Transportation

Transportation is a determinant of health and has a direct impact on one’s ability to access health-promoting services including amenities such as grocery stores, schools, recreation facilities, health care and employment.

An approach that considers both public transit and active transportation can help reduce the impacts of air pollution and physical inactivity while increasing social connectivity and equity.

Public transportation provides many benefits but is especially necessary for those who don’t own or aren’t able to drive their own vehicle.  This includes people on limited incomes, those with physical impairments or disabilities, youth, some seniors and others.

Given the strong connection between transportation and health, BCAHL has always been a strong supporter of active transportation, public transit and smart community planning.

Active transportation includes walking, cycling, wheeling, and any other form of transportation that uses a person’s physical energy. There are multiple benefits to active transportation, including improving air quality and community connections, reducing the risk for chronic disease and improving health outcomes and overall quality of life for British Columbians.

BCAHL promotes the following policies:

• The BC Government should allocate $100 million in active transportation per year over the next ten years.
• Walking and rolling facilities which include enhancements such as traffic-calming and safe street crossings, benches, lighting and way-finding as these are important to meet the needs of those in wheelchairs as well as older adults.
• Multi-use facilities that separate highway vehicle traffic from pedestrians and cyclists who are traveling between regional centres and outlying communities that are connected by provincial highways.
• Investing in Triple ‘A’ (all ages and abilities) cycling facilities which have been show to motivate higher numbers of people to travel by bike (including seniors and women with children), while also reducing risk of injury for all users. [i, ii]
• Active School Travel Planning – including education and programming as well as street design and end-use facilities for healthy, active children.
• Education Initiatives with a focus on increasing safety, removing barriers and motivating more British Columbians to try active transportation.
• An ongoing program for auditing, planning and upgrading cycling and walking facilities on provincial roads and bridges.
• Ensure the integration of active transportation routes with public transit and BC Ferries to create a seamless network for users.
• Provide funding and policy support for innovative approaches to active transportation in rural and remote communities that take these communities’ needs into consideration.

• Increase investments in public transit – emphasize projects that maximize ridership while meeting local and regional needs.
• Support transit authorities and local governments to fund transit infrastructure and service improvements.
• Work together with Indigenous leaders and other levels of government to address the infrastructure needs on reserves and to ensure there are safe, active transportation connections that link reserves with regional centres along provincial and municipal roads.
• Encourage transit-oriented development: high-density housing, shops and services in one area which will promote regular and efficient transit service.
• Establish a task force to explore innovative public transportation systems that can serve rural and remote populations and others with mobility challenges.
• Explore ways to improve transportation to health services including prevention, primary, treatment and tertiary services for rural and remote residents that are unable to afford transportation
• Continue to support local governments to create complete, connected communities with shops, services, food and employment accessible by transit systems and pedestrian and cycling infrastructure.