summary: strategic review of transit in the fraser valley

8/8/2019 Summary: Strategic Review of Transit in the Fraser Valley

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S U M M A RYS t r a t e g i c R e v i e w o Tr a n s i t

i n t h e F r a s e r Va l l e y


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SUMMARY - Strategic Review o Transit in the Fraser Valley Prepared by:

Attention: Ashok Bhatti, Project ManagerMinistry o Transportation

We are pleased to provide you with a nal o the Summary document or the Strategic Review o Transit in the Fraser Valley. Thisdocument summarizes the key ndings o the our Foundation Papers developed over the course o the project as well as the input and

eedback provided by public stakeholders as well as local, regional and provincial sta and politicians.

The Strategic Review provides all agencies with a Vision (25-30 year) and 20-Year Strategy to guide the signi cant expansion o transitservices, acilities and policies needed to make transit an attractive transportation choice or Fraser Valley residents and visitors. Inaddition to demonstrating a commitment toward the aspirations o the FVRDs Regional Growth Strategy, the recommendations o

the process are designed to support more sustainable land use patterns, provide attractive transportation alternatives and reducegreenhouse gases.

We wish to thank the representatives o the sponsoring agencies Ministry o Transportation, Fraser Valley Regional District, BC Transitand TransLink or their guidance and support, as well as the public stakeholders that represented local interests and transit customersthroughout the region on this assignment. The signi cant resource commitments presented in the Vision and 20-Year Strategy arelargely a re ection o the importance that transit plays in building a sustainable and livable Fraser Valley.

Regards,

John Steiner,Project Manager

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SUMMARY - Strategic Review o Transit in the Fraser Valley Prepared by:

Table o Contents

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

A MADE-IN-FRASER VALLEY TRANSIT STRATEGY...................................1 BACKGROUND....................................................................................1 THE PROCESS OF PREPARING THE STRATEGY ............................3 SHAPING THE STRATEGY ................................................................4

DIVERSE FACTORS SHAPING TRANSIT...........................................................5

DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS.............................................5 LAND USE PATTERNS.......................................................................6TRAVEL DEMANDS..........................................................................8 TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM & TRANSIT SERVICES................. 10

FUNDING AND MANAGING TRANSIT........................................11

A VISION FOR TRANSIT........................................................................................13

ASPIRATIONS FOR TRANSIT IN THE VALLEY.............................13HOW THE VISION WAS DEVELOPED..........................................13KEY FEATURES OF THE VISION....................................................14ANALYSIS OF RAIL IN THE FRASER VALLEY ...............................19

THE 20-YEAR STRATEGY......................................................................................21

TRANSIT SERVICES..........................................................................21 SUPPORTING THE FRASER VALLEYS GOALS...........................21 TRANSIT FACILITIES........................................................................24

LAND USE PATTERNS AND TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES...26 THE SYSTEM COSTS........................................................................27 THE NEXT FIVE YEARSARE CRITICAL........................................27

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SUMMARY - Strategic Review o Transit in the Fraser Valley

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The Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) o ers residents, workers and visitors a high quality o li e, with a mixture o urban,suburban, rural, and natural environment experiences. The region is home to over 263,000 residents living within its sixmunicipalities and seven Electoral Areas. Residents in the region bene t rom growing employment opportunities closerto home and a ordable housing prices relative to other parts o the Lower Mainland. Over the next 25 years or so, theregion is expected to change dramatically with more than a 70% increase in population and employment with much o thisgrowth anticipated to occur within the regions urban growth boundaries. As such, managing this growth and ostering thesustainability o these communities is essential particularly in the area o reducing automobile dependence and increasingtravel options.

The FVRDs Regional Growth Strategy (RGS) demonstrates a commitment to Increase Transportation Choice and Efciency,which includes reducing dependency on single-occupant vehicle travel and enhancing commitments toward the provisiono attractive bicycle and pedestrian acilities, as well as a broader range o transit services. The Provincial Climate Action Plan and Provincial Transit Plan recognize the need or creating attractive transit services in growth areas in order to support moresustainable land use patterns, to provide attractive transportation alternatives and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Today, transit services in the Fraser Valley are not as extensive as those o similar size communities in British Columbia andrelatively modest when compared to communities where transit is considered an attractive alternative to driving.

A Made-In-Fraser Valley Transit Strategy

Background

1.0Fraser Valley

Population & Employment Growth

231,000249,000 263,000

452,500

84,300 97,200108,800

213,900

-

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

400,000

450,000

500,000

1996 2001 2006 2031

Population Employment

500,000

450,000

400,000

300,000

350,000

250,000

200,000

150,000

100,000

50,000

231,000

84,300

249,000

97,200

263,000

108,800

452,500

213,900

1996 2001 2006 2031

Population Employment


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2.Building theFoundation

6.Document

theStrategy

4.Municipal

Vision

1.Project

Initiation

3.Regional

Vision

5.Transit

ConceptPlan

The Strategic Review o Transit or the Fraser Valley represents an opportunity to accelerate the provision o local (within each o the three largest communities), regional (between Fraser Valley communities) and inter-regional services (between the Fraser Valley and Metro Vancouver) over the next 20 to 30 years. This Summary documentpresents the Transit Vision and 20-Year Transit Strategy as described in each o the our sections noted below.

