ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

TO:

Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic

FROM:

General Manager of Engineering Services and Director of Current Planning in consultation with the Director of CityPlans

SUBJECT:

Downtown Transportation Plan - Report Back on Transportation Mode Share Data, Transportation Demand Strategies and Potential Additional Bike Routes

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

COUNCIL POLICY

On July 9, 2002, Council adopted the Downtown Transportation Plan to improve downtown accessibility and livability by creating a balanced transportation system that includes adjusting the road network, enhancing public transit, promoting a walkable downtown, creating a network of bike lanes, maintaining efficient goods movement, managing parking supply and implementing intelligent transportation systems.

Other relevant transportation policies include:

The Central Area Plan (1991) created neighbourhoods and housing closer to the downtown commercial core, in part to balance transportation demand and supply for downtown destinations and to reduce travel across the bridges to downtown, and concentrated office capacity close to rapid transit stations in the downtown commercial core.

CityPlan (1995) established major directions for transportation policy within the City, including support for a hierarchy of mode priorities identified in a citizen survey with pedestrians first, then cycling, transit, goods movement and vehicles.

Vancouver Transportation Plan (1997) emphasized the need for increased provision and use of transit, not increasing overall road capacity above the present level, maintaining an efficient goods movement network, traffic calming in neighbourhoods, and safer and more comfortable biking and walking environments.

The City's policies with respect to land use and transportation are in accord with and supported by those of the Greater Vancouver Regional District.

Transport 2021 (1993) provided a regional framework for managing the transportation system by integrating land use and transportation policies, applying transport demand management, adjusting transport service levels, and supplying transport capacity.

The Livable Region Strategic Plan (1995) provided a regional framework for managing growth by increasing transportation choices, building complete communities, achieving a compact metropolitan region and protecting the Green Zone.

PURPOSE

This report is a companion report to the Downtown Transportation Plan Implementation Report. It responds to Recommendations J, K and L in the Plan and Council's request for more information on mode share data collection, additional trip reduction strategies and incentives to be pursued with Vancouver employers and implications and trade-offs associated with potential additional bike route connections to the proposed bicycling network.

SUMMARY

Population-based reports on transportation mode shares in Vancouver are important in assessing transportation trends. Currently, regional mode share data is collected every two to three years by TransLink or through Census Canada. There is little advantage to the City of Vancouver implementing its own mode-share data collection program because such data is best collected on a regional basis given the frequency of travel across municipal boundaries. Therefore, it is recommended that TransLink continue its regular surveys on at least a regular five-year cycle with a sample sufficient to permit reliable estimates of mode of travel for the City and its major trip generation areas. Because Vancouver's 2021 mode share targets for pedestrian and cycling to downtown Vancouver had already been exceeded by 1999, staff will be updating those targets.

Staff reviewed the current programs offered by TransLink for changing commuter behaviour. Consultations with the non-profit agency delivering the GoGreen Choices program and TransLink lead to the conclusion that a variety of programs are available, but that the existing institutional framework and incentives are not conducive to employees seeking alternative transportation solutions. Further consultation with the responsible agencies and a meeting with the employers using the programs is proposed, following which staff propose a further report back to Council.

Finally, trade-offs involved in adding three further segments to the proposed bicycle network are explored. It is proposed that these be reported out to the public and downtown stakeholders and that staff report further on the public response with appropriate recommendations.

BACKGROUND

On July 9, 2002, Council unanimously adopted the Downtown Transportation Plan with the support of all key stakeholders, including the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, the Downtown Vancouver Association, the Downtown Vancouver Business ImprovementAssociation, Better Environmentally Sound Transportation, the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition and Council Advisory Committees on Bicycle, Seniors and Disability Issues. The Downtown Transportation Plan is a significant accomplishment for the City in that it promises to improve the accessibility of the downtown and promotes a more sustainable transportation network. The Plan addresses all transportation modes and works towards achieving the vision of downtown Vancouver being the most accessible place in the region. Through its positive impact on the downtown economy and downtown livability, the plan will help maintain Vancouver as a liveable city with a liveable, 24-hour downtown.

