The car in Canada: a study of factors influencing automobile dependence in Canada’s seven largest cities, 1961-1991
Creators: name: Raad, Tamim
Publisher: name: University of British Columbia
Year: 2009

description: Automobile dependence is defined as a series of convergent land use and transportation conditions in a city that leave people with few non-car options for urban travel. This dependence is compromising the environmental, social and economic health of cities in Canada. Furthermore, it appears as though automobile dependence is increasing in Canada, as are its attendant impacts. A fuller understanding of the primary relationships affecting this trend is needed if its impacts are to be adequately mitigated. However, there is little quantitative knowledge of the relative importance of factors contributing to automobile dependence in Canadian cities. A review of the literature identifies a multitude of mutually reinforcing factors that contribute to the creation of automobile dependent cities. The factors are both cause and effect and exhibit 'feedback,' which results in a cycle of intensification of the original condition. While there are many feedback relationships that contribute to automobile dependence, some may be stronger than others. Mitigating the many adverse impacts of automobile dependence requires reducing the need for both automobile ownership and automobile use by reversing these feedback relationships. This thesis identifies the relative importance of factors influencing automobile dependence in Canada's major cities through a comparative analysis of transportation, land use and population and employment distribution trends and patterns. This involves the collection and analysis of an extensive set of data from Canada's seven largest cities (Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa-Hull and Montreal). To provide context and supplementary information, selected data from thirty-four additional global cities are also used. A correlation analysis of the data collected identifies the strength of correlation between factors involved in automobile dependence feedback. The data reveal commonalities between cities: those cities with higher urban densities, higher transit service provision and lower automobile infrastructure provision exhibit lower levels of car ownership and use as well as higher levels of transit use. These cities also have better utilized transit systems, have higher walking and cycling mode shares and consume less fuel. The quantitative findings are used in tandem with the qualitative findings of the literature review to identify and rank eight possible points for policy intervention in changing auto dependence feedback. Of the factors examined, metropolitan and outer area density, transit supply and CBD parking supply appear to exert the strongest relative influence on auto dependence. These are followed in importance by inner area density and car ownership, which are followed by road supply and non-motorized transport share. While the auto dependence factors ranked require further study, clarification and confirmation, they provide a preliminary basis for directing policy analysis. A policy evaluation framework is developed that enables policies prescribed in each intervention area to be assessed against a series of travel, environmental, social and economic impact criteria as well as their implementation potential. This framework can be used by policymakers to identify high leverage policies for reducing auto dependence.