CITY OF VANCOUVER
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL ON
TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC
JUNE 3, 1997
A Regular Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held
on Tuesday, June 3, 1997, at approximately 12:40 p.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: Councillor Nancy A. Chiavario
Councillor Alan Herbert
Councillor Lynne Kennedy
Councillor Daniel Lee
Councillor Don Lee
Councillor Gordon Price
Councillor Sam Sullivan
ABSENT: Mayor Philip Owen (Civic Business)
Councillor Don Bellamy
Councillor Jennifer Clarke (Civic Business)
Councillor George Puil (Leave of Absence)
CITY MANAGER'S
OFFICE: Ken Dobell, City Manager
Dave Rudberg, General Manager of
Engineering Services
CLERK TO THE
COUNCIL: Denise Salmon
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Cllr. Kennedy,
SECONDED by Cllr. Herbert,
THAT this Council resolve itself into Committee of the Whole,
Deputy Mayor Chiavario in the chair.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Report of Standing Committee on
Transportation and Traffic
June 3, 1997
Council considered the recommendations of the Committee, as
contained in the following clauses of the attached report:
Cl.1: North Shore False Creek Bus Route
Cl. 2: West End Transit Service
Cl. 3: BC Transit Fare Plan Options
MOVED by Cllr. Kennedy,
THAT the recommendations of the Committee, as contained in Clauses
1 and 3 of this report, be approved.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
MOVED by Cllr. Kennedy,
THAT the recommendations of the Committee, as contained in Clause 2
of this report be approved.
- CARRIED
(Councillor Price opposed to Recommendation B.)
RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Cllr. Kennedy,
THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
ADOPT REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Cllr. Kennedy,
SECONDED by Cllr. Herbert,
THAT the report of the Committee of the Whole be adopted.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
The Council adjourned at 12:45 p.m.
* * * * *
REPORT TO COUNCIL
STANDING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL
ON TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC
JUNE 3, 1997
A Regular Meeting of the Standing Committee of Council on
Transportation and Traffic was held on Tuesday, June 3, 1997, at
approximately 9:30 a.m., in the No. 1 Committee Room, Third Floor, City
Hall.
PRESENT: Councillor Gordon Price, Chair
Mayor Philip Owen (Items 1 and
portion of 2)
Councillor Don Bellamy (Items 1 and 2)
Councillor Nancy A. Chiavario
Councillor Alan Herbert
Councillor Lynne Kennedy
Councillor Daniel Lee
Councillor Don Lee
Councillor Sam Sullivan
ABSENT: Councillor Jennifer Clarke
(Civic Business)
Councillor George Puil (Leave of Absence)
CITY MANAGER'S
OFFICE: Ken Dobell, City Manager
Dave Rudberg, General Manager of
Engineering Services
CLERK TO THE
COMMITTEE: Denise Salmon
ADOPTION OF MINUTES
The Minutes of the Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic
meetings of April 22 and May 6, 1997, were adopted.
RECOMMENDATION
1. North Shore False Creek Bus Routes File: 8205/5554-1
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated May 14,
1997, (on file), in which the General Manager of Engineering Services
recommended approval of proposed North Shore False Creek bus routes,
including bus stops, which BC Transit will implement on June 30, 1997.
Wayne Pledger, Strategic Transit and Transportation Engineer,
reviewed the main points of the report with the Committee.
In response to questions from Council, Mr. Pledger advised:
width of sidewalk and level of pedestrian activity would determine
location of bus shelters and litter containers
buses on the proposed routes would be wheelchair accessible
Seaboard Advertising pays the City a rental fee of $50 for each bus
shelter per month
False Creek ferry companies could be contacted in regard to
building linkages between bus stops adjacent the foot of Seymour,
Plaza of Nations, foot of Davie and Science World and ferry docks
colour coding of bus routes circulating within the downtown
peninsula would require discussions with BC Transit
although all downtown areas cannot be served by one route,
connections to both the Enterprise Centre and International Village
need to be considered by either modifying or adding to proposed
services
bus schedules are not routinely posted in all bus shelters
noise complaints, similar to those received from Beatty Street
residents, are not anticipated as no layovers or stopping of busses
are planned
Nathan Davidowicz, speaker, advised of the following:
as a requirement of the Concord Pacific rezoning it was agreed
Concord would pay for the area's bus shelters; however all
conditions of the rezoning are not yet implemented
larger shelters would be appropriate considering this area's high
density
passenger confusion and reduced ridership will result from
duplication of the bus No.
