bcbUsiNEss.ca
what is a waste of time—like
putting a transit line next to a
highway, which, at least for the
moment, remains the fastest
way from A to B.
Throughout all these delib-
erations, smart planners don't
have any delusion that they'll
get everyone out of their cars—
even though some politicians,
like the late Toronto mayor Rob
Ford, have thundered right-
eously about the war on the car.
"I worked in Copenhagen for a
while," says Geo' Cross, "and
the idea there was just to keep
the young people on transit for
two or three years more. It's
the equivalent of a mode shift,
even if they eventually go to a
car." Instead, they're focused on
those incremental changes that
will nudge di'erent categories
of nudge-ready groups to make
more efžicient choices, be it
moving closer to work, shopping
or good transit.
Liz Carr is one of those who,
while no longer close to work,
has žinally found the perfect
commute. Carr, 48, grew up in
Ottawa in a family that abhorred
cars or suburban living requir-
ing commutes. Her parents
skated to work in the winter.
When she moved to Vancouver,
she could walk or bus to her
jobs in the cultural sector
downtown: "The idea of com-
muting for me was horrifying."
But then she and her husband,
Dave Stephens, had a baby.
Buying in Vancouver was out of
the question so they now live in
Port Coquitlam.
Carr wouldn't even consider
driving, so when she and her
husband, who works from home
doing post-production sound
for TV and žilm, were house-
hunting, they followed the tran-
sit route and chose a place close
to the Port Coquitlam stop on
the West Coast Express. Now
she takes the train in every day.
She's •gured out the tricks and
become a regular. She has her
own "seat" that her fellow com-
muters recognize as hers, and
she's learned which gate gets
her out and to the bus loop the
quickest. She actually likes her
commute.
"I have a two-year-old, so
my day doesn't end when I get
home. On the train, I listen to
podcasts, read a book—do what-
ever I want. If they just had WiFi,
it would be a party for tired mid-
dle-aged people. My commute is
the best part of my day."
n
JUNE 2016 BCBusiness 47
GETawaY Train
Liz Carr has found the
perfect commute on the
West Coast Express
continued from page 44
