ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: October 19, 1998 Author/Local:D.Rudberg/7300
RTS No. 00226

CC File No. 5559

TO:	Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic
FROM:	General Manager of Engineering Services and Directors of City Plans and Central Area Planning in Consultation with the Director of Finance
SUBJECT:	Transportation Priorities and Resource Needs - Overview Report

RECOMMENDATIONS

A. THAT Council approve funding for the Phase I: Boundary Road to VCC; Phase II: VCC to Arbutus and Phase III: Arbutus to UBC, Rapid Transit Study in the amount of $1,343,800; source of funds for the 1998 costs to be Contingency Reserve ($33,000) and for 1999 costs, a reallocation of the Capital from Revenue provision in the 1999 Capital Budget ($1,310,800) as detailed in this report.

B. THAT the Rapid Transit Project Office be requested to share in the cost of the Engineering Services associated with the planning, design and implementation of the East-West Rapid Transit Line and the cost of providing planning information to the Rapid Transit Project Office and the Special Commissioner - SkyTrain Review.

C. THAT Council approve funding for the Rapid Transit Technology and Alignment Review, for the alignment west of Commercial Drive, coordinated with the extension to UBC, in the amount of $200,000; source of funding to be a reallocation of the Capital from Revenue provision in the 1999 Capital Budget as detailed in this report.

D. THAT Council seek cost sharing for the Rapid Transit Technology and Alignment Review, west of Commercial Drive, from the GVTA and the Rapid Transit Project Office.
E. THAT the General Manager of Engineering Services and the Director of Central Area Planning report back in 1999 on:

a) the detailed work program and funding to complete the Downtown Transportation Plan; and

b) a review of Downtown Transportation work items that may be undertaken prior to completion of the Downtown Transportation Plan.

F. THAT the General Manager of Engineering Services and the Director of City Plans report back in 1999 on a detailed work plan and cost for a Transportation Plan Monitoring Program.

G. THAT Council approve initiation of the "pilot" phase of the Building Line Study in 1999 and request staff to report back on a detailed work plan with existing staff and funding (est. $5,000) for review and approval.

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The General Manager of Engineering Services, and Directors of City Plans and Central Area Planning RECOMMEND A through G, noting that there is no commitment to proceed with the Downtown Transportation Plan or Monitoring Program in 1999, and these would be subject to further review by Council prior to initiation.

CITY POLICY

Council has approved a number of transportation policies which serve to guide the establishment of priorities and funding. These include:

On May 27, 1998 Council approved a number of policies in the Vancouver Transportation Plan as follows:

- Prepare a Transportation and Circulation Plan for the Downtown, including a complete review of the downtown transit system to improve services and choice, improve regional connections and airport links, evaluate alternative transit vehicles (such as minibuses), establish priorities for "great streets", improve route and destination signage, create pedestrian priority areas and implement bike lanes and street improvements.

- Undertake regular monitoring and reviews of transportation services and use, to establish how transportation patterns are developing, and to recommend additional polies and measures needed to achieve the Transportation Plan policies and targets.

- Undertake a regular review of Transportation Plan implementation, which will be the basis for recommendations for transportation components in the City's three year Capital Plan.

- Review building lines in the context of the Plan with a view to removing those that are unlikely to be needed and adding others where priorities have developed.

On September 8, 1998 Council approved the following:

- That the City will collaborate with the Province on the planning for the ART route, alignment, station locations and station area planning, while continuing to resolve issues through the GVTA about cost sharing and completion of the entire T-Line.

- To report back on the terms of reference and cost of an independent consultant study, reviewing the basic decision of the SkyTrain technology and corridor.

PURPOSE

There are a number of transportation initiatives underway or in the planning stages for the remainder of this year and 1999. These initiatives have significant staff resource and funding implications. The purpose of this report is to bring them together so that Council can view the full work program in order to establish priorities and funding.

DISCUSSION

There are currently a number of major transportation initiatives underway or in the planning stages. These arise largely from active projects such as rapid transit, or from action steps arising out of the transportation plan. These projects, to be successful, will require a commitment of new resources.

