A Comparative Analysis of Transportation Systems in Kamloops and Vancouver: The effects on the environment and sustainable living

Abstract

Transportation systems shape urban sustainability, health, and everyday life. This study compares Vancouver and Kamloops, B.C., to assess how infrastructure influences travel behavior and per-capita transportation emissions. Using publicly available government data, planning documents, statistical records, and prior studies, supplemented by lived experience, we analyze mode shares, transit accessibility, walkability, and emission profiles. Vancouver’s integrated network of frequent transit, protected cycling routes, and transit-oriented neighbourhoods corresponds to lower transportation emissions at 39 percent and higher active-mode use of walking and cycling at 29 percent. In Kamloops, car dependence dominates (88% of trips), and transportation contributes a larger share of emissions at 66 pc. Kamloops' fragmented walkability and topographic constraints further limit alternatives. While geographic and environmental factors preclude a simple replication of Vancouver’s model, targeted improvements in Kamloops—such as enhanced bus frequency and coverage, connected and protected cycling infrastructure, and walkable, mixed-use neighbourhood design—could deliver meaningful reductions in emissions and co-benefits for public health and social inclusion. The findings highlight that even in car-dependent mid-sized cities, incremental, context-sensitive interventions in sustainable transport can yield outsized gains.

     Keywords: sustainable transport, mode share, transit accessibility, walkability, per-capita emissions, mid-sized cities