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" 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, 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. The first ridesharing companies, Uber and Lyft, were approved and began operating in the region in January 2020.
Public transport
The Metro Vancouver operates a regional rapid mass transit network, under the auspices of the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority (formerly Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority). Known as TransLink, it is responsible for all aspects of municipal transport. In addition to public transit, TransLink is also responsible for maintaining some roads and providing ferry service within the Lower Mainland.
TransLink introduced a smart card based electronic payment system called Compass Card to replace existing monthly and daily passes, tickets and cash. TransLink has been slowly phasing in use of the Compass Card. Summer 2015 saw most post-secondary school students begin using the fare cards. TransLink rolled out the card to the general population in November 2015. The Compass Card has a [C$]6 refundable deposit. It is a NXP Mifare DESFire EV1 card.
Bus service
Bus service operates throughout most of the region under a subsidiary of TransLink, known as Coast Mountain Bus Company. TransLink was established by the provincial government as a way to divorce itself from the responsibilities of roads, bridges and transit service. Ultimately the provincial government retains responsibility for funding of all projects under the aegis of TransLink. Service in West Vancouver and Lions Bay is contracted through West Vancouver Blue Bus.
All buses are wheelchair-accessible and carry cycle racks; they can carry two wheelchairs and bicycles. Vancouver is actively maintaining and upgrading its trolleybus fleet. With purchases of 188 E40LFRs and 74 E60LFRs from New Flyer Industries (in 2005–2009), the trolley network serves the downtown core and much of the city of Vancouver proper with fully wheelchair-accessible and bicycle-friendly zero-emission buses.
Certain diesel commuter buses which travel to the suburbs as RapidBus have bicycle racks, wheelchair lifts, reading lights and high back reclining seats. Frequency in Greater Vancouver ranges from every couple of minutes within downtown Vancouver to two to three trips a day in far-flung suburbs such as Maple Ridge, Langley, and Aldergrove.
SkyTrain
The SkyTrain is an advanced rapid metro system operating fully automated trains on three lines. Built for the Expo 86 World's Fair, it has since become the world's second longest automated light rapid transit system utilizing the world's longest transit-only bridge, the SkyBridge. The Expo Line and Millennium Line link downtown to the suburbs of Burnaby, New Westminster, Surrey, and Coquitlam.
A third rapid transit line connecting downtown Vancouver to central Richmond and the Vancouver International Airport, known as the Canada Line, started operation on August 17, 2009. It utilizes Hyundai Rotem instead of the linear induction Bombardier technology used on the first two lines.
Future expansion
Plans from the 2000s to expand the Expo Line to the southeast, increasing its capacity and extending its route further into the city of Surrey, were superseded in the mid-2010s by a proposed light rail line. These plans were themselves superseded in 2018 in favour of a return to the planned SkyTrain extension.