In addition, there are a number of other transportation projects or programs which are part of ongoing initiatives or have been previously committed.

The time lines established for the Rapid Transit Project are incredibly short and place unreasonable demands on the City to respond. In addition, our response is undertaken with inadequate data and limited public consultation. Nonetheless, our response and the resources recommended attempt to cope with this reality.

Finally, the proposals in this report represent our understanding of the situation today and our response, including costs, may have to be adjusted in the future.

A brief description of each of the major and ongoing projects follows:

Rapid Transit Project

1. Phase I - East-West Boundary to VCC

The Rapid Transit Project Office (RTPO) wants decisions on alignment and station locations by year end, with final design proceeding in 1999. This section is scheduled for completion in 2001. Furthermore, a special environmental commission (report at the November 3, 1998 Council meeting) has a mandate to report on environmental impacts and mitigation by December 1998.

A companion report outlines the work program and staff resources recommended to support the rapid transit project's land use, transportation, and infrastructure responsibilities. The work program in 1998 and 1999 also involves a broad consultation process, as well as Engineering and Planning studies on line construction, station design and development, transit interface, and station area planning.

A dedicated team has been identified to work on this project over a 15 month period. This is estimated to cost $1,343,800 and is summarized in Table 1. It is also expected that significant elements of the work program, particularly in the area of Engineering Services, will be cost shared. In fact, $117,200 in utility engineering would not be undertaken in the absence of cost sharing.

2. Phase II - East-West VCC to Arbutus

The RTPO has requested its consultants to provide recommendations with respect to route, technology and station locations by March 1999. These elements would be confirmed by the Project Office by mid 1999. A date of 2003 has been established for completion of this phase of the project.

A full work program has not been established as the consultants' assignment has just been initiated. Nonetheless, this portion of the line has far greater impacts on the City due to potential conflicts throughout the central Broadway area. It also relates to the location of a potential extension to Richmond.

More modest resources have been assigned to address Phase II of the Rapid Transit Project. The estimated cost at this time is $420,200, although this may have to be adjusted as the work program unfolds.

3. Phase III - East-West Arbutus to UBC

The Province has announced that at some future date a Rapid Transit extension to UBC will be considered. On April 28, 1998, Council approved $15,000 towards a consultant study of the feasibility of a rapid transit extension to UBC. UBC has agreed to cost share in the amount of $15,000 and further funding will be sought from the RTPO. This work will be consolidated into the broader Rapid Transit Study.

4. North-South Richmond - Downtown

The schedule for this phase of the project is linked to the 2010 Olympic Bid. There may also be a need to address a design interface with the Phase II portion of the Rapid Transit Project. No staff resources have been identified or recommended to be assigned to this project at this time. This may change in the future and this phase of the project will be monitored closely.

Further information on the work program and resources required to respond to the Province's 1998 and 1999 Rapid Transit Program are outlined in a companion report. The total funding identified at this time is $1,794,000 for Phases I and II.

RAPID TRANSIT TECHNOLOGY AND ALIGNMENT STUDY

At its September 8, 1998 meeting, Council requested staff to report back on the basic terms of reference and costs of an independent consulting study reviewing the basic decision of SkyTrain technology and corridor. A companion report summarizes this material and suggests that this study is taking on increasing relevance for the section of the Rapid Transit Project west of Commercial Drive, including an extension to UBC.

Staff recommend that a study be funded in the amount of $200,000 to undertake a review of the Phase II Rapid Transit Project and Corridor. While the City needs to direct this work in order to ensure its independence, it is proposed that cost sharing be sought from the RTPOand the GVTA. The Study would be closely tied to the review of a UBC extension that Council recently approved.

TRANSPORTATION PLAN ACTIONS

In May 1997, Council approved the Transportation Plan, including a number of action steps to implement its policies. Council was advised that most of the actions could be undertaken within existing staff resources and budgets if phased in over a number of years. However, two major actions were identified that require additional staff resources in order to complete; the Downtown Transportation Plan and the Transportation System Monitoring Proposal.

