Potential 2026 Transit Cuts Means 20% Increase in Congestion, $1 Billion Negative Annual Economic Impact

As I posted in July, starting in 2026, TransLink will have to cut transit service by 50% if we cannot develop a new deal to fund transit service in our region with the federal and provincial governments. The short of it is that as more people are taking transit and switching to EVs, the gas tax (a significant funding source) continues to decline.

TransLink staff commissioned a report called "Economic Impacts of Potential Service Cuts" which is on today's Mayors' Council meeting agenda.

Reduced transit service by 50% would increase the average household's costs by $993 annually. For some perspective, the average household pays about $200 per year in fuel tax to TransLink.

$638 of that impact would be due to people having to find alternative ways to get around other than by transit. $236 would be because of a loss of access to jobs and increased congestion. $108 would be due to increased vehicle operating costs, including insurance premiums, and $10 would be due to the increased cost of goods due to increased congestion.

Big picture, cutting transit service by 50% would have a $1 billion negative impact on our economy in Metro Vancouver.

These transit cuts would also increase congestion by 20%. The following map shows where people would see changed travel times with a 50% transit cut.

Map of changing travel times on Metro Vancouver road network with 50% transit service cuts. Green means decreased travel time, and red means increased travel time. Select the map to enlarge.

I'm certain that the majority of folks in Metro Vancouver and whoever forms the next provincial government do not want to see transit service cut, so I am hopeful that we will find a new deal to fund transit service in our region.

Please read the September 25, 2024, Mayors' Council agenda for the full report.

Langley City Centre SkyTrain Station Includes Washrooms, Retail & Mini-Police Station

I'm excited about the Surrey Langley SkyTrain extension, which extends the Expo Line and provides a one-seat ride from Langley City to Downtown Vancouver. Langley City will be served by two stations (Willowbrook and Langley City Centre.)

Langley City Centre SkyTrain Station view from 203rd Street. Select the rendering to enlarge.

Langley City's Advisory Design Panel and City Council recently reviewed the design of the Langley City Centre Station. This station has some great features, making it unique among the new stations the province is building for the extension.

Langley City Centre SkyTrain Station landscaping plan. Select the rendering to enlarge.

The first is that the station is designed for high capacity. The station will have a centre platform, two sets of up/down escalators, and two elevators. It will have two entrances, one on the west and another on the east. While I've heard some folks talk about parks and rides, almost all SkyTrain riders start their journey on foot/wheeling or by bus. Park and rides are not a part of any of the new SkyTrain stations. Langley City Centre Station will accommodate a significant transit exchange that can support Bus Rapid Transit. Langley City is a highly walkable community.

Langley City Centre SkyTrain Station transit exchange. Select the rendering to enlarge.

The station will also have a transit police office, secure bike parking, washrooms, and a retail outlet.

The station will also have a plaza on the south with many shade trees. Over time, I expect people will construct mixed-use buildings to the immediate south of the station.

As part of the SkyTrain project and to support improved access, the province and City are extending Industrial Avenue to 203A Street and 203A Street to Fraser Highway.

The station's construction and finishing materials will be durable and resistant to vandalism. The station will also feature a lot of glass to improve safety, ensuring no hidden spaces.

The station will feature public art and design features, such as a wave design in the concrete sidewalks that symbolize the Nicomekl River and will extend along all of Industrial Avenue.

September 23 Council Notes: Apartment Project and New Garbage Collection

Last night's Langley City Council meeting was brief, with two items that Council voted on in the agenda.

The first was to give third reading to a rezoning bylaw update for a 64-unit apartment project on Michaud Crescent with 7 three-bedroom units, 43 two-bedroom units, 5 one-bedroom + flex units, and 9 one-bedroom units. Third reading is considered "approval-in-principle" for a rezoning. The applicant will now work with the city to finalize the design, pay required deposits, and pay development cost charges and community amenity charges for infrastructure to accommodate population growth, among other things. Once this is completed, Council will consider the final reading of the rezoning and issue a development permit. You can read more about this project in a previous post.

Council also deferred voting on a new garbage collection contract for detached homes and small townhouse/rowhouse complexes until the October 7th Council meeting. You can read more about proposed changes to garbage collection in a previous post.