Section 1: Made-in Fraser Valley Transit Strategy outlines the process and the stakeholders involved in developing the long-term direction,

Section 2: Diverse Factors Shaping Transit summarizes the conditions that in uence the provision and success o transit in the Fraser Valley and the long-term directionsexamined.

Section 3: A Vision or Transit provides a signi cantly enhanced image o transit in the Fraser Valley that could be accomplished within 25-30 years. It requires a signi cantparadigm shi t in the way local, regional and provincial agencies work together to und and manage transit services and acilities, as well as dramatically di erent land usepatterns rom what is envisioned in community plans. None-the-less, the Vision is a re ection o community aspirations or signi cantly enhanced mobility and accessibility.

Section 4: The 20-Year Strategy outlines unprecedented increases to local, regional and inter-regional services along with transit acilities and support strategies. This Strategyalso requires a new approach to planning and delivering transit in the Fraser Valley as well as support activities to increase success.


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The Process o Preparing the Strategy The process or developing the Strategy was separated into six phases. Each phase o work concluded with a technicalmemorandum, presentations and/or discussions to con rm the di rection and shape subsequent phases o the process.

The second stage Building the Foundation involved detailed market research and analysis, discussions with local andregional stakeholders and the preparation o three Foundation Papers as ollows:

Foundation Paper #1 Transit Market Analysis provides a comprehensive assessment o the local, regional and inter-regional transit markets in the Fraser Valley in order to identi y where there is the greatest potential to increase transitridership and to shape growth in the long-term.

Foundation Paper #2 Summary o Relevant Practices examines a number o practices and arrangements that are usedin other communities that may be considered in developing a long-range transit strategy or the Fraser Valley.

Foundation Paper #3 Managing and Financing Transit in the Fraser Valley provides an overview o the current modelsor governing transit in British Columbia, and highlights some o the historical acts about unding transit in the Fraser

Valley in comparison to other communities in Canada.

The Regional and Local Transit Visions in Phase 3 and 4 include the identi cation and development o all easible transitconcepts or the Fraser Valley over the next 20 to 30 years along with a comprehensive evaluation o the local, regional andinter-regional concepts. The results o this process in ormed the Vision or transit and 20-Year Strategy.

These nal our phases o the study include the development o another working paper entitled Foundation Paper #4 -Local and Regional Transit Opportunities , ollowed by the preparation o this Summary document .


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Shaping the Strategy The process o developing the strategy included local, regional and provincial agencies responsible or, and a ected by, the uture o transit in the Fraser Valley. The key partnersin this work are the Fraser Valley Regional District, the Ministry o Transportation and In rastructure, BC Transit and TransLink. The Strategy also bene ted rom the participationo the general public as well as those individuals that were selected by local agencies to join the Public Advisory Committee . All agency and public stakeholders helped todevelop the goals and objectives o the study and to identi y potential transit services that should be considered in the Fraser Valley over the next 20 to 30 years.

Project Steering Committee

Jim Hester, BC MoTI(Project Sponsor)

Hugh Sloan, FVRD Mike Davis, BC Transit Jim Prokop, TransLink

Ashok Bhatti, BC MoTI(Project Manager) Siri Bertelsen, FVRD Alison Stewart, FVRD Wanda Leroux, BC Transit Peter Murray, BC Transit Peter Klitz, TransLink

Public Advisory Committee

Alvin Epp, Abbotsford Lynn Harris, Abbotsford Doug Mattka, Abbotsford Sukh Sidhu, Abbotsford Lubbert van der Laan, Abbotsford

John Vissers, Abbotsford Karin Rempel, Chilliwack John-Henry Harter, Chilliwack Kirsten Brandreth, Chilliwack Pat Dunn, Chilliwack Calvin Adams, Mission Mike Scudder, Mission Paul Horn, Mission Sylvia Pranger, Kent Roy Daykin, Mission Gail Guimont, Hope Larry Ortis, Hope Wayne Green, United Way Craig Toews, UFV Lloyd Forman, Electoral Area A Tracy Irwin, Fraser Health

Authority

FVRD Transportation andTransit Committee

Karen Stanton, Chilliwack Rod Sanderson, Chilliwack Russ Mammel, Abbotsford Carl Johannsen, Abbotsford Rick Bomhof, Mission Barclay Pitkethly, Mission Larry Burk, Harrison Hot Springs Maurice Wutzke, Hope Kerry Hilts, Kent

Other Agencies

Farwest Transit Services Southern Rail West Coast Express District of Maple Ridge City of Surrey

Langley Township


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The success o transit in any community goes well beyond simply the provision o attractive transit services and acilities. This section outlines those unique eatures o the Fraser Valley and transit service characteristics that were used to developthe Vision and long-term strategy.

