CITY OF VANCOUVER

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL ON
TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC

OCTOBER 19, 1999

A Regular Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on Tuesday, October 19, 1999, at approximately 12:05 p.m., in Committee Room No. 1, Third Floor, City Hall, following the Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic meeting, to consider the recommendations of the Committee.

PRESENT:	Mayor Philip Owen Councillor Don Bellamy Councillor Nancy A. Chiavario Councillor Jennifer Clarke Councillor Alan Herbert Councillor Don Lee Councillor Gordon Price Councillor George Puil
ABSENT:	Councillor Lynne Kennedy (Civic Business) Councillor Daniel Lee (Sick Leave) Councillor Sam Sullivan (Civic Business)
CLERK TO THE COUNCIL:	Denise Salmon

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,
SECONDED by Cllr. Herbert,

THAT this Council resolve itself into Committee of the Whole, Mayor Owen in the chair.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Report of Standing Committee on
Transportation and Traffic
October 19, 1999

Council considered the recommendation of the Committee, as contained in the following clause of the attached report:

Cl.1: Shared-Ride Services

MOVED by Cllr. Bellamy,

THAT the recommendation of the Committee, as contained in Clause 1 of this report, be approved.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Don Lee,

THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

ADOPT REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Chiavario,
SECONDED by Cllr. Clarke,

THAT the report of the Committee of the Whole be adopted.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

ENQUIRIES AND OTHER MATTERS

1. Pacific and Richards - Free Right Turn File: 5761-2

Engineering staff referred to a request from Council in April for a report back on the elimination of the free right turn, southbound on Richards Street at Pacific. Trade-offs are involved which Council should be aware of prior to a making a decision on this matter.

The General Manager of Engineering Services advised a report could be prepared for the next meeting of the Committee. Council so agreed.

The Council adjourned at 12:20 p.m.

- - - - -

REPORT TO COUNCIL

STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL
ON TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC

OCTOBER 19, 1999

A Regular Meeting of the Standing Committee of Council on Transportation and Traffic was held on Tuesday, October 19, 1999, at approximately 9:30 a.m., in Committee Room No. 1, Third Floor, City Hall.

PRESENT:	Councillor Gordon Price, Chair Mayor Philip Owen Councillor Don Bellamy Councillor Nancy A. Chiavario Councillor Jennifer Clarke Councillor Alan Herbert Councillor Don Lee Councillor George Puil Councillor Sam Sullivan* (Civic Business)
ABSENT:	Councillor Lynne Kennedy (Civic Business) Councillor Daniel Lee (Sick Leave)
CLERK TO THE COMMITTEE:	Denise Salmon

*denotes presence for portion of the meeting

RECOMMENDATION

1. Shared-Ride Services File: 2801

The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated October 4, 1999 (on file), in which the Chief License Inspector, in consultation with the Director of City Plans and the General Manager of Engineering Services, examines the opportunities and potential problems presented by providing shared-ride van services in the city and recommends that Council proceed with caution by licensing two service providers, each operating 20 vehicles in a city-wide pilot project.

Paul Teichroeb, Assistant Director/Chief License Inspector provided Council with a brief history of shared-ride services. Gavin Davidson, Permitting and Inspections, then provided an overview of the Administrative Report before Council. It was noted there would be no requirement that vehicles be wheelchair accessible, however the service may take pressure off of HandyDART by serving mobility impaired passengers. The service can be expanded at a later date should it prove to be a valuable and complementary addition to existing transportation services.

The following spoke in support of Shared-Ride Services, and Recommendation B as contained in the Administrative Report:

· Marjorie Welch, The Brock House Society
· Alec Caruth, LMB (Local Minibus)
· Jazz Siekham, LMB (Local Minibus)

The following points were noted during discussion:

· would help those with financial limitations retain their independence
· in this year of the older person, provides the City an opportunity to progressively address seniors' transit needs
· transit system awkward, taxi system expensive, when dealing with large carry-onbaggage, sports equipment, etc.
· each passenger using shared-ride service is potentially one less car in the city
· anticipated problems with the restricted system proposed by City staff (Recommendation A), as opposed to an open system as earlier proposed by Super Shuttle Ltd. (now LMB - Local Minibus), related to: the City as business manager for the system; management of the licensee selection; and economic repercussions of creating a scarce supply of shared-ride vehicles
· shared-ride services are intended not to compete with the taxi industry, but rather provide a new customer service

The following voiced concerns related to Shared-Ride Services:

· Tobin Robbins (brief filed), representing:
- Black Top Cabs

- McClure's Cabs
- Vancouver Taxi
- Yellow Cab Company

· Tyler Felbel, Amalgamated Transit Union (representing HandyDART

drivers in Vancouver)

· Gunter Schlieter

The following points were noted during discussion:

· Vancouver Taxi Industry is in favour of shared-ride experiment if the economic viability and stability of the taxi industry is protected during the five-year trial period
· Concerns raised by the Taxi Industry and Transit Union include:

- ultimate success of service is open to doubt
- break-even ridership levels may be difficult to achieve
- fully computerized dispatch system for shared-ride systems does not exist
- competing shared-ride services could harm profitability
- conditions need to be placed on operations of shared-ride fleets

· delay decision on the recommendations until proper controls can be put in place on shared-ride services
· HandyDART could be modified to handle mini-bus services
· need to revisit City regulations that limit taxi licenses to sedans, allowing only four passengers per vehicle

_ _ _ _ _

Councillor Sullivan left on Civic Business during discussion of this item and did notreturn for the remainder of the meeting.
_ _ _ _ _

Council members referred to the number of outstanding issues, including those related to the Vehicles for Hire By-law, and points brought forward by counsel for the taxi industry. It was agreed these issues need to be addressed prior to approval of the recommendations as set out in the report before Council this day. Discussion followed on the history of shared-ride services currently in use in North Vancouver and Surrey.

The following motion by Councillor Chiavario was put and carried. The Committee, therefore,

RECOMMENDED

A. THAT Council approve in principle the concept of licensing of a shared-ride van service or services.

B. THAT the Chief License Inspector report back to Council with recommended arrangements and regulations for granting licenses and operation of shared-ride van services after consulting with the Motor Carrier Commission, TransLink, industry representatives and other interested parties.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

(Councillor Sullivan not present for the vote.)

The Committee adjourned at 12:05 p.m.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver