The City of Vancouver has announced that it has reached its Greenest City 2020 goal for transportation five years ahead of schedule: one half of all trips made in the city are now by bike, foot or transit. Trips made by private vehicle have decreased from 980,000 daily trips in 2013, to 918,000 daily trips in 2014. The number of daily trips by bicycle increased by 20% over the same period. That number has doubled since 2008. Transit use and walking are also up.
The trend observed in Vancouver is part of broader movement in developed countries, leading some commentators to argue that the age of the automobile, at least in Western cities, is over. Residents are shunning private vehicles and turning to bikes, public transit and their feet to get around the city. Growing use of shared vehicles allows residents to opt out of private vehicles ownership and only use cars when they really are required. What’s more, shared vehicles will increasingly be powered by clean electricity if cities follow Montreal’s example; the City of Montreal has announced that, as part of their ambitious greenhouse gas reduction plan, they aim to have 1,000 shared electric vehicles on city streets by 2020. Imagine a city where the relatively few remaining vehicles on the street are quiet and emission free!