At the meeting at which the Downtown Transportation Plan was adopted, Council added several recommendations for further staff exploration. This report responds to the following recommendations adopted by Council on July 9, 2002:

Recommendation J - THAT as part of the report back to Council in January 2003 noted in B, Council be offered options for:

Recommendation K - THAT as part of the report back to Council in January 2003 noted in B, Council be offered options for:

Recommendation L - THAT as part of the report back to Council in January 2003, staff report back on the implications of the following proposed bike lanes as requested by Council's Bicycle Advisory Committee:

DISCUSSION

Population-based Indicators

The different means by which people get themselves from various origins to various destinations is frequently referred to as a "mode" of transportation. The various modes often identified in mode studies are automobile driver, automobile passenger, transit, bicycling andwalking. Some of the larger categories may be further subdivided. Carpool users are divided into drivers and passengers. Transit users may be subdivided into the precise transit service used: bus; rapid transit (SkyTrain); commuter rail; etc. Mode share data, the proportion of commuters or people using the different modes of transportation, may be specified for peak period commutes (morning and evening rush "hours") or on a 24-hour basis. Appendix 'A' summarizes mode shares for trips in Vancouver and to Downtown Vancouver.

Mode share data are currently provided by TransLink, largely because such data are best collected at a regional level. Many trips in the region cross municipal boundaries or the boundaries of several municipalities. TransLink's most recent mode share study, the "1999 Greater Vancouver Trip Diary Survey", was published in the autumn of 2001(reported to Council in April 2002). It involved mailing out 5000 surveys to households (0.4% sample size) throughout the region. The surveys provide comprehensive information by asking every member of a household over 5 years old to record their travel behaviour over a 24-hour period. Although this sample size provided good information at the regional and city-wide level, the sample size is too small to provide accurate data for sub-areas such as the downtown or the central Broadway corridor. The cost of the 1999 survey, including staff time for analysis and reporting, was about $400,000. TransLink staff are proposing that a report be brought to the TransLink board for approval to repeat the Trip Diary Survey in 2004.

The federal census also provides some mode share information, but this is limited to work trips only and does not indicate time of day. A federal census is undertaken every five years, and the last one was completed in 2001. Unfortunately, the 2001 data for Greater Vancouver was skewed as a result of the 2001 bus strike. The federal census in combination with TransLink's Trip Diary Survey, could provide mode share data every two to three years (i.e. for two years out of a five year period).

Additional mode share data could be collected through :
· a Vancouver funded Regional Trip Diary Survey (larger sample size than TransLink's 1999 survey),
· a Telephone Trip Diary Survey (instead of a mail-out survey),
· an Employment Trip Survey of Vancouver businesses,
· a Screen Line Survey, where modes are counted entering and leaving the city and downtown, or
· a Corridor Survey, where modes are counted on selected main streets and bridges.

The cost of these additional surveys range from about $100,000 for a Corridor Survey to at least $400,000 for a Vancouver funded regional Trip Diary Survey. Currently, staff are participating with TransLink on a Corridor Survey pilot project, which is planned to provide mode shares on several key corridors in the region, including Granville Street Bridge,Broadway and Hastings Street in Vancouver. The $60,000 pilot project is being funded by TransLink. If the pilot is successful, TransLink staff are proposing that the corridor surveys be carried out on at least an annual basis.

Using City funding to carry out additional mode share data collection at this time is not recommended for the following reasons:
· the studies are expensive, and are considerably more cost effective to carry out at the regional level (i.e. in cooperation with TransLink);
· mode shares are not expected to change significantly on an annual basis;
· screenline data with respect to vehicular trips crossing the City and downtown peninsula boundaries are already collected on an annual basis;
· staff will have a better understanding of the costs of Corridor Surveys, including whether there may be additional regional funding, after TransLink's pilot project is completed in the Spring of 2003;
· mode share data is being collected every 2-3 years through the federal census and the Greater Vancouver Trip Diary Surveys (assuming TransLink commits to carrying out the Trip Diary Surveys every 5 years); and
· funding the enhanced implementation program for the Downtown Transportation Plan is more of a priority.

