Better Columbia

Will you consider buying us a coffee? Everything we do is volunteer work and, thus far, out of pocket. It's amazing that we've been getting good readership, but we don't run ads and we want to make sure our website can keep up. Would you consider helping us with our web hosting costs?

While the debate over traffic calming is grabbing the headlines, Ken Sim has also proposed a much more profound—and destructive—change to the way that we plan our streets, notes Ruofan Wang.

The BC NDP marked the 25th anniversary of 2001's devastating cuts to the transit networks by proposing a new round of transit funding cuts, observes Michael Hall.

There are many obstacles facing the development of passenger rail in British Columbia. How could we start untangling them?, asks Will Dawson.

The City of Vancouver's election rules that prevent racialized candidates from standing on the ballot under their birth names is racially disparate and reflects a double standard rooted in cultural chauvinism, argues Ruofan Wang.

Building bike lanes at the same time as roadwork was supposed to save money, expand the network and reduce opposition. The reality is more complicated, argues Ruofan 🚎

Why hasn't transit kept up with growth? @bettertransityyj.ca Chair Sam Holland argues that the Province has never taken transit as seriously as highways. When deficits need fixing, transit is first on the chopping block.

Who should pay for the costs of densifying? Should growth pay for growth? Taxes on new infill homes are counterproductive in a housing crisis, writes @jacksandor.bsky.social #yyj #bcpoli #vanpoli #bc

Is housing demand fake? Absolutely not, writes Will Dawson #bcpoli #housing #yyj #vanpoli

Buried deep inside the 2026 austerity budget, the City of Vancouver has seemingly dropped plans to remove part of the Beach Avenue bike lane, writes Ruofan Wang.

Without fanfare, the BC Ministry of Transportation released a report that makes a strong case for a Westshore to Victoria rail line, writes Sam Holland

Speeding up buses along Kingsway will have an outsized benefit for the network—but Vancouver and TransLink can do better than two minutes of time savings per trip, argues Ben Chang

Our public hearings can often get quite heated. Let's talk more about how the density debate is about values, says writer Sam Holland bettercolumbia.ca/2025/09/26/t...

Curbspace is a finite resource. Should business communities like the Burnaby Heights BIA go all in and rely on something that cannot grow?, asks Michael Hall

The province must do more to end BC Transit's emerging pattern of long-lasting labour disruptions that shut down entire transit systems, writes James Ward, creator of transit mapping app BC Tracker.

Across the province, ‘cyclists dismount’ signs have metastasized as engineers rush to absolve themselves of liability for the sub-standard cycling facilities they design, writes Ruofan Wang. bettercolumbia.ca/20...

Why are protesters asking to "Save the Bus"? Better Columbia contributor Sam Holland looks at the TransLink fiscal cliff and what local activists and electeds have to say. bettercolumbia.ca/2025/04/03/w...

Victoria's OCP draft is coming to council this Thursday, and it isn't anywhere near as bold as residents asked for. Will council push back? bettercolumbia.ca/2025/03/04/v...

Vancouver's Gastown pedestrian pilot was a big hit in 2024. Will it be coming back, or will opponents finally succeed in killing the car-free street? Council decides its fate this Tuesday. bettercolumbia.ca/20...

Vancouver proposed a protected bike lane on King Ed that keeps on-street parking and doesn't remove car lanes. That didn't stop local opposition, and now it's dead. bettercolumbia.ca/20...

Does fare-free transit make sense for BC? This question is more complex than you might think. Bigger transit systems like Victoria or Vancouver have very different pressures than BC's smaller towns. www.bettercolumbia.ca/2025/02/14/f...

How did SFU end up on top of Burnaby Mountain? The surprising answer involves a new highway, an abandoned graveyard and a land swap that transformed Vancouver’s waterfront. bettercolumbia.ca/20...

"Sorry for making your commute 30 seconds longer” — On November 18th, Burnaby City Council voted to scale back a plan for bus lanes on Hastings Street, sending the plan to a second round of public engagement. bettercolumbia.ca/20...

Our first article! During rush hour, transit riders make up more than half of the traffic on McKenzie, but currently get none of the road space. Saanich is trying to change that, in the face of opposition. 🚌✨ www.bettercolumbia.c...