Making our communities safer for pedestrians benefits all modes of transportation, and contributes to the fundamental principles of Vision Zero - to promote safe mobility and to eliminate harm to all road users.

Walking can contribute to the health of our local economies by helping us stay and shop locally, and build relationships with local businesses. This is particularly important during phase 3 of the BC Restart Plan, when many local businesses need our support, including local grocers, cafes, restaurants, galleries, boutiques, and breweries.

The COVID19 pandemic has led British Columbians to rethink the way we move around our communities and how we inhabit the space within them. With the rise of this ‘new normal’ and Dr.Bonnie Henry’s plea to ‘please go outside’, many municipalities are changing how space is allocated to allow for more accessible opportunities for active transportation -- walking included.

The pandemic has presented transportation challenges to older adults with underlying health conditions. Now that physicians are opening their offices for in-person appointments and hospitals are recommencing routine procedures, seniors’ transportation remains an unresolved issue.

New spaces for walking and queuing. Re-allocated travel lanes for cycling and rolling. Expanded patios on streets to support the restaurant sector. These are just a few examples of initiatives being introduced by local governments over the past few weeks to support British Columbians, as we all look for ways to get back to commuting, shopping, dining out and recreation…while also aiming to maintain our distance.

Like everyone, we have felt the repercussions of the current pandemic. Our team is healthy, which is the most important part. We’re taking it day by day.

Like most non-profit organizations, we don’t know what this will mean for our operations. BEST prides itself on offering valuable services, such as The Bicycle Valet and Parkbus, which operate as social enterprises. The Bicycle Valet provides free and secure bike parking for events, the vast majority of which will not operate this year. Parkbus provides bus transportation to mainly Provincial Parks, which are not currently open.

The Climate Emergency Action Plan — announced just months after City Council declared a climate emergency in 2019 — proposes to mitigate some of the causes and effects of climate change by focusing on providing services and amenities close to where people live. Sustainable transportation plays an integral part of the plan, which is why calls one of its strategic pillars How We Move.

On February 28, 2020, HUB Cycling released Benchmarking the State of Cycling in Metro Vancouver, an in-depth report developed in partnership with all Metro Vancouver municipalities and TransLink, the regional transit authority, to provide a snapshot of the extent and quality of the region's bikeway network.

The first things most people picture when we say ‘sustainable transportation’ are greenways full of happy bikers and track networks humming with solared-powered light-rail. While this is certainly a future to strive for, our present reality is a little more complicated.

This summer, Lisa Lambert turned 60, fought her way back from colon cancer, and became a cyclist. Like many adults, she’d owned bikes, but when she needed to get somewhere, she drove.

Newsletter editor Margaret Miller bought an e-bike in the spring and has been raving about it ever since. Seniors transport coordinator Janette talked with her.

Thank you for riding! We’ll take care of your bike. This summer, we parked 1785 bikes at the Squamish Constellation Festival, and 949 bikes at the Prospera Valley Gran Fondo in Fort Langley.

Delivered to the right spot as promised; so far so good. What Tony didn't anticipate was how relaxing his trip would be. He didn't have to navigate, focus, or worry; just pick a seat and let the driver do the work.