Official Community Plan

C

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MEETING OUR GOALS THROUGH STREETS AND TRANSPORTATION

Prioritizing walking, wheeling, cycling, and transit modes of transportation – and integrating them with land use and urban form – are the greatest steps Courtenay can take to avoiding and reducing the amount of energy used in the transportation system, the greatest source of Courtenay’s GHG emissions. 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 influences equity, 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. Over time, Courtenay’s transportation sector will also become increasingly electric as electric vehicles, bikes and scooters have an important role to play in reducing GHGs. However, single occupancy electric cars should form only part of Courtenay’s transportation system of the future. Electric vehicles still require energy to operate and have large embodied energy and carbon footprints through their manufacturing, 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.

MODELING ASSUMPTIONS Energy and GHG emissions modelling 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–5 Energy Used for Transportation Under OCP Implementation, 2016–2050.

PART C Thematic Policies