Demographic CharacteristicsDemographic patterns, such as population and employment levels as well as age pro les have a signi cant in uence ontravel demands.

In the long-term, those patterns highlighted below will place growing pressures on transportation in rastructure and

in uence the provision o transit services.

Diverse Factors Shaping Transit

2.0

TravelDemands

TransitService

TransitSupportiveMeasures

Land UsePatterns

TransportationSystem

Demographic/Socio-economicFactors

TransitSuccess

Over the next 20 years, the Fraser Valley Regional District will continue to be one o the astest growing regions in BritishColumbia. In 2006, the FVRD consisted o approximately 263,000 people and 109,000 jobs. By 2031, both are expected toincrease by more than 70%, or to over 450,000 people and almost 215,000 jobs. Over 98% o this growth will occur in thethree main urban centres, with Abbots ord accounting or approximately 40% o the increase.

The balance o population to jobs in each community creates a oundation o economic and environmental sustainability. Fraser Valley communities have the unique balance o population and employment which is a eature o ten attributable tocomplete communities. Today, the population to employment ratio is approximately 2.4:1, and it is expected to continueto improve over the next 20 years to approximately 1.9:1.


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The Fraser Valley Regional District will be a network o vibrant, distinct, and sustainable communities that accept

responsibly managed growth while being committed toprotecting the land resource and the natural environmentto ensure that a high quality o li e is accessible to all.

Choices or Our Future,FVRD Regional Growth Strategy Vision

The average age o residents living in the Fraser Valley will increase where by the population o people age 55and over will grow at a aster rate than the regional growth rate. Unlike other communities in the Lower Mainland,signi cant relative and absolute growth is also projected or the younger age cohorts. Along with this change in themake-up o the community comes increasing need to make the Fraser Valley more accessible or people with various

physical, cognitive and sensory disabilities. This will place new pressures in the transportation system and othercommunity in rastructure as well as demands on a range o health, education and other services.

Land Use PatternsLocal and regional policies provide the ramework to guide growth and development patterns that in uencetransportation demands. In order to achieve the regional Vision, local municipalities have committed to thedevelopment o a network o sustainable communities where residents can live, work and play in their owncommunity.

Much o the population & employment in each community are located within the Urban Growth Boundaries. Today,over 80% o the population lives inside the urban growth boundaries o the three municipalities. The percentage o population living within urban growth boundaries will increase over the next 25 years creating a greater need orenhanced local transit services to get around each community.

Over the next 20 years, population and employment growth will occur not only in the core areas o Abbots ord,Chilliwack and Mission, but on the ringes o the established areas. The three largest municipalities are committedto densi cation and in ll of the existing built up areas. However, planned growth is also identi ed for green eldareas such as the Straiton-McKee area in Abbotsford, Silverdale in Mission, and Promontory Heights in Chilliwack. Thelower density orm o these and other growth areas urther contributes to the challenge o providing attractive two-way transit services to growing areas.

While urther in ll and densi cation is anticipated in the core areas o Fraser Valley communities, most areaswill support lower density uses suited to conventional and community transit services. On average, the projectedpopulation densities o most established and growth areas o the Fraser Valley will support conventional andcommunity services. Commitments toward rapid transit will require urther re nements to local area planning toincrease scale and density o uses along desired corridors and at key nodes served by rapid or requent transit services.


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2031 Fraser Valley Population Growth


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Travel Demands The travel demands or Fraser Valley communities are largely in uenced by land use patterns. This section highlights existing and orecast travel demands based on varioussources o in ormation that help to de ne the target markets and shape the Transit Strategy.

The FVRD generates over 800,000 trips each day, with Abbots ord accounting or over 65% o them. O those daily trips however, only 1% (or approximately 8,000 ) are madeusing transit, while driving accounts or approximately 90% o all daily trips. This compares with approximately 3% of all trips in Kelowna and Kamloops that use transit,8% inVictoria and 11% in Vancouver.

Over 80% o all daily trips generated by each community are local in that they start and end in the same community. For example approximately 87% o all daily trips thatstart in Chilliwack, remain in Chilliwack. Conversely, approximately 11% o all daily trips generated by Abbots ord either begin or end in Metro Vancouver. The extensive internaltravel or Fraser Valley communities is re ective o a complete community, and is unique or communities at the ringe o a large urban centre. Because o the projected growthpatterns, this is not expected to change.

The major trip generators o each community need to be within reasonable walking distance o the most attractive local transit services and be accessible to regional and inter-regional services. Market research and travel models o each community indicate that there are several key generators that attract a large majority o the trips today. These generators must be the target o the most attractive transit services in each community.

Regional travel between Mission-Abbots ord, Chilliwack-Abbots ord, Chilliwack-Agassiz/Harrison are the principal regional transit markets. Over 10-20% o all daily tripsare regional in that they are made between Fraser Valley communities. Today, the Mission-Abbotsford and Chilliwack-Agassiz/Harrison travel markets are the only ones servedby transit.

