Buying local is good unless you are a government organization

One of the things that we are told is that buying local is good. The provincial government has a B.C. Buy Local program which reminds us of this fact via adverting throughout Metro Vancouver.

In BC, there are organizations which promote buying goods and services from local businesses. The following infograph is from LOCAL BC “a non-profit local business alliance working to strengthen communities, grow the local economy and build strong, sustainable businesses by encouraging a shift in local purchasing by consumers, businesses and institutions/government.”

"Why Buy Local" infographic from LOCO BC.

While we’re told that buying local is good, we are also told that free trade is key to ensuring a successful Canadian economy.

While non-local businesses can now access local markets easier, free trade agreements in theory also make it easier for local businesses to gain access to non-local markets.

This almost seems like a paradox. Should we be buying our apple from the Okanagan, or the free trade apples from Washington State? Should we be buying Ikea future, or quality goods made locally?

In 1995, the federal government, provinces, and territories signed the Agreement on Internal Trade. BC, Alberta, and Saskatchewan signed the New West Partnership in 2010. These agreements bar local governments, provincial governments, and their various agencies from preferring to procure local goods and services in some cases.

Metro Vancouver staff recently put together a memo for its Performance and Procurement Committee about buying local and trade agreements.

Metro Vancouver staff note that “the Agreement on Internal Trade and the New West Partnership Trade Agreement prohibit the use of measures that would restrict or impair trade to the Agreement’s respective signatories for goods and services valued at or in excess of $75,000 and $200,000 for construction. In addition these opportunities require electronic postings that attract international attention.”

Even with these trade agreements and their procurement practices, Metro Vancouver still ends up getting the vast majority of its goods and services locally. “Approximately 91% of all purchases (as measure in total dollars) are ordered from vendors within the province of British Columbia and approximately 83% are from within a member municipality.”

While the memo doesn’t say is these are local offices of larger national or international organizations, it is telling how important a local presence is.

I find it interesting that the BC government spends money on adverting telling us to buy local, but has signed agreements which prevent governments from preferring local businesses.

A Massey Bridge was a bad idea back in 1955

Back in 2013, Christy Clark announced that the provincial government would replace the Massey Tunnel with a new bridge. On the surface, this seemed like a good idea as the Massey Tunnel is a bottleneck during peak travel periods.

For a bit of a history lesson, Time and Tide: The Settlement of Lulu Island’s South Arm Shore from the Richmond Archives explains why a tunnel was originally built.

The completed Massey Tunnel on opening day, May 23, 1959. Source: City of Richmond Archives

Mr. Massey had promoted, researched, lobbied and spoken to any interested persons on behalf of building a tunnel underneath the Fraser River at the site of the Ladner Ferry terminal. Among his arguments in favour of a tunnel instead of a bridge were that the approaches for a bridge would be so long as to be wasteful form a land use point of view, and very expense to build.

Further research by consultants hired by the province in 1955 found that a tunnel would cost $152.2 million (2015, inflation adjusted) as opposed to a bridge which would cost $214.8 million (2015, inflation adjusted). A bridge was 41% more costly than a tunnel!

Another challenge with building a bridge is the soil conditions in the area. A presentation for the UBC course EOSC 547, Tunnelling and Underground Engineering by Robert Cross, notes the soil conditions around the Massey Tunnel and construction methods used to build it.

One of the tragedies of modernity is forgetting about the past. The irony is not lost on me that Minster of Transportation Todd Stone said last week that, “It’s a much more complex technical project than even the Port Mann Bridge was” and that “the bridge will actually be a bit longer and at a bit higher. It will be a larger bridge overall than what the Port Mann is, mainly because of the soil conditions that have been encountered.”

Knowing the history of the area, it is no surprise that the proposed Massey Bridge is now going to cost north of $3 billion, and will likely be over budget.

To put that $3 billion into perspective, the whole Mayors’ Council Regional Transportation Investment Plan for Metro Vancouver costs $7.5 billion with benefits throughout the region.