Staff have been preparing detailed proposals on these major actions and these are summarized below:

1. Downtown Transportation Plan

One of the missing elements of the Transportation Plan was a more detailed review of transportation accessibility and circulation within the downtown peninsula. There are a number of outstanding issues related to traffic management, transit services and routes, bicycle network extensions, pedestrian circulation, parking policies, goods movements and other transportation issues that require review. There is also a need for an extensive public consultation process.

A detailed proposal is being prepared and was scheduled for Council review before the end of 1998. The proposed work program is extended over an 18 month period and was scheduled to commence in 1999. The work, while not as extensive, parallels the level of activity required to prepare the City's Transportation Plan. The estimated cost, including staff, consultants and other expenses, is approximately $600,000.

2. Transportation Plan Monitoring

Arising out of the Transportation Plan approval process, Council requested that the Engineering and Planning Departments undertake regular monitoring and reviews of the transportation services and use. This was intended to measure the performance of the approved transportation policies and to lead to recommendations on policy corrections or adjustments. Monitoring of the transportation system has been significantly reduced in previous budget management exercises.

A proposal was scheduled to come before Council late this year and outline in detail a monitoring program on transportation performance measures including resource requirements. The estimated costs for this program commencing in 1999 is approximately $112,000.

3. Building Line Review

One of the high priority areas arising out of the Transportation Plan was a need to review the City's current Building Line Program and to recommend adjustments. A pilot program has been developed which identifies Southwest Marine Drive and West 41st as two streets which should be examined first. This work was scheduled to commence in 1999.

To undertake a full review of building lines across the City will require significant resources. The pilot project could be undertaken with existing staff and a nominal budget of $5,000 for expenses. Initiation of this program, even through a pilot phase, will diminish flexibility to undertake new work.

OTHER TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMS/PROJECTS

There are a number of other committed transportation programs/projects which are underway or are scheduled to commence in the near future. While many of these programs do not require significant resources, they nonetheless constrain our ability to respond. A partial listing of these projects include the following:

· Major Roads criteria and network designation.

· Richmond Rapid Bus follow-up and implementation.

· HOV proposal review and response.

· Proposal to review street furniture design.

· Pedestrian priority area planning.

·
Rail rights-of-way review.

There also are large staff commitments to on-going programs such as implementation of the bikeway plan, neighbourhood traffic calming and greenways. It is not recommended that efforts be diminished in these areas. Furthermore, with the implementation of the GreaterVancouver Transportation Authority, there may be additional staff resources required, particularly as we develop closer relationships with the transit function. This need has not been programmed into the work plan.

It should also be noted that some resources have already been diverted into the transportation area at the expense of non-transportation related projects.

FUNDING CONSIDERATIONS

The total costs of the transportation study needs exceed current resources by a considerable margin. Table 1 summarizes the costs:

TABLE 1

PROGRAM	TOTAL COSTS	OTHER SOURCES	NET COST	COMMENTS
Rapid Transit Project - Phase I East-West (Boundary to VCC) - Phase II East-West (VCC to Arbutus)	Staff $1,050,400 Expenses 513,600 Expenses 230,000 Total $1,794,000	Existing Staff $333,000	$1,461,000 less utility engineering $ 117,200 $1,343,800	RTPO share to be determined, but $117,200 in utility engineering would not be undertaken unless cost shared.
- Phase III East-West (Arbutus to UBC)	$ 30,000	$ 15,000 appr $ 15,000 UBC	0	Already funded.
- Phase IV North-South (Richmond to Downtown)	0			Awaiting further information on timing.
Rapid Transit Technology	$ 200,000		$200,000	Possible cost sharing by RTPO or GVTA
Transportation Plan Initiative -Downtown Transportation Plan - Plan Monitoring Program - Building Line Pilot Project	Staff - $365,000 Expenses - 235,000 Total 600,000 $280,000 Staff - $ 40,000 Expenses 5,000	Existing Staff Existing Budget $168,000 $ 40,000	Preliminary cost still being refined and discussed. $112,000 $ 5,000	18 month program scheduled over a 2 year time frame. Annual costs with special studies scheduled over next 10 years.

