Long commutes, dismal crash rates here
B.C. ranks among the worst Canadian provinces for having long commute times, according to a Fraser Institute study. <br>The report on the state of transportation gives this province generally poor grades in several areas. <br>It says B.C.'s average round trip commute of 60 minutes a day is eighth worst in the country, just slightly under Quebec and Ontario. <br>The report rated B.C. last in Canada for passenger transportation, arguing the province has only average per capita transit use despite running the nation's costliest system – each transit ride here costs $2.06 cents on average, 25 per cent more than the national average. <br>Niels Veldhuis, one of the authors, says the problems are particularly acute in the congested Lower Mainland. <br> "The most significant problem in B.C. is on the highways," he said. "We have among the highest congestion levels, the longest commute times and the worst safety records in the country." <br>He said major infrastructure upgrades even beyond what are envisioned in the Gateway program are needed. <br>"We have problems in each major artery," Veldhuis said. "Yes it helps that we're doing the Port Mann Bridge. Yes it helps that we're doing Highway 1. But we need to do significantly more to improve B.C.'s position." <br>B.C. ranked worst in Canada for highway fatality rates, with 13.9 deaths per billion vehicle kilometres travelled – 50 per cent above the national average. <br>B.C. residents also face the greatest risk of dying in crashes involving heavy trucks. The report says B.C. logs 4.8 fatal truck collisions per million tonnes of freight moved, almost triple the heavy truck fatality rate in Ontario and more than double the national average of 2.15. <br>The report gave B.C. better scores on air transport and ferry service, with the lowest rate of ferry accidents in the country.
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