▁and ▁gas oline / d ies el ▁bus es ; ▁in ▁that ▁same ▁year ▁the ▁BC ER ▁became ▁the ▁core ▁of ▁the ▁newly ▁created , ▁public ly ▁owned ▁BC ▁H ydro . ▁V ancouver ▁currently ▁has ▁the ▁second - larg est ▁t rol ley bus ▁fleet ▁in ▁North ▁America , ▁after ▁San ▁Francisco . ▁ ▁Success ive ▁city ▁coun c ils ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁prohib ited ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁fre ew ays ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁long - term ▁plan . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁the ▁only ▁major ▁fre ew ay ▁within ▁city ▁limits ▁is ▁Highway ▁ 1 , ▁which ▁passes ▁through ▁the ▁north - e astern ▁corner ▁of ▁the ▁city . ▁While ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁cars ▁in ▁V ancouver ▁proper ▁has ▁been ▁stead ily ▁rising ▁with ▁population ▁growth , ▁the ▁rate ▁of ▁car ▁ownership ▁and ▁the ▁average ▁distance ▁driven ▁by ▁daily ▁commut ers ▁have ▁fallen ▁since ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁V ancouver ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁major ▁Canadian ▁city ▁with ▁these ▁tr ends . ▁Despite ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁the ▁journey ▁time ▁per ▁vehicle ▁has ▁increased ▁by ▁one - third ▁and ▁growing ▁traffic ▁mass , ▁there ▁are ▁ 7 % ▁fewer ▁cars ▁making ▁tri ps ▁into ▁the ▁dow nt own ▁core . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁V ancouver ▁had ▁the ▁worst ▁traffic ▁con g estion ▁in ▁Canada ▁and ▁the ▁second - high est ▁in ▁North ▁America , ▁behind ▁Los ▁Angeles . ▁, ▁V ancouver