Living and Working in Vancouver – Getting Around

Living and working in any city brings some important questions, not least how do you get around that city? Commuting can be a pain and many people are turning to alternative options when it comes to the daily trip back and forth from home to work. Vancouver offers some great options for those living and working in the city and in this post we'll explore them in more detail. Perhaps one the best things about Vancouver real estate, and the city's neighborhoods, is that they all offer a good range of different types of housing to suit different needs. From condo living to single family homes, most neighborhoods will offer a good set of choices. Each neighborhood also has its own feel and character – so the options are there for just about everybody, whatever their background or lifestyle. The second best thing, is almost certainly the quality and quantity of transport links and options that the city offers.

 

Public Transport in Vancouver

 

Vancouver is an incredible city in an incredible setting and it prides itself on its links to the outdoors, with beaches and mountains easily accessible and many parks and outdoor facilities located within each neighborhood. It should be no surprise then that there is a focus on Green transport options, and the public transport network in Vancouver is definitely fit for purpose in the 21^st century. The options include the Canada Line, SkyTrain, SeaBuses and rapid transit buses, further information on these can also be found on the Translink site. Services focus on ease of use and access and also use routes that attempt to link all the key areas of the city, from Vancouver International Airport to the business core of Downtown Vancouver. The network is designed to be as accessible as possible throughout the city's neighborhoods and improvements to services and extensions to networks are an ongoing priority.

 

Commuting by Car

 

Traveling around any city by car can be an exercise in anger management, today. Vancouver is no exception, particularly at rush hour, although the city does benefit from good north/south and east/west arterial routes. Rush hour is approximately 7am – 9am and 3pm – 6pm on weekdays. Downtown Vancouver is the place to avoid at these times of day, if at all possible, with traffic on West Georgia Street (in the direction of the Lions Gate Bridge) and 99 North (in the afternoon, particularly) being particularly heavy. If you commute by car check the Greater Vancouver Traffic Conditions site for real-time traffic updates.

 

Biking to Work

 

Biking is a massively popular option for many commuters – both to school and work in Vancouver. The city has encouraged the trend by creating separated bike lines in Downtown Vancouver on major routes and major bridges. Many neighborhoods in Vancouver also feature cycle routes and trails in parks and coastal areas that can be easily combined into your daily commute. Public transport (buses and light transit trains) are able to carry bikes, so combining both green travel options is easy and practical from many residents in Vancouver neighborhoods.

 

Vancouver Car Share Options

 

If biking and public transport aren't for you (or you need to commute by car occasionally) car sharing is a viable option and Vancouver residents have a number of options to explore. Whether you've an early meeting and need to arrive fresh and relaxed at work, or simply need to pick up groceries on the way home, using the services offered by car2go Vancouveer, Zipcar or Modo can be the perfect solution. Services are charged by the minute – more cost effective than standard car hire – and car2go offers on-demand availability or 24 hour advance booking.

 

Useful Apps & Parking Places

 

Apps make the world of commuting a little smoother for everyone; Translink information can be found on their own website and also via Transit App while “Go Parking” can save time and frustration when you're in a rush! Free street parking in Vancouver can be hard to find, so the latter app can be very useful indeed. Many streets will have residential only parking for those with valid permits. Parking costs in general tend to be high – meters charging an average $6 an hour in busy areas, whilst parking lots range between $2-5 per hour.