Transportation and Sustainability in Greater Vancouver

Transcription

1 Liveable Peel Conference: Transportation and Sustainability in Greater Vancouver Clive Rock Director of Strategic Planning and Policy TRANS LINK Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority February 10, 2006

2 Presentation Outline Context Regional Plans & Sustainability Lessons Learned Summary

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4 Greater Vancouver Region 21 cities very diverse 2.3 million residents, 3.0+? million by 2021 Major role in trade by sea and air Growing congestion Prior to 1999 no regional transp n agency

5 Since 1999 GVRD Greater Vancouver Regional District Air Quality Land Use Planning Water & Sewer Solid waste Parks TRANS LINK Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority Transit Major Roads Demand Management Emission Testing ITS

6 Regional Processes Creating Our Future 1990/5 - Livable Region Consultations Transport 2021 Long Range Plan Livable Region Strategic Plan Formation of GVTA (TransLink) Strategic Transportation Plan (STP) STP update Update to LRSP and Transport 2021

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8 Livable Region Strategic Plan - Key Strategies Protect the Green Zone Build more complete communities Achieve a compact metropolitan region Increase transportation choice Transport strategy - 3 levers : 1. Land use 2. Transportation supply-side 3. Transportation demand-side

9 Land Use Concept: Concentrated pop n & jobs Link town centres by good transit Rapid transit to help shape growth Key factors: Residential densities Concentration of activity centres (esp. jobs) Transport needs are derived from how people and activities are distributed.

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15 70.0 Transit Use and Urban Density 60.0 % Transit Use GVRD Europe Asia US-Canada-Australia Persons/hectare

16 What can transit do?- Many-to-Few? Many-to-Many?

17 1996 The Problem Good Plans - but insufficient actions Lack of integration of modes Roads Fragmented - no system of regional roads Little action on goods movement Transit Service was insufficient No regional Transportation Governance Funding limited Lack of funds, unpredictable, unstable

18 Government Agencies in Transportation 1996 Cabinet Minister of Transport. & Highways Minister of Employ. & Investment Minister of Labour Minister of Social Services Minister of Municipal Affairs & Housing Attorney General Minister of Environment Lands & Parks Transport Canada Transport. Finance Authority Ministry of Transport. & Highways Insurance Corporation of BC Crown Corporation Secretariat BC Transit Vancouver Regional Transit Commission GVRD Motor Carrier Commission Vancouver Int. Airport Authority Highways Contractors Municipal Engineering Department BC Rapid Transit Op. Company West Coast Express West Vancouver Blue Bus HandyDart Contractors Jack Bell Vanpool Taxi Operators Private Bus Companies Air Care RCMP & Municipal Police 20 Municipalities

19 Government Agencies in Transportation 1996 Motor Carrier Commission Investment Minister of Employ. & Cabinet GVRD Attorney General Vancouver Int. Airport Authority Minister of Labour Minister of Municipal Affairs & Housing Vancouver Regional Transit Commission Air Care Minister of Transport. & Highways Minister of Environment Lands & Parks Minister of Social Services Private Bus Companies Crown Corporation Secretariat Ministry of Transport. & Highways BC Transit RCMP & Municipal Police Municipal Engineering Department Transport. Finance Authority Taxi Operators BC Rapid Transit Op. Jack Bell Vanpool Company HandyDart Contractors Transport Canada West Vancouver Blue Bus Highways Contractors 20 Municipalities West Coast Express Insurance Corporation of BC

20 Setting Up GVTA GVRD approached Province in 1996 What the region wanted: 1. Finance: Stable, predictable, appropriate 2. Transit: Local control, more buses and rail 3. Roads: Establish a regional system 4. TDM: Car/Vanpool, Employer programs Negotiated agreement completed Oct Extensive consultation on proposal Ratified in Feb., 1998 Start-up on April 1, 1999

21 GVTA Responsibilities Unique in Canada some similarities to MPO s, TfL (Transport for London) Integrated approach to: Transit Roads Transportation Demand Management Cycling Vehicle Emissions Funding from Transportation Sources Fares, Gas Tax, Parking & Veh. Fees, Tolls Must support related regional plans: Livable Region Strategic Plan Air Quality Management Plan Regional Economic Objectives

22 Scope TRANS LINK

23 Regional Roads Before GVTA no regional system Approx. 600 km of former muni & prov roads Partnership approach to issues Region funds - Municipalities own/operate

24 Revenue Sources Sources Used/Approved 1. Transit Fares 2. Advertising Revenue 3. Property Tax 4. Fuel Tax (12 cents/litre) 5. Parking Sales Tax (7%) 6. Parking Area Tax (=$30/stall) 7. BC Hydro Levy 8. Project Tolls Sources Not Used (to date) 1. Annual vehicle fee (levy) 2. Benefitting Area Tax Note: Several require GVRD and/or Provincial Consent

25 Successes More Consistent funding Increased investment in transport Growing transit ridership Progress with roads, transit, cycling and TDM Increased cooperation Formal and informal Provides forum and context for other agencies Broad buy-in is critical to success Do things with not to partners

26 Challenges Visible agency and services Public expectations Regional and community differences Modal needs Goods and passenger Auto and Transit Urban form Sustainability Social & Cultural Economic Environmental and

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28 The C s Direction 1. CAPABLE delivering the required capacity, level of service 2. COMPATIBLE the kinds of places we want to live in 3. CONSERVING in terms of energy, other resources 4. CLEAN In relation to environmental impacts 5. COST-EFFECTIVE affordable relative to value added 6. CARING in terms of accessibility, affordability, etc.

29 Friends, let s face it, we are just not sustainable. if you ask me what we need to do to move to sustainability.. in simple terms it just means living our lives so we plan to stick around for a while as a species