REPORT TO COUNCIL

STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL
ON TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC

A Regular Meeting of the Standing Committee of Council on Transportation and Traffic was held on Tuesday, January 14, 2003, at 9:30 a.m., in Committee Room No. 1, Third Floor, City Hall.

PRESENT:

Councillor Fred Bass, Chair
*Mayor Larry Campbell
Councillor David Cadman
Councillor Jim Green
Councillor Peter Ladner, Vice-Chair
Councillor Raymond Louie
Councillor Tim Louis
Councillor Anne Roberts
*Councillor Tim Stevenson
Councillor Sam Sullivan
Councillor Ellen Woodsworth

   

CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE:

Judy Rogers, City Manager

   

CITY CLERK'S OFFICE:

Lori Isfeld, Meeting Coordinator

* Denotes presence for a portion of the meeting.

ADOPTION OF MINUTES

The Minutes of the Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic meeting of July 30, 2002, were adopted.

RECOMMENDATION

1. Taxicab Rate Increase (File 2801)

The Committee had before it an Administrative Report, dated December 19, 2002, in which the Chief License Inspector, in consultation with the Director of Finance and Director of Legal Services, sought Council's endorsement of a 3.34 percent rate increase in taxicab fares, approved by the Provincial Motor Carrier Commission (MCC) on October 21, 2002. This rate increase is to be applied uniformly throughout the Lower Mainland Region. The General Managers of Corporate and Community Services recommended approval.

Paul Teichroeb, Chief License Inspector, briefly reviewed the report and noted the MCC is preparing a report which will be circulated to Council once available. Mr. Teichroeb pointed out staff will be reporting back on the MCC report once it is reviewed, particularly with regard to the City's role in regulating taxi cab rates and inspections. Mr. Teichroeb and Alena Straka, Policy Analyst, responded to questions.

Carolyn Bauer, Vancouver Taxi Association, spoke in support of raising taxi rates to help offset escalating taxi operator costs which include fuel, insurance and maintenance costs. Ms. Bauer noted taxi insurance rates have increased approximately 35 percent in the last two years.

MOVED by Councillor Cadman
THAT the Committee recommend to Council

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
(Councillor Stevenson and Mayor Campbell absent for the vote)

2. Independent Review of the Richmond/Airport-Vancouver Rapid Transit Project

The Committee had before it an Administrative Report, dated December 24, 2002, in which the General Manager of Engineering Services, in consultation with the Director of City Plans, sought Council=s approval of an independent review to compare the cost/benefit of the various transit technology and corridor options for the Richmond/Airport-Vancouver Project.

Council also had before it a Motion submitted by Council entitled "Independent Review of the Richmond/Airport-Vancouver Rapid Transit Project" and a revised proposed Terms of Reference (Appendix 1).

Dave Rudberg, General Manager of Engineering Services, reviewed the Motion submitted by Council and revised proposed Terms of Reference, and with Lon LaClaire, Strategic Transportation Planning, responded to questions regarding the proposed consultants and timing of the review. Mr. Rudberg advised Council to include public process in the plan by providing open houses and the opportunity for the public to review all of the information and provide feedback. Messrs. Rudberg and LaClaire also confirmed upcoming information from TransLink or the GVRD would be made available when it is received.

George Jameson, Cambie Boulevard Heritage Society (brief filed), spoke in support of the recommendation to perform an independent review and the consideration of other options such as using the Arbutus corridor.

Peter Marcus spoke about transit cutbacks and fare increases. Mr. Marcus also noted the rapid transit system should be heavy rather than light rail, and that routing should extend to Tsawassen and the North Shore.

Council agreed to include the sentence, "The Reviewers will provide opportunity for public input into the process", after the first sentence in the second paragraph on page 3 of Appendix 1 titled "Terms of Reference".

MOVED by Councillor Roberts
THAT the Committee recommend to Council

B. THAT the Terms of Reference, as revised at this meeting and attached as Appendix 1 of Motion titled "Independent Review of the Richmond/Airport-Vancouver Rapid Transit Project", be adopted for the preparation of an Independent Review of Richmond/Airport-Vancouver (RAV) Rapid Transit Project.

C. THAT a budget up to $20,000 for the initial phase of the Independent Review be funded by the City, allocated from the 2003 operating budget to hire Mary Jo Porter of The Underhill Company in Seattle and Marvin Shaffer and Associates Ltd.

D. THAT Council endorse City of Vancouver Engineering Services and City Plans staff working in partnership with TransLink and GVRD staff to provide information and advice to the Independent Review Consultants.

E. THAT the Independent Review Consultants report on the initial phase to City Services and Budget Committee on January 30, 2003 with preliminary findings of the review and recommendations on further consulting work required to confirm the most cost-effective, affordable and appropriate rapid transit option (technology, corridor and alignment) for the RAV Project.

F. THAT Council request that the TransLink Chief Executive Office and Board make no decisions to advance implementation and/or funding of the RAV line pending completion of the Independent Review which is scheduled to be completed in March 2003, so that both local and regional residents can be assured a system that is both fiscally frugal and neighbourhood-friendly, while ensuring other regional transit priorities can be met.

G. THAT Council forward for information Recommendations A-F, along with the Terms of Reference as referred to in Recommendation B, to the TransLink and GVRD Board of Directors, Transport Canada, the Province of BC, the Vancouver International Airport Authority and Richmond City Council.

CARRIED
(Councillors Ladner and Sullivan opposed)

The Committee adjourned at 10:50 a.m.

* * * * *

CITY OF VANCOUVER

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

A Regular Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on Tuesday, January 14, 2003, at 10:51 a.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 Larry Campbell
Councillor Fred Bass
Councillor David Cadman
Councillor Jim Green
Councillor Peter Ladner
Councillor Raymond Louie
Councillor Tim Louis
Councillor Anne Roberts
Councillor Tim Stevenson
Councillor Sam Sullivan
Councillor Ellen Woodsworth

   

CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE:

Judy Rogers, City Manager

   

CITY CLERK'S OFFICE:

Lori Isfeld, Meeting Coordinator

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Councillor Cadman
SECONDED by Councillor Woodsworth

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Report of Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic
January 14, 2003

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

Cl.1: Taxicab Rate Increase
Cl.2: Independent Review of the Richmond/Airport-Vancouver Rapid Transit Project

MOVED by Councillor Bass

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

MOVED by Councillor Bass

CARRIED
(Councillors Ladner and Sullivan opposed)

RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Councillor Louie

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

ADOPT REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Councillor Cadman
SECONDED by Councillor Woodsworth

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

The Council adjourned at 10:55 a.m.

* * * * *

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© 2002 City of Vancouver