Transportation in Vancouver, British Columbia, has many of the features of modern cities worldwide. Unlike many large metropolises, Vancouver has no freeways into or through the downtown area. A proposed freeway through the downtown was rejected in the 1960s by a coalition of citizens, community leaders and planners. This event "signalled the emergence of a new concept of the urban landscape"[citation needed] and has been a consistent element of the city's planning ever since.
As the city is surrounded by water on three sides, it has several bridges to the north and south. Although similar to most other cities in that the automobile serves as the primary mode of transport, it has alternatives such as the SkyTrain system, which is the longest fully automated light metro system in the world,[1] and an extensive network of bicycle paths.
Until 2020, Vancouver was one of only a few major cities in North America without ridesharing company services, due to a provincial law banning their operation. Legislation was amended to allow such services in 2018.[2][3] The first ridesharing companies, Uber and Lyft, were approved and began operating in the region in January 2020.[4][5]
- ^ "Vancouver SkyTrain Map and Guide". TourByTransit.
- ^ De Vynck, Gerrit (July 8, 2016). "Vancouver Is Silicon Valley North. So Why Doesn't It Have Uber?". Bloomberg. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
- ^ Lindsay, Bethany (November 19, 2018). "Ride-hailing legislation introduced by B.C. government". CBC News. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ Kotyk, Alyse (January 23, 2020). "Uber, Lyft approved to operate in B.C.'s Lower Mainland". CTV News. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ Larsen, Karin (January 24, 2020). "Lyft, Uber waste little time launching in Vancouver". CBC News. Retrieved January 24, 2020.