SUPPORTS ITEM NO. 1
P&E COMMITTEE AGENDA
OCTOBER 19, 1995
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: September 18, 1995
File No: 4252-3
TO: Standing Committee on Planning and Environment
FROM: General Manager of Engineering Services in consultation with the Chief
Constable
SUBJECT: Transit Priority Program
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT Council support the proposal that BC Transit co-
ordinate a program leading to the implementation of
transit priority measures in the Region, while retaining
the right to approve and implement individual projects in
the City.
B. THAT the General Manager of Engineering Services report
back to Council for approval of individual projects as
they proceed including process, community consultation,
cost sharing and implementation arrangements.
C. THAT the consultation process include residents and
commercial businesses directly affected by any bus/HOV
lane proposals.
D. THAT BC Transit be requested to form a Staff Advisory
Committee, including representatives from the GVRD and
member cities, to review and advise BC Transit on project
priorities, cost sharing and other matters common to the
proposed Program.
E. THAT BC Transit and the Attorney General be advised that
City Council does not support BC Transit Police enforcing
traffic regulations in the City.
COUNCIL POLICY
CityPlan anticipates the use of HOV lanes to achieve, in part, the
Transportation Direction of the City.
Clouds of Change provides for designated HOV lanes on City streets.
That walking, biking, transit and goods movement are higher
priorities than the automobile.
Council approved Transport 2021 in-principle, which provides for a
network of HOV lanes and priority bus services.
PURPOSE
The Vancouver Regional Transit Commission recently approved in-
principle a proposal by Transit staff to coordinate a Region-wide
transit priority program. The report outlining this proposal
includes details on types of transit priority measures, benefits of
these measures, suggested legislative changes and funding
arrangements.
Subsequently, on September 7, 1995, the Premier announced a Plan
for a network of HOV lanes in the Region. Few details are known of
this Plan. However, it is expected some of the bus lane proposals
in the Transit report could be expanded to include other high
occupancy vehicles as contemplated in the HOV network.
The purpose of this report is to describe the proposal approved by
the Transit Commission and to make recommendations on this matter.
It does not address individual projects which will be reviewed in
future reports.
BACKGROUND
The GVRD Transport 2021 study identified four policy levers to be
used to direct the Regional transportation system onto a more
desirable path. These policy levers are:
1. Control land use.
2. Use Transport Demand Management (TDM).
3. Increase or reduce the quality of service experienced by
the user of the Regional Transportation System. 4. A d d
additional
capacity to
the Regional
transportati
on system.
Transport 2021 identifies the many different TDM measures (Policy
2) as integral to the Regional Transportation Strategy. One
component of these measures is giving transit priority through the
use of bus only/HOV lanes, signal priorities, legislative changes
and additional police enforcement of traffic regulations.
Transit Priority measures have and continue to be implemented to
address specific problem areas (e.g. transit queue jumpers to
bypass congestion at bridgeheads) or to provide transit priority
along congested corridors (Granville Mall). The City has been a
leader in this regard, and has approved several HOV projects. As
well, the Ministry of Transportation and Highways along with the
GVRD and affected municipalities are implementing the Barnet People
Mover project, an HOV lane from Port Moody to Vancouver.
There is no coordinating body that oversees and pursues approvals
and funding of a Regional transit priority strategy. BC Transit is
proposing to do this and recently commissioned a report on this
matter entitled "Transit Priority - Programs That Put People
First". The report, on file with the City Clerk, has been approved
in-principle by the Vancouver Regional Transit Commission. The
Commission also directed the report be circulated to the various
Regional municipalities for review and comment.
SUMMARY OF THE TRANSIT PRIORITY REPORT
Attached as Appendix A is the executive summary of the transit
report.
Giving greater priority to transit over other traffic is based on
the notion that buses are able to carry significantly more people
than automobiles. If these buses are given priority over the car,
and therefore able to be time competitive with the car, then
transit will be a more attractive way to commute.
Proposed Measures
Transit priority measures can be implemented by:
Reallocating street space through:
- Bus-only streets (e.g., Granville Mall)
- Bus-only lanes (Rupert north of 1st Avenue)
- High occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes
(Georgia Street and Granville, through Marpole)
- Queue jumpers (71st Avenue at Oak Street)
Using the traffic signal system:
- To provide a special signal phase for buses (Knight
at Marine).
- To let buses activate a special traffic signal
(Nanaimo at 24th).
- To let buses extend the green time of signals along
major transit corridors.
- To give priority on the basis of person movements
rather than vehicle movements.
Implementing new regulations:
- To give buses priority when leaving bus stops.
- Exempting buses from turn or weight restrictions.
- Providing Provincial technical assistance and
funding for designated transit corridors.
The Transit consultant identified a number of the above measures
either alone or in combination. Fully a third of these are in the
City. Attached as Appendix B are the measures identified in
Vancouver. These vary from developing major transit corridors such
as Granville and Broadway into continuous bus lanes with signal
priority, to installing a bus activated signal at Boundary and
Kitchener. Engineering staff are already working on a number of
these, as well as many other measures, with BC Transit, as on-going
work to improve the operation of the transit system in Vancouver.
Proposed Implementation Program
BC Transit recommends the following:
1. A Transit Priority Program be implemented and that BC
Transit be responsible for the coordination.
2. Funds for the Program be provided by BC Transit and the
responsible road authorities including Regional
municipalities. Cost sharing arrangements be developed
based on "equitable and sound accounting principles".
3. Legislation be prepared to give buses priority when
leaving bus stops.
