|
CITY OF VANCOUVER ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT |
Date: |
Sept. 23rd, 2004 | |
Author: |
Dale Bracewell | |
Phone No.: |
6440 | |
RTS No.: |
04502 | |
CC File No.: |
1805 | |
Meeting Date: |
Oct. 5th, 2004 |
TO: |
Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic |
FROM: |
General Manager of Engineering Services and the Director of Current Planning |
SUBJECT: |
Authority to Contract - Downtown Streetcar Design, Layout, and Ridership Study |
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT, subject to the conditions set out in Recommendations B, C, and D, Council approve that an agreement be entered into with IBI Group for undertaking the Downtown Streetcar Design, Layout and Ridership Study, at an estimated cost of $100,000 including disbursements plus $10,000 for public liaison; funding to be provided from existing Streets Capital reserved for Downtown Streetcar Project ($50,000), from citywide Development Cost Levies ($40,000), and from the approved consulting funding to complete the Official Development Plan for Southeast False Creek ($20,000).
B. THAT, all legal documentation is to be in a form which is satisfactory to the Director of Legal Services and the General Manager of Engineering Services.
C. THAT, upon approval of the legal documentation by the Director of Legal Services, the General Manager of Engineering Services be authorized to execute and deliver the necessary agreement on behalf of City Council.
D. THAT, no legal rights or obligations will be created by Council's approval of these Recommendations and no services are to be provided unless and until the legal documentation has been executed and delivered by the General Manager of Engineering Services.
COUNCIL POLICY
Consultant contracts over $30,000 are to be approved by Council.
Council approved the Terms of Reference and undertaking of a design, layout, and ridership study for the Downtown Streetcar on July 8th, 2003.
PURPOSE
This report seeks Council authority to contract with IBI Group to provide professional services for undertaking the Downtown Streetcar Design, Layout and Ridership Study.
BACKGROUND
The Downtown Streetcar initiative is a key element of the City's continuing transition to providing more sustainable transportation modes. The Downtown Streetcar will provide an attractive alternative for moving around downtown, especially for trips longer than a reasonable walking distance or where buses do not provide a convenient connection. The intent is that seamless connections to existing transit such as SkyTrain, SeaBus, West Coast Express, and regular trolley bus services will be provided with integrated fares, thereby enhancing the overall regional transit network.
Following completion of the Vancouver Downtown Streetcar Study (1999) and an extensive public consultation process, Council approved specific alignments and phasing for the streetcar system. It will connect tourist destinations, significant employment centres in the downtown core, and major residential developments with continuous transit service. The Downtown Streetcar will provide transit options to areas such as Southeast False Creek, Chinatown, and Gastown as they continue to grow. It will also link existing transit nodes such as Waterfront Station, Main Street Station, and the Granville Mall corridor.
On July 6th, 2004, Council authorized the contract to undertake market research for tourist and recreational usage on the Downtown Streetcar. The fieldwork and data processing is complete and staff will present the findings to Council later this fall.
On July 8, 2003, Council approved proceeding with further work on planning for the Downtown Streetcar including applying for matching funds from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). This update on the Downtown Streetcar includes determining more accurate ridership estimates, both commuters and recreational users, as well as defining a more detailed layout plan for track location and operation.
DISCUSSION
A Request for Proposals (RFP) for a "Downtown Streetcar Design, Layout and Ridership Study" was released by the City on August 20th, 2004. The RFP was advertised on the City's and BC Purchasing Commissions' web site, an advertisement was placed in the Journal of Commerce and the City notified numerous transportation planning firms. The services required by the contractor in the RFP include:
_ Examine and evaluate alternative Downtown Streetcar alignment, track and station location concepts along the Phase 1 routing (Granville Island to Waterfront Station)
_ Recommend a preferred concept for the Phase 1 streetcar routing including illustrative cross-sections, intersection plans and street perspectives at key design locations
_ Provide updates to the commuter ridership, capital costs, and operating costs
The study will be co-directed by staff in Engineering Services and Current Planning. TransLink staff from the Area Transit Plan will also be acting in an advisory capacity on the streetcar project, supplying regional transit planning expertise, attending design workshops, and reviewing draft documents.
The request for proposals generated significant interest both locally and internationally. Six quality proposals were submitted with a broad range of streetcar, ridership forecasting, and urban design experience. An evaluation team made up of staff from Engineering Services, Current Planning, and TransLink assessed the proposals against the following criteria:
_ Proponent profile and key personnel
_ Understanding of project requirements
_ Experience including similar projects
_ Methodology and approach
_ Value added services & Price
The evaluation team's preferred proponent to complete this work is IBI Group. Staff is confident that IBI Group is capable of successfully completing the objectives and deliverables for this study. IBI Group's proposal, in partnership with HDR, LTK, Ward Consulting and VIA Architecture, is an excellent submission that effectively combines ridership forecasting, urban design, and transit planning including specific streetcar project experience. Therefore, it is recommended that the contract for the Downtown Streetcar Design, Layout and Ridership Study" be awarded to IBI Group. TransLink staff concurs with the recommendations of this report.
DOWNTOWN STREETCAR PROJECT UPDATE
In addition to the tourist and recreational usage market research study, other work currently underway related to the Downtown Streetcar are a benchmarking exercise and the development of a new transportation model for the entire City.
The purpose of the benchmarking exercise is to provide likely demand and supply characteristics for the Downtown Streetcar based on the experience of similar streetcar or light rail systems in North America and around the world. The development of a new transportation model for the entire City will be useful for both the Downtown Streetcar project update and testing out transit network alternatives to be considered in the Area Transit Plan.
A report back to Council on the findings of these reports as well as the design, layout, and ridership study is anticipated early next year as part of an overall update to the Downtown Streetcar. Key stakeholders along the approved streetcar routings will be informed of this project update over the next few months and a broader public consultation will likely be required when more detailed information on the Downtown Streetcar is completed.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
The cost of the proposed design, layout, and ridership study is estimated to be $100,000 plus an additional $10,000 to conduct some outreach with key stakeholders. To fund the study and public liaison, this report recommends using the following:
o $50,000 of the streets capital reserved for the Downtown Streetcar project, previously approved by Council from the GreenLinks account on July 8th, 2003
o $40,000 of the available citywide Development Cost Levies allocated to Engineering for the Downtown Streetcar project (as of August 2004)
o $20,000 of the consulting funding to complete the Official Development Plan for Southeast False Creek, previously approved by Council on September 14th, 2004
The original request for Downtown Streetcar capital funding was contingent on applying for federal cost sharing. The City has now received positive feedback from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) for a Green Municipal Enabling Fund (GMEF) grant. In the event that the Downtown Streetcar funding application is approved by the FCM, staff will report back on reallocating the streets capital funding back into the GreenLinks account.
CONCLUSION
Staff recommend that Council authorize a contract with IBI Group for undertaking design, layout, and ridership work on the Downtown Streetcar at an estimated cost of $100,000 plus $10,000 for public liaison, subject to the conditions outlined in the Recommendations.
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