Inter-regional travel between the Fraser Valley and Metro Vancouver communities o the Langleys, eastern areas o Surrey as well as Metro Vancouvers Northeast Sector are the primary travel markets today and in the long-term. These markets account or a majority o the 5% to 15% o daily travel generated to and rom the Fraser Valley.


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Inter- Regional Travel MarketsPrimary Regional Travel Markets

District of Kent/Harrison10% of Daily Trips

LangleysAldergroveLangley City

District of Mission

15% of Daily Trips

Abbotsford

South Fraser WaySeven Oaks MallSumas WayHistoric DowntownUFVAirportRegional Hospital

Chilliwack

Downtown Chilliwack

UFV Chilliwack

City of Chilliwack10% of Daily Trips

AbbotsfordCivic PrecinctSouth Fraser WaySeven Oaks MallSumas WayUFVAirport/CascadeRegional Hospital

Kent/AgassizDowntown

MissionDowntown


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Transportation System & Transit Services The transportation system and transit services also in uence how people choose to travel or work,social, recreation and other purposes. This section highlights how existing transit services shape travelchoices and the uture opportunities or transit in the Fraser Valley.

Vehicle ownership in the Fraser Valley is higher than any other part o the Lower Mainland which inturn in uences the propensity to choose transit. On average, the typical household in the Fraser Valleyhas 1.8 vehicles, while the average is 1.4 vehicles in Metro Vancouver. High vehicle ownership ratesgenerally reduce the propensity to use transit or most daily trip making.

The total transit resources serving the Fraser Valley are signi cantly below that o other communitieswhere transit may be considered an attractive alternative. Although not a de nitive indicator o attractive transit, the Fraser Valley receives less than 0.5 service hours per capita. All other communitiesthat have higher transit mode shares have two to ve times the service hours per capita, indicating apossible link between transit capacity and the propensity o people to take transit.

The West Coast Express (WCE) provides and inter-regional service or many Fraser Valley communities, particularly Mission and Abbots ord. Approximately 6,000 trips board the WCE atMission Station each day (slightly more than 10% o the entire line). O those, 56% are rom Mission and38% are rom Abbots ord. Over 80% o those people (almost 500 customers) are destined to downtownVancouver or work.

Annual Service Hours per Capita

Place o Residence o West Coast Express Riders

Boarding in Mission

Salem, OR

Renton, WA

Strathcona, AB

St Albert, AB

Victoria

Metro Vancouver

Kamloops

Kelowna

Fraser Valley

0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00 3.50


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Funding and Managing TransitFunding and managing o transit services and acilities in the Fraser Valley is jointly handled by BC Transit and local area municipalities. Over the last decade or so however, allagencies have aced unding challenges although there have been some unding increases more recently. In the absence o unding that is both stable and predictable, it is

difcult to plan the phased and steady improvement o services over the medium and long-term. The ollowing discussion highlights some o the unding and managementchallenges to expanding transit.

Transit is jointly unded by local and provincial agencies. Fraser Valley transit services cost approximately $10 million per year to operate and maintain. 46.7% is unded by theprovincial government and 53.3% is unded locally through ares & property tax. In most other jurisdictions in Canada, transit is unded entirely through ares and property tax.

Investments in transit have increased signi cantly over the last 5-years or so in order to simply catch-up to current levels. The total transit service hours provided in theFraser Valley has increased by approximately 6.5% per year between 2003-2008 (22% in 2009), while the annual system costs have grown by 3.5% (18% in 2009) per year duringthe same periods. Despite these dramatic increases, the transit system is still underserved when compared to the service hours per capita measures o other communities.

Transit Property Tax per Capita

Property taxes directed toward transit in the Fraser Valley are among the lowest in the provinceand mid-size communities in other parts o Canada. Today, Fraser Valley residents spendanywhere rom $4 to $14 annually per capita on transit in the orm o a property tax. This amount isless than levels o other mid-size communities in BC, and is signi cantly below levels o other largemunicipalities in Canada where provincial unding is not provided and property taxes. This sourceo revenue is relatively static in that it does not automatically increase with in ation.

With the exception o services between Abbots ord and Mission, the existing governance structure makes it di cult to und and deliver regional and inter-regional services in the Fraser Valley. While the current Municipality by Municipality approach was adequate when serviceswere rst established, there is now a greater need to travel between Fraser Valley communitiesand to Metro Vancouver. In order to accelerate the growth o local, regional and inter-regionalservices, new models or planning and delivery are needed along with stable and predictable

unding services.

York Region

Durham

Guelph

Oakville

Strathcona

TransLink

Victoria

Kamloops

Kelowna

Prince George

Agassiz-Harrison

Chilliwack

Abbots ord Mission

$73

$37$78

$43

$63

$130

$40

$26

$26

$25

$4

$9

$14


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ADD PHOTO


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The Transit Vision re ects the ultimate direction or transit in the Fraser Valley identi ed by agency and public stakeholdersin the very long-term, and is supported through the technical evaluation o market opportunities. The Vision commits toa new era where transit can be a real choice or school, work and other personal travel. It presents the compelling reasons

or resolving current obstacles to signi cantly enhancing transit services and acilities are resolved. Not only is the transitmode share expected to increase rom approximately 1.1% o all trips today to 4.1% in the long-term Vision, many otheraspirations of the community are being supported. However, governance and funding questions will have to be addressedand land use plans will need to, among other things, ocus transit oriented development on key corridors or the Vision tobecome a reality. In this regard, the Vision will require many undamental shi ts that may realistically take as many as 30years to accomplish, and will guide the 20-Year Strategy described in Section 4 o this Summary document.

Aspirations or Transit in the Fraser ValleyFraser Valley communities are committed to a uture in which transit will not only become an attractive alternative, butwhere transit will shape and support the creation o economically, socially and environmentally sustainable communities.Public Advisory Committee members and the public broadly identi ed their aspirations or transit over the next 20 years orso that were used to de ne the goals and objectives or that shape the Vision. These goals transportation choice, mobility,environment , community, implementable and e cient use o resources were used to assess the options and to identi ythe ultimate directions included in the Vision as well as the 20-Year Strategy.

How the Vision was Developed The Vision was developed through an iterative process that included a comprehensive assessment o individual ideas andconcepts or improved local, regional and inter-regional transit services that were designed to support and shape theprojected demands. The most attractive transit services that best support the goals and objectives or transit in the FraserValley were combined to orm a complete Vision where transit can be an attractive and viable alternative to shape andsupport the needs o the regions communities.

A Vision For Transit

3.0Provide attractive transit

services that support customer expectations or local,regional & inter-regional travel

1. Transportation Choice

Enhance accessibility to regional services or people o all physical,cognitive, age and income levels

2. Mobility

Enhance air quality and reduceimpacts on natural environments

3. Environment

Shape & support thedevelopment o sustainable,livable communities

4. Community

Ensure that the strategy isafordable and can be reasonably achieved over the next 20 years

5. Implementable

Wisely invest those resourcesthat will maximize ridershipand achieve other transit and community goals

6. Efcient Resources

Aspirations or Transitin the Fraser Valley


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Key Features o the Vision The Vision or transit in the Fraser Valley provides the basis or a signi cantly di erent transit experience than what exists today. Although the Vision represents a signi cantleap orward rom todays systems, it identi es service levels and resources that will enable the Fraser Valley to catch-up to the benchmarks o other mid-size communities in

BC and elsewhere.

The Vision puts orward a broader range o transit services designed to suit the varied long-term travel markets. The services will include everything rom more directand requent services on main corridors within and between communities where customers would not require schedules through to more exible services or lower densityneighbourhoods that connect to requent services.

For the purpose o the strategy, the services are generally categorized as ollows:

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a premium transit service with requent (


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SR

Urban Area 1

Urban Area 2

The Vision or transit in the Fraser Valley includes the ollowing key transit services and acilities:

Optimized, restructured and signi cant increases to local services in Abbots ord, Chilliwack and Mission. Overall, local services would increase anywhere rom 350% inAbbots ord to over 600% in Chilliwack to support the primary travel markets in the Fraser Valley. Much o the increase would be concentrated in the urban areas o Abbots ord,

Chilliwack and Mission, with more modest service increases in lower density growth areas. Within Abbots ord and Chilliwack, rapid bus services will serve the South Fraser Wayand Yale Road corridors respectively, along with interconnected requent transit corridors, conventional services and connections with community transit services. Mission willbe served by a core requent transit service in the established areas o the community, and growth areas such as the downtown, water ront and Cedar Valley. Approximately80% o all daily in the Fraser Valley start and end in the same community. In an e ort to provide attractive transportation alternatives, reduce greenhouse gases, promotesustainable and accessible communities, the Vision includes signi cant increases to local services. Overall, the Vision would include approximately 420,000 hours o localservices (in comparison to just under 85,000 hours today).

SR

Rapid Transit(


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VISION: Local Transit Services

City o Abbots ord:Rapid Bus Transit on South Fraser Way (Clearbrook to UFV)Neighbourhood and Demand Responsive ServicesExpanded conventional transit servicesFrequent Transit Networks on major corridors

District o Mission:Neighbourhood and Demand Responsive ServicesExpanded conventional transit servicesFrequent Transit Networks on major corridors

City o Chilliwack:Neighbourhood and Demand Responsive ServicesExpanded conventional transit servicesFrequent Transit Networks on major corridors

KeyRapid Transit (Bus or Urban Rail)

Frequent Transit Service

Conventional Transit Service

Community Transit Service(Neighbourhood, Flexible Route or Dial-A-Bus)

Suburban and Rural Transportation(Transcab and Commuter Subscription)

Major Trip Generator

Prison

Secondary School

Middle School


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New and attractive regional services between Fraser Valley communities. Regional connections between communities will be strengthened by a network o express coachbus services that link to the core areas o Fraser Valley communities Mission-Abbots ord-Chilliwack as well as other attractive local rapid bus and requent transit servicesto support access throughout the community. Additional services would also be provided between Chilliwack and Agassiz as well as a new service to Hope. Premium service

eatures and are system could be used to provide these long-distance services. The Vision would include almost 40,000 hours o regional services.

New inter-regional services providing attractive connections between the Fraser Valley and Metro Vancouver. In addition to the West Coast Express service, network o express bus services would also provide requent peak and o -peak connections between the primary travel markets o the Fraser Valley and the Langleys, eastern areas o Surrey as well as the Northeast Sector o Metro Vancouver. These inter-regional services would be connected to the core areas o Abbots ord or Mission and connect with rapidtransit services planned for the Surrey and Langley areas along the Fraser Highway, 200th Street and Highway 1 corridors. The Vision would include approximately 85,000 hourso inter-regional transit services.

VISION: Regional and Inter-Regional Transit Services

Inter-Regional Destination

Regional Destination

Regional Services in Metro Vacouver

Express Bus (Premium or Conventional)

West Coast Express

Key


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TRANSIT VISION GOALS TODAY The Vision

Annual ServiceHours (,000)

Local Regional & Inter-regional

Total (% growth)ServiceHours/Capita (2030pop.)

TransitMode Share

9016

1060.41

1.1%

418123

541 (410%)1.27

4.1%

AnnualizedCost(2030$ millions)Operating & Vehicle Debt

Capital Debt (exchanges, depots, etc)

Total FleetSize(buses/trains)

$9.5

-

$9.540/37

$72.3

$ 8.6

$80.9135/37

AnnualRidership(millionpassengers)

AverageCost/Ride (nocapital )

2.7

$3.40

14.6

$4.95

New transit in rastructure is needed to support transit operations. At the most basic level, a new and/orexpanded bus depot acility is required to accommodate the growth in bus eet rom 40 to 140 vehicles inorder to provide local, regional and inter-regional services. For passenger convenience, strategically locatedpark-and-ride acilities will be required to access regional and inter-regional services in each community.

Attractive, com ortable and sa e passenger acilities stops and stations will also be provided on all plannedrequent and rapid transit corridors. Finally, transit priority treatments such as bus lanes, queue jumpers,transit signal coordination will be provided on rapid and requent transit corridors as well as or someexpress bus services where recurring congestion is anticipated, such as along South Fraser Way, Yale Road,Highway 1 and Fraser Highway. The annual capital debt for capital infrastructure would be approximately$8.6 million per year.

Stronger land use and transit connections. Type, scale, density and mixture o land uses in uence the ormso transit service that wi ll generally work most efciently in a community. In lower density areas, exible andneighbourhood transit services will typically suit the travel patterns. In order or rapid or requent transitservices to be viable within Abbots ord, Chilliwack and Mission, many o the corridors identi ed in the Visionwill require greater mix o uses and density and be designed as people places with easy and attractive accessto transit than is currently planned.

The Vision includes an elevated and accelerated commitment toward transit investments in the Fraser Valley. It also requires substantially more revenue rom existing and new unding sources as well as thegovernance arrangements to provide an enhanced local, regional and inter-regional transit system. Furtheremphasis o planned growth and densi cation along rapid and requent transit corridors is essential or theservices to e ectively generate the ridership and arebox revenue that is required.

Although the Vision may take 30 years to achieve, all agencies are encouraged to accelerate the

implementation o the 20-Year Strategy described in Section 4 in an efort to reduce the timeline to achievethe Vision. An aggressive approach toward changing the way transit is delivered in the Fraser Valley will serveto support goals to increase transportation choice, enhance mobility, minimize environmental impacts andprovide complete communities.

Note: All costs includes annual escalation o 2.0% per year or 20 years

Vision Resources Requirements (2040)

Overall, operating and vehicle debt costs to support the growthin service hours as well as other support acilities is projectedto increase rom approximately $10 million per year to over $80

million annually (2030 $).


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Analysis o Rail or the Fraser Valley The West Coast Express currently serves a regional market for Fraser Valley residents, largely to the downtown area. However,there has been ongoing interest in expanding the rail system in the Fraser Valley or many years with a particular interestin the re-instatement o the inter-urban line connecting Abbots ord and Chilliwack to the Langleys, Surrey and other partso Metro Vancouver.

While an expanded rail network remains a possible eature o the transit system in the Fraser Valley or the long-term, theprovision o rail is beyond the Vision or several reasons:

Signi cant investment is required in the Fraser Valley just to get a desirable level o local, regional andinter-regional transit to move rom a $10 million per year system to almost $90 million in 2031. The 2031 annualoperating and debt service cost or a commuter rail service along the inter-urban line between Abbots ord andSurrey o approximately $68.9 million would almost equal that o the entire investment required to achieve theVision.

The projected 2031 cost per ride ($70 - $110 / ride) and cost per service hour ($19,750 - $21,500) for a commuter railservice on the inter-urban line are signi cantly higher than most alternatives considered such as a premium busservice in a dedicated lane on the Highway 1 corridor ($5.75/ride).

