POLICY REPORT
TRAFFIC AND TRANSIT
Date: May 26, 1995
Dept. File No.
TO: Vancouver City Council
FROM: General Manager of Engineering Services and
Associate Director of Planning (CityPlan)
SUBJECT: Process - Development of a Transportation Plan
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT the City proceed with the development of a
Transportation Plan as outlined in this report and
based on the strategic directions established in the
Livable Region Plan, Transport 2021 and CityPlan.
B. THAT a Transportation Planning staff team be
established with seconded staff from Engineering
Services and Planning and a preliminary 1995 budget of
$185,000 for administrative and public process costs to
be funded from Contingency Reserve.
C. THAT staff continue to work with communities, to pursue
the transportation concepts as outlined in CityPlan,
including transportation links between neighbourhood
centres, neighbourhood protection from traffic impacts,
community-level transit services and promotion of
pedestrian and bicycle-friendly communities.
D. THAT immediate priority be directed to continuing
analysis of the ICTS lines described in Transport 2021,
including route priorities, corridor definition,
technology, supporting land use strategies and
community mitigation.
E. THAT staff prepare proposals for Council's
consideration to address the issue of goods movement
within the City, with particular reference to the
Industrial Lands Strategy and the False Creek Flats
development, as a high priority. F .
T H A T t h e T e r m s o f
Reference for a Transportation and Parking Study of the
cultural/entertainment district be approved as presented in
this report, and that the General Manager of Engineering
Services report back on the appointment of a consultant.
Further, that $20,000 be allocated as the City share of this
study, subject to cost sharing by major facility owners,
with the source of funding to be Contingency Reserve.
G. THAT the Vancouver International Airport Authority be
requested to conduct a study of access requirements
related to airport expansion and the Open Skies
Agreement, and staff report back on implications of
this study when received.
H. THAT the GVRD, BC Transit, Vancouver International
Airport, Vancouver Port Corporation, B.C. Ferries and
Ministry of Transportation and Highways be advised of
the City's intention to develop a Transportation Plan
and be invited to share information and participate in
the development of the Plan.
COUNCIL POLICY
Existing City transportation policy is extensive as indicated in
Appendix B. Key policies include:
- no freeways within the City
- no increase in vehicular capacity entering the City
- a set of priorities for modes of travel which includes
pedestrians, cyclists, transit, goods movement and
vehicles.
More recently Council approved Transport 2021 in principle and
has also approved the directions outlined in the Regional
Strategic Plan. CityPlan is also nearing completion. A
"directions" document has been prepared which provides strategic
guidance for transportation policy amongst other topics. The
creation of a Transportation Plan is one of the recommendations
arising from the CityPlan process.
PURPOSE
Transportation is a large and pervasive topic that affects the
life of a city in many ways, some positive and others negative.
The purpose of this report is to define a framework for
transportation planning which establishes a context for the
detailed elements of the plan, yet at the same time combines the
results of those elements into one integrated product.
The report also outlines some immediate priority transportation
needs which should be examined in parallel with the preparation
of a Transportation Plan. These include continuing analysis of
rapid transit corridor priorities, a study of goods movement, and
a review of transportation and parking needs within the emerging
entertainment/sports district of the downtown.
BACKGROUND
Previous City Councils have evaluated various transportation
issues leading to the approval of a body of policy statements.
These range from broad general policies to more narrowly defined
policies dealing with a specific travel mode or location in the
city.
More recently, there has been considerable work in defining the
land use patterns for the region (Regional Strategic Plan) and
the city (CityPlan). This work established population and
employment growth projections as well as settlement patterns.
From a transportation perspective it is now timely to develop a
plan.
In recognition of this, in April 1994, Council moved the
following:
THAT, following review of Transport 2021 (the Regional
context) and CityPlan (the City context), staff conduct a
process to document the transportation strategy for the
City, to include the following:
- confirmation of established policies as appropriate
- development of new policies
- a public forum to propose and review options
- a public process to adopt a strategy document
Transport 2021 is now complete; CityPlan is also nearing
completion. A "Directions" document has been prepared that
provides strategic guidance for transportation among other
topics. The creation of a Transportation Plan is one of the
recommendations arising from the CityPlan process.
There are also a number of transportation issues which have
emerged in the last year. These issues need analysis and review
and a Transportation Plan will provide a valuable policy context.
