MINUTES SAANICH PLANNING AND TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING COMMITTEE ROOM NO. 2 FRIDAY, JUNE 30, 2006, AT 12:00 P.M.

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1 MINUTES SAANICH PLANNING AND TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING COMMITTEE ROOM NO. 2 FRIDAY, JUNE 30, 2006, AT 12:00 P.M. Present: Councillor Derman in the Chair; N. Banks; D. Munford; B. Shuya; R. Trotter, D. Wick (12:15 pm); S. Zupanec Staff: C. Doyle, Director of Engineering; A. Topp, Manager of Planning Services; I. Hoffmann, Sr. Committee Clerk. Guests: Irwin Henderson, Gerry Howell-Jones and Jeremy Watney from Island Transformations Organization (ITO). ADOPTION OF MINUTES May 26, 2006 Moved by Sonja Zupanec and Seconded by Nigel Banks: That the Minutes of May 26, 2006 be adopted as circulated. Carried. PRESENTATION: Island Transformations Organization LRT System Irwin Henderson, Gerry Howell-Jones and Jeremy Watney were present. Mr. Henderson stated: - ITO has been in place for a number of years, raising awareness of rail transportation on the Island specifically a Light Rail Transit System. - They have considered the Portland streetcar system, met with the City of Victoria and contacted TransLink regarding funding options for an LRT system on the Island. - He would ask that the Committee take the information provided today and talk to the Municipality s decision makers and community groups about LRT. - He reviewed the recent Saanich Citizen Survey results and it appears that people are generally very happy to be living in Saanich and have few complaints except when it comes to traffic congestion issues. An objective of Saanich Corporate Plan is to provide a balanced transportation network. - He showed examples of the Portland system and how construction of the lines is carried out. Portland has reduced traffic congestion dramatically, revitalized the urban areas, and stimulated land use development. The streetcar system is the preferred travel mode by many residents. - It is proposed to have systems going to the University, the airport and the West Shore. - Town and Country would be the main hub connecting to the downtown core all routes would connect at Town and Country. Darrell Wick entered the meeting at 12:15 p.m. - Impact and benefits to the community would include: o Safety, social, economical and efficiency benefits o Environmental benefits (decrease in consumption of gas and oil) o Livable neighbourhoods o Reduced congestion particularly during rush hours page 1 of 5

2 - A streetcar system from Fisherman s Wharf to Town and Country will benefit the urban population, commuters and tourists. - A field trip to Portland, in conjunction with staff and committee members from the City of Victoria and Saanich, could be arranged, hosted by Portland. - Saanich and Victoria are very fortunate in that they have preserved considerable rights-of-way in the public domain. - Regional and local transportation planning should include rail options and initiatives. - More information can be obtained on the website at Mr. Wick noted he has traveled extensively through Europe using LRT and bus systems; they are all comfortable, but rail travel is superior. In response to questions and comments from the Committee, ITO members stated: - Over 75% of users of an LRT system have access to a car but prefer to use LRT. - The system would be implemented in two phases: from Ogden Point to Mayfair Mall and from Mayfair to Town and Country a total of just under 10 km of track. - Based on the Portland model cost estimates are between $80 and $120 million. - The intent is to start small and build out from the core. - Financing and political alignments are complicated all three levels of government need to participate, including gas tax funding. - Saanich is about to embark on a total redevelopment of the Town and Country shopping centre so this is an ideal opportunity to consider LRT. - Park and Ride areas are a feature of some systems but they haven t been addressed in this scenario; it is obvious these would have to be considered. - Money currently spent on parking space costs downtown could be redirected (estimated at $11,000 per space). - The system is fully accessible to people using wheelchairs, scooters or baby strollers. The Chair thanked the members of ITO for an informative presentation; they were advised of the public open houses being held on the Town and Country Development. CRD SELECT COMMITTEE FOR REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION CHOICES Councillor Derman stated: - Currently in the region we have 13 local jurisdictions presiding over their own transportation networks, BC Transit looking after the public transit system and the Ministry of Transportation the highway system. - There is no single authority from a regional transportation perspective. - The Travel Choices study was a bare bones document and deficient in many areas for example, Traffic Demand Management or LRT systems were not examined. - The CRD Select Committee, comprised of five CRD directors, has a broad mandate and was established to look at transportation issues from a regional perspective and the implications of the Travel Choices study document. - Working groups can be established and he hoped PTAC would interface with the Committee. - The first meeting is scheduled on July 12, 2006 at noon, in the CRD s offices; anyone is welcome to attend. 2