TABLE 1 (Continued)

There are two basic options for Council to consider in funding this work:

1. Fund all or a portion of the work.

2. Reallocate further existing resources in Engineering and Planning.

3. Defer participation in corridor and station-area studies.

The second option is not recommended as staff have already been allocated to this project at the expense of ongoing activities. To allocate further staff would undermine the existing work program resulting in the deferral of important ongoing programs or in missed commitments. If Council wants to explore this option further, staff can provide further details.

The last option is not recommended, as this work should not be deferred given the Project schedules and is too important to not address the impacts of the Rapid Transit system.

Rather, staff recommend that the Rapid Transit work be undertaken including Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III and the Technology/Alignment Study.

The work associated with the Transportation Plan follow-up actions, specifically the Downtown Transportation Plan and Monitoring Program, can be deferred. This deferral is not without a cost. Important transportation issues in the downtown core will not be addressed in a timely manner and there may be lost opportunities. Similarly, the plan monitoring program is designed to provide information on the performance of the transportation system and the effectiveness of the City's policies and programs. Again, opportunities for corrective actions may be missed. Nonetheless, this work can be delayed and reviewed in 1999.

FUNDING SOURCE

This report recommends that Council provide funding for the Rapid Transit Study at a cost of $1,543,800. The 1999 Operating Budget envelope approved by Council on October 22, 1998 does not provide funding for this work. As a result, funding for any work that Council does approve will require a further increase in property taxes or a reallocation of funding within the envelope.

If Council wishes to proceed with the work program recommended in this report, the Director of Finance recommends that funding be provided from a reallocation of the Capital from Revenue provision in the 1997-1999 Capital Plan. The annual provision for Capitalfrom Revenue is allocated to specific program areas or to individual projects. Reallocation of those funds means that Council will have to eliminate or, at least defer for future consideration, work of equal value that had been approved as part of the current Capital Plan. This step has already been take once during the current plan when funding for downtown south park acquisition was reallocated to higher priority programs/projects.

If Council approves the Advanced Rapid Transit planning project, $33,000 related to 1998 expenditures will be funded from the 1998 Operating Budget (Contingency Reserve). The cost of the 1999 portion of the program ($1,510,800) is recommended to come from a reallocation of Capital from Revenue, as follows:

Social and Cultural Facilities $1,132,800

The 1999 Capital Budget includes $1.9 million of funding for City owned social and cultural facilities. Included in that, is an allocation of approximately $1.0 million for the replacement of Little Mountain Neighbourhood House and lesser funding for maintenance of City owned buildings. Staff are aware that Little Mountain Neighbourhood House replacement will not require funding in 1999. In addition, the Facilities Strategic Plan being developed for the 2000-2002 Capital Plan suggests that major maintenance in some City owned buildings should be deferred to ensure that the work undertaken fits with overall building maintenance priorities.

Reallocation of these funds in the 1997-1999 Capital Plan represents a deferral only. Staff will reconsider the Little Mountain Neighbourhood House requirements as part of the Facilities Strategic Plan being developed for the 2000-2002 Capital Plan.

Supplementary Capital Budget $378,000

The Supplementary Capital Budget is scheduled to receive $1.7 million in the 1999 Capital Budget. Allocation of this funding to specific projects normally takes place in May each year as part of the approval process for the Capital Budget. A reduction in funding levels at this time is difficult to gauge because, apart from ongoing roof replacement and asbestos remediation programs, requests to Supplementary Capital are not known at this time. However, with the recommended reallocation, sufficient funds to undertake the most critical projects will likely be available.

Approval of the projects submitted for Council consideration (Consideration Items E, F and G), will require reallocation of additional capital funding. If Council chooses to proceed with these projects, the Director of Finance should be requested to report back with a funding source prior to proceeding with the work.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver