The following are some links you may find useful within the realm of transportation, facilitation and community planning and action. I figure there is enough focus on Vancouver on other sites that I’ve tried to make the BC links here focus on other communities in the province and in particular my home of Victoria, BC.
Got a link you think I should add? Feel free to email me: tania AT connectdots DOT ca. Focus is primarily on non-profits/cooperatives/government agencies. Links are here as a tool: I’m not necessarily endorsing anything any of these folks say in particular.
Transportation Resources
Transit
- BC Transit – Provincial agency coordinating all publicly-funded transit systems in British Columbia outside of Metro Vancouver’s TransLink. From small towns like Prince Rupert and Quesnel to large urban centres like Victoria and Kelowna, BC Transit connects over 50 million customers in communities across the province every year. Click on “Change Transit System” on the site to see specific systems.
- TransLink – Coordinating transportation agency in Metro Vancouver, officially known as the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority. Yep, you’ve probably heard of ’em.
- GERTIE – (Gabriola’s Environmentally Responsible Trans-Island Express) – Non-BC Transit community bus system operating on Gabriola Island.
- Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) – Advocacy and information association for Canadian transit agencies and related business members, based in Toronto, ON.
- American Public Transportation Association (APTA) – International organization for the bus, rapid transit and commuter rail systems industry, based in Washington, DC.
- Transportation Research Board (TRB), Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) – TRB is the mother lode of all things related to transportation-related research (including walking, cycling and roadways) and items specific to transit through its transit branch TCRP. If you are ever kept awake at night by passenger fare elasticities or the many ways to build a bus rapid transit platform–or just want really solid overviews of transit and transportation basics–TCRP in particular is the place for you.
- Todd LItman: Victoria Transport Policy Institute – Transportation planning and policy analysis on a full spectrum of topics and particularly through an economic lens. A wealth of transportation resources.
Walking & Cycling
- Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals – Group focused on growing the pedestrian and bicycle profession by facilitating the exchange of technical knowledge.
- Walk on, Victoria – Greater Victoria’s pedestrian advocacy group
- Greater Victoria Bike to Work Society – Non-profit society that encourages and promotes cycling, including organizing the province’s largest annual Bike to Work Week event and teaching Bike Skills courses to children and adults.
- Capital Bike & Walk Society – Led primarily by John Lutton, hosts workshops on walking and cycling, and conducts audits and analysis of the walking and cycling environment in the Capital Region.
- Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition – Volunteer organization dedicated to getting more people cycling more places, more often through advocacy, promotion, participation and education.
- BC Cycling Coalition – Province-wide cycling information and advocacy group. For information on cycling groups in other areas of BC, see the BCCC Member Organization Directory.
- Five Cycling Holidays for Your Bike Trail Bucket List – While the focus of this blog is on cycling, walking and transit as everyday means of community transportation, it can’t hurt to dream a little. This list comes via Australia’s Open Colleges.
Other Transportation and Planning
- Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) – The national professional institute and certification body for the planning profession in Canada. See also the affiliated provincial sites, such as the Planning Institute of BC.
- Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) – The international educational and scientific association of transportation professionals who are responsible for meeting mobility and safety needs, across all modes of transportation. See also the Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineers for the Canadian affiliate and links to the various provincial sections.
- Transportation Planning – Transportation Planner and Engineer Roy Symons from North Vancouver, BC has recently started this site, which features a blog and set of transportation links, as well as a growing “examples” section that offers a scrapbook of ideas by mode from BC and beyond.
- Pender Islands Car Stop Program – The granddaddy of them all when it comes to Car Stop Programs in the Southern Gulf Islands. See also Moving Around Pender Society.
- Modo – Car share cooperative serving Vancouver Island and Metro Vancouver.
- Nanaimo CarShare Cooperative – On central Vancouver Island.
- OGO Car Share Co-op – Okanagan car share cooperative serving Kelowna area, BC
- Kootenay Car Share Cooperative – Operates in a number of communities in the southeast corner of BC.
- Jack Bell Ride-Share – Ridesharing and Vanpools in Metro Vancouver and elsewhere in BC.
General Transportation / Urbanism / Placemaking / Facilitation
- Matthew Boyd: Professor Trainboat – Blog “dedicated to inspiring happier people/place through observation, stories and music.” Great thoughts on the steps great and small that can be taken to make neighbourhoods even more livable.
- Gus the Bus Driver: @busdriverlife – Smart, perceptive and often hilarious takes on transit, transportation and cities (among other, er, topics) from Victoria’s most famous–if not also most mysterious–transit operator.
- Greater Victoria Placemaking Network – Group of Greater Victoria citizens dedicated to creating vibrant and healthy public spaces.
- Victorian Analysis – Independent media focusing primarily on Victoria City Hall, the Capital Regional District (CRD) and other local government in the capital region of BC. A great source for the nitty gritty of council/board meetings distilled into insightful commentary or rapid-fire tweets.
- UVic Urban Development Club – UVic club fostering connections and interest in professions linked to development and cities. (And might I add featuring students that are way smarter and more focused that I was when I was their age…)
- The Sidewalk Ballet – “It’s about the space between buildings.” Blog on cities, nieghbourhoods and community culture by Nanaimo, BC resident Frank Murphy. For more news on the Harbour (née “Hub”) City–in particular breaking news on downtown development–see also the Nanaimo Commons.
- Stephen Rees: Stephen Rees’s Blog – Thoughts about the relationships between transport and the urban area it serves from this transportation economist and regional planner (formerly with the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority and with a Vancouver focus)
- Gordon Price: Price Tags Blog – Takes on urban issues, often with a focus on Vancouver, from the Director of Simon Fraser University’s City Program and former City of Vancouver Councillor.
- Spacing Vancouver – Vancouver branch of Canadian magazine and blog focussed on urban issues and creating vibrant communities.
- The Tyee – Independent media focussing on “news, culture and solutions” in B.C. for over 10 years.
- International Association of Public Participation – BC Chapter – Best practices and information on public engagement and participatory democracy.
And a Few Links Just Because…
- Generation Gap – Victoria, BC’s All-Ages Hardcore/Punk Scene: 1990-2000
- Live Victoria – Bands, shows, musicians: the online home for music in Victoria, BC.
- VicLUG – The Victoria LEGO Users Group
- Fernwood NRG – Fernwood neighbourhood organization that has been the catalyst for all kinds of improvements: community cafe, turning a derelict building into affordable housing, random acts of civic beautification, street parties and so on. Been making place since before place making was cool. Long live the Independent Republic.
- Urban Sketchers – An all-volunteer nonprofit dedicated to fostering a global community of artists who practice on-location drawing. Check out The Art of Urban Sketching from your local library and be inspired to interact with your city in a whole new way.