Improving our Street System – Needs and Strategies

Enhancing our community’s transportation system

Each year, we are working to improve pavement conditions, support neighborhood traffic calming and increase mobility, accessibility and safety for all users of our streets.

The City’s Annual Street Funding Strategy report includes the past year’s revenues and accomplishments from Vancouver’s Transportation Benefit District and a look forward to the future year’s work plan. Learn how these funding efforts are being put to work improving pavement conditions; supporting neighborhood traffic calming; increasing mobility, accessibility and safety; improving signals; and providing the local match needed to get grants for transportation projects.

• Most current: Vancouver’s Street Funding Strategy Report to the Community for 2023
• Previous: Vancouver’s Street Funding Strategy Report to the Community for 2022

View an interactive Story Map of Vancouver’s Street Funding Strategy and Outcomes.

Instructions: For information on how to use the Story Map web feature, click on the second bullet on the left or scroll to the second page. Note that this web feature is responsive to the size of your browser window. The Story Map feature will continue to be improved and updated.

About Vancouver’s Street Funding Strategy

After extensive assessments and evaluations of programs, projects and finances, along with in-person and online public input, the City of Vancouver now has a sustainable, long-term solution to help provide the needed resources for taking care of the streets our community has.

In November 2015, the Vancouver City Council approved ordinances to establish a Transportation Benefit District and amend the Business License Surcharge and tax on City-owned utilities – water, sewer, stormwater and garbage – to provide the additional funds needed to maintain and improve our existing street system.

• Read about Vancouver’s Transportation Benefit District (TBD)
• Find answers to your TBD license renewal fee questions
• Review the Oct. 2015 fact sheet on Street Funding Recommendations
• View companion infographic on these Street Funding Recommendations

Why Funding Streets is Important

When we talk about our street system, that means from sidewalk to sidewalk. Vancouver’s street system includes 1,900 lane miles of road surface, more than 3,800 acres of right-of-way property, the operation of 235 traffic signals, nine pedestrian hybrid beacons, tens of thousands of signs, 10 City-owned bridges, thousands of miles of bike and pedestrian facilities, and thousands of miles of lane striping.

Vancouver’s livability, economic vitality, and public safety and emergency response depend on a healthy, viable street system. Key areas are:

• Taking care of what we have
• Improving functionality, mobility, safety and livability
• Upgrading our core arterial backbone
• Investing strategically in economic vitality

Learn more about the City’s Transportation Improvement Program.

Streets are the backbone of all community and business activities and impact Vancouver’s overall quality of life. Our entire street system reflects a major community investment, costly to construct and currently estimated at more than $1 billion to replace. Just like a home or office building, a vehicle or a bicycle, our street system needs ongoing maintenance to continue to serve us now and into the future.

Questions/Comments

For questions about efforts to address sustainable Street Funding Strategies, email betterstreets@cityofvancouver.us.