Getting Around: The Transportation Challenges Newcomers Face in Metro Vancouver
An exciting study on newcomer’s transportation experiences from Pegah Ghane, a UBC Sustainability Scholar, that helped inform BEST’s Eco-Voyage initiative.
Moving to a new country is exciting, but it also comes with challenges—one of the biggest being transportation. Every city has its own unique system, and figuring out how to get around can be overwhelming at first. As an international student, I experienced this firsthand when I arrived in Metro Vancouver. Later, as a UBC Sustainability Scholar, I explored this challenge in depth through my own research in collaboration with BEST.
With a growing number of immigrants choosing Metro Vancouver as their new home, a strong transportation system is essential to support their needs. Newcomers rely mainly on public transit and walking not just for daily commutes but also to integrate into the community, access essential services, and build social connections. This situation inspired BEST to create their Eco-Voyage pilot project. With their team’s guidance, my study during the summer of 2024 aimed to highlight newcomers’ transportation experiences and identify the barriers they face while navigating the city, contributing to the project’s scope and implementation.
Understanding Newcomers’ Experiences
My research focused on the firsthand experiences of recent immigrants—especially international students—who have lived in Metro Vancouver for less than five years. I interviewed 5 international students to explored how they interact with the region’s transportation network and organized their experiences into key themes:
Mobility – how available and reliable are transportation options?
Accessibility – how easy is it to reach daily destinations in terms of distance, time, and connectivity?
Affordability – costs associated with transportation, including transit fares and the cost of owning a car.
Externalities – external impacts of transportation, such as noise and air pollution.
Comfort & Utility – how convenient and safe are different transport options?
Social & Environmental Values – Preference for sustainable travel modes.
Past Experiences – how does comparing the local transportation system to those in newcomers’ home countries affect their opinions of Metro Vancouver’s system and the modes they take to move around?
Key Findings
The 5 international students I interviewed shared various challenges they face when using Metro Vancouver’s transportation system. Here are some observations:
Transportation Mode – The SkyTrain was praised for being fast and reliable, but buses and shared mobility services (such as car-sharing and bike-sharing) were often described as inconsistent or unavailable in some areas.
Inefficient Network – Long travel times, poor transit connections, and gaps in the system made commuting difficult for newcomers.
High Costs – Owning a car was seen as too expensive, and car-sharing services like Evo were not always affordable. Increasing public transit fares also added to the financial stress of some interviewees.
Complicated Processes – Many newcomers struggled with paperwork and legal requirements, such as getting a B.C. driver’s license or understanding transit and driving rules.
Safety & Comfort – Concerns about crime, homelessness, and drug use in transit spaces made some feel unsafe. Limited infrastructure for cycling also discouraged their use of active transportation.
Personal Values – Some interviewees preferred public transit for environmental reasons, but practical concerns like cost and convenience often took priority when choosing a mode to use.
Comparisons to Home – Many compared Metro Vancouver’s transportation system and services to those in their home countries, shaping their expectations and satisfaction.
Some interviewees were satisfied with how easy it was to bike Metro Vancouver, with one from Iran saying "...bicycling was technically unavailable in [their] city back home," but another participant thought it was “expensive and inconvenient”’ to do it here because in contrast, their hometown of Beijing had “a good biking system [...] where you can always find bikes, [use it], and return it to a designated place...", probably referring to bike-sharing services.
Similarly, while an interviewed participant referred to Metro Vancouver’s public transportation network as "top-notch” and “first ranked”, another interviewee called it "frustrating and inefficient" compared to European countries they have been to before.
Moving Forward
Metro Vancouver has a relatively strong transportation system, with key services and subsidies for some groups, such as students and people with disabilities, but barriers around transportation costs, access, and service reliability affect newcomers’ experience of the local system.
Thinking of solutions that can expand transit services, lower costs, and improve access to options that fit newcomers’ needs will help them feel safer and more connected to their new local community. Projects like Eco-Voyage can also help, allowing newcomers and those looking to learn more about sustainable transportation options to explore new ways of moving around.
By making sustainable transportation more inclusive, we can support newcomers in their journey to fully participate in the economic, social, and cultural life of Metro Vancouver.
About Better Environmentally Sound Transportation (BEST)
Better Environmentally Sound Transportation (BEST) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting sustainable transportation options across British Columbia. Since 1991, BEST has been at the forefront of mobility justice initiatives, advocating for active, accessible, and environmentally friendly transportation solutions for all. Through projects like Bike Valet™️, Seniors on the Move, WALK30, Living Streets and EcoVoyage, BEST continues to empower communities to embrace sustainable modes of travel, reducing emissions and fostering a healthier, more vibrant future for all. best.bc.ca