City of Courtenay Official Community Plan - 2026 update

C

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MEETING OUR GOALS THROUGH STREETS AND TRANSPORTATION

Prioritizing investment in walking, wheeling, cycling, and transit modes of transportation – and integrating them with land use and urban form – are incremental but important actions to realizing the vision of a low carbon transportation system with more choice. Prioritizing these sustainable modes of transportation will mean Courtenay increasingly becomes a city that is best experienced at the pace and scale of a person travelling on their own power, especially for shorter trips. Ensuring streets are more ‘complete’ for all mobility options and users in turn supports street life, community character, active living, health, neighbourliness, investment in street green infrastructure, and economic vitality for businesses relying on foot traffic and tourism. It also equitably influences mobility, as more affordable transportation choices will allow greater access to and within Courtenay for all residents, not just those who have a car. Children and youth will have seamless and safe walking, cycling, and transit connections

to schools, thus supporting active travel habits from a young age. And regardless of physical ability, convenient transportation options will be available. Better supporting sustainable modes of transportation reduces the amount of energy used in the transportation system, reduces congestion on the existing road system and supports improved safety for all road users. And while vehicles of all types will increasingly become electric with lowered GHGs, single occupancy electric cars should form only part of Courtenay’s transportation system of the future. Vehicles still require energy to operate and have large embodied energy and carbon footprints, are not financially attainable by all residents, and contribute to a number of negative externalities associated with vehicle-centric community planning such as extensive road networks, traffic congestion and safety, sedentary lifestyles, and high household transportation expenses. As the City makes the transition to the goal of functional transportation choices, there will still be a place for single occupancy cars but they will be one option among many.

2022 OCP MODELING ASSUMPTIONS Energy and GHG emissions modelling conducted in the creation of the 2022 OCP shows that transportation related energy use can significantly decrease and use more energy from the lower carbon electricity grid if 30% of all trips are made by walking, cycling, and transit in 2030 and 60% of all trips by 2050.

Figure C–2 Modelling results conducted in 2022 of anticipated energy that would be used in the transportation sector under full OCP implementation, for years 2016–2050.

PART C Thematic Policies