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To continue to build healthy and resilient communities, health organization departments and provincial partners can engage with staff, patients and visitors to increase access to and use of active and clean transportation modes when commuting and travelling between health-care facilities.
Active transportation refers to human-powered transportation modes that reduce the risk of disease, the effects of psychological stress and the negative physical impact of a sedentary lifestyle. This includes walking/rolling, cycling, running, and the use of human-powered or hybrid mobility aids such as wheelchairs, scooters and e-bikes.
Clean transportation features modes that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and contribute to environmental and human health by providing alternatives to single occupancy vehicles that consume gas and diesel. These include public transit, electric vehicles, carpooling and electric scooters. Both active and clean transportation modes are important when reducing the environmental impact of patient, staff and visitor travel.
Goals and impact
- Ensure a health-care system in which employees, patients and visitors commute and travel in a manner that reduces GHG-related pollutants, minimizes the need for onsite parking and increases overall health and wellness.
- Reduce staff dependence on single occupancy vehicles for commuting.
- Increase active modes of transportation in line with B.C.’s Move. Commute. Connect strategy to increase active transportation throughout the province, and align with the CleanBC plan to reduce GHG emissions.
- Transition to low-carbon communities for the health of communities and the environment.
- Advance initiatives that support active and clean transportation, including:
- Carpooling/ridesharing
- Electric vehicle charging stations
- Inter-hospital shuttle services
- Staff transit incentive programs
- Secure bicycle storage and showering facilities
- Active transportation events and education
- Direct active and clean transportation support and resources with consideration for accessibility and mobility requirements of staff, patients and visitors.
Increase staff commuting by active and clean transportation modes.
35%
2020
50%
2030
Increase staff commuting by active and clean transportation modes.
65%
2020
85%
2030
Increase staff commuting by active and clean transportation modes.
60%
2020
75%
2030
Increase staff commuting by active and clean transportation modes.
60%
2020
75%
2030
Want to see how we are doing?
Click here to read the 2020 Environmental Performance Accountability Report
Facilitation and support
Emily Lomax
Sustainability Consultant
Sonja Janousek
EnvironmentalSustainability Manager
Featured Story
Improved cycling options help staff take to their bikes for commuting
As a mother of two, BC Cancer Radiation Therapist Corinne Thompson has come up against her fair share of challenges in life. Ferrying kids to and from school and activities made it tough for her to use her bike as much as she would have liked to for local trips around Kelowna.
Corinne Thompson, Radiation therapist
CSI, BC Cancer Agency in Kelowna