Some of these issues also have a high priority and it is
recommended that they be studied in parallel with the development
of a Transportation Plan. The issues include the following:
- the development of rapid transit corridor priorities and an
assessment of the impact of rapid transit on the city e.g.,
alignment, mitigation, traffic, transit service, etc.;-
the development of a Goods Movement Strategy following the
approval of an Industrial Lands Strategy. Of particular
interest are the goods movement needs within the False Creek
Flats including possible use of the Grandview Cut
- a transportation and parking assessment of the evolving
entertainment/sports district in the downtown
- a review of the Vancouver Airport ground transportation
needs arising from potential employment growth, a new
terminal and the "Open Skies" agreement
- review of the South Coast Transportation Study, which
includes HOV lanes on the Trans Canada Highway and possible
new crossings of the North Arm of the Fraser River, among
other subjects.
- an assessment of port access needs for both employment and
goods movement
- continuing development of a South False Creek Trolley line
with emphasis on the preservation of a corridor
- further development and implementation of a High Occupancy
Vehicle (HOV) Strategy for the city particularly along the
Granville, Broadway and Hastings corridors.
- neighbourhood traffic protection programs in several
locations within the City
- potential expansion of water-borne transportation links
including ferries, water taxis, seabus, etc.
- ongoing evaluation of the Lions Gate Bridge Crossing options
including an examination of the traffic impacts on the CBD
and West End
- potential modifications to the Burrard Bridge to separate
bicyclists and pedestrians and improve the north end
approaches
Responses to these issues will need to proceed in concert with an
overall Transportation Plan.
TRANSPORTATION PLANNING FRAMEWORK
In the past, transportation planning has tended to be a linear
process. Based initially on land use plans, estimates of
population and employment were prepared. These were used to
calculate travel needs from zone to zone. Facility plans were
then prepared for roads and for rapid transit in order to meet
the calculated demand. The needs of buses, pedestrians, cyclists
and goods movement were fitted in at a later stage. Little
consideration was given to ways to minimize the amount of
transportation services required.
Modern planning is more iterative in nature, and takes a more
comprehensive view of the relationship between land use and
transportation. It recognizes that:
Innovative land use patterns can result in more efficient
transportation patterns. The GVRD "complete community"
objective to locate jobs near housing contributes to
minimizing commuting. Similarly, CityPlan neighbourhood
centres locate jobs and services closer to where people
live.
The transportation system can be used to reinforce and guide
desirable forms of land use development through the location
of transportation investments.
Transportation services can play a role in meeting
livability objectives, such as economic prosperity,
environmental quality, equity and safety.
Various techniques known as TDM (Transportation Demand
Management) can be used to influence travel demand levels
and thus reduce facility costs.
As a result of this broader understanding of the relationship
between city objectives, land use, and transportation and because
plans must account for all travel modes (including pedestrians,
bicycles, transit, goods movement, and cars) the transportation
planning process has become considerably more complex than in the
past.
Conceptual Framework
There needs to be an overall integrating concept to tie together
the many elements of a Transportation Plan. This role needs to
be filled by an overall Council Strategic Statement. Figure 1
uses the concept of the wheel to illustrate the transportation
planning process. Layers of the wheel represent successive
levels of planning, beginning with the broadest strategies in the
centre and progressing to specific programs and facilities around
the perimeter. Each level of planning is dependent upon the
previous levels being complete in order to give it guidance and
support. In turn, sectors (or spokes) of the wheel are labelled
to represent the different modes of travel. While all of these
elements are derived from the initial plan, they in turn combine
to form the Transportation Plan and give it life.As this model
suggests, the process can be a very complex one and it is subject
to constant change as the City and region grow. An overall
Transportation Plan is guided by vision and policy statements
such as CityPlan, Transport 2021 and other statements of Council
Policy. It is because these guiding policies have been approved
recently, or are nearing completion, that it is now timely to
proceed with development of a plan. However, the strategy finds
life in the building blocks, the implementation of specific
topics and facilities that evolve into the transportation system
of the future. In order to achieve a meaningful plan that finds
expression in work in the daily life of the City, must proceed
concurrently on these specific facilities.
Development of a Transportation Plan
We would suggest that the overall Transportation Planning Policy
document be prepared through simultaneous pursuit of two streams.
The first stream is a five-step overall planning process as
described below:
Step 1: Summary of Existing Policies
This involves the preparation of an inventory of current
transportation policies and plans which have been approved by
previous Councils. This material will be categorized in a manner
which will assist in an understanding of existing policy.
