MOBILITY PRICING INDEPENDENT COMMISSION PROJECT UPDATE

Transcription

1 MOBILITY PRICING INDEPENDENT COMMISSION PROJECT UPDATE OCTOBER 12, 2017

2 BACKGROUND Congestion is one of the biggest problems affecting residents and businesses in Metro Vancouver, and it is only going to get worse as the region continues to grow. Between now and 2040, Metro Vancouver will welcome over a million new residents; our current infrastructure cannot accommodate this growth and we need to be looking at new and more innovative ways to manage congestion, for the sake of our quality of life, our economy, and our environment. Metro Vancouver residents are already paying mobility pricing in different ways, through the money we spend on transit fares, gas taxes, parking charges or taxi fares. The problem is, the current approach to mobility pricing is not helping to reduce traffic congestion. And previous approaches to road-use charging where some bridges were tolled and not others created an unfair burden on residents in certain areas of the region. With declining revenues from the gas tax, and the removal of tolls, the region needs other sources of revenue to ensure there is adequate funding to build and maintain transportation infrastructure. Mobility pricing, and road use charging more specifically, is already in place in major cities around the world, including London, Stockholm, Singapore and Milan. It is also being actively explored by cities across North America. Mandate of the Mobility Pricing Independent Commission The Mobility Pricing Independent Commission is an initiative of TransLink and the Mayors Council on Regional Transportation, with a mandate to engage with the diverse users of Metro Vancouver s road system in a fair, unbiased and transparent process, and provide recommendations on how to improve the way the region prices transportation, including roads and bridges, in order to reduce congestion. Comprised of 14 community leaders from across Metro Vancouver, the Independent Commission is overseeing a staff secretariat and consultants including technical experts, research analysts and a public engagement team. The Independent Commission will evaluate mobility pricing options based on the following objectives: Reduce traffic congestion on roads and bridges across the Metro Vancouver region, so people and goods can keep moving and businesses can thrive and be competitive; Promote fairness to address concerns around the previous approach to tolling some bridges but not others; and Support transportation investment to improve the current transportation system in Metro Vancouver for all users. This study is the first step in creating a made-in-b.c. approach that meets the unique needs of the Metro Vancouver region. Authority and Reporting The Independent Commission s authority is provided by the TransLink Board of Directors and Mayors Council on Regional Transportation, also known as the Sponsoring Authorities. While the Independent Commission will have wide latitude in its ability to make recommendations, it will take into account existing regional planning and policy objectives, as well as considerations around the provincial government s role in funding and managing aspects of the regional road network. Recommendations will be considered as advice to the Sponsoring Authorities, and are not binding. The Independent Commission will summarize its work and recommendations in a final report at the end of April 2018 to the Sponsoring Authorities, which will include: 1

3 Recommendations on a number of detailed principles that should be adhered to in designing a mobility pricing policy including: policy design, privacy and affordability considerations, the need for transportation alternatives, and next steps in the process. Illustrative scenarios of mobility pricing for Metro Vancouver describing how key principles might be achieved. Current Public Opinion A survey of 1,000 Metro Vancouver residents conducted online by Ipsos in September 2017 shows that the region is ready to talk about mobility pricing, and the public supports the objectives of the Independent Commission. Top of mind transportation frustrations: Traffic congestion is the most frequently mentioned frustration when it comes to transportation and moving around in Metro Vancouver, followed by transit service access and quality, roads and cost issues. Almost 90% of residents say they are frustrated by delays caused by high traffic volumes. Mobility pricing, Independent Commission, and engagement A majority of Metro Vancouver residents are either supportive or neutral on the idea of introducing new forms of mobility pricing. Metro Vancouver residents indicate strong support for all three of the objectives associated with the Independent Commission s study: o relieve congestion on roads and bridges across the region, so people can keep moving and businesses can thrive and be competitive. o promote fairness to address concerns around tolling and to support accessibility and choice in transportation for Metro Vancouver residents. o support investment to improve the current transportation system in Metro Vancouver for all users. Almost two-thirds of Metro Vancouver residents think it is a good idea to study ways to change mobility pricing in the region. GOVERNMENT ENGAGEMENT The Independent Commission will be engaging with elected officials at all levels of government to share information and obtain their insights as representatives of their communities. The Commission intends to engage MLAs through separate meetings with the BC NDP, BC Liberal and BC Green Party caucuses in November 2017, with an emphasis on engagement with members from Metro Vancouver. The Independent Commission will also be engaging with City Councils, Members of Parliament and local First Nations. PUBLIC AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT The Independent Commission wants Metro Vancouver residents to get involved in the conversation about reducing congestion, and help to shape the future of our transportation system. The Commission is therefore 2

