The City of Richmond is backing a proposal by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to have the Insurance Corporation of B.C. track the number of kilometres you drive each year.
The data will be used to improve transportation, land-use and greenhouse gas reduction plans within the city, according to a staff report that was approved by city council last week.
The city contends that because vehicles account for about 60 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions in Richmond, it is important to understand precisely the driving behaviours of its residents in order to effectively put forth plans to reduce such emissions.
Presently, there is a gap in accurate information on the overall use of vehicles, the report states. For instance, TransLink surveys indicated more people used the Canada Line to go to Vancouver between 2008 and 2011. However, the Ministry of Transportation estimated the overall vehicle kilometres travelled in Richmond increased in that time.
The city is eager to track kilometres on a neighbourhood basis to see how the likes of densification (such as more townhouses along arterial roads and an increase in subdivided lots and secondary suites), increased bus service and improved cycling paths affect driving habits.
It is also argued that tracking kilometres will be a prerequisite for a region-wide mobility pricing initiative (charging drivers for the amount of kilometres they drive), something Mayor Malcolm Brodie is keen on.
With the end of the AirCare program, there is even less opportunity to derive such data, the report notes.
The concept was initially proposed by municipal politicians at a conference in 2010. Then, the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General raised concerns.
It is said that concerns surrounding privacy can be mitigated with aggregate data collection that doesn’t identify drivers.
At this time, costs of such a program are unknown, the report states and there may be administrative challenges to track three million vehicles in the province.
Self-reported data may be a solution, according to the report, should the information not affect the driver’s insurance costs (thus reducing the risk of fraud).