Further, a data base of current transportation information and
indicators will be compiled including historic and emerging
trends. For example, a large body of information exists on
origin-destinations, travel demand, trip purposes, mode splits,
etc. This will allow us to better understand our current
situation.
This work has been initiated, and we would hope to make regular
presentations to Council summarizing current policy and
transportation information. In this regard, a presentation on
parking policies (which is an integral component of
transportation planning) is scheduled for June.
Step 2: Implications of the New Strategic Directions
Over the last few years Council has adopted a number of policies
which provide a framework for future development of the city.
These include:
Central Area Plan, adopted in 1991, establishes the
development framework for the downtown, and central
Broadway;
major development plans for areas in the downtown, including
Downtown South, Coal Harbour, and North False Creek, which
provide for a substantial growth in population on the
downtown peninsula;
the Industrial Lands Strategy outlines the future use of the
city's major industrial areas;
CityPlan, to be considered by Council on June 6, if adopted,
will provide an overall vision for Vancouver for the next 20
to 30 years, covering policy directions for the City in
housing, employment, transport, environment, and other area.
In addition to strategic directions approved by Council, other
agencies have recently adopted directions which will affect the
city. These include:
Transport 2021 Medium - and Long-Range Plans, prepared by
the GVRD and provincial government and approved in 1991,
which include proposals for new rapid transit lines;
Port Master Plan, including directions on goods and people
movement requirements for the port to function;
Vancouver International Airport expansion and associated
requirements for ground transportation links for people and
goods movement;
Livable Region Strategic Plan Transportation Choice
Policies, approved by the GVRD Board in December 1994, will
involve Vancouver and other municipalities in planning and
delivering a transportation system in support of the Livable
Region Strategy, including pursuing TDM measures; and
Transit Priority: Programs That Put People First, approved
in principle in February 1995 by Vancouver Regional Transit
Commission, includes a variety of physical, traffic control,
and legislative measures to give public transit priority
over other vehicles. Many of the program elements will be
either within Vancouver City or in corridors connecting the
suburban municipalities to Vancouver.
These strategic directions provide a new context for
transportation in the city. The purpose of Step 2 of the work
program is to identify major transportation issues which result
from these strategic directions, and which require further review
through the Transportation Plan. This step in the process is
largely completed as well and the key strategic directions are
summarized in Appendix B.Step 3: Understanding Transportation
Issues
This step provides for a preliminary qualitative review of the
existing transportation policies in the context of City and other
agency strategic directions identified in Step 2. In this way
the following key issues will be addressed:
confirm those transportation policies which are consistent
with or supportive of the strategic directions
call into question those policies which are inconsistent
with the future needs
identify gaps in policy where new directions need to be
identified and addressed
provide recommendations on key issues to be explored in
greater detail to develop a new Transportation Plan (Step
4).
Preliminary review of existing policies, in the context of new
strategic direction, will be done by City staff. In undertaking
this review, staff will use existing and easily accessible
sources to identify public concerns e.g.: CityPlan "Ideas Book",
Greenway Workshops, and BC Transit Surveys. Outside public
agencies will also be consulted with regard to their plans.
Some work has already started on this step. Several emerging
issues suggest the City will need to address the following:
Transportation to, and within the downtown;
Transportation services related to neighbourhood centres and
other service districts;
Application of Transportation Demand Management (TDM)
techniques;
Neighbourhood protection measures;
Made split objectives;
Goods movement;
Financing transportation initiatives;
Institutional arrangements for decision-making on
transportation services.
Staff will conclude the review of existing policies, in the
context of new strategic directions, and report the findings to
Council. This may allow Council to establish some directions
early and thus respond to some of the transportation proposals
currently under discussion. Remaining issues will be addressed
through the process outlined in Step 4.
Step 4: Exploring Choices for the Key Issues
Key issues identified in Step 3 will be the focus of evaluation
and public discussion in Step 4. This step has two components:
i) Analysis of Options: This is the analytical part of the
work program. Options will be identified and evaluated for
how to deal with demand over the 30 year horizon. For
example, topics may include:
- travel to and within the downtown;
- travel within the city;
- commuter travel; and
- goods movement.
