16 New Year’s resolutions transit can help you check off
16 New Year’s resolutions transit can help you check off
The new year urges many people across the world to reflect on the year that’s passed and set intentions for the coming year. Whether those resolutions are for your personal and professional life, transit can help you check them off.
Here are some ways we can help you achieve goals that fight climate change, embrace diversity in our region, and foster a healthy lifestyle.
1. Reduce carbon footprint
By choosing transit instead of driving, you’re taking an enormous step to reduce your carbon footprint. An average trip on a gasoline car amounts to 2.30 kg of GHG emissions, whereas taking transit accounts for much less. Trips on electric vehicles like the SkyTrain account for 0.01 kg of GHGs per passenger only.
While transit provides about one fifth of all trips in Metro Vancouver, it’s responsible for less than one per cent of GHG emissions in the region. And we’re on a mission to reach net-zero GHG emissions by 2050 as outlined in our Climate Action Strategy.
If you’re committed to scrapping your used gasoline car, we’ve partnered with SCRAP-IT to offer you a Compass Card rebate with an eight-month adult 1-Zone pass or 14-month Concession pass.
2. Save money on transportation
According to BCAA’s driving cost calculator, if you own a two-door, 2010 Honda Civic and drive around 10,000 km per year, paying $1.70/litre for gas, you’re estimated to spend $5,336.90 per year.
With a Compass Card and a 3-zone Monthly Pass that costs $2,200 per year (West Coast Express rates excluded), you can save as much as $3,000 per year if you use transit instead of driving. You also save the trouble of finding and paying for parking.
3. Establish healthier habits
The simple act of walking from one stop to another, up the stairs, and to your destination can have a positive impact on your physical health.
A 2022 study found that “people who use public transport have marginally better physical and health profiles than those who drive.”
You can even get more active when you combine cycling with your commute. To ease the integration of cycling and taking transit and encourage active transportation in the region, we’re continually upgrading cycling paths and bike parking facilities that are accessible and easy-to-use.
4. Do more local outdoor activities
There are plenty of outdoor activities to do in Metro Vancouver year-round and transit takes you to some of the best.
In winter, we can take you to ice skating at The Shipyards Skate Plaza and see holiday lights at VanDusen Botanical Garden. In spring, we can take you biking at Central Valley Greenway and see cherry blossoms near the Akali Singh Sikh Temple. In summer, we can take you hiking and kayaking at Deep Cove.
There are a lot more destinations we can take you to! Find your route to these destinations using our Trip Planner. If you haven’t explored enough of the great Metro Vancouver outdoors, make this your year!
5. Support local businesses more
You can find local small businesses at public markets, farmer’s markets, events, and in your neighbourhood.
Some popular locations include the Lonsdale Quay Market, which is steps away from the SeaBus terminal, Granville Island Market which is serviced by many downtown bus routes like the 50 False Creek, and PNE which is serviced by the R5 Hastings St RapidBus.
6. Explore never-before-visited local attractions
Have you ever been to VanDusen Botanical Garden during the fall? How about to Capilano Regional Park during the summer? Lafarge Lake during the winter? How about to Nitobe Memorial Garden in spring? Transit can take you to all these places and more!
We can also connect you to cities like Victoria if you want to explore outside Metro Vancouver.
7. Explore the diverse cultures and try new cuisines
Our strength lies in the diversity of cultures in Metro Vancouver so why not explore it? Amongst many destinations, you can visit the Dr. Sun-Yat-Sen Classical Garden in downtown Vancouver, join Italian Day on Commercial Drive, and try out World Cuisines along the Expo Line!
8. Make more eco-friendly choices for my business
Taking transit significantly reduces GHG emissions and is thus an effective way to fight climate change. Providing transit incentives to employees can encourage them to incorporate transit or fully transition to it when commuting to work.
Become certified as a Transit-Friendly Employer today! If you’re an employee, introduce this program to your employer!
9. Foster independence within my kids
Kids can practice life skills by taking transit. It helps them practice how to be more alert, proactive, and independent. Take transit with your kids and teach them how to do it. The best part is kids 12 and under ride free!
10. Have more me time
An advantage to taking transit, says a UBC student, is that you can just hop on and hop off. No need to get behind the wheel or look for parking.
Another student says he uses his travel time to do something productive and practice mindfulness. Try it!
11. Free up time and mental energy by automating tasks
Automating is easy and liberating! It lets you allocate more time and energy toward activities that matter more. As a transit rider, there are several easy ways to automate your life. Sign up for Transit Alerts and set up AutoLoad on your Compass Card.
Transit Alerts notifies you about disruptions, updates, or changes to the transit services you take via text message (SMS) and/or email. To sign up, visit translink.ca/alerts and fill out the form with your information.
AutoLoad allows you to set automatic Stored Value top-ups and renew your Monthly Pass. To set up AutoLoad on your Compass Card, register your Compass Card at compasscard.ca using the 20-digit number and security code located on the back of your card.
To set up AutoLoad for Monthly Passes:
- Under ‘Monthly & Day Passes’, click ‘Load a new pass’ button.
- Select the desired Monthly Pass you wish to renew every month (1-zone, 2-zone, or 3-zone) then click ‘Continue.’
- Add the payment method you wish to use when your Monthly Pass renews.
- Check the box that says ‘Set up AutoLoad for this pass’ then click ‘Continue.’
- Click ‘Authorize’ to complete the transaction.
To set up AutoLoad with Stored Value:
- Add/confirm the default card you wish to be charged for the AutoLoad under My Account.
- Under ‘Stored Value’, click ‘Set-up AutoLoad’
- Select the desired amount you wish to add whenever the Stored Value on your card falls below $5. Then, click ‘Continue.’
- Confirm your desired amount on the screen then click ‘Authorize’ to complete the transaction.
12. Broaden my horizons
The saying goes that knowledge is power, so why not broaden and deepen your knowledge this year. Ride transit to visit a museum or attend a cultural event. While on transit, you could also read a book, listen to a podcast, and experience the public art the transit system has to offer. You can view Indigenous art on the system like the murals on the Canada Line bridge, signage to the SeaBus terminals signage at Waterfront and Lonsdale Quay Exchange, and on board the Burrard Chinook SeaBus.
Check out our public art installations map for all the art you can find across our transit network.
13. Try new hobbies
Neighbourhoods in our region have recreation centres (with facilities like an indoor skating rink and swimming pool), community libraries, soccer/football/baseball fields, bowling alleys, and other recreational spots so you can try out a new hobby!
These public places are accessible by transit. Simply find your route using our Trip Planner.
14. Be more involved in local community events
There are plenty of fun, seasonal community events in our region. There’s Car-Free Summer festival, Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, Vancouver Pride Festival, Lunar New Year parade, and Hot Chocolate Festival just to name a few. We’ll take you there! Be on the lookout here on the blog for upcoming events.
15. Do random acts of kindness
Hoping to do more kind deeds? Why not do it on transit!
Whether it be as simple as giving your seat up to passengers who need it or thanking your bus driver, to appreciating someone you saw doing good, these random acts of kindness can brighten your day, the day of those you helped, and those who witnessed it.
16. Volunteer
Volunteering is another fulfilling venture. If you know your way around Metro Vancouver by transit and want to partake at some of the most-attended events in our region, check out our Community Transit Volunteer program!
What resolutions do you have that we missed? Let us know in the comments!
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