ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: Feb 28, 2000
Author/Local: R. Malkin/7745
RTS No. 1271
CC File No. 5560
T&T Date: March 14, 2000

TO:	Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic
FROM:	General Manager of Engineering Services in Consultation with the Director of City Plans
SUBJECT:	Regional Transportation Program Plan 2000

RECOMMENDATION

A. That Council support in principle the actions outlined in the draft TransLink Program Plan 2000 dated January 12, 2000 including:

- increasing bus service by 5% or 175,000 new service hours over 1999 levels
- providing relief from transit overcrowding and low frequencies.
- further development of a grid of express bus routes throughout the City, with the addition of limited stop services on Granville Street (Richmond/Vancouver 98 B-Line) and 41st Avenue
- funding for transportation infrastructure and programs that support cycling, transit priority, safety, TDM and goods movement

B THAT Council request staff to review, as part of the Vancouver /University Endowment Lands Transit Area Plan process or sooner, the implications of the following proposed Transportation Plan 2000 transit initiatives:

- reduction of peak period service on Fraser Street;
- innovative small bus/van services in Vancouver Heights and elsewhere;
- local traffic impacts resulting from the proposed express bus services along 41^st and other streets;

- remaining problems for transit routes in the city which, despite improved services, continue to experience overcrowding and pass-ups; and
- adequacy of funding levels for HandyDART services.

COUNCIL POLICY

Council has approved a Transportation Plan that requires transit to accommodate future increases in travel demand.

Council has adopted CityPlan, the Livable Region Strategic Plan, and the Transport 2021 Regional Transportation Plan.

SUMMARY

TransLink’s draft 2000 Program Plan proposes improvements for transit, major roads, cycling and other elements of the regional transportation system. Highlights include:

- increasing bus service by 5% or 175,000 new service hours over 1999 levels. A significant portion of the service hours are dedicated to City services requiring relief from overcrowding and low frequencies.
- continued development of rapid transit lines
- funding for transportation infrastructure and programs that support cycling, transit priority, safety, TDM and goods movement.
- further development of a grid of express bus routes throughout the City, with the addition of limited stop services on Granville Street (Richmond/Vancouver 98 B-Line) and 41st Avenue.
- the introduction of a new small transit vehicle service concept that can be introduced eventually into lower density areas of Vancouver

It is recommended that Council support the draft Program Plan in general as being consistent with the Vancouver Transportation Plan and long term regional planning goals.

PURPOSE

This report provides a brief outline of the planned actions in the 2000 Program Plan, generally intended to implement the first year of a proposed longer term TransLink Regional Strategic Transportation Plan (STP) (discussed in a companion report dated February 28, 2000). The draft Program Plan and STP have been distributed to Councillors and are available for viewing in the City Clerks Office and at TransLink’s Internet site.

BACKGROUND

TransLink is a new organization created by the Province and GVRD in order to give the Region the ability to plan and manage the local Lower Mainland transportation system. TransLink’s responsibilities include the transit system, the regional Major Roadway Network (which includes all regional roads, bridges, ferry routes) and related transportation responsibilities including transportation demand management (TDM), walking, cycling, goods movement, and AirCare.

TransLink has produced a 2000 Program Plan which sets forth improvements it intends to implement in 2000. The Program Plan was prepared concurrently with TransLink’s draft Strategic Transportation Plan (STP) which outlines transportation actions planned for the next 3 to 5 years. Both documents were received by the TransLink Board on January 19, 2000 and referred to a consultation process. The Board will be considering the STP and Program Plan for approval on March 27, 2000.

Transit Improvements

TransLink’s largest program is transit service delivery. It is proposed to deploy 59 additional buses and increase bus service by 5% or 175,000 new service hours over 1999 levels. The objectives include providing new services to attract additional riders and taking steps to retain existing riders by addressing overcrowding and poor schedule reliability. Another focus is improving travel times so transit can be more competitive with the automobile.

There are many transit service improvements of interest to Vancouver, including:

- SkyTrain

Development of the new Broadway/Lougheed line will continue. On the existing line, the first of sixty new generation “Mark II” SkyTrain cars are due to arrive in late 2000, though the new cars are not expected to operate until early 2001. This increase is needed to deal with overcrowding and a lack of capacity on the Vancouver portion of the route.

- Richmond Vancouver #98 B-Line

This service will open in December 2000, and provide direct fast connections between and within Richmond and Vancouver. Frequencies will be comparable to SkyTrain for most of the day. Frequencies on the local #8 Granville/Fraser route will be reduced marginally in the peak periods because of the implementation of the #98 B-Line on Granville service. This may notbe a concern on Granville Street as overall service will be greatly improved by the 98 B-Line; however, more information is required regarding the impacts on Fraser Street.

