Vancouver Traffic Congestion

Vancouver has ranked in the top 10 of many studies done on large cities. Now Vancouver has reached the number one spot as the most traffic-congested city in Canada.  

The manufacturer TomTom who makes navigation systems, ranks Vancouver as the most traffic-congested city in Canada and second only to Los Angeles in North America, according to the Vancouver Sun.

There are several factors which helps put Vancouver up in the number one spot as the most traffic-congested city in Canada.

• Firstly, the fact that Vancouver is a coastal city brings added congestion. This brings a lot of people to our port and airport as a destination or departure point.
• Secondly, with our proximity to the ocean and mountains, people flock to our city for it's beauty and natural amenities.
• Thirdly, the number one trans-canada highway runs through our city streets. Vancouver has no overpasses so every car going north, south or east must travel city streets. Vancouver has opted not to have overpasses because they are intrusive to its natural beauty thus we have traffic-congestion.
• Fourthly, the population of Vancouver has grown astronomically from Asian countries. Many of these Asians are wealthy and thus like to drive their expensive cars. Transit is not something these wealthy people want to use.  They bought a $100,000 BMW not just to sit in their driveway. In having worked for some of these wealthy Asians they have told me that in China or Japan sometimes there is no choice but to use transit. But here in Vancouver they can avoid transit and enjoy their cars no matter how stalled they become in downtown Vancouver.
• Fifthly, the current mayor Gregor Robertson has a push to turn more streets into bike lanes. Every time a bike lane is added the road surface for cars to drive on is reduced. Some Vancouverites refer to bike lanes as plaque that builds up in the arteries and reduces blood flow. Traffic becomes more congested with bike lanes. The mayor would like to see more Vancouverites use bikes and leave their cars home, but until that happens traffic-congestion will just get worse.

It is true Vancouver has become a very busy and congested city. The tremendous population growth has put a lot of stress on its infrastructure. Water supply, sewers, electrical power, streets, new construction  and health care are just a sampling of  areas which are struggling to keep up with the growth of Vancouver.

I believe Vancouver city council needs to take a better approach with long term planning for the future of this city. By just introducing new fad ideas without thinking about the whole, the mayor may be leading Vancouver down a wrong path that may have irreversible effects.