The options associated with each issue will be examined
within the context of the overall transportation system and
the city as a whole. The intention is, within the framework
established by CityPlan, to identify practical ways for the
City to respond to transportation issues. This could
include developing new transportation policies, proposing
new transportation facilities, or adjusting levels of
service. Land use decisions, such as the location of major
new traffic generators and neighbourhood centres, will need
to be considered in relationship to transportation
directions.
Each issue is an umbrella for many significant but smaller
issues. For example, the broad issue of how we address
goods movement in the city will need to include
consideration of such specific issues as whether the
Grandview Cut is used for goods movement and possible goods
movement corridors through the False Creek Flats.
The output from the analysis of issues and options will be
several short discussion papers which outline the
transportation choices for public input.
ii) Public Review of Transportation Issues and Options
CityPlan has provided a great deal of information on
people's concerns and ideas for transportation in the city.
This information would be used extensively in Step 3 to
assist in identifying transportation and related issues.
The main public program is recommended for Step 4, the
consideration of transportation choices. The recommended
program combines a number of approaches to ensure wide
exposure of transportation choices, and opportunities for
many people to learn about transportation issues and
respond.
To minimize costs, initiatives established through the
CityPlan process will be used. This includes continuing
participation of people on the CityPlan mailing list (5,500
people).
Some possible components of the public planning process
include:
Publication of the transportation issue papers, as a
means of describing the choices, and encouraging public
comment and debate.
Articles in community papers and use of cable TV to
illustrate transportation choices. As with CityPlan,
materials will be available from libraries and on
Internet.
Speaker series/forum to provide an opportunity for people
from other cities and local people, knowledgeable in
transportation, to share creative ideas. This activity
may be a series of speakers or one event, depending upon
the availability of resource people.
Meetings and workshops with specific groups, where
appropriate, such as downtown business associations, the
Vancouver Port Authority, Vancouver Airport Authority,
adjoining municipalities, resident groups in areas where
transport choices are especially problematic.
Citizens will be invited to advise the City, through briefs to
Council and questionnaire responses, on preferred transportation
actions. The public program as suggested above is proposed to
reach a large number of people in a relatively short time.
The conclusion of Step 4 would be an indication as to which
transportation choices are favoured as a solution to key issues.
Costs for a public process, as described above, would be as
follows:
TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC PROGRAM BUDGET, STEP 4
Transportation Choices Papers (6) $40,000
Production, printing, distribution
Presentation Materials & Display 22,000
Speakers (series/forum) 15,000
Transportation Issues Workshops 8,000
Communications: Newsletters, Ads, Cable TV coverage 25,000
Special Access Support (youth, multicultural) 10,000
Step 4 Draft Transportation Plan: 15,000
Printing & distribution
TOTAL $135,000
There are no offsets for funds, should Council choose to
undertake this scale of public process.
Step 5: Preparing the Transportation Plan
The final step involves the preparation of a new City
Transportation Plan. Choices selected during Step 4 would be
examined together to ensure compatibility.
The plan would stress the relationship between transportation,
land use, the environment and draw heavily from the directions in
CityPlan. It may also incorporate suggestions from outside
sources such as other City's plans or, for example, the
Transportation Association of Canada's (TAC) suggested policy
framework for urban transportation.
The draft Transportation Plan would be published for public
comment prior to final submission to Council.
Suggested Timing
Timing of the steps will depend in large part on the scale and
nature of the public program adopted by Council.
Steps 1 and 2 are currently underway and are due for completion
in July.
Step 3 is due to begin in July and be completed by the end of
September.
Step 4 can begin in October 1995. The preparation of the
transport choices papers will take approximately three months.
If combined with a public discussion program, publication might
be appropriate in January 1996. About three months should be
allowed for the public program for Step 4.
Assuming a clear set of consistent preferences emerge, the draft
Transportation Plan resulting from Step 5 should be available for
circulation and public comment by June 1996.
CONCURRENT PROGRAMS
While it is important to proceed quickly with the overall
Transportation Plan, there are several other areas where
development of new policy on the part of Council would be both
constructive and timely at this point. The second stream of
events must address the topics listed below in the near future.
Resolving these areas of policy development will require a
collaborative effort among different departments. In this way
staff can bring forward proposals and information that will
assist Council to develop specific strategies on each of the
subject areas. Although there are limited resources, the
following subjects may have to be addressed in parallel with the
development of the overall Transportation Plan.Project 1 -
Extended City Plan
Programs for implementing the CityPlan concepts will be submitted
in July for Council review and approval. This will involve the
continued development of the concept of a "City of
Neighbourhoods" through an extension of the CityPlan process to
its next stage. CityPlan seeks to enhance the neighbourhood
structure of the city through reinforcement of housing, shopping,
jobs and transportation options that support this concept.
