Vancouver's Ride-Hail-Free Mobility Landscape

While ride-hailing is on the horizon for the Canadian city, the experience so far without the mode provides useful insight into its effects on regional mobility.

1 minute read

February 14, 2019, 2:00 PM PST

By Camille Fink


Vancouver Street

CC0 Public Domain / pxhere

Vancouver, British Columbia, does not have ride-hailing services, and David Zipper considers how this might have affected transportation trends in the area. Overall, the percentage of residents commuting by transit, walking, and cycling rose between 2013 and 2017, and carsharing is a popular transportation option.

Zipper also notes that ridership on TransLink, Vancouver’s regional transportation network, increased by almost 7 percent in 2018, which is significant as most U.S. transit systems saw ridership decreases.

Still, ride-hailing will likely be coming to Vancouver soon, with many residents supporting legislation that would legalize it. "FOMO may be playing a role; [Andrew] McCurran notes that many Vancouverites have tried ride-hailing elsewhere and don’t understand why they can’t use it at home," writes Zipper.

Vancouver policymakers are also looking at measures—such as a cap on the number of ride-hail vehicles and a per-ride tax—to alleviate the difficulties other cities have faced in integrating this mode into their larger transportation systems.

Monday, February 4, 2019 in Slate

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Interior of Place Versailles mall in Montreal, Canada.

Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units

Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

May 22, 2025 - CBC

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 28, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of California High-Speed Rail station with bullet train.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself

The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

May 19, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Nevada State Senate building.

Nevada Legislature Unanimously Passes Regional Rail Bill

If signed by the governor, the bill will create a task force aimed at developing a regional passenger rail system.

May 28 - KRNV News 4

Blue sidewalk curb cut painted with white accessibility symbol.

How Infrastructure Shapes Public Trust

A city engineer argues that planners must go beyond code compliance to ensure public infrastructure is truly accessible to all users.

May 28 - Governing

Protester at Echo Park Lake, Los Angeles holding sign that says "Housing is a human right"

Photos: In Over a Dozen Cities, Housing Activists Connect HUD Cuts and Local Issues

We share images from six of the cities around the country where members of three national organizing networks took action on May 20 to protest cuts to federal housing funding and lift up local solutions.

May 28 - Shelterforce Magazine