3 Mr. Wick suggested a transportation ticketing system similar to that used in Europe should be considered, where bus, train and ferry transit passes are interchangeable. For example, when you buy a foot passenger ferry ticket, your bus ticket in to town should be included. He noted the redevelopment of Town and Country does not include provision for good transit links, and yet it is being referred to as a hub. BC Transit has a blind spot when it comes to encouraging the public to use its system. Councillor Derman noted the land on the northeast corner of the Town and Country site is not owned by Morguard Investments; there is opportunity to develop this as a transit exchange. PEDESTRIAN HANDBOOK - Recommended a working group be established to prepare the handbook; Ian Graeme has indicated an interest. The Chair asked other members to let him know if they were interested in participating. - Suggested a different name be used rather than Pedestrian Handbook perhaps Best Practices for Pedestrian Environments. - It is not intended reproduce information which duplicates the current Development Permit Guidelines followed by the Planning Department or other pedestrian handbooks. - Instead, the booklet should provide visual examples and promotional material to inform developers of the various options and the best choices available when it comes to pedestrian facilities. PEDESTRIAN PRIORITY IMPLEMENTATION PLAN MIKE LAI A memorandum was received from the Manager of Transportation advising the final report on the Pedestrian Priority Implementation Plan (PPIP) from Urban Systems has been received. As part of the on-going Safer City Programme, the PPIP assists the Engineering Department in reviewing and prioritizing pedestrian facility improvements, focusing on major and collector roads and key pedestrian areas. Criteria considered include existing facilities, road cross-sections and characteristics, adjacent land use and transit locations. The Plan will also help in the development of the department s annual capital sidewalk construction programme. Committee comments noted: - The Municipality s current practice of installing sidewalks on major roads such as Blanshard is not the best; these areas are not well used by pedestrians and often do not provide pleasant walking environments. - A key element that is missing from the municipality s map system is the location of pathways, shortcuts and connections between subdivisions and other developments for pedestrians and cyclists. These are important links and provide a much more conducive environment than using major or collector roads. 3

4 - The Planner advised that where appropriate, dedicated pathways are included. Often right-of-way is dedicated through development for pathways which at that particular time do not have a connection, but it is anticipated it will happen in the future. - Councillor Derman noted it was important to consider pedestrian origin-destination routes, and provide attractive pedestrian environments; he agreed that in many cases the sidewalks on major roads are under utilized. The Director of Engineering stated: - The Department has limited funds for pedestrian improvements and there is a lot of competition for the funding. - He is aware of the concern that Engineering could be doing a better job and this is why the PPIP was undertaken. We now have a tool to measure the value of the current infrastructure and prioritize projects. - It is recognized that the higher the density, the higher the level of pedestrians, as well as schools and transit stops. - The PPIP is not a perfect tool, but it helps define a level of efficiency in our funding and how much additional funding may be necessary. - The PPIP will proceed to Council with a minor change to include a higher value for pedestrian environments in the urban areas as opposed to rural areas. TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVE FROM GEOFF YOUNG Councillor Derman Councillor Derman stated: - In conjunction with the Regional Transportation Choices Study, the CRD hired a consultant to review various planning exercises taking place throughout the region. - Each municipality, BC Transit and the Ministry of Transportation were contacted. - As expected, most municipalities described projects within their own borders, Transit highlighted their bus programmes, and the Ministry mentioned interchanges and highways. - Councillor Geoff Young came up with the concept of looking at the issues as a joint effort, perhaps consider the possibility of streetcars or LRT along Douglas Street rather than a dedicated bus way, for example. - It was suggested that a working group be formed with members from PTAC and the CRD s committee to review the issues and eventually make recommendations to Council. Bob Trotter, Derek Mumford and Darrell Wick volunteered to be part of the Working Group. PLANNING WORKSHOPS UPDATE -Awareness Building Programme re Urban Villages and Smart Growth The Planner stated that more workshops are planned for the fall. In the meantime, a consultant will be hired to review the development permit guidelines, and there will be workshops around this topic. Staff is discussing the possibility of bringing in more speakers for the fall workshops with the City of Victoria. 4

5 BALANCED TRANSPORTATION Progress Report Colin Doyle Copies of the Progress Report were distributed and Mr. Doyle stated: - This is part of the required bi-annual progress report; information is also available on the website. - Most of the capital funding has been focused on alternative transportation modes such as streetscapes, bike lane improvements, traffic calming. - Council received the progress reports on all the Corporate Plan themes on June 26, Councillor Derman pointed out the importance of including bench marks so we can evaluate where we are going and where we have been. INFORMATION ITEMS Fire Interface - Anne Topp - A proposal will be taken to Council regarding the Rural Saanich Fire Hazard Development Permit Area. This would include areas such as Prospect Lake and Bear Hill. The intent is to make people aware that these areas are often not easy to access and certain considerations should be taken during new construction. Existing buildings are not affected. When applying for a building permit, it the property is within the Fire Hazard Development Permit Area, there are certain guidelines that have to be met before approval is granted. The responsibility will be delegated to the Manager of Inspection Services. Next Meeting: The next regularly scheduled meeting is Friday, September 29, 2006; however, because of the probable fast-tracking of the Town and Country Development, it is likely there could be an earlier meeting scheduled perhaps at the end of August. Next Meeting at the Call of the Chair or the regularly scheduled meeting, September 29, Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 1:45 p.m. CHAIR I hereby certify these Minutes are correct. Committee Secretary 5