- Airport Shuttle

As part of the #98 B-Line project, it is proposed to redesign the existing Airport transit services to provide a frequent link between the #98 B-Line and the main Airport employment centres and the main terminal. Improved Airport service has been a longstanding City request. Fifty percent of the 20,000 Airport workers live within Vancouver and Richmond, but transit use is extremely low.

- Broadway/Lougheed #99 B-Line

This service has proved to be extremely popular with passengers, and now serves about 22,000 riders per day. Service frequencies will be improved and additional peak vehicles added to address overcrowding at peak times.

- New Limited-stop Service on 41^st Avenue

A new service on 41st Avenue operating between Joyce Station and UBC is proposed, stopping only at major transfer points. This will provide faster travel times for the corridor and alleviate crowding on the local # 41 bus service. The new service should also help alleviate crowding on the parallel #99 B-Line service.

- Richmond UBC express

It is proposed to upgrade the transit service between Richmond City Centre and UBC by introducing a limited stop transit service operating every 30 minutes all day. TransLink staff are currently reviewing route options. There could be advantages to routing this service on 41st Avenue, as it could serve City residents on connecting routes. Staff will advise Council when further information becomes available.

- Increased Service Frequencies for City Routes

Improved service frequencies are proposed for a number of City routes to address overcrowding and low service levels. Routes to be improved include the #3 Main , #5 Robson, #6 Davie, #15 Cambie, #17 Oak, #19Metrotown/Downtown (via Kingsway), #20 Victoria/Commercial, #22 Knight/Macdonald, #25 Brentwood/UBC (via King Edward), #41 Joyce Station/UBC (via 41st Avenue) and #100 Airport/New Westminster Station (via South West Marine). Nevertheless, there are areas where routes are still experiencing heavy use which are expected to be addressed by implementation of the STP. These and other issues will be considered as part of the Vancouver/UEL Transit Area Plan.

- Innovative Small Bus/Van Services

TransLink is developing competitively-tendered small vehicle transit services in order to economically serve low ridership markets. One of the proposed services is a Burnaby Heights taxi-bus. This service would essentially replace the existing #139 service which has very low ridership. The new taxi bus service would operate on a fixed route and schedule throughout the day, and operate on a flexible route afer 7:00 PM. The concept is positive; however, there are still unresolved issues around vehicle size and the ability of the service to handle passenger volume spikes.

The City has a longstanding request that small bus service be extended into Vancouver Heights, in order to provide better access to seniors and others who could have difficulty negotiating the steep grades. TransLink is aware of this and will be reviewing this option as a potential second phase, once they have evaluated the initial service results.

- Accessible Services.

The proposed 2000 program will increase HandyDART service hours by 3%. While this proposal will assist, Council should note that HandyDART customers frequently have to book at least one week in advance for low priority trips. Staff will be reviewing the adequacy of this service as part of the Vancouver/UEL Area Transit Planning process, while noting TransLink’s plans in the STP to improve HandyDART service hours and the fleet size by 25%. As well, TransLink is working towards making the conventional transit fleet 100% accessible to people with disabilities.

At this time, many of the details of the new proposals discussed above are not available and will be developed as part of introducing the services through the quarterly service plans. Staff will work with TransLink on proposed changes and the timing of implementation, and report back if necessary.

Bicycles

An important part of TransLink’s regional transportation mandate is to encourage bicycles as an alternative to the single occupant automobile. To this end, TransLink is introducing a new capital program to cost share with municipalities significant cycling facilities on the regional bicycle network. As well TransLink is continuing its program to install bike racks and lockers in order to encourage longer distance trips bicycle/ transit trips. This year's program includes adding racks on buses for the diesel routes servicing Vancouver including the #100 Airport/New Westminster Station (via South West Marine) service. The target is to have eventually the entire bus fleet equipped with bike racks. TransLink’s planned incremental expenditure for bicycles this year is $1.7 million.

Transportation Demand Management (TDM)

TransLink’s TDM program is intended to increase the use of alternative transportation modes. A total of over $1.2 million in new program initiatives are proposed to expand and promote rideshare services and expand employer programs.

Major Road Network (MRN)

The MRN consists of regional roads that carry significant volumes of traffic and provide connections between regional land uses. The MRN is co-managed by TransLink and the municipalities. Decisions on funding, planning and development of the network are co-ordinated by TransLink through the Major Roads Technical Advisory Committee (MRTAC) which consists of TransLink and municipal representatives.

