Objectives

As municipalities craft action plans to achieve zero-emission targets, significant opportunities emerge to reduce urban vehicle kilometers traveled (VKT). While fleet electrification remains a prominent focus in both research and policy, it is essential to consider other pathways to decarbonize mobility that do not rely solely on electrification. Reducing VKT can substantially (a) lower emissions, (b) alleviate the immediate need for widespread private vehicle electrification, and (c) enhance climate resiliency while supporting broader community objectives. Expanding mobility options is likely to boost community resilience and sustainability. This project aims to enhance Canadian capabilities in knowledge and tools, assisting community decision-making processes in pursuit of net-zero goals through exploring alternative transportation options.

The Project

At CREATE, we are working in partnership with Action on Climate Team (ACT), SFU's Chris Buse, UBC's Amanda Giang, and Mahmudur Fatmi to examine community-centered urban transportation decarbonization strategies. Utilizing extensive data from the City of Burnaby and Metro Vancouver, alongside advanced modeling tools, we aim to pinpoint opportunities and assess their impact on community resilience. Health impact assessments and considerations of environmental justice are critical components of our mobility recommendations.

Project's Status

Currently, in year 2, a mobility survey was completed for Burnaby, BC.  The traffic agent-based model for Metro Vancouver and Burnaby, the mobile source emission model for Burnaby, the weather and chemical transport model for the Lower Mainland, and the co-impact model for Burnaby are ready. The first co-creation workshop, involving all project partners, was held to select the case study neighborhood and gather initial input on modeling needs, data support, and output requirements. More co-creation workshops will be held in 2025.

Concentration of Sample Criteria Air contaminants (aggregated at Dissemination Level) over the Metro Vancouver Regional Districts

The integrated assessment tool was used to simulate air quality across the Metro Vancouver Regional District (MVRD) at a 1 km spatial resolution. Traffic-related air pollutants (TRAP), including CO, NO₂, PM₂.₅, and O₃, were modeled at hourly intervals and aggregated at the dissemination area (DA) level to better identify air quality hotspots and impacted communities. The results highlight that neighborhoods in close proximity to major roadways experience elevated pollutant levels over extended periods.

These outputs will support follow-up analyses on health exposure and environmental equity within the SCRAM framework, contributing to the calculation of a livability index for MVRD communities.

Future directions

Findings of mobility survey expected to aid in the calibration and validation of the agent-based model. The project is set to deliver an integrated and validated modeling system by March 2025, which will subsequently be used in 2026 to test scenarios aimed at reducing vehicle kilometers traveled in Burnaby.

Additionally, the project currently supports 15 Highly Qualified Personnel (HQPs), including post-doctoral researchers, PhD and MASc students, and research assistants. 

Funding agency:

NSERC Alliance Mission: Anthropogenic emission sources

Partners:

• Civic Innovation Lab at SFU and City of Burnaby
• TransLink
• Mobi Bike Share
• Evo Car Share

Co-Principle Investigators 

Highly Qualified Personnel (HQPs)