Clean Energy Canada and the C.D. Howe Institute collaborated on a study to calculate the full costs of traffic congestion in the Vancouver region. The study found that gridlock stops people from getting out and doing the things they otherwise would do, and this reduces face-to-face contact and the economic benefits that come with it.
The resulting report tallies the costs of these missed connections, and details how the Metro Vancouver Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation Proposal would alleviate them. The Institute found that, depending on assumptions, hidden costs total between $500 million and $1.2 billion a year.