New investments in MRN infrastructure are included in the Program Plan. The improvements are designed to improve the safety and efficiency of general traffic, buses, and goods movement, as well as achieve operating advantages and cost savings for Transit. MRN capital funding is planned under the following categories:

- Major Capital Program - $5 million is intended for major network optimization projects. An example project would be the South Fraser Perimeter Road. There are no plans for funding in Vancouver in this category.

- $10 million is intended for minor Capital projects such as intersection geometry improvements, and safety and network continuity enhancements. Examples of projects funded in this category include new signal works, and left turn bays. Projects in Vancouver include: left turn bays on Clark Drive at 1st Avenue, and new pedestrian signals on the MRN.

- $2.6 million for Transit Related Road Infrastructure. This category includes transit priority measures, and transit passenger facilities. Projects in Vancouver include study and implementation of transit priority measures on Hastings Street and other corridors.

DISCUSSION

In the past, City staff reported to Council on regional transportation issues that affected the City in order to provide an opportunity for Council to comment and influence the decisions that were being made by the agency or government involved. For example, regarding transit, Council reviewed BC Transit’s annual transit service plan each year. Now that TransLink has taken over the regional transportation function, it is appropriate that Council review TransLink’s plans prior to approval by the TransLink Board.

The 2000 Program Plan would provide significant improvements in transportation services required by the Region to achieve longer term transportation goals, including increased transit use and decreased reliance on the automobile. The Program Plan is consistent with the City of Vancouver Transportation Plan goals, with favourable elements including:

- a significant portion of the transit improvements are dedicated to City services requiring relief from overcrowding and low frequencies.
- continued development of a grid of express bus routes throughout the City with the addition of limited stop services on Granville Street and 41st Avenue
- continued development of the rapid transit lines
- the introduction of a new small transit vehicle service concept that can be introduced eventually into lower density areas of Vancouver
- funding for transportation infrastructure and programs that support cycling, transit priority, safety, TDM and goods movement

It is recommended that Council support in general the draft Program Plan document. Funding for the Program Plan is covered in the STP.

PROCESS FOR DEVELOPING ANNUAL PROGRAM PLANS

The elements of the Program Plan were developed with input from sources including the draft STP process, municipal staff and Councils, and public consultation. In addition, TransLink has been conducting Area Transit Planing processes in various municipalities using consultants and significant other resources. Processes are currently being completed for the North Shore, South of the Fraser, and in Richmond. This year, Area Transit Plans will be conducted in Burnaby, New Westminster and the North East Sector.

Vancouver, as per the Vancouver Transportation Plan, will have its own transportation planning processes underway shortly:

- The Downtown Transportation Plan process is starting now. The Downtown is the largest employment centre in the region and the biggest regional trip generator. Improvements for transit, goods movement, and cycling in this area are at the heart of the Region’s long term transportation strategies.

This project will require a high degree of TransLink participation. TransLink staff and funding resources are expected to be actively dedicated to Downtown transit planning, for example, regarding priority measures (e.g. future of the Granville Mall), route modifications and innovations. Some projects may emerge from this process to be implemented in the 2001 Program Plan, but most items would probably not be considered until the 2002 Program Plan process.

- Vancouver/UEL Transit Area Plan

TransLink’s Vancouver/University Endowment Lands Area Transit Plan process is expected to be conducted in 2001. The Vancouver /UEL study will be the largest of the Transit Area Plans, as this area has about half of the system ridership and contains the two largest transit destinations in the Region. The study will incorporate results of the Downtown plan and other current transportation planning exercises including the Cambie express bus study, UBC Strategic Transportation Plan implementation (e.g. U Pass), and the Transit Priority Measures study.

Several issues raised by the 2000 Program Plan which will require further study as part of the Vancouver/UEL Transit Area Plan include:

- reduction of peak period service on Fraser Street;
- small bus/van service in Vancouver Heights and elsewhere;
- local traffic impacts resulting from the proposed express bus service along 41st;
- remaining problems for transit routes in the city which, despite improved services, continue to experience overcrowding and pass-ups; and
- funding requirements to provide adequate service levels for HandyDART.

With all the projects generated throughout the Region in competition for limited new funding, TransLink is proceeding to improve the comprehensive analytical and consultative processes necessary to make decisions regarding new service allocations. Municipal staff will continue to assist TransLink with this task.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver