At Car Free Day on Main Street, OneCity is proud to announce Connect Vancouver, the newest plank of the OneCity Platform, which commits to expanding active and public transit options so everyone has the choice on how to get around.

VANCOUVER, B.C. on the Territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh – At today's Main Street Car Free Day – which was nearly cancelled this year – Lucy Maloney and OneCity announced Connect Vancouver, a commitment to ensure every neighbourhood has reliable transit and safe walking, rolling, and cycling infrastructure.

"Car Free Day shows us the joy, connection, and safety that’s possible when we create safe spaces for people," said OneCity Candidate Iona Bonamis. "Vancouver can have streets where kids bike to school safely, where a senior can walk to the grocery store without fear, where you don't need a car to get to all the places you need to go."

Vancouver's own data shows how uneven that access currently is. The City's 2024 Transportation Survey found 71% of trips in the CBD-West End are already made by walking, cycling, or transit – compared to just 31% in Southeast Vancouver and 36% in Kerrisdale. Citywide, Vancouver sits at 52%, still short of its own 2030 climate target of two-thirds of all trips.

Part of the gap comes down to investment and political will. Provincially, less than 1% of the BC Ministry of Transportation's $3 billion annual capital budget goes toward walking and cycling infrastructure. Locally, this year's capital plan tripled road and sidewalk maintenance funding to $104 million over four years. A $15 million amendment Councillor Maloney brought forward for road safety and active transportation, including funding for more traffic signals, safer school routes, and expanded protection at high-crash intersections, was voted down by the ABC majority.

"Car Free Day is proof of how much our neighbours want safe, connected spaces," said Councillor Lucy Maloney. "ABC has killed reasonable, accomplishable actions to save lives and create vibrant neighbourhoods. I and my fellow OneCity will work to build a connected Vancouver for everyone – no matter where you live or how much money you make.”

Connect Vancouver will accomplish six things:

• Work with TransLink on transit-priority streets so buses run faster and more reliably;

• Build a genuinely connected, all-ages-and-abilities walking and cycling network instead of isolated projects;

• Prioritize safe routes to schools, parks, and daily needs;

• Direct new active transportation investment first to the neighbourhoods furthest behind, rather than wherever is politically easiest;

• Publish a public, neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood mobility report card so Vancouverites can see exactly where investment is going and where it isn't; and,

• Explore public ownership of Mobi, Vancouver's bike share system, to protect it from the financial instability currently threatening its future.

Mobi is currently under real financial strain, facing an aging fleet, mounting competition, and end-of-life equipment costs it may not be able to cover. OneCity believes a system that so many Vancouverites rely on for getting to work, school, and transit shouldn't be left to fail or be quietly sold off – it should be protected as public infrastructure.

"I've spent years working on transportation planning, and options like Mobi allow people to commute, sightsee, and run errands," said Bonamis. "Mobi is worth saving as something Vancouverites own together. It shouldn’t disappear because there isn't enough investment on this essential public good. Like the Bixi system in Montreal and Bike Share Toronto, it should be publicly owned to ensure long-term stability."

OneCity's approach also commits to building faster and smarter with the money the city already has. Vancouver's own project costs vary enormously depending on method. For example, a fully rebuilt active mobility corridor can cost more than $7 million per kilometre, while comparable, safe, all-ages-and-abilities infrastructure has been delivered elsewhere in the region for a fraction of that cost using proven quick-build materials. Getting more value out of every transportation dollar while ensuring safety standards are met means Vancouver can close gaps faster, in more neighbourhoods, without waiting a decade for a single project.

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Media Contact:
Giovanna Orecchio, Campaign Director
Email: [email protected]