Vancouver ranked 3rd best city in North America for sustainable transit

Oct 31 2017, 12:37 am

Besides having one of the best public transportation systems in Canada, Vancouver has just been named as one of the top cities in North America for sustainable transit.

According to a new report from the Arcadis Sustainable Cities Mobility Index, Vancouver ranks as the third greenest transportation city in North America.

The report ranked 100 cities based on three main pillars (People, Planet, and Profit), which are broken up further into 23 criteria including:

  • Air pollution
  • Access to multiple transport modes
  • Active commuting
  • Bike infrastructure
  • Greenhouse gas emissions
  • Public transit affordability

“(Vancouver) has already met its 2020 target with more than 50% of all trips now taken by foot, bicycle, and public transit. Vancouver is also adopting a traffic congestion plan for increased safety,” notes the report.

Arcadis Sustainable Cities Mobility Index

Arcadis Sustainable Cities Mobility Index

New York, San Francisco, and Vancouver ranked as the top three most sustainable cities for green transport in North America. Montreal and Toronto placed fourth and ninth, respectively.

The top five cities on the global ranking were Hong Kong, Zurich, Paris, Seoul and Prague.

Vancouver ranked 28th. No major Canadian city (Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver) placed in the top 20 spots in global rankings.

The report notes that Europe “dominates” the list.

“Of the top ten places, seven are taken by European cities. Many of these European cities benefit from established and well-used metro networks such as London’s Underground, strong bicycle infrastructure in cities like Amsterdam and Copenhagen, and high shares of commuters using public rather than private transport,” states the report.

“European cities are also environmentally conscious, with incentives to lower emissions reflected in cleaner air and greener mobility systems.”

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