The SkyTrain as an exporter of crime? Exploring the spatial distribution of crime on the Canada Line

The Canada Line is the most recent expansion of Metro Vancouver’s SkyTrain system. The implementation of the new mass transit route aroused many concerns and fears that the expansion of the SkyTrain would facilitate a greater number of crimes occurring to the stations and cities that host the new line. The following study was conducted to determine whether such fears of transit expansion and crime growth could be validated. This study offers a preliminary evaluation of the impact upon crime at seven stations of the Canada Line. Time series techniques were used to analyze crime data from the Richmond detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) from January 2006 to August 2011. Results of the study are considered in relation to a number of various factors influencing both the type and geographical location of the region. The study illustrates the importance for planners of considering the relationship between crime, land use and transit systems.