As previously noted, the Vision includes an increase in service hours of more than 400% (to over 540,000 hoursannually) and will likely take 25 to 30 years to implement. A peak only, commuter rail service or the entire inter-urban line would provide less than 1% o the service hours included in the Vision or the Fraser Valley.

The projected 2031 annual ridership for the entire inter-urban line of 1 million passengers (most of which is betweenLangley and Surrey) would be comparable to the projected ridership or an all day, requent express bus service

operating in a priority lane on Highway 1 between Abbotsford and North Langley-Surrey. In this regard, the ridershipor the inter-urban line would be less than 5% o the entire projected transit ridership or the Fraser Valley.

Although an inter-regional railway service between the Fraser Valley and Metro Vancouver may be part o a long-termuture, a strong oundation o local, regional and inter-regional services as presented in the Vision is an essential starting

point. In this regard, opportunities or rail service between Chilliwack-Abbots ord and Langleys/Surrey should be retainedor a possible uture service. This would include preserving rail corridors in the Fraser Valley Regional District and adjacent

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Summary o Commuter Rail Analysis

Commuter RailAbbotsford to Surrey

(Inter-urban)

Commuter RailChilliwack to Surrey

(Inter-urban)

Express Bus, Exclusive LaneAbbotsford-North Surrey/Langley

200 Street (Highway 1-L angley-Rapid Bus)

Route Length (km) 61 99 32

2031 Ridership

Maximum Daily

Annually (mill psgr)

3,770

0.98

3,900

1.01

4,000

1.20

Annual Service Levels

Periods of Operation

Annual Service Hours

Weekday Peak Only

3,500

Weekday PeakOnly

5,200

All Week, All Day & Evening

25,600

Annual Cost ($ ,000 2031)

Operating & Vehicle

Capital

Total

$ 6,900

$ 62,000

$ 68,900

$ 10,300

$ 101,400

$ 111,700

$ 3,600

$ 3,300

$ 6,900

Cost per ride $ 70 $ 110 $ 5.75

Cost per service hour $ 19,750 $ 21,500 $ 270

Note: Rail analysis reported in this table examines the provision o peak only commuter rail service using diesel multiple unit trains similar to West Coast Express.


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Based on todays transit system, nance and governance challenges or the Fraser Valley and the ability to achieve planneddensities within the time rame o the plan, the 20-Year Strategy can be considered a stretch to accelerate the provision o asigni cantly enhanced transit system. The 20-Year Strategy requires an unprecedented level o investment and changes inhow local, regional and inter-regional transit services and acilities are provided. It also requires a signi cant commitmenttoward reshaping planned growth patterns around requent transit corridors and building toward the Vision presented inSection 3.0.

Transit ServicesConsistent with the Vision, the 20-Year Transit Strategy provides or a broader range o transit services. In order to supportthe most signi cant travel markets within each municipality, the strategy concentrates on signi cantly increasing localservice rom approximately 83,000 to 250,000 hours annually within each o three largest Fraser Valley communities. TheStrategy also includes the provision o 32,000 hours o new and enhanced regional services between Abbots ord-Mission-Chilliwack and Agassiz that will support better access to community services, such as health care and shopping, and thegrowing need or enhanced regional connections. Over 27,000 hours o new and improved inter-regional transit servicesare also provided between the existing and uture major travel markets o Langley and Surrey as well as the Northeast Sectoro Metro Vancouver. These services will connect with other rapid transit services currently being planned by TransLink andthe Ministry o Transportation and In rastructure or the south o Fraser Communities (Surrey and the Langleys) and theNortheast Sector (Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge).

Supporting the Fraser Valleys Goals The 20-Year Transit Strategy moves the Fraser Valley closer towards its goals in that it provides transportation choice,enhances mobility, reduces environmental impacts, supports community aspirations, is implementable and makes efcientuse o resources. The relative measures o success are illustrated in the adjacent gure or each o these goals or the transitsystem goals.

The 20-Year Strategy

4.0

20-Year StrategyMeasures o Success

Transit Goals Today 20-YearTransit

StrategyTransportation Choice

2030 Annual Service Hours (,000)Local 90 246

Regional & Inter-regional 16 59

Total (annual % growth) 106 305 (109%)

Service Hours/Capita 0.41 0.71

Transit Mode Share 1.1% 2.3%

Service Coverage -

Attractive Services ( requent, direct) -

Intermodal Connections -

Mobility

Accessibility or all mobility levels -

Serve Key Community Facilities -

Afordable or disadvantaged -

Environment

Change in 'Base 2030' GHGs (%) - -1.0%

Impacts on Greenspace -

Encourages Compact Growth -

Community

RGS Sustainability Goals -

Supports Complete Communities -

Enhances Economic Development -

Supports Rural-Urban Access -

Implementable

Ridership grows with expansion

Easy to Phase Implementation -

Annualized Cost (2030 $ millions)