4 committed to engaging residents and stakeholders from across the entire region. Their views and opinions will be an integral part of the report to be delivered by the Independent Commission in April The Commission s public engagement program will start in late October 2017 and will end in spring 2018, when the Independent Commission will publish a report on its findings and recommendations. The engagement process will focus on gathering information about congestion issues in the region, learning about successes in other cities, and hearing from local residents and businesses to ensure their views and priorities are reflected in the study. There will be many ways for the public to have their say, both through in-person events held across the region, and through online engagement opportunities in November and March. At multiple points in the process, the Commission will be engaging the people of Metro Vancouver and other stakeholders through workshops, public open houses and online engagement. Details will be posted to the official website and through traditional and social media. TECHNICAL EVALUATION In addition to understanding the opinions of Metro Vancouverites on mobility pricing, the Independent Commission has engaged a team of transportation experts and technical consultants to consider a range of metrics to test the performance of different mobility pricing scenarios against the objectives of congestion, fairness and contributing to transportation investments. The Regional Transportation Model will be used to understand the potential traffic and accessibility impacts of different scenarios, and further analysis will be performed to explore impacts for equity, costs and revenues, and other relevant impacts (for example traffic safety). The analysis will also benchmark options with other leading practices around the world, and evaluate different mobility pricing scenarios in comparison to a future scenario without mobility pricing. The technical analysis and evaluation work will both provide input to, and take output from, the stakeholder and public engagement process. It will also take into consideration input from municipal, provincial and federal government officials. MOBILITY PRICING INDEPENDENT COMMISSION MEMBERS The Independent Commission is a group of 14 residents and community leaders from across Metro Vancouver. The Chair of the Independent Commission is Allan P. Seckel, Chief Executive Officer for Doctors of B.C. Prior to that he was Deputy Minister and Head of the BC Public Service. The Vice-Chair of the Independent Commission is Joy MacPhail, owner and former Chair of OUTtv. She served as a member of the B.C. Legislative Assembly for 14 years, holding a number of cabinet portfolios and leading the BC NDP opposition in the Legislature for four years. Following an open search conducted by a professional recruiting firm, 12 Commissioners have been appointed from across the region, with backgrounds in business, education, social service, labour and industry. They are: Iain J.S. Black, CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade Gavin McGarrigle, co-founder of the Better Transit and Transportation Coalition and B.C. Area Director for Unifor, Canada s largest private sector union Jennifer Clarke, former Vancouver City Councillor Michael McKnight, CEO of the United Way of the Lower Mainland 3

5 Harj Dhaliwal, Chair of the South Fraser District Association and Associate Dean of Marketing Management at BCIT Elizabeth Model, CEO of the Downtown Surrey BIA Paul R. Landry, Board member of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority Bruce Rozenhart, member of the Economic Advisory Committee for the City of Richmond Graham McCargar, President of MC Freight Systems in Maple Ridge Philip (Pip) Steele, Vice-Chair of the Delta Police Board Lori MacDonald, Executive Director of the Emily Carr Students Union and a candidate for a Masters of Urban Studies in regional mobility Grace H. Wong, Senior Advisor International to the Provost and Vice-President Academic at UBC and Chair of S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Board of Directors The Independent Commission is being supported by a staff secretariat led by internationally-recognized mobility pricing expert Daniel Firth (Executive Director), who has conducted similar work in Stockholm and London. He is being supported by a small expert staff team of four people, plus consultant teams in communications, engagement and technical analysis. CONTACT For more information about the Independent Commission, and plans for engagement with elected officials in the Metro Vancouver region, please contact: Daniel Firth, Executive Director for the Independent Commission daniel.firth@mobilitypricing.ca 4