4. The City of Vancouver and other road authorities be
requested to evaluate traffic management programs on the
basis of the people moving capabilities of the proposed
programs rather than on vehicle capacity.
5. BC Transit Police be allowed to enforce transit priority-
related traffic regulations and that the necessary
resources be identified and secured.
6. Further analysis of the identified transit priority
opportunities be done in consultation with the affected
road authorities.
7. A regional perspective be employed.
8. The Program be an ongoing process of identification,
evaluation and implementation.
Transit proposes the Program be designed to arrive at a consensus
of opinion among the interested parties involving a systematic
analysis of the proposed transit corridors. Appendix C shows the
process.
DISCUSSION
Many of the ideas contained within the Transit report are
consistent with Regional and City policies and should be supported.
Council has already directed staff to report back on RapidBus
corridors in the City (along Broadway and Granville) and this
future report to Council would be done in the context of the
proposed Transit Priority Program. The review of RapidBus and
other priority measures in the City would be a joint effort with BC
Transit.
We have a number of observations of BC Transit's proposal:
1. The specific proposals (referred to as "opportunities" in
the report) appear to have a significant range in
effectiveness.
2. The specific proposals may displace other moving traffic
along the corridor or delay cross traffic (including
pedestrians). Displaced or delayed traffic may lead to
neighbourhood shortcutting.
A number of the proposals could result in a loss of
parking to neighbourhood shopping areas or commercial
businesses, reduced access to neighbouring properties,
and reduced ability to turn at certain intersections.
The various proposed improvements can mean increased
economic benefits to BC Transit and transit users. At
the same time, increased delays and loss of access to
adjoining properties can result in an economic disbenefit
to others.
3. The list of proposals appears exhaustive noting the
consultant has even identified a bus lane westbound on
4th Ave from Sasamat to Blanca on the way to UBC.
Staff have not reviewed the specific proposals to confirm
their cost benefit. We would want to work with Transit
on developing a priority list of projects to aid in
allocating staff resources.
4. There is no mention of, or commitment to, shared use of
the proposed bus lanes by other high occupancy vehicles
or bicycles. This should be considered but only when
this other traffic does not significantly impact travel
time for buses.
5. The process is designed to arrive at a consensus among
the interested parties. Clearly, the public immediately
affected by a proposal should be included in the
consultation process, as was done by the City leading to
Council approving an HOV lane through Marpole. Further,
the City should take a lead role in the public process in
the City.
6. The cost estimate of the proposals within the City is
about $3m. The City would be responsible for a portion
of these costs. It is expected the work in the suburban
municipalities would largely be a Ministry of Highways
(i.e., Provincial) cost as the work would be mostly on
the arterial highway system.
7. The GVRD and municipalities should participate in the
Program to ensure that a regional perspective is
included.
8. Transit is recommending that BC Transit Police be
permitted to enforce traffic regulations relating to
transit priority measures in the designated corridors.
The Chief Constable advises he does not support this
proposal for the following reasons:
i) The BC Transit Police are not accountable
to the Vancouver Police Board, whereas many of the
regulations they would be enforcing are local
Vancouver traffic regulations. In the event of a
dispute or disagreement on the level of enforcement
or enforcement practices, there would be a lack of
local accountability of the BC Transit Police.
ii) Shared jurisdiction always complicates enforcement
practices and strategies. It leads to duplication
of enforcement in some areas and lack of local
enforcement in others. It is largely inefficient
and would result in an overall imbalance of
enforcement of the various regulations.
The current Letter of Agreement between the BC Transit
Police and the Attorney General does not cover the
proposed expansion of duties and would have to be revised.
Current resource levels in the Police Department should
be adequate to enforce the proposed regulations. As
well, the Parking Enforcement Branch of Engineering
Services is also available to enforce a number of the
regulations. In the end, should these resources prove
inadequate, then it would be more efficient for the
Province to fund additional Vancouver Police or parking
enforcement positions rather than more BC Transit Police.
COMMUNITY INPUT
Copies of the BC Transit report ("Transit Priority -
Programs That Put People First) were circulated to a
number of groups including the Downtown Vancouver and
Robson BIA's, the Mt. Pleasant Commercial Improvement
Society and representatives from the Marpole and
Granville (6th - 16th Avenues) commercial businesses.
The groups that responded are more interested in
being involved in specific projects that directly
affect them. They did note, though, this report
does address in a positive manner, the concerns they
have with process as outlined in the Transit report,
namely the need for public input and involvement by
Council in making the final decision on specific
projects.
CONCLUSIONS
The proposal by BC Transit to coordinate a Regional Transit
Priority Program should be supported. However:
1. Council should always retain final approval of proposals in
the City and proposals will be subject to available funds.
2. There should be a Municipal and GVRD Staff Advisory Committee
to advise on project priorities and cost sharing arrangements.
3. The consultation process should include the public who are
directly affected by any proposal.
4. BC Transit and the City should develop a priority list of
projects to assist in the allocation of staff resources.
5. Consideration should be given to including other high
occupancy vehicles and bicycles as individual projects
proceed.
6. A Regional perspective should be employed. However, future
decisions by the City must also consider local impacts that
may result.
7. The powers of the BC Transit Police should not be expanded to
enforce traffic regulations within the City. Vancouver Police
resources, coupled with the Parking Enforcement Branch of
Engineering Services, can provide a reasonable level of
enforcement. Should a higher level of enforcement be
required, the Province should then fund additional Vancouver
Police positions.
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