To help ensure that the Greater Vancouver Trip Diary Survey is repeated in 2004, with a sufficient sample size to provide meaningful mode share data for Vancouver and its sub-areas, it is recommended that Council indicate its support for such a survey.

Mode Goals and Targets

Five and ten year mode share goals should be set based on the City's long term transportation targets. The City's 1997 Transportation Plan sets mode share and auto occupancy targets for 2021 for the city as a whole, as well as major sub-areas, such as downtown (see Appendix B). The year 2021 was chosen to coincide with the region's long term land use and transportation plans. These targets were determined in 1996 using the regional transportation computer model that was calibrated with 1992 regional travel survey results. An update of the Plan targets is recommended for the following reasons:

· results of TransLink's 1999 Trip Diary Survey indicate that the Transportation Plan targets for Walk and Bike mode share (24 hours) to, from and within the downtown have already been exceeded;
· the regional transportation computer model that was used to calculate the targets has been re-calibrated since 1996;
· the regional transportation computer model may not be appropriate for predicting Walk and Bike mode targets;
· many of the land use and transportation infrastructure assumptions made in 1996 for the existing 2021 targets are no longer valid, largely because the downtown residential neighbourhoods have been building out much faster than originally estimated; and
· updates of the regional land use and transportation plans are currently underway, and may significantly influence Vancouver's long-term targets.

Although mode share goals for the next five and ten years could be established by simply creating interim goals based on the existing 2021 Transportation Plan targets, this is not recommended due to the changes described above. The City's long term transportation targets need to be reassessed using the latest regional transportation information and should be integrated into and considered with the new TransLink Strategic Transportation Plan and the GVRD's Sustainable Region Initiative. Further discussions and coordination with the GVRD and TransLink are desirable prior to establishing future mode share targets.

It is recommended that staff report back following completion of the regional Strategic Transportation Plan with recommendations for the development of new short- and long-term targets.

Transportation Demand Strategies

Recommendation K asked staff to offer Council options for: 1) transportation demand strategies that involve Vancouver employers and major destinations within Vancouver; and 2) contests and rewards for reducing use of the car that could be promoted citywide. This part of the discussion summarizes the programs currently operating and concludes that more needs to be known prior to making more precise suggestions with respect to independent actions that the City of Vancouver might undertake. It is also suggested that a meeting or meetings of employers using the current array of programs and their more active employees be convened with a view to determining what actions might be taken to increase the use of these programs.

Several programs are offered by TransLink to all employers in the region. Go Green Choices, delivered to employers under contract to TransLink by Better Environmentally Sound Transportation (BEST), offers interactive, one-day training courses that outline the different transportation choices available, including cycling, walking, transit, ridesharing, teleworking, variable work hours, parking management and various types of incentive programs. Since its inception in 1997, the program has trained over 300 Go Green co-ordinators and currently supports over 100 businesses in Greater Vancouver with over 7,000 employees. Approximately 70 percent of the employers are in the City of Vancouver, many in the downtown.

One of the major incentives for enrolment of employers in the Go Green Choices program is TransLink's Pass Program, which offers discounted (15 percent discount) transit passes to employees through the convenience of payroll deduction. Take-up of this program parallels the Go Green Choices program. Enrolment in the former is a mandatory condition of the Pass Program. Take-up of the voluntary program by employees is apparently small. The City of Vancouver enrolled in the program in 1996, and an application to re-enrol is pending. Take-up during the single year was approximately four percent of employment in the `city hall campus' around 12th Avenue and Cambie Street, or only about one-third of regular transit users to City Hall employment. Observers cite lack of flexibility as the major reason for low enrolment rates. In addition, TransLink's Transportation Demand Management (TDM) staff visit places of employment to discuss realistic options for individual employees and groups of employees as part of TransLink's On-board program. Staff delivering the GoGreen Choices program have also observed that few Vancouver companies devote many resources to commuter trip reduction programs, and there is not much reason to do so.

