TransLink Transit Network “COVID-19 Snapshot:” Bus routes and South of Fraser ridership recovers more than other parts of Metro Vancouver

For several years, TransLink has released an annual transit network review that provides detailed ridership and cost information about all the agency’s routes. This year, TransLink provided a less-detailed “COVID-19 Snapshot” review of 2020.

As I posted recently, not all modes of transit recovered equally. Bus service recovered more than other modes.

Ridership by mode, early fall 2020. Source: TransLink

This recovery is not surprising as bus service is the workhorse of transit service in our region.

Of note, the 319 - Scott Road route moved from the eighth busiest route to the fourth busiest bus route between 2019 and 2020.

The R1 - King George Bouvard became the ninth busiest bus route in 2020.

In Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows the R3 Lougheed Highway, which TransLink introduced in January 2020, was still able to “generating new ridership demand in the sub-region in 2020.”

Ridership recovery by sub-region, early fall 2020. Source: TransLink

Bus service is the primary mode of transit for the South of Fraser, Maple Ridge, and Pitt Meadows. These areas are also home to essential businesses and workers, people who need to work out of the home. It is no surprise that transit ridership recovered more in these areas.

In areas with a more significant number of transit routes that service post-secondary institutions, which were doing remote learning for most of 2020, transit ridership was suppressed.

Another interesting observation was that transit ridership recovered more mid-day and on weekends than peak travel periods.

Weekday bus and SkyTrain (Expo, Millennium, and Canada Lines) Compass boardings by time of day, early fall 2020 vs. early fall 2019. Source: TransLink

These changes in travel patterns highlight the importance of transit service beyond post-secondary/school trips and office commuter trips.

As we continue to recover from the pandemic, I would not be surprised if transit service has smaller peak travel periods. It will be interesting to see how TransLink adapts, including impacts on revenue and ability to provide a robust, frequent transit network.

Langley City Council supports 101-unit Birch Building affordable seniors rental housing project by reducing fees by $151,500

Entrance to Langley Lions Housing Society site. Select image to enlarge.

In BC, municipalities can levy development cost charges on new development projects to expand or build new infrastructure.

The provincial government has strict regulations for development cost charges. A municipality must go through a complex bylaw creation process that lists specific road, sewage, water, drainage, and parkland projects. Municipalities must prove that any project for which development cost charges are applied is required as a direct result of development. There is a 116-page guide on creating development cost charge bylaws, including complex calculations needed to “prove” the impact of development on a community. The provinical government must approve development cost charge bylaws.

Development cost charge regulations can be too restrictive. For example, with parkland projects, municipalities can use development cost charges for building some types of sports fields, swings, and slides, but not dugouts, tennis courts, basketball courts, baseball diamonds, sports tracks, park lighting, or parking lots. This example shows the overly restrictive nature of development cost charges.

As a result, municipalities negotiate developer-paid community amenity contributions during the rezoning process to help pay for projects required due to development, but are exempt from development cost charges. Examples include basketball courts and other park improvements, public art, affordable housing, and renewing roads, trails, sewers, and water mains.

Langely City uses both development cost charges and community amenity contributions.

The Langley Lions Housing Society provides affordable housing for seniors and people with disabilities. They are in the process of building a new 101-unit Birch Building. They recently signed a housing agreement with Langely City to ensure that this building is mainly for seniors and remains affordable.

The Society requested that Langley City waive the $202,000 community amenity contribution for the Birch Building.

Langley City staff recommended that Council waive 75% of the community amenity contribution, which works out to $151,500. Constructing a housing agreement-secured, affordable, seniors-focused rental housing project is an amenity for our community. That being said, staff noted that “increased site density and a plan to allocate 20 percent of new units to non-seniors, it is also fair to anticipate that some increased demand for community amenities will be generated by new Langley Lions residents.”

The remaining $50,500 of community amenity contribution will support the new Birch Building residents’ additional amenities requirements.

Council supported staff’s recommendation and reduced the community amenity contribution for the Birch Building by 75%.

Council Motions: Eliminating Nuclear Weapons, Supporting 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline

Back in November, Langley City Council passed a motion supporting the Mayors For Peace Appeal. In addition, Council sent a letter to the federal government asking them to advocate for eliminating nuclear weapons.

Once a year, elected representatives and local government staff attend the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) convention. One of the main objectives of the convention is to pass motions for the provincial or federal governments to consider. The idea is that the voice of all local governments calling for action will get more done than just one.

The UN Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) is an agreement signed by 86 countries calling for national governments to dismantle nuclear weapons. It came into force this year. But, unfortunately, all nations with nuclear weapons and NATO members (including Canada) did not sign this treaty.

Council passed the following motion on May 31st:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the UBCM support the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) Cities Appeal and send urgent correspondence to the federal government asking that they take decisive steps toward the global elimination of nuclear weapons and sign and ratify the TPNW.

This motion will now go forward to the annual UBCM convention, where other local governments will have the opportunity to support it.

Suicide is one of the leading causes of preventable death in Canada. At the same meeting, Council passed a motion that “staff be directed to send a letter indicating such support to the local MP, MLA, Federal Minister of Health, the CRTC and local area municipalities to indicate our support” for a national 988 suicide and crisis hotline.

May 31 Council Notes: Streetscape Bins Waste Audit and Bylaw Traffic Fine Increases

Protecting and enhancing the environment where we live is a priority for Langley City residents and Langley City Council. People who completed an online survey about the proposed new Official Community Plan ranked its environmental policies with the highest levels of support.

Earlier this year, Langley City Council passed a motion declaring there is a climate emergency in our community and ask City staff to outline the next steps to:

• Achieve net-zero carbon emissions before 2050 with a balanced approach for today and future generations
• Update the current Sustainability Framework to incorporate current best practices on climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience, and to incorporate principles of biodiversity, sustainability and stewardship to guide future developments and infrastructure projects within Langley City

On May 31st, Council approved $14,000 to complete a Streetscape Container Waste Audit. Streetscape containers include the garbage and recycling bins you see at bus stops, at trailheads, and around the Downtown and Langley Bypass areas.

Langley City has 175 of these containers. This audit will sample 25% of these containers to see what people throw away. The audit will also check if people follow the labelling on multi-stream containers (silver bins) and will pilot new labelling at select bins to see if that improves sorting.

Based on the audit results, staff will plan for funding future phases of this waste audit starting next year to find the best ways to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills or burned at Metro Vancouver’s Waste-to-Energy Facility.

At the same meeting, Council also gave final reading to the 2020-24 Financial Plan Amendment Bylaw.

Council also gave first, second, and third reading to update the Municipal Ticket Information System Amendment Bylaw to increase the fines for many highway and traffic regulations violations. Penalties range from $30 to $500. If given final reading, you could get a $500 fine for damaging or altering City’s streets and sidewalks or for obstructing traffic flow.

Council also gave first, second, and third reading to the:

• Community Standards Amendment Bylaw
• Mural Regulation Amendment Bylaw
• City of Langley Sign Amendment Bylaw

These were housekeeping amendments to remove redundant wording from these bylaws.