Liveable Peel Conference:Transportation and Sustainability

in Greater Vancouver

Clive Rock Director of Strategic Planning and Policy

Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority

February 10, 2006

TRANS LINK

Presentation Outline

ContextRegional Plans & SustainabilityLessons LearnedSummary

Greater Vancouver Region21 cities – very diverse2.3 million residents, 3.0+? million by 2021Major role in trade by sea and air Growing congestionPrior to 1999 no regional transp’n agency

Since 1999

TransitMajor RoadsDemand ManagementEmission TestingITS

Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority

TRANS LINKGVRD

Air Quality Land Use PlanningWater & SewerSolid wasteParks

Greater VancouverRegional District

Regional Processes1990 - Creating Our Future1990/5 - Livable Region Consultations1993 - Transport 2021 Long Range Plan1996 - Livable Region Strategic Plan1999 - Formation of GVTA (TransLink)2001 - Strategic Transportation Plan (STP)2004 - STP update2006+ - Update to LRSP and Transport 2021

Livable Region Strategic Plan - Key Strategies

Protect the Green ZoneBuild more complete communitiesAchieve a compact metropolitan regionIncrease transportation choice

Transport strategy - 3 ‘levers’:

1. Land use

2. Transportation supply-side

3. Transportation demand-side

Concept:Concentrated pop’n & jobsLink town centres by good transitRapid transit to help ‘shape’ growth

Key factors:Residential densitiesConcentration of activity centres (esp. jobs)

Land UseLand Use

Transport needs are derived from how people and activities are distributed.

Transit Use and Urban Density

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

0.0 20.0 40.0 60.0 80.0 100.0 120.0

% T

rans

it U

se

Europe

US-Canada-Australia

AsiaGVRD

Persons/hectare

What can transit do?-

Many-to-Few? Many-to-Many?

1996 – The ‘Problem’Good Plans - but insufficient actionsLack of integration of modes

RoadsFragmented - no system of ‘regional’ roads Little action on goods movement

Transit Service was insufficientNo regional Transportation Governance

Funding limitedLack of funds, unpredictable, unstable

Government Agencies in Transportation 1996

Transport.FinanceAuthority

HighwaysContractors

Minister ofMunicipalAffairs &Housing

Ministry ofTransport. &

Highways

CrownCorporationSecretariat

Minister ofEmploy. &Investment

Minister ofLabour

Minister ofTransport. &

Highways

TransportCanada

Cabinet

BC Transit GVRD

BC RapidTransit Op.Company

VancouverInt. AirportAuthority

InsuranceCorporation

of BC

West CoastExpress

Motor CarrierCommission

TaxiOperators

RCMP &Municipal

Police

20 Municipalities

AttorneyGeneral

MunicipalEngineeringDepartment

Private BusCompanies

HandyDartContractors

WestVancouverBlue Bus

VancouverRegionalTransit

Commission

Minister ofSocial

Services

Jack BellVanpool

Minister ofEnvironment

Lands &Parks

Air Care

Government Agencies in Transportation 1996

Minister ofMunicipalAffairs &Housing

Ministry ofTransport. &Highways

CrownCorporationSecretariat

Ministe

r of

Employ.

&

Inves

tmen

t

Ministe

r of

Labo

ur

Min

iste

r of

Tran

spor

t. &

Hig

hway

s

Tran

spor

tC

anad

a

Cabinet

BC Transit

GVRD

BC Rap

id

Transit

Op.

Compa

ny

Transport.

Finance

Authority

VancouverInt. AirportAuthority

InsuranceCorporation

of BC

West C

oastExpress

HighwaysContractors

Mot

or C

arrie

rC

omm

issi

on

Taxi

Operators

RCMP &

Municipal

Police

20 Municipalities

Attorney

General

Municipal

Engineering

Department

Priva

te B

us

Com

pani

es

HandyDartContractors

WestVancouverBlue Bus

Vancouver

Regional

Transit

Commission

Minister of

Social

Services

Jack Bell

Vanpool

Minister of

Environment

Lands &

Parks

Air Care

Setting Up GVTAGVRD approached Province in 1996What the region wanted:

1. Finance: Stable, predictable, appropriate 2. Transit: Local control, more buses and rail 3. Roads: Establish a regional system4. TDM: Car/Vanpool, Employer programsNegotiated agreement completed Oct. 1997Extensive consultation on proposal Ratified in Feb., 1998Start-up on April 1, 1999

GVTA ResponsibilitiesUnique in Canada

some similarities to MPO’s, TfL (Transport for London)Integrated approach to:

TransitRoadsTransportation Demand ManagementCyclingVehicle Emissions

Funding from Transportation SourcesFares, Gas Tax, Parking & Veh. Fees, Tolls

Must support related regional plans:Livable Region Strategic PlanAir Quality Management PlanRegional Economic Objectives

ScopeTRANS LINK

Regional Roads

Before GVTA no ‘regional system’Approx. 600 km of former muni & prov roads‘Partnership’ approach to issues Region funds - Municipalities own/operate

Revenue SourcesSources Used/Approved1. Transit Fares 2. Advertising Revenue3. Property Tax4. Fuel Tax (12 cents/litre)5. Parking Sales Tax (7%)6. Parking Area Tax (=$30/stall)7. BC Hydro Levy8. Project TollsSources Not Used (to date)1. Annual vehicle fee (levy)2. Benefitting Area TaxNote: Several require GVRD and/or Provincial Consent

SuccessesMore Consistent funding Increased investment in transportGrowing transit ridershipProgress with roads, transit, cycling and TDMIncreased cooperation

Formal and informal Provides ‘forum’ and context for other agenciesBroad ‘buy-in’ is critical to successDo things ‘with’ not ‘to’ partners

Challenges‘Visible’ agency and servicesPublic expectationsRegional and community differencesModal needs

Goods and passengerAuto and Transit

Urban formSustainability

Social & CulturalEconomicEnvironmental

and…

The ‘C’s Direction

1. CAPABLEdelivering the required capacity, level of service

2. COMPATIBLEthe kinds of places we want to live in

3. CONSERVINGin terms of energy, other resources

4. CLEAN In relation to environmental impacts

5. COST-EFFECTIVEaffordable relative to value added

6. CARINGin terms of accessibility, affordability, etc.

Friends, let’s face it, we are just not sustainable….

if you ask me what we need to do to

move to sustainability…….. in simple terms it just means living

our lives so we plan to stick around for a while as a species