City, UBC partner to research sustainable transportation

Tuesday workshop focuses on Glenmore pilot project aimed at reducing vehicle traffic

ComPASS project manager Gord Lovegrove

Glenmore residents will have an opportunity to comment on a pilot project planned for their neighbourhood to study urban transportation use and reduce road congestion, lessen vehicle pollution and promote traffic safety.

The joint initiative by the City of Kelowna and University of British Columbia's Okanagan campus School of Engineering seeks public input at design workshops Tuesday, July 19, Tuesday, Aug. 16 and Tuesday, Sept. 20 to promote sustainable transportation options in Kelowna's Glenmore neighbourhood. The workshops will be held behind Glenmore Elementary School by the portables from 6 to 9 p.m. and refreshments will be served.

The intent of the Glenmore ComPASS project is to examine sustainable transportation options so residents can better compete with and significantly reduce single-occupancy vehicles (SOV). Reducing SOV use leads to many community-wide benefits by reducing collisions and congestion and improving air quality and community health.

"Kelowna has the highest vehicle ownership and one of the highest vehicle kilometres travelled daily per capita in Canada," says Gord Lovegrove, a professor with UBC's School of Engineering. "To alleviate the issues of congestion, road safety and poor air quality we are surveying residents about a Community U-Pass (ComPASS) to gauge their interest in more sustainable travel options."

ComPASS would provide all members of a household with unlimited transit passes at one affordable price. For instance, a similar program in Boulder, Colo. has households pay $10 to $15 per month. ComPASS could also include additional features such as guaranteed rides home in emergencies, bicycle tuneups, recreation centre passes, merchant discounts among other features – depending on response to the online survey and subsequent analysis.

"It is up to the Glenmore community to provide their input towards the ComPASS design," says Lovegrove.

The idea for the Glenmore research project arose form discussion over a number of years that the City of Kelowna had with Glenmore residents on the issue of more sustainable and safer access routes for Glenmore Elementary School students.

The $15,000 UBC research project is financed by the Canadian Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the UBC Sustainable Community Development Grant.

The final report recommending a Glenmore ComPASS design will be completed by Sept. 30. It will then be presented to Kelowna City Council for budget approval. Pending approval, a Phase 2 ComPASS pilot project could commence in Spring 2012.

If residents cannot attend but still wish to provide their input, they are encouraged to complete the Glenmore ComPASS online survey. The survey can be viewed by copying and pasting the following link into your web browser:

http://www.surveyfeedback.ca/surveys/wsb.dll/s/1g113a

For more information regarding the Glenmore ComPASS Public Design Workshops or the online survey, please contact Gord Lovegrove or one of his associates at 250-807-8717 or by email at [email protected]