One of the latest developments in Transportation Demand Management programs to be implemented in Greater Vancouver is the U-Pass program. Modelled on a program initiated at the University of Washington in Seattle in 1991, this program is oriented towards serving post-secondary student populations. Students at Simon Fraser University and the UBC have joined the program, while students at Vancouver Community (VCC) and Langara Colleges hope to also hold referenda on supporting similar programs in the future. The object of the U-Pass programs is to substantially shift the mode split towards transit. Additional substantial contributions are being made from university budgets (upwards to ten percent of student contributions), and achieving major shifts in mode of travel by students is a major commitment under Official Community Plans (OCPs) adopted by the institutions. The program is intended to be associated with substantial increases in vehicle parking fees as an incentive for switching transportation mode from private vehicles.

Vancouver employers offer a variety of programs designed to reduce use of single occupancy vehicles. These include preferential parking spaces for car or vanpoolers, a `guaranteed ride home' program for employees arriving at work by means other than their own vehicles, bicycle racks and lockers, flexible work hours and teleworking programs enabling employees to work from home. One of the more effective single measure that would motivate employees to shift their commuting mode away from single occupancy vehicles would be the withdrawal of employer paid parking subsidies, and increasing numbers of employers are doing just this.

The City of Vancouver has demonstrated leadership as an employer with respect to some of these programs. The City has made progress in facilitating vanpooling and car pooling since its last survey of employee commuter behaviour in 1994. Approximately 100 car pools wereregistered in 2003. Bike locker and rack facilities and showers are also provided, and about five percent of city hall employees bicycle to work. The City has also committed to exploring teleworking opportunities for staff. Further to Council's recent motion, staff are exploring other options to encourage changes in commuter behaviour.

The City of Vancouver is also a member of the Cambie Corridor Consortium, the first local transportation management association (TMA) in Canada. Initiated by the Vancouver Hospital (VH), it worked with other employers in the vicinity to form the TMA in 1995. Employers of over 21,000 employees are represented. The proportion of VH employees using transit increased from 14 percent in 1995 to over 17 percent in 1998.

Newly developed commercial buildings are required to provide locked bicycle rooms, shower and changing facilities and bike racks for visitors. Many older buildings have been retrofitted with bike storage facilities on a voluntary basis.

As part of its application to the federal Department of Transportation Showcase program for which it has been short-listed in an initial round of evaluations, TransLink has recently proposed to test a unique, innovative and reportedly proven method of bringing about significant travel behaviour change at very low cost. The proposed TravelSmart Trip Reduction Program, first developed in Western Australia in 1997, targets residents with "individualized marketing" to encourage behavioural change. After implementation of the TravelSmart program amongst 15,000 households in South Perth, transit, cycling and walking increased by 21, 91 and 16 percent, respectively. Car vehicle kilometres travelled decreased 14 percent, and these results were sustained for two years. It is anticipated that TransLink would launch a similar program in Greater Vancouver should its proposed program be chosen in the final round of competition with other Canadian centres. An as yet unspecified Vancouver neighbourhood would be one of 4 areas to be targeted in the region.

One may conclude from an analysis of programs available and their use that a wide range of programs are available. One reason for low response, however, may be that the existing institutional framework and incentives are not conducive to employees seeking alternative transportation solutions. Except in the case of reserved parking spaces, current federal-provincial income tax policies do not consider free parking to be a taxable benefit. On the other hand, transfers to employees for purposes of purchasing transit fares or passes are considered a taxable benefit. Nor do Canadian commuters potentially benefit from a wide variety of tax incentives to use alternative transportation modes available to individuals and companies in other jurisdictions. In the U.S. for instance, employees receiving cash-out benefits in turn for giving up free employer-provided parking are not taxed on those payments. Nor are they taxed for benefits when employers provide transit subsidies. Cycling commuters in the U.K., for instance, receive a 12p/mile tax credit.