22 (both Knight/Macdonald and Yaletown/16th service) and the
one-way loop provided on the No. 1 route
BC Transit representatives Jim Prokop, Manager of Service Review
and Development, and Bill Lambert, Director of Customer Support, noted:
the new bus route for Yaletown will now be numbered "2", not "22"
BC Transit will approach the VRTC this month to request larger
information tubes at bus stops, with expanded distribution
the report to the VRTC re information tubes will be available to
the public one week prior to the meeting; Transit representatives
were requested to ensure Council receives a copy of the report
prior to the VRTC meeting
frequency of the one-way bus service must be balanced against
route structure; high ridership would provide justification for
future expansion
the North Shore False Creek bus routes form part of a staged
implementation plan, that will be up for review in 1998
The following motion by Councillor Chiavario was put and carried.
The Committee, therefore,
RECOMMENDED
. THAT the North Shore False Creek bus routes and bus stops
illustrated in Appendices A, B and C of the Administrative
Report dated May 14, 1997, be approved.
B. THAT bus stop improvements including shelters, litter
receptacles, and landing area changes be introduced where
required.
C. THAT the $6,300 required to pay for new litter receptacles at
the new stops be obtained from Contingency Reserve.
D. THAT the Sanitation Operating Budget be increased by $13,500
annually for the emptying of the litter receptacles.
E. THAT Council request the Vancouver Regional Transit Commission
to ensure information tubes are added on the new North Shore
False Creek bus stops,
and related extended routes as part of the implementation
process.
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
2. West End Transit Service
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated May 20,
1997 (on file), in which the General Manager of Engineering Services
recommended approval of BC Transit's implementation of a revised West
End transit service on September 1, 1997.
Wayne Pledger, Strategic Transit and Transportation Engineer,
reviewed the main points of the report with the Committee, with note on
the advantages of separating West End service from the Main and Fraser
routes. He also advised internal trips within the West End come to a
halt as buses layover at the Denman and Davie terminus; Engineering
Services have requested BC Transit consider a new terminus adjacent the
downtown library, in the Entertainment District, to provide a seamless,
circuitous, downtown peninsula route.
The following points were discussed:
the West End Loop was originally envisaged as an additional route,
not part of an existing route
those people destined for the West End riding a No. 3 Main, No. 8
Fraser, or No. 19 Kingsway would be required to transfer downtown
to reach the West End
the Howe and Hornby intersection is the major cause of delays for
West End buses (Engineering staff indicated a report back is
underway on this intersection)
the proposed new No. 5 Robson/Downtown and No. 6 Davie/Waterfront
would use trolley buses
a simple Figure 8 loop operating in both directions could serve the
library, downtown destinations and population as well as access
SkyTrain at both Granville and Stadium stations, although the
Waterfront Station would not be serviced (Engineering staff advised
surveys indicate SkyTrain, not the Library, is the public's number
one destination)
a map to indicate transfer points on each route entering the
downtown, to highlight potential for rider confusion, would be
useful
concern with the intended route changes planned for service outside
of the downtown peninsula (Engineering staff advised a report back
on other affected routes would be available in late June or July,
once decision is reached on the West End routes)
Nathan Davidowicz, speaker, advised:
more meeting times and a choice of days are necessary to allow all
to comment on the proposed transit changes
in addition to the two transit changes before Council this day,
thirteen more are planned by Transit for September 1st; by
approving the two routes Council commits Transit to go forward with
the other changes
the proposed frequency of service is that which existed in the
1980s
on the need for deferral of the report to allow for report back on
the full City-wide impacts of the proposed West End route changes
Ian Fisher, Transport 2000 BC, (brief filed) advised:
the proposed changes are a welcome step toward improved service
from Downtown to the West End, with the use of trolley buses
appreciated and essential for livability of West End residents;
although he expressed concerns with the proposed routing
transit delays on Robson between Howe and Hornby need to be
addressed
BC Transit's original plan for two overlayed Figure 8 routes
travelling from the north on Davie, along Granville to Waterfront
Station, then east on Cordova and south on Cambie to join original
route was favoured; this route would require no new trolley
structure; Granville and Robson is an amenable transfer point
any delays on either of the new proposed West End services would
impact the other
the current terminus at Davie and Denman provides West Enders with
schedule reliability
BC Transit should provide a consolidated downtown peninsula
schedule for all its services
Brian Williamson, West End resident and transit rider, advised:
this is an opportunity to reinforce the last 15 years work to make
the downtown peninsula non-auto oriented
Transit's original Figure 8 Loop would provide service on Robson in
addition to linking the east and west portions of the peninsula,
with consideration given to Ian Fisher's Waterfront connection
suggestion
Transit's new route proposals will confuse transit riders
if riders remained on the original Figure 8 Loop bus, with an
extension to Waterfront Station, only an extra 6 or 7 minutes on
the bus would be required to arrive at SkyTrain Station
a report on number of West End residents transferring to SeaBus as
opposed to Library users would be useful
on the need for a financial analysis from BC Transit on an
appropriate cash fare for the West End Loop
* * * * *
The Mayor left the meeting on Civic Business during discussion of this
item, prior to vote on the recommendations.