The transportation system can make better use of the existing
facilities to move people and goods while placing a greater
emphasis on cycling and walking for neighbourhood travel.
Through continuation of the CityPlan process, as well as further
development of the Greenways concept and Bicycle Network Program,
these principles can be applied to evolving neighbourhoods
throughout the city.
Extension of the CityPlan process itself will require the
allocation of staff resources and funding for other costs, as
will be reported in the future. However, elements of the plan
can proceed to implementation through the use of existing
resources such as the proposed pilot projects recently discussed
with Council in the area of street design and Greenways.
Project 2 - Goods Movement Study
The Industrial Lands Strategy has defined those areas of the city
which should be retained for industrial uses. Of particular
interest at this time is the False Creek Flats area, which is
intended to be preserved for downtown serving industrial uses. A
number of property owners in the Flats are also interested in
rezoning portions of their land in a way that may or may not be
consistent with industrial or transportation needs.
It is proposed that an Urban Goods Movement Study be initiated to
identify the demand and need for policies and facilities to
support the movement of goods. This would include the assessment
of needed facilities to service not only the False Creek Flats
but the downtown business/commercial district. This may involve
development of the Grandview Cut to provide a linkage to the
Trans Canada Highway for the movement of goods.
Project 3 - Sports/Entertainment District
With the opening of the General Motors Place, Downtown Library
and the Ford Theatre scheduled for this year, it is timely to
prepare a transportation and parking study for this evolving
entertainment/sports precinct. On March 28, 1995, Council
approved a motion supporting this study. Current proposals for a
new convention facility in this precinct also provides further
incentive for a speedy resolution. The proposed Terms of
Reference for this study are attached in Appendix A.Project 4 -
South False Creek Trolley
It is proposed that work continue on the establishment of a
trolley system along the south shore of False Creek. The primary
work item is the establishment of a corridor which might
otherwise be lost if redevelopment is allowed to proceed without
recognizing the transportation requirements.
Project 5 - Airport Expansion Impacts
With airport expansion actively underway, and the Open Skies
Agreement a reality, increased access needs for the airport can
be readily anticipated. Although limited bridge capacity will
partially buffer the City from impacts, a ground access study
needs to be performed by the airport, with impacts on adjoining
municipalities identified. The Airport Authority should be
requested to provide this information as soon as possible.
Additional Projects
In addition to these five major projects, work will proceed
concurrently on several other major items, including further
refinement of LRT proposals, access to the Port of Vancouver,
implementation of new bicycle facilities, liaison with Provincial
transportation studies, etc.
STUDY ORGANIZATION
It is proposed that a seconded staff team from the Engineering
Services Department and Community Services Group be created to
undertake the Transportation Plan activities. The team will
consist of at least five full-time members with support staff
resources assigned to the work as required. The team will be
headed up by senior staff from each department, who will be freed
from other responsibilities in order to assign high
responsibility to this process.
This staff team can be funded largely out of the existing staff
resources. A preliminary 1995 budget of $50,000 has been
established for meeting expenses, office needs and consultants
support activities as required. A proposed budget of $135,000 is
noted for a public process. It is proposed that this amount,
plus $20,000 toward the cultural district study, be funded out of
the Contingency Reserve, a total of $205,000.
By drawing upon existing staff and resources, this transportation
planning process can be undertaken at moderate cost, and with
optimal effectiveness. This cost is much lower than other recent
planning efforts such as CityPlan, Transport 2021, or the Calgary
Go Plan, each of which had a budget of $1 to $5
million.CONCLUSION
This report outlines a Transportation Plan Development Program
which builds upon the existing body of transportation policy. It
also relies heavily on a number of recently established strategic
directions as embodied in the Regional Strategic Plan, CityPlan,
Transport 2021, etc. A number of other parallel transportation
studies will be undertaken in response to high priority needs.
These studies will be evaluated within the context of the overall
Transportation Plan.
The development of a Transportation Plan at this point does not
envision as extensive a public consultation process as that used
for CityPlan. It is proposed that public education and input be
secured through feedback on issue papers, workshops, and public
forums during Step 4 of the plan development. These
opportunities for public communication and input as well as
others will be the subject of a future Council reporting.
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