Tag Archives: Gregor Robertson

Finances, Housing

Taxing Vancouver’s Empty Homes

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Vancouver’s real estate values have skyrocketed 280% since 1986, while wages have only increased 7%. A new report shows the affordability crises impacts both renters and homeowners. The average westside home was selling for $1.4 million last May. Though 10,800 housing units have been empty for more than a year, [1] only about 337 available as rentals. [2] This suggests that speculators own many of the vacant units. City staff recommend taxing Vancouver’s empty homes.

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Transportation

Bicycles Triumphed Over Cars And Transit

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By Roy L Hales

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Vancouver just held its’ Eighth Annual Share the Road Challenge. There were 13 teams, each composed of someone driving a car, someone with a bike and someone using transit. They started from different locations throughout Vancouver and North Vancouver, anywhere from 2.4 to 10.4 kilometres from the finish line at the downtown London Drugs. The distance did not matter, as long as each team started from the same point, because this was a race to see which form of transportation moved through rush hour traffic faster. This was the first year in which all the bicycles triumphed over cars and transit .

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Transportation

Vancouver Challenging Portland As North America’s #1 Biking City

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By Roy L Hales

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Portland has long been been North America’s #1 bike-friendly city. According to the Portland Bureau of Transportation, 7.2% of “commuters go by bike.” That figure is taken from the 2014 census, which also shows the closest U.S. competitors as Minneapolis (4.6%), San Francisco (4.4%) and Seattle (3.7%). Now a new report shows Vancouver challenging Portland as North America’s #1 biking city.

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Transportation

Vancouver Will Have North America’s Largest Smart Bike Share

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By Roy L Hales

Miami based CycleHop is already operating bike share programs in more than 100 communities and universities in the United States and Canada.  New programs are currently under development in Long Beach (CA), West Hollywood (CA), Atlanta (GA), Cleveland (OH),  and Louisville (KY). However the biggest news comes  from across the border where, according to the city’s Manager of Street Activities, Scott Edwards, Vancouver will have North America’s largest smart bike share.

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Environment

Vancouver Has Made Significant Progress

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By Roy L Hales

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In 2009, Gregor Robertson was elected mayor of Vancouver after campaigning to make it the greenest city in the World. Two years later, the Economist ranked Vancouver #2 in North America. In 2013, Vancouver was chosen as the planet’s first Global Earth Hour Capital. The judges were impressed by the city’s overall holistic approach to climate action. According to the city’s sustainability director, Amanda Pitre-Hayes, Vancouver has made significant progress.

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