transportation and sustainability in greater vancouver · transportation and sustainability in...
TRANSCRIPT
Liveable Peel Conference:Transportation and Sustainability
in Greater Vancouver
Clive Rock Director of Strategic Planning and Policy
Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority
February 10, 2006
TRANS LINK
Presentation Outline
ContextRegional Plans & SustainabilityLessons LearnedSummary
Greater Vancouver Region21 cities – very diverse2.3 million residents, 3.0+? million by 2021Major role in trade by sea and air Growing congestionPrior to 1999 no regional transp’n agency
Since 1999
TransitMajor RoadsDemand ManagementEmission TestingITS
Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority
TRANS LINKGVRD
Air Quality Land Use PlanningWater & SewerSolid wasteParks
Greater VancouverRegional District
Regional Processes1990 - Creating Our Future1990/5 - Livable Region Consultations1993 - Transport 2021 Long Range Plan1996 - Livable Region Strategic Plan1999 - Formation of GVTA (TransLink)2001 - Strategic Transportation Plan (STP)2004 - STP update2006+ - Update to LRSP and Transport 2021
Livable Region Strategic Plan - Key Strategies
Protect the Green ZoneBuild more complete communitiesAchieve a compact metropolitan regionIncrease transportation choice
Transport strategy - 3 ‘levers’:
1. Land use
2. Transportation supply-side
3. Transportation demand-side
Concept:Concentrated pop’n & jobsLink town centres by good transitRapid transit to help ‘shape’ growth
Key factors:Residential densitiesConcentration of activity centres (esp. jobs)
Land UseLand Use
Transport needs are derived from how people and activities are distributed.
Transit Use and Urban Density
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
0.0 20.0 40.0 60.0 80.0 100.0 120.0
% T
rans
it U
se
Europe
US-Canada-Australia
AsiaGVRD
Persons/hectare
What can transit do?-
Many-to-Few? Many-to-Many?
1996 – The ‘Problem’Good Plans - but insufficient actionsLack of integration of modes
RoadsFragmented - no system of ‘regional’ roads Little action on goods movement
Transit Service was insufficientNo regional Transportation Governance
Funding limitedLack of funds, unpredictable, unstable
Government Agencies in Transportation 1996
Transport.FinanceAuthority
HighwaysContractors
Minister ofMunicipalAffairs &Housing
Ministry ofTransport. &
Highways
CrownCorporationSecretariat
Minister ofEmploy. &Investment
Minister ofLabour
Minister ofTransport. &
Highways
TransportCanada
Cabinet
BC Transit GVRD
BC RapidTransit Op.Company
VancouverInt. AirportAuthority
InsuranceCorporation
of BC
West CoastExpress
Motor CarrierCommission
TaxiOperators
RCMP &Municipal
Police
20 Municipalities
AttorneyGeneral
MunicipalEngineeringDepartment
Private BusCompanies
HandyDartContractors
WestVancouverBlue Bus
VancouverRegionalTransit
Commission
Minister ofSocial
Services
Jack BellVanpool
Minister ofEnvironment
Lands &Parks
Air Care
Government Agencies in Transportation 1996
Minister ofMunicipalAffairs &Housing
Ministry ofTransport. &Highways
CrownCorporationSecretariat
Ministe
r of
Employ.
&
Inves
tmen
t
Ministe
r of
Labo
ur
Min
iste
r of
Tran
spor
t. &
Hig
hway
s
Tran
spor
tC
anad
a
Cabinet
BC Transit
GVRD
BC Rap
id
Transit
Op.
Compa
ny
Transport.
Finance
Authority
VancouverInt. AirportAuthority
InsuranceCorporation
of BC
West C
oastExpress
HighwaysContractors
Mot
or C
arrie
rC
omm
issi
on
Taxi
Operators
RCMP &
Municipal
Police
20 Municipalities
Attorney
General
Municipal
Engineering
Department
Priva
te B
us
Com
pani
es
HandyDartContractors
WestVancouverBlue Bus
Vancouver
Regional
Transit
Commission
Minister of
Social
Services
Jack Bell
Vanpool
Minister of
Environment
Lands &
Parks
Air Care
Setting Up GVTAGVRD approached Province in 1996What the region wanted:
1. Finance: Stable, predictable, appropriate 2. Transit: Local control, more buses and rail 3. Roads: Establish a regional system4. TDM: Car/Vanpool, Employer programsNegotiated agreement completed Oct. 1997Extensive consultation on proposal Ratified in Feb., 1998Start-up on April 1, 1999
GVTA ResponsibilitiesUnique in Canada
some similarities to MPO’s, TfL (Transport for London)Integrated approach to:
TransitRoadsTransportation Demand ManagementCyclingVehicle Emissions
Funding from Transportation SourcesFares, Gas Tax, Parking & Veh. Fees, Tolls
Must support related regional plans:Livable Region Strategic PlanAir Quality Management PlanRegional Economic Objectives
ScopeTRANS LINK
Regional Roads
Before GVTA no ‘regional system’Approx. 600 km of former muni & prov roads‘Partnership’ approach to issues Region funds - Municipalities own/operate
Revenue SourcesSources Used/Approved1. Transit Fares 2. Advertising Revenue3. Property Tax4. Fuel Tax (12 cents/litre)5. Parking Sales Tax (7%)6. Parking Area Tax (=$30/stall)7. BC Hydro Levy8. Project TollsSources Not Used (to date)1. Annual vehicle fee (levy)2. Benefitting Area TaxNote: Several require GVRD and/or Provincial Consent
SuccessesMore Consistent funding Increased investment in transportGrowing transit ridershipProgress with roads, transit, cycling and TDMIncreased cooperation
Formal and informal Provides ‘forum’ and context for other agenciesBroad ‘buy-in’ is critical to successDo things ‘with’ not ‘to’ partners
Challenges‘Visible’ agency and servicesPublic expectationsRegional and community differencesModal needs
Goods and passengerAuto and Transit
Urban formSustainability
Social & CulturalEconomicEnvironmental
and…
The ‘C’s Direction
1. CAPABLEdelivering the required capacity, level of service
2. COMPATIBLEthe kinds of places we want to live in
3. CONSERVINGin terms of energy, other resources
4. CLEAN In relation to environmental impacts
5. COST-EFFECTIVEaffordable relative to value added
6. CARINGin terms of accessibility, affordability, etc.
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