The 310 Bus Route (and it's many problems)

FOI Request

Breanna Himmelright
5896 126a Street
Surrey, BC V3X 3J4
Phone: 604-375-9830
Email: breehimm@hotmail.com

Office of the University Counsel, University of British Columbia
6328 Memorial Road
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2
Phone: 604-822-1897
Fax: 604-822-8731
Email: university.counsel@ubc.ca

 To the Office of the University Counsel,

 Under the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act, please provide me with:

 •A list of all the event bookings made on university grounds and university-owned facilities since October 1st, 2016, including the names and stated goals of the events, the venues and facilities booked, and the parties responsible for all aspects of the events, including booking, costs, and promotion

 If there are problems releasing some portions of the documents requested, please do not withhold release of all the documents, but instead forward those you can release.

To avoid photocopying fees, you may provide me with these records in PDF format – either via email or on a USB flash drive. If you have any concerns, please phone me at 604-375-9830. My email is breehimm@hotmail.com.

 Please advise me when the material is ready for release.

 Sincerely,


 Breanna Himmelright

Driving is completely unnecessary in the modern age

(Photo by jonbgem)

Ever since the 1908 Model T Ford was made available to the masses, cars have become so ingrained into our society that they have unique rituals and codes around them. A universal celebration of turning 16 is learning how to drive. The type of car you drive indicates your status. There are entire movies and movie franchises - I'm sure you can name a few - that revolve around cars and driving. We see cars as the holy grail of transportation options, and we consider driving to be a necessary component of our lives.

But is it? With concerns about climate change growing by the minute, and public transportation systems around the world continuing to evolve, one can't help but call into question the necessity of driving at all. I believe that with these and other factors in mind, cars are quickly becoming obsolete - and the need for driving will soon become a thing of the past.

Even ignoring all the pollution smog from cars creates, making, fueling, and destroying cars can leave a sizeable carbon footprint. According to an article by National Geographic, the production of a car's core components consumes a lot of energy as it stands, and plastics, toxic battery acids, and other products can leak off discarded vehicles and remain in the environment. Additionally, extracting gas is an energy-intensive process that puts local ecosystems in danger, and shipping that petroleum runs the risk of causing a devastating oil spill.

Additionally, driving also poses a threat to one's physical and mental health. A 2014 study found that longer driving time was associated with higher odds for worse physical and psychological health, including less physical activity, short sleep, and obesity. I can certainly confirm driving harms one's state of mind, and I can't imagine someone who can drive everywhere would have much incentive to get outside.

Even without the harm driving poses to the environment and your health, the multitude of public transportation options Vancouver has renders driving needless. On July 24, 2019, TransLink was awarded the 2019 Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award by the American Public Transportation Association. While Translink's detractors will certainly bring up valid arguments against this, the fact that TransLink has a system as vast as it does is nothing to sneeze at. The fact that this system operates mostly functional at least 90% of the time, no matter what weather Vancouver throws it's way? Undoubtedly worthy of "outstanding". Given the multitude of transportation options Vancouver has at its disposal, it seems almost absurd that Vancouverites would continue to contribute to the same congestion they frequently complain about.

Now, some argue that driving is necessary in rural areas, where public transit is not as accessible. Is this an issue? Absolutely. Is it one without alternatives? Of course not. If you want public transportation improved or implemented in your area, this would be an excellent opportunity to reach out to your transit provider and voice your concerns. Even better, reach out to others in your community and educate them on the benefits of public transit, and work with them to petition the city council to implement your goals. And in the meantime, walk to whatever necessary services you can access. It's better for you and the planet, and you might even catch some gorgeous views on your journey.

Views that are much harder to appreciate when you're stuck in traffic.

The headline I chose is Search Engine Optimized because it shows what people are looking for, which is driving. According to Google Trends, "driving" on average was more frequently searched that "driver's license".

Photo example

(Photo by John Grimm)

An example of a photo one can use in a blog post.

My first blog

This is my very first post on this blog.

This blog is intended to be used solely in the context of JRNL 1220 at KPU and do not reflect viewpoints I currently have or may have in the future.