Operating & Vehicle Debt $9.5 $39.1

Capital Debt (Incl. exchanges & depots) - $ 3.1

Total $9.5 $42.2

Avg Annual Increase (20yr Compound) - 7.6%

Fleet Size (buses/trains) 40/37 70/37

Efcient Use o Resources

Financially Aligned to the Markets

2030 Annual Ridership (millions) 2.7 8.3

Average Cost/Ride $3.40 $4.72

Reliance on existing in rastructure -

LEGENDContributes toward goals:

Minimal Contribution

Signi cant Contribution


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20 - YEAR STRATEGY: Local Transit Services

City o Chilliwack District o Mission

City o Abbots ord

KeyFrequent Transit Service

Conventional Transit Service

Community Transit Service(Neighbourhood, Flexible Route or Dial-A-Bus)

Major Trip Generator

Prison

Secondary School

Middle School


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20 - YEAR STRATEGY: Regional & Inter-Regional Services

Inter-Regional Destination

Regional Destination

Regional Services in Metro Vancouver

Express Bus (Premium or Conventional)

West Coast Express

Key


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Transit FacilitiesIn support o the planned services included in the 20-Year Transit Strategy, the resources required to deliver these servicesand to support passenger needs are undamental to the success o transit. The ollowing discussion highlights key transit

acilities included in the Strategy. The type, timing, location and scale o these transit acilities should be addressed in the5-year planning process undertaken by local municipalities and BC Transit.

Transit eet. The Strategy includes signi cantly more hours o transit service along with a broader range o transit services neighbourhood through to express coach. In total, the transit eet required to deliver the services contained in theStrategy would increase rom approximately 40 buses to over 75 buses over the next 20 years.

On-street acilities. On-street acilities re er to loops, trans er points, or exchanges where a number o routes come togetherand allow passengers to trans er between routes. Movement toward more o a grid system o services in Abbots ord orthe medium to long-term will result in most trans ers between routes occurring on-street. In order to accommodate morefrequent services along the South Fraser Way/McCallum/King Road corridors however, enhanced bus loops or transferpoints may be required nearby Clearbrook Road, UFV as well as Essendene Avenue.

In Chilliwack , on-street acilities would also support most trans ers between routes with some provision or turnaroundareas northeast of downtown along Yale Road and in the south nearby UFV o Keith Wilson Road. WithinMission, mosttrans ers between routes can be generally accommodated on-street. Facility improvements may include purchase o land,reconstructing passenger areas, curb lines and landscaping. It is estimated that the cost will average out to $5 Million per

acility.


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Frequent Transit Service Corridors

Land Use Patterns and Transportation FacilitiesBoth the Vision and 20-Year Transit Strategy will rely on land use and transportation supportive actions by local, regional and provincial agencies as brie y highlighted below.

Transit-supportive development patterns are essential to support signi cant transit investments. The Vision and Strategy include several corridors in Abbots ord, Chilliwack and Mission where requent and rapid transit is identi ed as part o the long-term plan. In an e ort to ensure that there is sufcient ridership to justi y the service levels, thescale, density and mixture o uses planned along these corridors must be signi cantly increased. For example, residential densities along these corridors should range anywhere

rom 50 to 150 units per hectare.

Transportation investments that support easy and convenient access to transit are critical. In addition to providing signi cantly enhanced transit services, local municipalitiesmust invest in attractive and accessible pedestrian and cycling acilities along and nearby transit corridors. For those corridors with requent transit services as well as at majortrans er points, attractive passenger amenities must be a high priority to enhance the customer experience.


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The System CostsOverall, the Transit Strategy will bring a signi cant increase in transit services, support acilities and programs to theFraser Valley. In order to support these enhancements, the annual operating and vehicle debt costs would grow romapproximately $10 Million per year today to almost $42 Million per year in 2031. This equates to an unprecedented increase

o 7.6% per year in the revenue required rom local, regional and provincial sources.

The Next Five Years are CriticalAgencies and public stakeholders have recognized that both the 20-Year Strategy and Vision is a ar reach rom the currentrealities o today. There is much work or local, regional and provincial agencies to undertake in order to demonstrate thatthis is a viable uture, and to perhaps accelerate the Vision.

Local municipalities and BC Transit will soon begin developing shorter-term plans that will move toward implementing the 20-Year Strategy as set out in this study. Further discussions will be required between the municipalities, BC Transit, theprovince and the Fraser Valley Regional District to resolve a range o issues including, but not limited to:

Optimization o existing transit resources in each community;

Signi cant growth in transit services and acilities to permit enhanced local services in each o the threemunicipalities and introduction o some regional and inter-regional services;

Increases to existing revenue sources such as property taxes, ares and provincial contributions along with othernancial assistance;

New revenue sources to minimize the impact on local and provincial resources;

Enhanced orms o governance or planning, managing and operating regional, inter-regional as well as localtransit services; and

Inter-municipal agreement and are system reviews to support expanded local, regional and inter-regionalservice.


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summary: strategic review of transit in the fraser valley

Documents