Opinion: Burnaby desperately needs more car share services
Written for Daily Hive Urbanized by Daniel Tetrault and Alison Gu who are two of eight BCA candidates for city council in Burnaby.
Burnaby is well served by several modes of transportation – we have quick access to the highway, we have two SkyTrain lines, we have bus routes throughout, and we’re increasingly building more bike lanes. But there is one critical piece of the transportation puzzle missing: car share.
Car sharing is basically a short-term rental service that provides access to a vehicle without having to own one. And as candidates for Burnaby City Council, we want to work with providers, like Evo Car Share, to boost their presence in the fast-growing city of Burnaby.
The reason for this is simple: car sharing provides an affordable, convenient, and environmentally friendly way for people to move around Burnaby and the region.
TransLink estimates that with insurance, gas, and maintenance, the average cost to own a car is over $10,000 a year. That doesn’t even include the price of the car itself. With car sharing, the average user might spend about $1,500.
In times of economic uncertainty, increasing inflation, and rising costs of living, we need to invest in things that save people money. Car sharing saves money for residents by providing the ability to travel without owning a car and the costs that come with it.
Many cities across the world face a host of negative consequences brought about by dependence on cars. We’re talking about traffic congestion, the high cost of road maintenance, pollution, and carbon emissions that are harmful to the climate.
But if we’re really trying to reduce car usage and get people into more environmentally friendly transportation options, then we need to make it as convenient as possible.
That means investing in transit. That means building bike infrastructure. That means creating walkable neighbourhoods.
And yes – it means providing services so that when people need to use a vehicle, they can.
Trying to get somewhere not well-served by transit? Use car share. Dreading the bike ride up Willingdon? Use car share. Need a one-way trip somewhere and in a time crunch? Use car share.
Research has shown that for every car share vehicle, 15 personally owned vehicles are taken off the road. That’s why the occasional use of vehicles through car sharing can and should be integrated into the selection of smart transportation choices.
In addition to providing a convenient and affordable service for residents, Burnaby stands to reap tremendous benefits with car sharing: less traffic congestion, pollution, and road maintenance, as well as fewer accidents.
Studies have also shown that car sharing actually complements and encourages wider use of public transit. When people have to walk more than 15 minutes to a transit station, transit use declines. The ability to use car share to get to transit makes getting on the SkyTrain or bus that much easier.
Cities can play a role in facilitating car share by removing the barriers to “free-floating” access — giving residents the option to find a car close to them. The Burnaby Citizens Association has started that work already, but there’s a lot more to do.
The Burnaby Citizens Association understands that car sharing is a critical piece of our transportation puzzle, and we will do everything we can to bring this vital service into Burnaby.
Follow Channels and Categories