in Vancouver) makes more sense once you accept the fact that Vancouver's city planning mens rea is to make driving so expensive and such a piss off that you're forced out of your car. I'm not making it up, I know civil engineers that have worked for the city and that end goal has been in place as long as 10 years ago when they were there and it's not going to stop. Car drivers are never ever going to get another break.

[4444]

Originally Posted by 68style

Everything that happens (at least in Vancouver) makes more sense once you accept the fact that Vancouver's city planning mens rea is to make driving so expensive and such a piss off that you're forced out of your car. I'm not making it up, I know civil engineers that have worked for the city and that end goal has been in place as long as 10 years ago when they were there and it's not going to stop. Car drivers are never ever going to get another break.

you say that, yet i live in a place where petrol is well over $2 per litre, parking is >$6 per hour (ok, similar to van), etc.

you know what gets ppl out of their cars - better options, not expense. the only ppl that get hurt when you make it more expensive to drive your car places are poor ppl as they usually live in the suburbs and rely on their chevy cavelier to get to work - you rise costs of driving, that's who you hurt, not the twenty something that lives at home, or middle income driver - they can take the hit.

driving isn't exactly expensive in vancovuer (it is relative to the US, but that's the US)

CoV are retards, they just don't get it!

[Traum]

4444,

Given how you no longer live in Vancouver, your view of how everyone needs a car (of their own) is outdated. In addition to what others have said, car sharing / hourly rental companies have become far more popular than they have been in the past. I know a number of people where their primary transportation method is public transit. And them for the rest of the time, some bike, some rent (zip car, modo) etc. With the ones that rent / does car sharing, they all tell me that their annual transportation costs run at leave several hundred dollars cheaper a year than if they owned a car themselves. As a matter of fact, one of them said the savings is over $1k a year, not including maintenance / servicing cost. They still see friends and family.

Car ownership is still the most common way for Vancouverites to get around. But for some people, they can definitely make it work quite well without (owning) a car.

[Mr.HappySilp]

Originally Posted by 68style

Everything that happens (at least in Vancouver) makes more sense once you accept the fact that Vancouver's city planning mens rea is to make driving so expensive and such a piss off that you're forced out of your car. I'm not making it up, I know civil engineers that have worked for the city and that end goal has been in place as long as 10 years ago when they were there and it's not going to stop. Car drivers are never ever going to get another break.

Is such a bullshit planning. There are ppl who lives outside of Vancouver that needs to work in Vancouver. All this does is add more traffic jams lowers people spending power. Try telling someone who lives in south surrey or Detla not to drive to work.

[Y2K_o__o]

Originally Posted by Traum

4444,

Given how you no longer live in Vancouver, your view of how everyone needs a car (of their own) is outdated. In addition to what others have said, car sharing / hourly rental companies have become far more popular than they have been in the past. I know a number of people where their primary transportation method is public transit. And them for the rest of the time, some bike, some rent (zip car, modo) etc. With the ones that rent / does car sharing, they all tell me that their annual transportation costs run at leave several hundred dollars cheaper a year than if they owned a car themselves. As a matter of fact, one of them said the savings is over $1k a year, not including maintenance / servicing cost. They still see friends and family.

Car ownership is still the most common way for Vancouverites to get around. But for some people, they can definitely make it work quite well without (owning) a car.

If car ownership is still the most common way for Vancouverites, it is NOT outdated. Your point of view is assuming everyone works near skytrain / bus station. Do your friends completely sold the car or still keeping his / her spouse car ?

I personally tried to commute by public transit, but end up insuring my car back because I had spent alot of time waiting / connecting bus. Park and ride is not an alternate solution either, I end up paying $5 at Holdom skytrain station for a day ( x 20 for a month) + $124 bus pass per month. In addition to this, I have to sacrifice my weekend grocery shopping time.