Building a bridge across the Fraser River at Deas Island was a bad idea sixty years ago; the reasons for it being a bad idea haven’t changed 60 years later.

City of Langley Official Community Plan Update

Last year, the City of Langley updated its Master Transportation Plan, and Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan. Because of the age of the City of Langley’s current Official Community Plan (OCP), an update is required to reflect the content of both of the two new plans adopted in 2014.

Both the Parks & Recreation section of the OCP, and the Transportation section received significant updates.

One of the major goals in the Park & Recreation section of the updated OCP is to enhance trails, paths, and sidewalks in the community. This includes working on developing a trail system along Logan Creek near Kwantlen Polytechnic. It also includes updating wayfinding and trail infrastructure such as lighting, benches, bike racks and public art throughout the community.

Another major goal included in the OCP update is to acquire more parkland for neighbourhoods north of the Nicomekl River. As safety is a major concern in Langley, the OCP also speaks to using Crime Prevention Through Environment Design to improve the safety of all City of Langley parks.

Within the updated Transportation section of the OCP, the biggest goals are to improve the walking and cycling network in the City. This includes expanding both the cycling and sidewalk network, as well as enhancing the quality of existing cycling and walking infrastructure. While the OCP update also includes information about the future transit network, it is the responsibility of TransLink; there is very little the City can do to improve the transit network on its own.

As far as major road widening projects, the OCP identifies sections of 200th Street, the Langley Bypass, and 62 Avenue as candidates. The 50 Avenue/Grade Crescent/200th Street intersection has also been identified for a major upgrade.

The public hearing for the OCP update was last night, and it is very likely that this update will be approved at a future council meeting.

I have shared some of the updated maps from the OCP below.

Schedule "B" - Road Network Map. Blue = Province, Yellow = TransLink Major Road Network, Red = Arterial, Green = Collector. Select map to enlarge.

Schedule "C" - Future Transit Network Map. Rapid transit route and stations along hashed black line. Frequent transit network in blue. Local bus service in green and blue. Select map to enlarge.

Schedule "D" - Parks & Open Space Map. Includes future cycling network. Select map to enlarge.

How to build protected bike lanes, a new guide from MassDOT

Every so often, a planning guide is released which is a real game changer. One of those guides is the Urban Street Design Guide which shows how local governments can build streets that support all ages, abilities, and modes of transportation.

Another game changer, released just this month by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, is its Separated Bike Lane Planning & Design Guide. Over the last few years, many forwarding-thinking communities have come to the realization that people will only cycle if they feel safe. Building protected bike lanes creates a safe environment for cycling.

As Stephanie Pollack, Secretary of Transportation and CEO of MassDOT says, “Separated bike lanes are a key ingredient in the development of safe, comfortable and connected bicycle networks that will attract bicyclists of all ages and abilities.”

One of the barriers preventing the widespread adoption of protected bike lanes in North America is the lack of a comprehensive, and easily understandable design guide. This is where the MassDOT Separated Bike Lane Planning & Design Guide comes to the rescue. It not only provides design advice for transportation engineers and planners, but it is visual enough that local government decision makers will also understand the guide.

The guide is divided into seven chapters. There is one chapter that covers general design, and another full chapter dedicated to intersection design. Intersections are where the majority of conflicts between all road users occur.

Comparison of Bicyclist Exposure at Intersections. Cycling movements in blue, auto movements in black. Select diagrams to enlarge.

The design guide contains examples of protected bike lanes going through all types of intersections.

An example of how to build protected bike lanes through a roundabout. Select example to enlarge.

While building protected bike lanes is key to getting people riding bicycles, those lanes must be maintained to ensure their long-term success. The Separated Bike Lane Planning & Design Guide’s chapter on maintenance covers everything from lane sweeping and snow removal, to how to plan for solid waste collection.

An example of planning for solid waste collection on a residential street with protected bike lanes.

The MassDOT Separated Bike Lane Planning & Design Guide is a must-read for anyone involved in the design, construction, or maintenance of streets: from politicians to engineers.