ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: March 25, 1998

Author/Local: D.Henderson/7343

CC File: 5762-1

TO:Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic

FROM:General Manager of Engineering Services

SUBJECT:High Occupancy Vehicle Network for the Greater Vancouver Region

RECOMMENDATION

THAT the City participate in a prioritization study of transit/HOV measures (see Appendix A with a report back to Council.

COUNCIL POLICY

Council approved guidelines for the implementation of Bus and HOV lanes as a follow-up to Clouds of Change. January 1993

Council supported the GVRD report Transport 2021 which supports the use of a high occupancy vehicle network as part of the Transportation Demand Management initiative. April 1994

Council approved the Transportation Plan which included:

3.3(2)The City supports maintaining peak road capacity from the region at no more than the present level. In this regard, City Council’s adopted policy is for no further significant investment to expand motor vehicle capacity into Vancouver in terms of adding additional capacity.

3.3(7)The City will continue to promote car pooling while bus only lanes may be appropriate in the city. High occupancy lanes will generally not be used for car pools, except in the limited circumstances of short queue jumpers. In these situations, an occupancy minimum of three people for private vehicles, will be promoted. (Action R4)

3.4(5)Transit priority measures to speed up buses will be provided as needed. Measures may include bus bulges, queue jumpers and bus priority at some traffic signals. Bus-only lanes will be provided on selected routes if and when they become warranted by the increase in vehicle traffic. (Actions T2 and T6) May 1997

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to provide background information about the Provincial high occupancy vehicle network strategy which will be presented to Committee today by staff from the British Columbia Transportation Financing Authority and BC Transit.

BACKGROUND

Council has approved principles that guide the development and operation of bus and high occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV) as included in Appendix B. This treatment was recommended as a measure to improve air quality in the Clouds of Change Report. Existing facilities operate on the following streets:

Georgia Street - Burrard to Chilco

Granville Street - 63rd Avenue to Southwest Marine Drive

Hastings Street - Boundary Road to Renfrew Street

McGill Street - Renfrew Street to 2nd Narrows Bridge (bus only)

Granville Mall - Smithe Street to Hastings Street (bus only)

There are also transit priority measures and queue-jumpers at a number of locations around the City.

DISCUSSION

In April of 1996, the B.C. Transportation Financing Authority and the Ministry of Transportation and Highways initiated a study of how an HOV Network for the Region could be implemented. A draft version of this Network Plan and Implementation Strategy has now been prepared. The Transportation Financing Authority now plans to review this material with municipalities and then finalize an implementation plan, including feedback from these meetings.

The report builds on Transport 2021 which supports the use of a combination of transit and Transportation Demand Management measures to deal with growth in population and vehicle trips.

Conceptually, the report recommends concentration on transit in Vancouver, and a greater emphasis on carpools in the outer suburbs. This is consistent with Council’s directive that carpools should be permitted only where they do not interfere with buses.

The basic objectives of an HOV network are to:

·increase people carrying capacity

·improve transit travel time and reliability

·increase vehicle occupancy

·reduce emissions

·reduce energy consumption

The report includes a list of potential projects in Vancouver that would support a Regional Transit/HOV network. These projects would be cost-shared on a 50/50 basis between the Province and City or the Transportation Authority. Two types of projects are included in the list (Appendix A):

·isolated transit priority measures, such as signal preemptions, bus bulges, queue jumpers, etc. An example of this is project #6 in Appendix A, the Oak Street and 71st Avenue transit signal, which will be reviewed in the Annual Traffic Signal Program

·routes as part of a network

The projects have not been reviewed in detail, either by the TFA or by the City. Although the TFA have suggested approval of principles of a high occupancy network by March 31, this will not be possible. Furthermore, grant applications should not be processed until Council has reviewed specific project needs. Consequently, a suggested review process includes the following steps:

1.Data would be collected to determine delays that transit are experiencing on routes on the list in Appendix A. This data would enable the City to priorize the project list.

2.Report the results of the delay study to Council and identify projects for further study, including public consultation.

3.Proceed to study those locations/routes which have the potential to improve transit service. Costs of these studies would be shared on a 50/50 basis between the Province and the City or the Transportation Authority. These studies would include public consultation.

4.Report the results of the technical studies and public consultation to Council with recommendations.

Timing of this work will depend on the receipt of data in step 1.

CONCLUSION

This report provides an important step in the provision of changes recommended in Transport 2021 and the City Transportation Plan. The list identifies only potential projects which still require a more detailed review prior to any implementation. The funding mechanism represents increased availability of Provincial funding for City projects. Once priorities are established, a work program, including public consultation, would be prepared for Council review.

* * * * *

LINK TO APPENDIX A

APPENDIX B

OBJECTIVES FOR HOV PRIORITY MEASURES:

·improve transit service, travel time, and reliability;

·make best overall use of the street system;

·limit impacts on adjoining residential areas and businesses;

·encourage transit ridership and decrease single occupant vehicle travel;

·improve people movement efficiency ("move people not cars");

·maintain or improve safety;

·ensure effective enforcement;

·reduce total pollution and fuel consumption;

·allow carpools in HOV lanes only where not harmful to transit.

Approved by Council January 1993.

* * * * *

(c) 1998 City of Vancouver