Perhaps you would say "find another job where you live closer to work", but this doesn't apply to everyone as some may have owned property, and some may have certain jobs that are only available in certain areas (heavy industries in Delta / Mitchell island / Annacis Island)


Everyone

[Soundy]

Originally Posted by toyota86

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this but I believe at some point in the late 60's the government proposed to build a 8-10 lane freeway all the way from the second narrow to the downtown core and a new bridge up towards north Van connecting back to the trans Canada. I think it was called Project 200. There were talks of ring roads and more freeways connecting to other municipalities among other things. Nothing materialized because the majority of citizens opposed the upgrades. The government did forsee the need for infrastructure upgrades. Too bad it never happened. I believe GVRD would be overall better off today if the infrastructure was built then. My guess is that it would have delayed the emergence of the current congestion and transit problems by at least a few more decades. On the flip side, negatives such as urban sprawl and increased reliance on cars could occur.

And of course, this wouldn't be possible anymore, between the way the city has grown, and the way costs of everything have skyrocketed - some materials like metals have gone up way beyond the rate of inflation.

[quasi]

Originally Posted by 4444

most people rely on cars in Vancouver, don't kid yourself.

only select small neighborhoods can realistically live sans car.

I totally agree for most families having a car or two is non negotiable. My wife has a skytrain station right next to her office and it's still to inconvenient for her to bus/train it from where we live. I think once you have kids and have to deal with there schedules and extra curricular stuff it makes having no vehicle very difficult.

I'm trying to picture me and my 8 year old son waiting at the bus stop after his football practice at 8:30 on a school night in November so I can get him home, feed him dinner, get him in the shower and do reading with him all before 11pm..... LOL. Public transit will NEVER be an option for my family.

[Traum]

I most certainly don't assume everyone works near public transit stations. Even if they do, it doesn't necessarily mean public transit is a viable option for them. The moment you factor in transfer time (esp waiting for buses), public transit's viability drops very quickly.

Some of my friends operate on a single car within the family. Others have completely given up their cars in exchange for a bus pass and modo / zip car membership.

What I am saying is:

1) Car ownership is still the dominant form of how people get around the city.

2) For some people (and this is more than just a niche segment of the population), opting out of the car ownership game is definitely viable.

3) With some of the people I know, option #2 is allowing them to save a noticeable amount of money. But the majority of my friends are still car owners that regularly commute to work in their own cars.

Originally Posted by Y2K_o__o

If car ownership is still the most common way for Vancouverites, it is NOT outdated. Your point of view is assuming everyone works near skytrain / bus station. Do your friends completely sold the car or still keeping his / her spouse car ?

I personally tried to commute by public transit, but end up insuring my car back because I had spent alot of time waiting / connecting bus. Park and ride is not an alternate solution either, I end up paying $5 at Holdom skytrain station for a day ( x 20 for a month) + $124 bus pass per month. In addition to this, I have to sacrifice my weekend grocery shopping time.

Perhaps you would say "find another job where you live closer to work", but this doesn't apply to everyone as some may have owned property, and some may have certain jobs that are only available in certain areas (heavy industries in Delta / Mitchell island / Annacis Island)


Everyone

[4444]

Originally Posted by Traum

4444,

Given how you no longer live in Vancouver, your view of how everyone needs a car (of their own) is outdated. In addition to what others have said, car sharing / hourly rental companies have become far more popular than they have been in the past. I know a number of people where their primary transportation method is public transit. And them for the rest of the time, some bike, some rent (zip car, modo) etc. With the ones that rent / does car sharing, they all tell me that their annual transportation costs run at leave several hundred dollars cheaper a year than if they owned a car themselves. As a matter of fact, one of them said the savings is over $1k a year, not including maintenance / servicing cost. They still see friends and family.

Car ownership is still the most common way for Vancouverites to get around. But for some people, they can definitely make it work quite well without (owning) a car.

<1 year away, back every quarter.

don't talk for me, please.

[4444]

not saying you can't manage life without a car, i could manage, i just want a higher level of quality of life, thus, we need a car or two.