Every year many delegations from around the globe visit TransLink because of our international reputation for delivering quality transit services and transit-oriented communities.

What’s a transit-oriented community? I’m so glad you asked!

Basically, the term refers to creating communities within a region that, because of their design, opens up opportunities for people to drive less and therefore bike, walk and take transit more.

These communities mean utilizing higher-density, mixed-use and pedestrian friendly development within walking distance of frequent transit stops and stations.

Just two weeks ago we had the Shanghai Transportation Commission Delegation visiting as they studied multi-modal integration and transit-oriented communities.

Last week mayors from around Reykjavik in Iceland were on a worldwide trip, with a stop here in Metro Vancouver, to visit transit agencies and see what they could take back home to their own cities – including rapid transit like our dear SkyTrain.

Mayor of Reykjavik being interviewed by CBC

The Icelandic delegation

These visitors are nothing new for TransLink. In fact, we host many delegations from around the globe each year.

DID YOU KNOW?

In 2015 alone, we had 16 delegations from eight different countries!

• Peoples Republic of China: China Southern Railway; Huangzhou Metro; Shenyang Metro and China Development Research Foundation
• Canada: Senior Funding Partners; City of Calgary and Western Canada Engineering Competition
• New Zealand: Council on Infrastructure Development; Auckland Transport
• USA: UCLA Transportation Planning School, Stanford University
• Netherlands: Academy for Urban Development, NHTV Breda – University of Applied Sciences
• Australia; New South Wales Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight
• Finland; Tekes – the Finish Funding Agency for Innovation
• Norway: Oslo Traffic Management Centre

TransLink continues to open its bus, SeaBus, SkyTrain and West Coast Express doors to visitors who want to learn more about how we plan and run our system.

Plus, we get to meet some pretty amazing people from some pretty amazing places!

Author: Adrienne Coling