* * * * *
BC Transit representatives Jim Prokop, Manager of Service Review
and Development, and Bill Lambert, Director of Customer Support, noted:
Transit's original Figure 8 Loop was modified to address public
input which identified SkyTrain, not the Library as the public's
main destination point
Transit has not yet considered late night operation of the Robson
line
no plan is anticipated to reintroduce the trolley service into the
Chilco Loop, due to difficulties with wiring under the overpass,
and significant costs involved
any delay or change to proposed new service would result in at
least a 3 month delay on the route
The following motion by Councillor Chiavario was put and lost.
THAT this matter be deferred pending report back on proposals
including the Figure 8 Loop, and adding or relocating termini
adjacent the Vancouver Public Library, in addition to other changes
proposed in the Administrative Report dated May 20, 1997.
- LOST
(Cllrs. Bellamy, Herbert, Daniel Lee, Don Lee,
Price, Sullivan opposed.)
The following motion by Councillor Bellamy was put and carried.
The Committee, therefore,
RECOMMENDED,
A. THAT the proposed new #5 Robson/Downtown and #6 Davie/
Waterfront transit routes, as illustrated in Appendix C of the
Administrative Report dated May 20, 1997, be approved.
B. THAT BC Transit be requested to investigate as a high priority
the potential for adding a layby for the West End transit
services from Denman and Davie Streets to the eastern
Entertainment District in order to provide a continuous
transit connection between the Davie, Denman and Robson Street
commercial/residential neighbourhoods, as illustrated in
Appendix E of the Administrative Report dated May 20, 1997.
C. THAT staff report back on new bus stops, shelters, litter
containers, landing improvements and other details of route
implementation as necessary.
D. THAT staff be requested to report back on the Figure 8 Loop as
originally proposed by BC Transit, NightOwl Service, and the
addition or relocation of termini adjacent the Vancouver
Public Library - Main Branch, as well as any additional
changes set out in the May 20th Administrative Report.
FURTHER THAT secondary impacts to the transit system be
included in the above noted report back, including information
on destination studies with particular reference to SkyTrain.
- CARRIED
(Councillor Price opposed to Recommendation B.)
3. BC Transit Fare Plan Options
* * * * *
(Councillor Bellamy declared conflict of interest due to his appointment
to the Vancouver Regional Transit Commission, and left the meeting.)
* * * * *
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated May 27,
1997, (on file) in which the General Manager of Engineering Services
noted BC Transit staff are reviewing the fare structure of the transit
system as directed by the Vancouver Regional Transit Commission. The
report informed Council of the public process and options.
Rob Hodgins, Strategic Transportation Planning, Engineering
Services, provided Council with a breakdown of BC Transit's three
proposed fare options and discussed the salient points of the report.
He then introduced Peach Akerheilm, Manager, Corporate Planning and
Market Development, BC Transit.
In response to questions from Council, Ms. Akerheilm advised:
Option B removes the present mid-day fare discount, which would
result in an increase to $6.00 for the day pass; however the pass
will allow travel prior to 9:30 a.m.
The downtown Loonie Loop forms part of BC Transit's 5-year plan;
the VRTC will discuss implementation strategy further in the fall
At present technology is not available to BC Transit that would
allow riders to pay per stop, rather than per zone
As one-zone riders provide 60% of Transit's revenue, dramatically
reducing one-zone fares to encourage ridership is not an option
The Ministry of Social Services provides, at minimum cost, a yearly
pass to qualified low income users
The following motion by Councillor Chiavario was put and carried.
The Committee, therefore,
RECOMMENDED
A. THAT Council support implementing zone fares all day while
holding the existing pricing (Option "B" as contained in the
Administrative Report dated May 27, 1997) as an interim step
in attaining the 35 percent cost recovery target through
fares.
B. THAT the VRTC consider, in the future, increasing peak period
fares relative to the off-peak fares to encourage off-peak
ridership and to more closely mirror the actual cost of
providing peak period service.
C. THAT staff be requested to report back in the fall on the fare
aspect of the "Loonie Loop".
- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
The meeting adjourned at 12:40 p.m.
* * * * *