Prior to the City further considering devoting further resources to employer trip reduction programs and their promotion, it would be useful to explore options with the users of the programs. It is thus recommended that staff convene a meeting (or meetings) of employer users of the GoGreen Choices program with a view to exploring options that would cause more employers to offer such programs. Staff would report further findings to Council.

Additional Bike Routes

Approximately 8,000 bike trips daily are made into the downtown according to TransLink's Fall 1999 Trip Diary Survey. Given the past trends, the continuing growth in residents living in and around the downtown and enhancements to cycling facilities in downtown, this number is anticipated to increase substantially in the future.

The Downtown Transportation Plan generally places emphasis on providing separate bike lanes on downtown streets, as opposed to wide curb lanes, because:

· they provide increased comfort levels for cyclists;
· they are more likely to increase the number of people cycling;
· they allow motorists to pass more easily, reducing conflicts and congestion; and
· they are preferred by the majority of cyclists surveyed.

The bike route network developed for the Downtown Transportation Plan is shown in Figure 1. This network was developed with two guiding principles. Firstly, to provide direct connections to existing routes and key destinations in and around the downtown. Secondly, to minimize the impact on the transportation network by avoiding the removal of traffic lanes and, where possible, not significantly affecting the on-street parking inventory. The second principle is especially important in achieving a balanced transportation system whereby all stakeholder needs are considered and from which consensus can be achieved. It should be noted that the accommodation of bicycles was one of the more controversial parts of the Downtown Transportation Plan. The recommended bike network is viewed by some as only providing the basic network and that it could be bolder. Others consider it inappropriate. In any case, the bike route network will need to be assessed as it is being developed and modified or enhanced as conditions dictate to ensure its success.

As requested by Council on July 9, 2002, the implications of the following items requested by the Bicycle Advisory Committee are provided below:

· Robson Street bicycle route between Beatty and Burrard;
· Northbound bicycle connection along the Homer/Richards corridor; and
· Bicycle connections to the Georgia Viaduct.

All three routes are recommended to be presented to downtown stakeholders for input prior to reporting back with recommendations.

Robson Street Bike Route (Beatty to Burrard)

Bike lanes in both directions on Robson Street between Beatty and Burrard can be achieved by removing a traffic/parking lane along the entire length or widening the roadway by a maximum of about 3.0 metres. Neither is desirable nor recommended because there are significant impacts to either the traffic/transit operations or pedestrian flow along the street.

However, in keeping with the guiding principles used in the Downtown Transportation Plan, a single, westbound 1.5 metre wide bike lane between Beatty and Richards can be accommodated by narrowing the existing traffic and parking lanes. A westbound bike lane would be useful in accommodating inbound cyclists from across the Cambie Bridge (via Beatty Street). This westbound bike lane would also complement the recommended eastbound bike lane on Nelson Street for cyclists exiting the downtown across the Cambie Bridge. A limitation of the westbound bike lane is that it would end at Richards Street. However, it would be useful in conjunction with a northbound Homer Street bike lane (described below).

Homer/Richards Bike Corridor

The Downtown Transportation Plan recommends a southbound bike lane on Richards Street. This would serve southbound cyclists well, but there is no corresponding northbound facility in the vicinity. A corresponding northbound bike lane cannot be accommodated on Richards Street. Homer Street provides the best opportunity for a northbound bike facility.

Homer Street is currently a one-way street that is recommended to become two-way in the Downtown Transportation Plan. It can accommodate a northbound 1.5 metre wide bike lane between Pacific Boulevard and Georgia Street if the existing traffic and parking lanes are narrowed and assuming that full-time parking exists on both sides of the street. This bike lane can be further extended one block north to Dunsmuir Street if the West Vancouver bus stops on this block are relocated. With the creation of two-way streets on Cambie and Beatty, this relocation may be practical as additional curb space appropriate for bus stops is created. North of Dunsmuir, Homer Street is narrower and providing a bike lane would be problematic.