Langley City Council's Provincial Asks Endorsed by Other Councils at UBCM Convention

Earlier this month, I posted about the four resolutions from Langley City Council that we sent to the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) convention for debate and potential endorsement by the UBCM membership. UBCM members are local government elected representatives.

Locally elected representatives from across BC gathered at the Vancouver Convention Centre last week for the annual UBCM convention. I posted about Langley City Council's meetings with various provincial government ministers at UBCM last week. You can read about those meetings in part one and part two of a series.

I wanted to provide a brief update on Langley City's submitted resolutions.

Many municipalities put forward resolutions calling on the provincial government to create a comprehensive funding framework that supports local fire departments that respond to medical emergencies. Our resolution was combined with similar resolutions from the Nanaimo Regional District, Tofino, Port Alberni, and the Okanagan-Similkameen Regional District. The UBCM membership approved this resolution.

Langley City also proposed a resolution asking that the provincial government expand its Homeless Response and Shelter Support program to more municipalities. Unfortunately, Langley City has the third-largest population of people who are unhoused in Metro Vancouver, yet this program has not been implemented in our community. The membership also approves this resolution.

There is no courthouse in Langley City or Township, even though we have a combined population larger than Kelowna or my hometown of Vernon, each with provincial and supreme courts. There is only one courthouse in the South of Fraser in Metro Vancouver (in Surrey.) In growing communities or rural areas, getting access to court services can be challenging. Langley City's resolution calling on the province to expand access to court services was approved by the UBCM membership.

Langley City Council also put forward a resolution calling on the province to provide funding or other supports to help communities "complete the required updates to Official Community Plans, Environmental Servicing Plans as well as to review the impacts on all community infrastructure" due to new housing legislation. Many UBCM members thought this request was too broad, and the membership did not endorse it.

Langley City Council Talks to Province About Reducing Climate Risk, Performing Arts and Cultural Spaces

Today, Langley City Council attended two meetings with provincial Ministers as part of the annual Union of BC Municipalities convention. You can read about our meeting earlier this week in a previous post.

Some members of Council meeting with Minister Bowinn Ma

Our first meeting today was with Bowinn Ma, the Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. We discussed our Langley City Emergency Program and the need to upgrade our facilities to deal with extreme weather events such as flooding and extreme heat. Minister Ma noted that they have a new intake for their Disaster Resilience and Innovation Funding, which could be used to upgrade our civic facilities to help reduce risk or increase our tree canopy to reduce heat risk. This funding program could fit well with Langley City's proposed Urban Forest Management Strategy.

Our final meeting was with Minister Lana Popham, the Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture & Sport. We talked about Langley City's proposed Performance Arts Centre. Langley City has invested $20 million over the last few decades to acquire land around City Hall/Timms Community Centre to support this centre. We heard from the Minister that while they currently do not have a funding program for cultural space, they may be considering a funding program in the future. We asked them to please let us know if this funding program is available so we can apply.

Langley City Council Talks to Province About Healthcare, Housing, and Transit

As I noted last week, Langley City Council is attending the annual Union of BC Municipalities convention this week. At the convention, Councils have the opportunity to book meetings with various provincial ministers and ministries. Langley City Council booked six meetings, and I wanted to post about the four meetings we've had over the last several days.

Some members of Langley City Council, with Transportation Minister Rob Fleming

Our first meeting on Monday was with Health Minister Adrian Dix. We raised the concern that Fraser Health is planning to move the current Urgent Primary Care Centre in Downtown Langley City to a part of Langley that is not as accessible via walking, scootering, or transit. We noted that many choices about the location of medical facilities are made by high-income folks who drive cars. We noted that in Langley City, many folks cannot drive or cannot afford to drive and that moving the Ugerent Primary Care Centre would reduce health services in our community for people who need it the most. I offered to go on a walking tour with Ministery staff to show how easy it is to get to the current Ugerent Primary Care Centre and how hard it will be to get to the new location. We asked the province and Fraser Health to keep the Urgent Primary Care Centre in Downtown Langley City. We will be following up on that walking tour.

Our next meeting was with Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon. We thank him for advocating to the federal government to expand the federal rental housing construction program to provide affordable housing for middle-income folks. We ask for his continued support as we advocate for expanding the federal program. On the topic of federal advocacy, we also asked for his support to the federal government to lift the height restrictions in Langley City due to the Langley Regional Airport. This restriction can be lifted near SkyTrain stations while still providing for the safe and effective operation of the airport.

On Tuesday, we met with Premier David Eby. One of the challenges we see in Langley City to improving the outcomes of folks who are in a mental health crisis, want a way out of problematic substance use or are unhoused is the fractured and siloed systems in our province. Langley City staff has been doing ground-work to understand these gaps in our community over the last year, and we asked the Premier to commit to working with our staff as we work to break down these silos and move towards a social and healthcare system that is focused on people and not programs. We asked to be a pilot community for person-centred care based on the work we've been doing. We believe this is the only way to improve health and social outcomes for people in our community.

Later in the day, we chatted with Transportation Minister Rob Fleming. We talked about the need to deliver transit services where they are needed the most to support newcomers and shift workers in our community.

We have further meetings on Thursday.

Langley City’s Urban Forest: Plant More Trees, Ensure They Are Taken Care Of, Beef Up Tree Protection

This post is part two of my mini-series on Langley City’s draft Urban Forest Management Strategy. In part one, you can learn more about the current health, challenges, and opportunities of Langley City’s urban forest.

The draft Urban Forest Management Strategy has four main goals with proposed action items to help grow our urban forest canopy from 17% today to 20% by 2046 while addressing tree cover equality for our community. The following outlines these goals and proposed actions.

1. Protect and enhance trees, forests, and soils
   • Improve policies and regulations to achieve a better integration of the urban forest within the built environment
   • Enhance ecosystems to support biodiversity and access to nature
   • Grow the urban forest with a focus on tree resilience and equity across neighbourhood
2. Manage the urban forest for its health and resiliency
   • Acquire and integrate tree asset information to the City’s asset management system
   • Transition to a more proactive urban forest management program
   • Evaluate and maintain sufficient staffing and budget resources to deliver defined urban forest service levels
3. Support community partnership
   • Create opportunities to build relationships and work on reconciliation with First Nations through urban forest management
   • Support and expand initiatives to involve community members, landowners, and organizations in urban forest stewardship
4. Monitor progress and adapt to changing circumstances
   • Regularly monitor and report on urban forest change
   • Continuously explore options to collect information and adapt practices to changing conditions

Out of all the actions listed in the Urban Forest Management Strategy, three “big moves” will have the most impact in enhancing our urban forest and growing the tree canopy. In no particular order, they are:

• Plant more trees in neighbourhoods with a low Tree Equity Score (see part one for more information.)
• Ensure the City has the staffing and budget to maintain a growing urban forest
• Increase tree protection and ensure replacement of trees, especially during redevelopment (aka reduce the clear-cutting of lots.)

Langley City is seeking your feedback before presenting a final version of the Urban Forest Management Strategy for Council to consider adopting. Please visit Langley City’s website for more information and complete the survey before October 8th, 2024.

Langley City’s Urban Forest: A Matter of Equality

As you may know, Langley City has been working on our first Urban Forest Management Strategy. The strategy’s primary goals are to increase the health of our urban forest and the tree canopy cover in our community from about 17% today to 20% by 2046, reserving the slow decline in canopy cover which has happened over the last few decades.

Langley City Council received a presentation on a draft version of our proposed Urban Forest Management Strategy at last Monday’s Council meeting. The strategy’s authors sought feedback from Council before it goes out for further public feedback. I will post about the draft set of recommendations tomorrow. I wanted to focus on some of the information on the current state of our urban forest today.

About two-thirds of our urban forest is on private land. While tree cover has increased on public land, it has decreased on private land.

Our urban forest is not evenly distributed; American Forests created a metric called the Tree Equity Score. This scoring system looks at metrics such as current tree canopy cover, building density, and surface temperature, as well as social metrics such as income, race, age, and gender. It highlights where we are doing well and where we need to improve our urban forest. The following map should come as no surprise. We need to focus on the northern part of our community.

A map of Langley City’s Tree Equity Score. Red is worse. Green is better. Select the map to enlarge.

The following map shows significant forest stands. We need to protect and enhance these areas.

Map of significant forest stands. The darker the green, the more significant. Select the map to enlarge.

This final map shows the location of tall trees in our community.

A map of tall trees in Langley City. Select the map to enlarge.

With this information and also based on the initial round of feedback from the community, there is a series of proposed recommendations, as I noted, that will be the topic of tomorrow’s post. Langley City will be seeking more feedback from the community this fall.

September 9 Council Notes: Reduce Bike Theft, Business Licensing, and Industrial Land in Surrey

Project 529 Garage is a simple yet effective program to help curb bike theft and improve the chance of recovery if someone does steal your bike. I've posted about this program in the past. The short of it is that you register your bike for free on the 529 Garage app. If it is ever stolen, you can send out an alert through the app, which is supported by crowdsourcing and the police to help recover it.

To make the process even easier, you can also purchase a 529 Shield decal to help further identify your bike and let bike thieves know to leave your bike alone.

Langley City's Crime Prevention Committee operates a volunteer-run bike valet service to provide secure parking for people who take their bikes to major events such as Community Day. The Committee asked Council to approve funding 500 529 Bike Shield kits that they will distribute at events which they attend to help promote this program and reduce bike theft in our community. Council approved this $1,625 request at Monday's meeting.

Langley City participates in the Fraser Valley Intermunicipal Mobile Business Licence program. This program allows mobile trades contractors, hair salons, and caterers to have one business license that is valid from Delta to Hope. Council received a letter from the BC Care Providers Association asking to add home health care providers to this program. Council referred this letter to City staff to investigate.

Council also received a letter from the Metro Vancouver Regional District asking for comments about the City of Surrey's request to change the regional land use from Industrial to Employment for the property located at 7880 128 Street in Newton.

In 2014, I posted about significant non-compliant, non-industrial uses in the Newton Industrial area, which was designated industrial at the city and regional levels. Surrey and the Regional District worked to create the Central Newton Cultural Commercial District to accept what was there and provide a buffer to prevent further industrial conversion. The current request at the edge of this District would result in a loss of 1.3 hectares of industrial land. There is an industrial land shortage in Metro Vancouver.

Council directed City staff to respond to the letter from the Metro Vancouver Regional District requesting comments.

Langley City Trash Talk: Part 1

If you live in a detached home, plex, or complex with fewer than seven units, Langley City provides garbage and organics collections. Strata complexes must go to the market to find a garbage and organics collection service. Recycling services in Langley City are provided directly by Recycle BC.

Langley City currently contracts out its garbage and organics collection. The current contract is about a decade old and is ending this year. This end of the contract means that the City must either go out to the market for a new contract, bring the garbage and organics collections service in-house, or stop providing this service. For example, Maple Ridge does not provide garbage or organics collection services.

Council decided to continue providing this service and asked staff to look into either going to market for a new contract or bringing the service in-house. In addition, to improve efficiency and reduce injuries, Council asked to implement a semi-automatic collection system with toter bins. For example, the Township of Langley and the City of Surrey use toter systems. Council wanted to see the use of alternate fuel vehicles, an annual hazardous waste event, and large item pickup like we have today.

Example of Toters

At the September 9th Council meeting, City staff proposed signing a seven-year contract with Emterra to provide these services. This proposal went out to public tender. The new contract, of course, had a higher annual price than our current expiring contract.

Council had many questions about the proposed new contract, including cost and level of service. Several members of the Council, including myself, questioned why we didn't have an in-housing service option and if Emetrra was a living wage employer. With so many questions and the seriousness of potentially committing the City to a seven-year contract, Council deferred voting of this matter until the September 23rd meeting to allow City staff time to prepare responses to the Council's question.

Housing Matters: 64-Unit Apartment Project, 4-Unit Rowhouse Project

Last night, Langley City Council moved forward on two housing matters at our 7 pm public meeting. The first proposal was for a 6-storey, 64-unit apartment at 20220-20230 Michaud Crescent. The project's applicant is proposing to build 64 apartment units as follows:

43 Two-Bedroom Units
9 One-Bedroom Units
7 Three-Bedroom Units
5 One-Bedroom + Flex Units

Renderings of proposed 6-storey, 64-unit apartment at 20220-20230 Michaud Crescent. Select the image to enlarge.

If you've been following apartment projects in Langley City, you'll have noticed that many recent projects did not have three-bedroom units and a lower percentage of two-bedroom units. Our parking requirements were a big driver for that.

Three-bedroom units required two parking spots, two-bedroom units required 1.5 spots, and one-bedroom units required one spot in our current zoning bylaw.

Each parking spot uses about 288 sq. ft. when considering the spot and the drive aisle. A typical 1,000 sq. ft. 3-bedroom apartment would require about 580 sq. ft. of parking; about a third of an apartment unit's cost would be for parking. In today's market, these three-bedroom, two-parking spot apartments are not financially viable to build in Langley City with private construction financing.

Earlier this year, the provincial government updated provincial law to prevent local governments, such as Langley City, from setting minimum parking requirements for housing within 800 metres of current or future SkyTrain stations. This project is within 800 metres of the future Langley City Centre SkyTrain Station. As such, the applicant proposes to provide one parking space per unit.

This project is on the site of current rental buildings. The current buildings have two purpose-built rental units, and the proposed apartment will have two replacement purpose-built rental units per City policy. Adding complexity, these current buildings have unauthorized suites which have been rented out for some time. This project is subject to Langley City's older CO-81 Tenant Relocation Plans policy, which requires moving assistance, compensation, and the right-to-return for existing renters. The City requires this policy to be applied to all renters, whether they live in an authorized or unauthorized suite. The applicant noted that they are offering an additional two months of rent beyond the two- to six-month rent compensation required based on tenancy length under the older CO-81 policy. The applicant informed Council that about half of the tenants subject to CO-81 have been relocated.

Langley City Council gave first and second reading to a bylaw to enable the proposed apartment project.

Later, Langley City Council gave third reading to a bylaw to enable a 4-unit rowhouse at 20139 53A Avenue. You can read more about this project in a previous post.

Langley City Council Advocating to Province at Annual UBCM Convention

In one week, elected representatives from regional districts and municipalities throughout BC will gather in Downtown Vancouver for the annual Union of BC Municipalities convention. While the convention is packed with workshops and opportunities to connect with other locally elected folks, the primary purpose of the convention, from my perspective, is that of advocacy to the provincial government on issues that matter to local government.

Members of Langley City Council chatting with MLA Andrew Mercier at last year's UBCM conference.

This advocacy is done in two ways. The first is through resolutions that local governments present, which the whole UBCM membership debates and, if endorsed, are presented to the provincial government for response and action. There are over 225 resolutions for the membership to debate over the convention. Langley City Council has four resolutions up for debate.

The first resolution calls on the provincial government to expand its Homeless Response and Shelter Support program to more municipalities. This program helps to fund temporary and permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness. The second resolution asks the provincial government to increase financial and other support to local governments to help better plan for population growth. The third resolution calls on the provincial government to expand access to courts by building new and expanding current court facilities (for example, there are no courthouses in Langley City or Township.) The fourth resolution asks the provincial government to create a comprehensive funding framework that supports local fire departments that respond to medical emergencies.

The other primary way local governments advocate is through meetings with the Premier and provincial Ministers, which are scheduled throughout the convention.

Langley City Council will be meeting with the Premier, Minister of Housing, Minister of Health, Minister of Transportation, Minister of Public Safety & Solicitor General, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, and Sport, and Minister of Emegernecy Management and Climate Readiness. I will be posting more about these meetings and topics covered next week.

The Union of BC Municipalities convention is one of the best opportunities for advocacy at a provincial level, and it also helps me understand what is on the minds of people throughout the province. While I'm always pretty exhausted after the convention, I look forward to attending next week.

Next Few Council Meetings Virtual Due to Council Chamber Renewal

For many, including Langley City Council, this week is the unofficial beginning of the fall season, with many things restarting, such as school. Local government councils and boards generally have a meeting break in August, but as of this week, we are back in full swing.

You may notice that Langley City Council will meet virtually for the next two to four meetings.

We are meeting virtually because the Langley City Council Chamber is getting a long overdue upgrade. Langley City Council meetings are streamed online and recorded. The recording technology in the Council Chamber is almost two decades old. You can tell when watching the grainy and hard-to-hear meetings online. In the Council chamber itself, it is also challenging to hear Council both as a member of the public and a member of the Council; this can be exacerbated if you have hearing loss. The room's layout, including the desk, makes it challenging to have "roll up your sleeves" meetings, which is why Council holds many of its meetings in the CKF Boardroom across the hall.

Over the next month or so, the Council Chamber is getting a technology refresh to improve audio and video quality for people watching meetings online and those attending in person. The echoey laminate flooring will be replaced with standard office carpet. The current "Judge Judy" layout will be changed to a standard, simple boardroom layout. This upgrade will improve accessibility for members of Council and the general public. It will also result in much-needed additional meeting space at City Hall as the Council Chamber will now be available for other Council committee and staff meetings.

During the upgrade, you can live stream Council meetings on YouTube or request a link to a Zoom meeting to observe directly. For those without access to the Internet, the City will also be setting up a viewing room in the CKF Boardroom at City Hall. For more information, please visit Langley City's website.

I look forward to the updated Council Chamber and getting back to meeting in person as soon as possible.

Clean and Safe Public Washrooms in Parks and Transit Stations are Possible

In August, I travelled to the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand and Sydney, Australia. One of the things that stood out to me during this trip was the number of well-maintained public washrooms, whether in transit stations, parks, or just on the side of the road.

A public washroom in a Sydney Metro station. Select the image to enlarge.

Access to well-maintained washrooms is essential. I know that access to washrooms is even more critical for folks with children or elders. I've certainly had many times when I've needed to go into a shopping centre or buy a coffee to access a washroom.

The main public transit exchange in Downtown Christchurch, New Zealand which has public washrooms. Select the image to enlarge.

On the long weekend, I travelled to the Puget Sound region to check out the new Link light rail extension, which connects the City of Lynwood, Mountlake Terrace, and Shoreline to Seattle and points south. I noticed that the Lynwood City Center station had public washrooms.

Some might think that there is something different about Metro Vancouver that makes it difficult to have public washrooms, especially at transit stations. There isn't, from what I can tell. Some people in all the places I travelled to use washrooms beyond their intended purpose, but the maintenance frequency is higher.

For a local example, the washrooms at Willowbrook Shopping Mall are maintained more frequently than the washrooms at Linwood Park in Langley City. Traditionally, we haven't placed a high value on public washrooms, though this is something that I've been advocating changing, whether at TransLink stations or here in Langley City.

I'm proud that we are building a new public washroom in Douglas Park, but I also acknowledge that we need to increase the frequency of washroom service.

We can have nice things, including clean and safe public washrooms. As a community and a region, we must prioritize it.

Watch the 2024 State of Langley City Address with Q&As

I delivered the 2024 State of the City address at a Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce dinner at the end of June. I posted a quick write-up of the presentation portion of the address, which you can read in a previous post. At a high level, the presentation titled “Our City, Our Future” focused on how we are partnering to deliver new and maintain existing affordable housing, what we are doing to build a safer community, including the work we’ve done in the last year in preparation for the Citizens’ Assembly on Community Safety, what SkyTrain means for Langley City, redevelopment, and our new performance evaluation and accountability dashboard.

The full video of the address is now online, including the presentation and the fireside chat with Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce CEO Cory Redekop.

During the fireside chat, we discussed how the BC Assessment Authority’s property valuation makes for inconsistent commercial property tax rates in the City. We also touch on the importance of investing in infrastructure such as roads, water pipes, sewer lines, and parks to support the business community and how these investments get customers to shops and attract workers to the community. We talked about the work Langley City is doing around increasing community safety, including looking into ways to implement upstream solutions. We also chatted about regional service integration, what SkyTrain means for our Downtown, the Fraser Highway One-Way Renewal Project, and the Township’s proposed de-integration of our shared Langley RCMP detachment.

Below is the video of the 2024 State of the City address.