Bruce Batchelor
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Story Comments posted by Bruce Batchelor
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Great article, Russ
THE CHALLENGE
Analysts expect traffic congestion to intensify (and transportation carbon emissions to rise) unless a trip reduction program is introduced. Urban congestion in BC is already at high levels, and vehicle trips are expected to be increasing due to a perfect storm of factors, including these:- “Transit hesitancy” post-COVID
- Cooped-up demand (“revenge travel”)
- Increased chauffeuring of students (was 14% of peak hour traffic in some urban areas pre-COVID & growing)
- “Induced demand” (from highway/bridge/tunnel widening)
- Increased ZEV ownership causes more & longer trips (“rebound effect” from cheaper fuel & feeling “guilt-free”) => increased congestion, road wear (ZEVs are >25% heavier), accident intensity & particulate emissions; while locking in vehicle ownership - instead of encouraging transit and active travel; while also doing nothing for equity and affordability.
AN OPPORTUNITY
A multi-tactic trip reduction program that is mandatory for all of BC's large employers and trip generators could reduce congestion and overall vehicle km travelled by ~15% within 3 years. The BC Government is instead considering offloading this trip-reduction responsibility to individual municipalities – a sure way to NOT be effective, as demonstrated in all other jurisdictions that have tried that route. Let's all urge the BC Government to do this centrally: detailed plans have been submitted for a proposed program launch in 2022.
The other no-brainer opportunity is getting ICBC to introduce a pay-as-you-drive (PAYD) vehicle insurance option. Drivers who select this option typically reduce their vehicle-km-traveled by 10 to 15%. Net cost to ICBC is nil; potential savings to everyone on congestion, pollution, safety, health, time, costs, etc are huge.
The costs and provisos of driving EVs to a better planet
in Analysis
Posted
Thank you, Sjeng, for presenting these important considerations. Let's agree to ADD to your list of necessities (improved transit and bike infrastructure) the need to reduce the unnecessary, unwanted and wasteful trips wherever possible. To have that reduction, we need to enlist all the large employers and trip generators (schools, malls, health facilities, etc.), and compel them to examine how they can make changes to reduce unnecessary single-occupancy vehicle trips. For example, improving transit and bike lanes do not help a blue-collar worker who has an inconveniently-scheduled and lengthy commute, therefore these programs are all needed, and will work synergistically.