REPORT TO COUNCIL

SPECIAL STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL
ON TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC

NOVEMBER 6, 2001

A Special Meeting of the Standing Committee of Council on Transportation and Traffic was held on Tuesday, November 6, 2001, at 9:30 a.m., in Committee Room No. 1, Third Floor, City Hall.

PRESENT:	Councillor Jennifer Clarke, Chair Mayor Philip Owen Councillor Fred Bass Councillor Daniel Lee Councillor Don Lee Councillor Tim Louis Councillor Sandy McCormick Councillor Gordon Price, Vice-Chair Councillor Sam Sullivan
ABSENT:	Councillor Lynne Kennedy (Civic Business) Councillor George Puil (Civic Business)
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE:	Judy Rogers, City Manager
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE:	Tina Hildebrandt, Meeting Coordinator

RECOMMENDATION

1.(a) TransLink Funding Shortfall (File 5561)

The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated October 10, 2001, in which the General Manager of Engineering Services, in consultation with the Director of Finance, sought Council's advice on TransLink's proposed resolutions for its immediate 2002 budget shortfall in order for it to move towards achieving its 5 year strategic plan.

Dave Rudberg, General Manager of Engineering Services, reviewed the report and the rationale for the recommendations. Mr. Rudberg, together with Clive Rock, Manager, Strategic Planning, TransLink, Glen Leicester, Manager, Implementation Planning, TransLink, and Ian Jarvis, Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance and Administration, TransLink, responded to questions regarding proposed increases in the transit fleet and the proposed revenue sources, including allocation.

In response to a question regarding revisiting the vehicle levy with the new Provincial Government, Mr. Jarvis noted TransLink would need the support of the region through a referendum on the vehicle levy.

The following speakers were opposed to the recommendations:

Bev Ballantyne
Marilyn Young (brief distributed - on file)
Vanessa Violini, Vancouver Green Party
Jonathan Silvira, Simon Fraser University Student Society
Guy Wera
Ray Straatsma

Speakers' comments included:

· more money is spent on upgrading roads for automobile use than on pedestrians and cyclists;
· TransLink could allocate all its income over the next three years to transit, eliminate all free parking, limit one vehicle per household, encourage the Provincial Government to pursue a vehicle referendum and implement a resource based tax system;
· increases to transit fares will create a negative impact on retail as well as discourage transit use and needed transit services;
· increase property taxes for businesses and residents in proportion to assessed land value;
· increasing property taxes will result in rent increases, an additional burden to a majority of transit users who are low-income renters;
· consider ordering larger trolley buses rather than diesel-run mini-buses for improved air quality.

After hearing from delegations, TransLink staff responded to additional questions regarding inequities in parking revenue throughout the region and maintenance costs for the transit fleet.

MOVED by Councillor Bass
THAT the Committee recommend to Council

A. THAT Council reiterate its support of the TransLink 5 year Strategic Plan and recommend that TransLink establish, as soon as possible, a long term financial plan using stable revenue sources.

B. THAT Council advise TransLink that it increase the Provincial proposal to provide TransLink an additional 5 cents/litre in Fuel Tax to offset its budget shortfall.

C. THAT Council advise TransLink that it not advance the planned 2003 fare increase to earlier in 2002 and that it use the property tax, proportional to assessed land value, to make up the remaining revenues required to match the revenues from the Province's offer of 2 cents/litre in additional fuel tax in order to advance Choice 2, as laid out in the Administrative Report dated October 10, 2001 entitled "TransLink Funding Shortfall".

amended

AMENDMENT MOVED by Councillor Sullivan

THAT Recommendation A be amended by adding the words "based on user pay systems" at the end.

LOST
(Councillors Bass, Clarke, Louis, McCormick and Price opposed)

AMENDMENT MOVED by Councillor Sullivan

THAT Recommendation B be amended by replacing the word "increase" with "accept" and replacing the words "5 cents" with "2 cents".

CARRIED
(Councillors Bass and Louis opposed)

AMENDMENT MOVED by Councillor Sullivan

THAT Recommendation C be amended by deleting the words "not" and ", proportional to assessed land value,".

CARRIED
(Councillors Bass and Louis opposed)

AMENDMENT MOVED by Councillor Price

THAT Recommendation C be amended by deleting the words "that it advance the planned 2003 fare increase to earlier in 2002 and".

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

MOTION AS AMENDED
THAT the Committee recommend to Council

A. THAT Council reiterate its support of the TransLink 5 year Strategic Plan and recommend that TransLink establish, as soon as possible, a long term financial plan using stable revenue sources.

B. THAT Council advise TransLink that it accept the Provincial proposal to provide TransLink an additional 2 cents/litre in Fuel Tax to offset its budget shortfall.

C. THAT Council advise TransLink that it use the property tax to make up the remaining revenues required to match the revenues from the Province's offer of 2 cents/litre in additional fuel tax in order to advance Choice 2, as laid out in the Administrative Report dated October 10, 2001 entitled "TransLink Funding Shortfall".

CARRIED
(Councillors Bass and Louis opposed to Recommendations B and C)

MOVED by Councillor Bass
THAT the Committee recommend to Council

THAT Council request the Provincial Government to place an annual car pollution fee on the November 2002 ballot for the Greater Vancouver Regional District.

