Langara College's main campus is centrally located in a residential neighborhood in Vancouver between Main Street and Cambie Street on 49th Avenue. It is conveniently located on major bus routes, and minutes away from the Langara-49th Station on the Canada Line. 

With the U-Pass, Langara students may take full advantage of the plentiful services, making the choice to use public transit that much simpler. Transit is an important and growing part of the Langara community. As of Fall 2008, public transportation represented the primary mode of transportation for 61% of our students, an increase from the previous year of 57%.

Access

The College is well-served by #49 (Metrotown/UBC) bus service along 49th Avenue, and #3 (Main/Downtown) bus service along Main Street, with peak hour frequency of 5-7 minutes. Fast and reliable service on the Canada Line allows access to Richmond and Downtown locations in under 13 minutes, with trains arriving every 4 minutes.

Convenience

Choosing transit means that your commute time is yours to do as you please.  Instead of dealing with stop-and-go traffic, poor drivers, and parking stress, you can use your time productively.  Whether you want to finish that new book, prepare for class, catch up on mobile sites, or just to relax, it is all up to you.

Cost

Choosing transit makes great financial sense.  With the U-Pass Program, transit is available to all students at an affordable cost.  For many students, the automobile presents the greatest single annual expense, with increasing upkeep and decreasing value year to year.  In Canada, the average annual cost to own and operate a car is over $9000, or 20% of average household income.  Taking transit means that gasoline prices, parking cost, and repairs are taken out of the equation for the majority of your transportation use.

Green

Each year, the average single-occupancy vehicle will burn through 2,199 litres of gasoline to emit 5,507 kilograms of emissions into the air.  One city bus can take 40 cars off the roads, saving over 70,000 litres of fuel and keeping 168 tonnes of pollutants out of our atmosphere each year.  Choosing transit means a commitment to a sustainable community that we can all be proud of.                       

U-Pass

In May 2008, Langara College and the Langara Students' Union (LSU) introduced the U-Pass Program to our students; we were the first College and third institution in the Lower Mainland to participate in U-Pass. In September 2011, we transitioned to the U-Pass BC Program, and became part of the most comprehensive student transit program anywhere in Canada.

The U-Pass BC Program provides all eligible students with an unlimited 3-zone transit pass valid on all TransLink bus, SkyTrain and SeaBus services at a fraction of regular costs, and is made possible through mandatory participation of all LSU members. This student-driven initiative was approved through student referendum in November 2007 and again in March 2011.

Program Goals 

The U-Pass BC Program aims to provide an affordable transportation option for all students, while helping to achieve the long-term sustainability goals of the Langara community. The program has proven successful on many fronts, including the following less visible benefits:

  • reducing single occupancy vehicle (SOV) traffic to the College 
  • reducing critical demand for parking and additional campus space devoted to parking
  • reducing traffic congestion in neighboring residential areas
  • improving presence and priority for transit service upgrades
  • promoting lifelong ridership habits as evidenced in various studies

Resources

Trip Planners

Carbon / Cost Savings Calculators

Links

Cycling

Langara College is beautifully situated in a serene neighbourhood of Vancouver, and is easily accessible by bicycle. The Ontario Street and 37th Avenue Bikeways both offer scenic routes to the campus, and are very cyclist-friendly. If you choose to use transit for part of your commute, all TransLink buses are now equipped with front-end bicycle racks (2 bicycle capacity), and bicycles are welcome on the new Canada Line with no peak hour restrictions.  

Facilities

Langara College is committed to improving cycling facilities as a key part of our sustainability plans. Once you arrive on campus, you will find bike racks adjacent to all major buildings and entranceways.
For students: There is a secured bike lock-up area in the underground parkade beneath the Library Building (access card available at the Bookstore); an air hose, lockers, and shower facilities are located in the Gym nearby. 
For employees: an employee-only bike lock-up area with shower facilities and air hose are availalbe in the underground parkade.
The Langara Students’ Union building offers a bike repair facility.

Safety

Cyclists are subject to the same traffic rules and regulations on the road as cars, and are afforded the same rights and privileges. Please remember to obey all traffic and bicycle safety rules. Sharing the road can be unnerving for many potential cyclists, but proper bicycle safety education can give you the skills to ride safely and with confidence. Be on the lookout for bicycle safety skills workshops and courses offered at Langara College through HUB (formerly the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition).

Theft Prevention

Bicycles can be a major financial investment, so please take care to properly secure your bicycles on campus. At minimum, a solid body u-lock should be used to secure the frame (not wheel) of your bicycle to a proper bike rack, and any valuables should be removed. The secured bike lock-up offers a caged storage area for bicycles that will only be accessible to students with a registered access card.

Reasons to Cycle

There are many excellent reasons why cycling is such an attractive commute choice for so many in the Langara community. 

Enjoyment

Vancouver is consistently regarded as one of the most beautiful and livable cities in the world. Cycling affords you the chance to enjoy the city and fresh air on a regular basis. Many people choose to cycle simply because it is fun and relaxing, and new cyclists will often incorporate recreational cycling into their healthier lifestyle.

Health

Regular exercise and healthy eating habits will have a big impact on your physical and emotional well-being, and can be important for academic success. Cycling is a great tool to fight growing obesity and sedentary lifestyle habits. Choosing cycling means less time spent at the gym, and making the most of your commute time.

Time

One-third of trips in the Lower Mainland are less than 5 kilometres, a distance which in many cases can be reached faster by bicycle than any other means of transportation. Taking advantage of dedicated bikeways and designated lanes, bicycle travel means not having to contend with gridlock and traffic delays.

Money

Your fuel costs are now your food costs; more money for food = good! Fuel your body and brain.

Environment

Cycling consumes no fossil fuels and produces zero emissions.  Choosing cycling will reduce your carbon footprint, but the impact is in fact much greater.  Cycling alleviates the need for road upkeep, new construction, infrastructure development, and parking land use, which all contribute significantly to the hidden carbon costs of driving.

Resources

  • UBC Cycling Metro Vancouver trip planner and calorie counter
    Cycling route planner that takes into account elevation, climb, traffic, bike routes, and will give calorie count

Information, Event, and Advocacy Groups

Carpool and Rideshare

Carpooling is a smart option to share your commute costs while helping to reduce the number of single occupancy vehicles coming to the campus. Langara College encourages carpooling and offers services to help you get started. Regular carpool groups qualify for a dedicated carpool parking space. These spaces are close to classrooms and are reserved until 10AM daily. Students will need to purchase parking time, but will save by sharing parking and fuel costs with carpool members. 

Benefits

Carpooling makes great sense for people with similar schedules and destination, making it ideal for students at Langara. Every single occupancy driver turned passenger takes one car off the road, and the emissions and fossil fuels that go along with it. In addition to being green, carpooling can also mean shared costs and driving responsibility, depending on your group arrangements.

Resources

Free Ride-Matching Services with Langara

Co-op Car Sharing Networks

Electric Vehicles

In March 2013, Langara College installed two level 2 electric vehicle charging stations on campus as part of the Plug in BC Program with support from the province of British Columbia and the Fraser Basin Council.  Electric vehicles reduce the impact of greenhouse gas emissions from single-occupancy vehicles and can be used to make your commute cleaner and greener.Installing the necessary infrastructure is an important step to support adoption of electric vehicle technology and an extensive network of stations will provide drivers the convenience and assurance of a nearby charge.  A level 2 charging station uses a dedicated 240 volt AC circuit and typically fully recharges the battery of a 100% electric vehicle in 6-8 hours or the battery of a plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle in 3-4 hours.  The two stations located on campus are open to both the college community and the general public and can provide a top-up to extend your range while you are in class or in the neighbourhood.Learn more about our electric vehicle charging stations on our Parking & Transportation page.