Agenda Index City of Vancouver

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

TO:

Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic

FROM:

General Manager of Engineering Services in Consultation with the Director of City Plans

SUBJECT:

Draft Regional Strategic Transportation Plan

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

COUNCIL POLICY

Council has approved a Transportation Plan that requires transit to accommodate future increases in travel demand.

Council has adopted CityPlan, the Livable Region Strategic Plan, and the Transport 2021 Regional Transportation Plan .

On February 17, 1998, Council recommended to the GVRD Board “that it endorse the Recommended Agreement on Transportation Governance and Funding for Greater Vancouver [i.e. the basis of TransLink] for implementation”

SUMMARY

TransLink has produced a draft Regional Strategic Transportation Plan (STP) that sets forth planned improvements for the regional transportation system to be undertaken in the next 3 to 5 years. The STP proposes a significant expansion in transportation services, including greatly increased expenditures for transit, and selective development and maintenance of the regional roadway system. A management program includes transportation demand management (TDM), supports alternatives to single occupant vehicles, and emphasizes walking, cycling and goods movement. An important element of the Plan is the commitment to update the long range strategic transportation plan (Transport 2021) in 2001, at the same time the GVRD is reviewing the Livable Region Strategic land use Plan.

The additional cost of providing the services and infrastructure will increase TransLink’s overall annual costs from $507 million in 1999 to $814 million in 2005. New revenue sources anticipated to finance the Plan include a transit fare increase, an automobile levy, and parking tax. Staff are suggesting the STP is a significant step towards providing an improved future transportation system and should be supported in general, as per the recommendations above.

PURPOSE

TransLink has produced a draft Regional Strategic Transportation Plan (STP) that sets forth planned improvements for the regional transportation system to be undertaken in the next 3 to 5 years.

This report provides a brief outline of planned actions, costs and revenues and discusses certain key issues and implications for the City of Vancouver. The STP has been distributed to Councillors and is available for viewing in the City Clerk's Office and at TransLink’s

Internet site. A companion report entitled Regional Transportation Program Plan 2000 discusses the proposed implementation of transportation improvements this year.

BACKGROUND

TransLink was created in April 1999 by the Province and GVRD in order to rationalize and localize regional transportation planning and service delivery in coordination with regional land use planning. TransLink’s responsibilities include all regional roads, bridges, transit, rail rapid transit, ferry routes, cycle paths, transportation demand management (TDM), goods movement, AirCare and other facilities.

When TransLink was formed, there was an expectation that the level of transportation expenditure would increase significantly. The agreement negotiated by the GVRD and the Province anticipated expanding transit services and other transportation infrastructure generally to the ‘midpoint’ scenario level . This scenario was so named as it formed a ‘midpoint’ level of expansion between proposed BC Transit expenditure levels and higher Transport 2021 levels. The ‘midpoint’ scenario included adding about 400 buses to the fleet by 2005, as compared to about 150 buses for the BC Transit plan and 600 buses for Transport 2021.

TransLink’s intention is to have the STP approved at the end of March 2000 so it can be used to develop the 2000 Budget and Program Plan. Due to the compressed time line, it was decided not to undertake a major review of transportation strategies and interrelated land use policy. Rather, it was decided to develop an STP that sets out the actions TransLink will take in the next 3 to 5 years in order to provide immediate improvements to the transportation system. A comprehensive longer range study to review land use and transportation strategies will be started by TransLink and the GVRD in 2001.

The technical and public process to develop the STP was carried out in late 1999 and included examining revenue sources and potential projects, benefit/cost analyses and assigning funding priorities between competing elements of the transportation system, e.g., roads vs. transit. The result of this process was an STP that was more aggressive than the ‘midpoint’ scenario but less than the Transport 2021 scenario - about 500 buses would be added to the fleet by 2005.

This STP was received by the TransLink Board on January 19, 2000 and referred for consultation. It is planned for the Board to formally consider the STP for approval on March 27, 2000.

CONTENT OF PLAN

The STP proposes a significant expansion in transportation services, including greatly increased expenditures for transit, and selective development and maintenance of the regional roadway system. A management program for the STP includes transportation demand management (TDM), supports alternatives to single occupant vehicles, and emphasizes walking, cycling and goods movement.

Important elements of the plan which have particular relevance to Vancouver include:

1. Transit

2. Bicycles

3. Regional Roads

4. System Management

5. Goods Movement

FINANCIAL PLAN

The additional cost of providing the services and infrastructure in the STP will increase TransLink’s overall annual costs from $507 million in 1999 to $814 million in 2005. The revenues and costs for 2000 and 2005 are presented below. More details are available in Appendix A . It should be noted the figures presented are broad estimates of costs and revenues, based on assumptions about the timing of transit and road expenditures.

Budget Item

2000

2005

$ (millions)

% of Total

$ (millions)

% of Total

Revenue Sources

Fares

196.5

38%

279.5

34%

Fuel Tax

173.8

34%

230.4

28%

Hospital Tax

54.4

11%

64.1

8%

Non-residential Property Tax

36.8

7%

43.3

5%

AirCare Fees

24.3

5%

26.2

3%

Hydro Levy

16.1

3%

17.7

2%

Vehicle Charge

0

0%

116.5

14%

Parking Sales Tax

10.1

2%

32.4

4%

Other

4.3

1%

4.6

1%

Totals

516.3

100%

814.7

100%

Costs

operations

Transit operations

375.5

69%

521.8

64%

Road Related

28.0

5%

32.1

4%

AirCare

20.6

4%

22.5

3%

Admin./Misc.

29.1

5%

35.3

4%

Debt servicing

91.2

17%

202.7

25%

Totals

544.4

100%

814.4

100%

The new revenue sources anticipated to finance the Plan include:

DISCUSSION

1. Is this the Right Plan?

2. Are the Proposed Revenue Resources Appropriate?

3. Implementing the Plan

4. Focus on Long Term

CONCLUSIONS

The additional costs are significant and sobering; however, this was known when TransLink was established. It was also known that the increased investment in transportation would need to be funded from the new sources available through legislation. There is, not surprisingly, opposition to fare increases and the application of these new revenue sources. Nevertheless, the plan, including the financial plan, should be supported as it is a significant step towards providing an improved future transportation system compared to the past practice of fractured responsibilities and inaction. Furthermore, the technical and public processes support the Plan’s balance, and suggest that it is necessary to start to deal with the worsening problems of sprawl, traffic and transit overcrowding that are here today.

Staff will work with TransLink in order to carry out the Vancouver Transportation Plan and reinforce critical elements of Transport 2021, including: reducing transit overcrowding and pass-ups; TDM measures to encourage commuters to use transit; innovations in transit services, such as limited stop services for peak periods, U-Pass systems for major employers, and community buses; and continued support of GVRD initiatives to promote regional land use that is conducive to transit .

* * * *


tt000314.htm

Appendix ATRANSLINK: 5 YEAR FINANCIAL SUMMARY
(RECOMMENDED REVENUE STRATEGY

$ MILLION

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

SERVICE LEVELS

    Total Service Hours (million)

4.71

4.93

5.24

5.63

5.88

6.21

    Total Ridership (million)

127.9

132.1

138.6

141.3

146.4

152.5

    Buses

1175

1293

1396

1488

1568

1640

    SkyTrain Cars

170

210

210

217

223

247

REVENUES

    Fare Revenue

196.5

215.2

225.2

260.0

268.9

279.5

    AirCare Fees

24.3

24.7

24.9

25.3

25.8

26.2

    Other Operating Revenues

4.2

4.3

4.3

4.4

4.5

4.5

Total Operating Revenues

225.0

244.2

254.4

289.7

299.2

310.2

    Non-residential Property Tax

36.8

38.1

39.3

40.6

41.9

43.3

    Hydro Levy

16.1

16.5

16.8

17.1

17.4

17.7

    Fuel Tax

173.8

193.6

201.8

213

218.7

230.4

    Hospital Tax

54.4

56.4

58.1

60

62

64.1

    Mission (re. West Coast Express)

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

    Parking Sales Tax

10.1

10.2

10.3

10.5

10.6

32.4

    Vehicle Charge

-

23.4

95.4

102

109

116.5

    Total Tax Revenues

291.3

338.4

421.9

443.4

459.9

504.6

    TOTAL REVENUES

516.3

582.6

676.4

733.1

759

814.8

COSTS

    Transit-Related Costs

375.5

396.6

434.1

465.7

489.4

521.8

    Road-Related Costs

28

35.4

31.7

31.5

31.6

32.1

    AirCare Costs

20.5

21

21.2

21.6

22.1

22.5

    Miscellaneous Costs

1.7

1.9

2.1

2.1

2.2

2.4

    Administration Costs

27.4

29

30.3

30.7

31.2

32.9

    Total Operating Costs

453.2

483.9

519.4

551.6

576.6

611.7

    Debt Servicing Costs

91.2

114.9

141.6

163.7

181.4

202.7

    TOTAL COSTS

544.4

598.8

661

715.3

758

814.4

ANNUAL SURPLUS (DEFICIT)

-28.1

-16.2

15.3

17.8

1

0.4

Forms\RTS1270.WPD


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