LOST
(Councillors Clarke, Daniel Lee, Don Lee, McCormick, Price and the Mayor opposed)

MOVED by Mayor Owen
THAT the Committee recommend to Council

D. THAT Council support continued funding of construction and maintenance of the Major Road network as an integral part of TransLink's responsibility.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

1.(b) Preventing the Erosion of Transit Services and Prices (File 5561)

At the Regular Council meeting of October 2, 2001, Councillor Bass submitted the following Notice of Motion which was recognized by the Chair. Subsequently, at its meeting on October 16, 2001, this Motion on Notice was postponed to a future meeting of the Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic in order to hear delegations.

MOVED by Councillor Bass
SECONDED by Councillor Louis

WHEREAS the Livable Region Strategic Plan of the Greater Vancouver Regional District supports (page 8) in its transportation objective: "the increased use of public transit and reduced dependence on the single-occupant automobile..[and this] relies upon...significant expansion in transit facilities and services";

AND WHEREAS, transit riders have paid disproportionately more of transit costs than motor vehicle users have paid the costs that they generate;

AND WHEREAS, despite a fare increase last June, transit users are threatened with less rather than more service;

AND WHEREAS, automobile use in the GVRD requires a much larger subsidy ($3,000 million annually) than does the transit system ($300-400 million annually);

AND WHEREAS, the greatest single source of air pollution and of greenhouse gas emissions in the Lower Mainland is from motor vehicles;

AND WHEREAS, just the production of a motor vehicle generates considerable energy and resource consumption, as well as pollution and greenhouse gases;

AND WHEREAS, a healthy regional economy requires an effective, efficient, and cost-effective transportation system based on users paying their way;

AND WHEREAS, raising transit fares would inhibit transit use, rather than promote it;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Vancouver City Council calls upon TRANSLINK to

1. maintain or increase current, overall levels of transit service; and

2. consider all the options for funding transit services noted in TRANSLINK'S Strategic Transportation Plan, January, 2000 (shown below) and choose among them after obtaining full public input:

- gasoline taxes
- cost recovery tolls
- charges on motor vehicles in the form of a vehicle pollution fee
- parking sales taxes
- taxes on non-residential parking lots
- property taxes on properties which benefit from major capital projects.

amended

The following speakers were in favour of the motion:

Vanessa Violini, Vancouver Green Party
Susanne Hollman
Jonathan Silvira, Simon Fraser University Student Society
Ray Straatsma, BEST
Sikee Liu

Speakers' comments included:

· discourage Single Occupancy Vehicles for improved air quality;
· consider alternative funding sources including parking taxes, property taxes and an advance in gasoline taxes;
· fare evasion is increasing because low-income transit users can't afford the fares;
· cutting late night services will force some people to go home early and increase the number of impaired drivers;
· implement free transit service in the Downtown core to encourage transit use there;
· maintain or lower fares to give transit users incentives;
· improving transit services will create a greener, cleaner, safer city.

AMENDMENT MOVED by Councillor Price

THAT the Motion be amended by deleting all of the "Whereas" statements; and

FURTHER THAT all the words after January, 2000 in the resolution be deleted.

CARRIED
(Councillors Bass and Louis opposed)

MOTION AS AMENDED
THAT the Committee recommend to Council

THAT Vancouver City Council call upon TransLink to:

1. maintain or increase current, overall levels of transit services; and

2. consider all the options for funding transit services noted in TRANSLINK'S Strategic Transportation Plan, January, 2000.

CARRIED
(Councillors Bass and Louis opposed to 2)

The Committee adjourned at 1:05 p.m.

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CITY OF VANCOUVER

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

NOVEMBER 6, 2001

A Regular Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on Tuesday, November 6, 2001 at 1:05 p.m., in Committee Room No. 1, Third Floor, City Hall, following the Special Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic meeting, to consider the recommendations of the Committee.

PRESENT:	Mayor Philip Owen Councillor Fred Bass Councillor Jennifer Clarke Councillor Daniel Lee Councillor Don Lee Councillor Tim Louis Councillor Sandy McCormick Councillor Gordon Price Councillor Sam Sullivan
ABSENT:	Councillor Lynne Kennedy (Civic Business) Councillor George Puil (Civic Business)
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE:	Judy Rogers, City Manager
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE:	Tina Hildebrandt, Meeting Coordinator

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Councillor Daniel Lee
SECONDED by Councillor Sullivan

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

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Report of Special Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic
November 6, 2001

Council considered the recommendations of the Committee, as contained in the following clauses of the foregoing report:

Cl.1(a): TransLink Funding Shortfall
Cl.1(b): Preventing the Erosion of Transit Services and Prices

Clause 1(a)

MOVED by Councillor Clarke

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

CARRIED
(Councillors Bass and Louis opposed to Recommendations B and C)

Clause 1(b)

MOVED by Councillor Clarke

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

CARRIED
(Councillors Bass and Louis opposed to 2)

RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Councillor Don Lee

THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

ADOPT REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Councillor Don Lee
SECONDED by Councillor Price

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

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

ENQUIRIES AND OTHER MATTERS

1. Leave of Absence - Councillor Daniel Lee (File: 1254)

MOVED by Councillor Bass
SECONDED by Councillor McCormick

THAT Councillor Daniel Lee be granted Leave of Absence for December 11 to 13, 2001.

The Council adjourned at 1:06 p.m.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver