Cyclist and Pedestrian Crash Map

ICBC recently posted crash data on their website and included information about pedestrians and cyclists. The also includes a very handy mapping tool which I used to look at crash locations in the South of Fraser. Besides giving insight into high-crash locations, the data also gives a clue as to where there is a higher concentration of cyclists and pedestrians, and where active transportation facilities need to be improved.

Locations with two or more crashes involving cyclist, 2007-2011

Locations with two or more crashes involving pedestrians, 2007-2011

The one thing that stands out for me in this data is that the main arterial roads in the South of Fraser like Scott Road, King George, 104th, and 200th, need to be made safer for active transportation users. It is interesting to note that Fraser Highway with its completed sidewalks and bike lanes has less crashes than other major corridors in Surrey for example.

BC Transportation Summit 1950, er 2012

Yesterday and today the BC Chamber of Commerce is hosting a transportation summit on what they are calling "BC’s gateway strategy and future development". When I look at the list of speakers at the conference, it certainly seems that this event is focusing on moving goods. One of the panels that concerned me is called "Integrating BC's Transport Network". When I think of an integrated transportation system, I think of a system that moves goods and people in the most efficient way possible. This means the provisioning of walking facilities, cycling lanes, transit service, freight-rail, and roads. But, the list of speakers which includes the BC Road Builders leads me to believe that the panel will be about building more and bigger road which will of course impact the livable of Metro Vancouver.

Looking at the conference, it still seems like they are planning for a transportation system that is based on the 1950’s model of cheap fuel and limitless expansion which is odd as the BC Chamber of Commerce policy manual says "numerous studies, along with empirical evidence from around the world, clearly demonstrate that simply building new roads and other infrastructure in the absence of demand management techniques, including quality public transit options, will not alleviate congestion in the long run." It is a shame that some business leaders aren’t hearing about this research.

The irony of the whole thing is that the event is being held at the Hotel Vancouver in a part of our region with no freeways. If the 1950’s road builders had their way, the Hotel Vancouver would be an off-ramp.

Roads are an important part of the transportation puzzle, but more important is a diverse transportation system that can move people and goods in the most efficient way possible.

The State of Canada’s Cities and Communities 2012

Last weekend, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities hosted their 75th Annual Conference and local Langley politicians like Kim Richter were live tweeting at the conference. On Friday, the FCM released a report called "The State of Canada's City and Communities".

The FCM found that the downloading of services from the federal government to provincial governments and the downloading of services from provincial governments to local governments, hurt local governments the most.

"Federal government expenditures in constant dollars per capita have been declining, while their revenues have been increasing. Provincial/territorial government expenditures have been increasing at almost the same rate as their revenues. However, both federal and provincial government revenues fell in 2009. Municipal government expenditures have been increasing at a faster rate than their revenues over the past 20 years."

Selected Municipal Government Expenditures per Capita, Canada, 1988–2008, Constant (1988) Dollars

Federal, Provincial and Municipal Government Expenditures Per Capita, 1989–2009, In Constant (1988) Dollars

The FCM also found that local governments have been forced to pick up the ball on affordable housing, policing, and the environment which senior levels of government have neglected over the years. It is not surprising that affordable housing and protective services have become the fastest growing items in local government budgets which impacts the ability of local governments to provide traditional service like water, sewer, transportation, transit, and recreation services.

I've always been a big supporter of local government as I believe that it is best equipped to respond to the needs of citizens and is the most accountable level of government. I also believe that senior levels of government play an important role and after years of downloading services to local government, must provide funding and some broad policy objectives to local government. One the topic of funding, the report contains a section on property tax and why it shouldn't be the only source of taxation for the local government.

It is the lack of diversity in the local tax regime that is the issue. Only when governments have a diverse set of tax tools can all the positive performance criteria be brought into play. In other words, it is important to recognize the benefits that accrue from a diversity of tax tools and revenue levers. The singular and heavy reliance of Canada’s local governments on the property tax, coupled with the fiscal challenges they face—particularly infrastructure—constitute a powerful argument for employing a range of tax tools and revenue levers, allowing the disadvantages of the property tax to be offset by other tax sources.

A stable senior government funding program for local governments has been an issue for several decades though the FCM recognizes that the federal government has been returning tax revenue back to communities at a higher rate than in the past. The challenge is that many of these programs run out in the next few years and there appears to be no new plans on the horizon to continue to invest in communities. As more and more Canadian live in urban areas, it will be interesting to see if both provincial and federal governments will continue to pay attention to local funding challenges.

Water Rates in the South of Fraser

Over the last little while, there has been some people that have called for the Township of Langley to leave Metro Vancouver and go it alone. One of the services that Metro Vancouver provides is water. Municipalities tap into Metro Vancouver’s water mains which feeds into their own systems. I wanted to see how the water rates in the South of Fraser communities compare to Abbotsford.

Township of Langley Flat Rate: $420.92
Delta Flat Rate: $470
Surrey Metered Rate: $0.815 per cubic meter*
City of Langley Metered Rate: $1.03 per cubic meter in addition to a $50 fee
Abbotsford Rates:
$1.13 per cubic metre (November – April)
$1.13 - $2.26 per cubic metre (May – October)

In Abbotsford you can expect to pay between $236.17 and $1,900.84 per year on water depending on your household size. Abbotsford currently has a water shortage problem and that has led to a tiered-rate during peak months.

So besides having some of the most expensive water rates in the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford also has a supply problem. All food for thought for people that think the Township of Langley would be better off on its own.

*Surrey has a flat rate water option of $651 per year, but it is high to get people with older, non-metered homes to switch to Surrey's voluntary water meter program. All home built since 1998 in Surrey have meters.