The Downtown Transportation Plan recommends that Homer Street become a pedestrian connector (pedestrian arterial) route as part of the downtown pedestrian route network shown in Figure 2. Pedestrian connector routes are intended to be the route of choice for pedestrians by providing an easy, direct, pleasant and safe walking route across thedowntown peninsula. They help integrate new neighbourhoods and are to be fully accessible to all pedestrians including those with mobility challenges. Homer Street, in particular, would link the downtown south residential neighbourhoods to the historic districts of Yaletown and Gastown, the Vancouver Public Library and the future port lands development at the northern end. Potential pedestrian enhancements along Homer would include landscaping, public art, corner bulges, pedestrian lighting, etc. One special feature was the ability to widen the sidewalk on the east side of the street by about 1.0 metre to increase pedestrian comfort. However, if a bike lane were to be installed along Homer Street, this widening would not occur. Therefore, the creation of a northbound bike lane along Homer Street between Pacific Boulevard to Dunsmuir requires trading-off potential pedestrian improvements for bike improvements.

Georgia Viaduct Bike Connection

An eastbound bike lane along the Georgia Viaduct, accomplished largely by restriping the existing traffic lane lines, is recommended in the Downtown Transportation Plan to facilitate cyclists travelling out of the downtown peninsula. Currently, only the proposed bike lanes along Beatty Street lead to the bike lanes on the Georgia Viaduct. Additional opportunities for bike lane connections to the viaduct bike lanes were explored along Georgia Street.

Georgia Street is a major arterial street in the downtown and is a part of the regional Major Road Network serving both local and regional traffic. The Downtown Transportation Plan recommends that Georgia Street between the viaduct and Burrard be added to the truck route network to provide direct access across the peninsula and to reduce truck impacts to emerging residential areas in Downtown South. Georgia Street generally consists of three traffic lanes in both the eastbound and westbound direction, with some parking on the curb lanes that is restricted during the rush hours. This configuration changes as it approaches the viaduct to match the four eastbound traffic lanes on the viaduct. Two westbound traffic lanes begin at Cambie Street.

Given the existing width of Georgia Street, it was determined that an eastbound bike lane on Georgia Street may be added if the curb lanes on both sides of the street are converted to full-time parking lanes. Full-time parking lanes require less space than moving traffic lanes and therefore help to create the space required for the bike lane. A preliminary review suggests that it may be possible to create an eastbound bike lane, east of Homer Street. Further review is required to ensure that traffic flow on Georgia Street will not be impacted. Any new full-time on-street parking spaces created would benefit surrounding land uses, including Library Square.

Public Consultation

There has been no formal public consultation with respect to the above three additional bike lanes. Generally, the above three initiatives are in keeping with the guiding principles established in the Downtown Transportation Plan. The use of the principles, based on minimizing impacts to other modes, has been helpful in the past in achieving consensus among stakeholders. Nonetheless, the bike lanes were controversial amongst some stakeholders, and there should be an opportunity for the stakeholders to comment on these proposed additions. Because of the lack of consultation and potential trade-offs, it is recommended that the three potential bike lanes be presented to all stakeholders for input prior to formulating a recommendation for Council's consideration.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The recommendations pose no immediate financial implications. The timing of reports back to Council on the additional bike lanes and on transportation demand management programs will be dependent on whether additional staff resources are made available as recommended in the Downtown Transportation Plan Implementation report.

CONCLUSION

This report anticipates further reports back to Council in three areas. Following further consultations with TransLink and employers and others involved in the region's employer-based trip reduction programs, a report back on a possible role for the City of Vancouver will be made. Following consultation with the public and downtown stakeholders, a report back to Council with respect to the three bike lane segments discussed in this report will also be made. Finally, a report back to Council with respect to the establishment of new mode share targets for the City of Vancouver and larger sub-areas, including the downtown and the central Broadway corridor, will also be made. It is recommended that population-based mode share data be collected through a combination of the federal Census and a regular regional data collection program carried out through TransLink.

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Link to maps and appendices

tt20030610.htm

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