An exciting study on newcomer’s transportation experiences from Pegah Ghane, a UBC Sustainability Scholar, that helped inform BEST’s Eco-Voyage initiative.

Celebrating 18 Years of Bike Valet™️
Vancouver’s original and BEST personal mobility “perk” service on two wheels is still rolling strong and keeping bikes safe

The Living Streets team is happy to share that this year’s Walktober and Autumn Strolls walks have concluded! Over 50 attendees had the opportunity to connect with their environment and each other across four hours of walking. We’d like to thank SFU's Graduate Student Society, DiwaliFest, and Translink for all the support!

Our program, The Bike Valet, has a great group of staff and volunteers to help make our work possible. Whether someone has volunteered for one summer or has been with the program for several years, we value all the time people have dedicated to helping us offer a great service to our community. A love for biking is something many of the people on our team share, and Peter MacMartin is one of those people. As someone with years of involvement with The Bike Valet (BV), we wanted to highlight his cycling story.

A universal pass, otherwise known as U-Pass, is a transit pass offered to students in post-secondary schools in BC. By offering this pass at a reduced cost for students, included in their tuition, Translink provides students with an affordable and sustainable method of transportation while attending school. While some students employ their U-Pass more than others, there are still ways for all students to take advantage of theirs; Which they should.

To continue providing safe and reliable bicycle parking service in BC, The Bike Valet™ is stepping up its game and partnering up with Optimum Security, who will bring industry-leading expertise to help ensure the safety and security of our patrons, staff, and bikes.

As a long-time resident and someone with a passion for cycling who both bikes and drives in this city, nothing is more annoying and frightening as a cyclist and a driver than witnessing someone else cycling without care. This post will outline some techniques for bikers to stay safe in Vancouver.

One of our key initiatives, Seniors on the Move (SOTM), focuses on expanding transportation options for older adults in BC, enabling them to continue leading fulfilling lives even after they stop driving. We understand the emotional and practical challenges of ceasing to drive, and we aim to facilitate a smooth transition to a new chapter of mobility.

Recently, the BEST team had the privilege of organizing - in collaboration with UBC’s Centre for Community Engaged Learning -  a thought-provoking workshop that delved into the rich tapestry of Indigenous practices and their potential applications within modern organizations, thanks to the generous funding of the British Columbia Multiculturalism Grant. 

You’re invited to come out and vote on our incoming Directors, hear about our results, challenges and achievements of 2022, alongside our vision for 2023. Some big and exciting changes are coming down the pipe and this is the best place to get a sneak peek at them.

From April 10-May 14, registered participants will track and share daily walking minutes online. Register now at www.walk30.ca

Please welcome to the team Serena You (Board Member), Karen Milde (Director of Marketing and Communications), and Saskia Asyari (Bicycle Valet Manager).

Come join us outside for an approximately 1 hour guided walk where you will get to network with other participants and chat about how walking makes you feel connected or anything else. If we are lucky the cherry blossoms will have arrived or we will have to settle with enjoying the spring colors.

The annual WALK30 is back! This competition is getting more exciting year after year. In an oath of a community effort, BEST is coordinating with partners from four different municipalities and two Health Authorities in a five-week campaign. The goal is for participants to walk every day for 5 weeks and track their progress, to see which municipality can walk the most total minutes and win awesome prizes from local businesses too!

We believe that walking is much more than its movement and utilitarian purposes; it is a means to socialize with others and feel belonging in your community, equitably access key destinations, contribute to sustainability outcomes, and improve physical and mental health. 

We here at Living Streets are thrilled to have a fresh calendar year of fun walking events and opportunities to explore our communities at your own pace.

With age comes new limitations, which can be both physical and cognitive in nature. Physical and cognitive limitations can cause serious problems on the road, while environmental factors also have an impact on one's driving condition.

What a fantastic year of walking it has been! Living Streets had an eventful and successful 2022, and we are grateful to have engaged with so many walkers and promoted the benefits of walking.