Environmental Trends 2007

Ecosystems

Changes in Road Length and Density in B.C.

The total length of roads in B.C. has increased by 82 per cent since 1988.

Sources: Integrated Land Management Bureau (Ministry of Agriculture and Lands), and Forest Analysis and Inventory Branch (Ministry of Forests and Range)

The total road length and road density (kilometres of roads per square kilometre) show the degree to which human activities have affected the land.

• Photo credit: Ministry of Transportation

  Between 2000 and 2005, the greatest increase in road length was in the Central Interior ecoprovince (19,554 kilometres of new roads).

• The highest density of roads is located in the Georgia Depression ecoprovince (which includes Vancouver), but the largest increase in road density between 2002 and 2005 took place in the Boreal Plains (north eastern B.C.).

For detailed information, including graph data, see In-Depth Report [pdf].

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