Upcoming Event - City in Flux: Panel Discussion

Cypress-Bowl-Development-(3287) by Carolina de la Cajiga

West Vancouver’s Ferry Building Gallery will be exhibiting “City in Flux: Work in Progress” by Carolina de la Cujiga. Her work dives deep into the tension between growth and preservation in the future development of Metro Vancouver.

As part of the exhibition, the gallery is hosting a panel discussion. The panel includes “planning and transportation professionals, artists and architects as they explore the changing landscape of the Vancouver area and its implications for the future.” I will be one of the panel members.

The event details are as follows:
Sunday, April 15, 2018
2:00pm to 4:00pm
Ferry Building Gallery
1414 Argyle Avenue
West Vancouver, BC V7T 1C2

Admission is by donation and space is limited. Call 604-925-7270, noting course #44038 to reserve your spot, or register online.

It’s a bit of a journey to West Vancouver. You could make a day out of it, checking out the great amenities in Ambleside such as their beach, before or after the panel discussion.

South of Fraser Light Rail Early Works Projects Started. Phase One to Open in 2024.

A few weeks ago, the provincial government and our region’s mayors came to an agreement on how to fund two-thirds of the largest investment in public transit for Metro Vancouver in recent memory. This agreement in principle, combined with federal government financial support, means that both the Broadway Extension of the Millennium Line in Vancouver and light rail in the South of Fraser are moving forward.

The TransLink board will be meeting tomorrow, and one of the items on their agenda will be an update on the progress of South of Fraser Light Rail. Light rail in the South of Fraser will be delivered in two phases. Phase one will see light rail operate from Newton to Guildford, and phase two will see light rail operating from Downtown Surrey to Downtown Langley City.

For phase one of light rail, it is now expected that procurement will be completed this year, with construction starting in late 2019. Phase one is expected to start service in 2024.

Various projects must be completed before actual light rail construction begins. These are known as “early works.” The following map shows projects that need to be completed.

Map of phase one "Early Works" projects. Select map to enlarge.

List of Early Works Projects

1. Guildford Exchange Bus Layover Facility
2. 104 Avenue Storm Sewer Relocation (148 to 150 Street)
3. 104 Avenue Watermian Relocation (City Centre to 144 Street)
4. Bear Creek Bridge Replacement
5. Hydro Line Work
   1. 104 Avenue at 140 Street
   2. King George Boulevard at 92 Avenue
   3. King George Boulevard at 84 Avenue

Each project is at a different stage of design, tender, or construction. One of the first projects to get off the ground is the replacement of the Bear Creek Bridge at King George Boulevard —just south of 88 Avenue— to support light rail.

Getting rapid transit service within our part of the region has been a decade long process. It is encouraging to see construction work actually starting.

Provincial and local government housing policy aligned for the most part

The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) is the association that represents all local governments in our province. One of the major roles of the organization is to advocate on behalf of local governments to the provincial government.

Wesbrook Village. Select image to enlarge.

At the beginning of February, the UBCM Housing Committee released a report called, “A Home for Everyone.” This report outlined four key strategies to ensure housing is available for all British Columbians:

1. A Rental Housing Strategy
2. A Demand Management Strategy
3. A Comprehensive Homelessness Strategy
4. An All Government Approach Towards Housing Affordability

The UBCM also called on the provincial government to build 114,000 new affordable housing units over ten years.

As part of the recent budget, the province released “Homes for B.C.: A 30-Point Plan for Housing Affordability in British Columbia.” The UBCM Housing Committee reviewed this document. They presented to the Metro Vancouver Regional District’s Housing Committee this month, noting where the provincial plan aligns with the UBCM recommendations and were there is room for improvement.

For the most part, the provincial plan aligns with the UBCM report as follows:

A Rental Housing Strategy

• Commitment to create 114,000 units of affordable housing
• Retention and renewal of existing affordable housing
• Creation of a new rental-only zone

Demand Management

• Revisit Foreign Buyer’s tax rate and geographic scope of application
• Requirements for declaration of beneficial ownership
• Making the property transfer tax more progressive
• Address tax fairness as it pertains to short-term rentals

When it comes to demand management, there were two items which were not covered in the province’s housing plan: taxation to address rapid speculative resales, and an investigation of options for regulating short-term rentals.

Homelessness

UBCM’s recommendations were focused on prevention and integrated case management. The provincial plan includes funding for housing only. It is expected that further action on a holistic approach will be forthcoming with the provincial poverty reduction plan.

An All Government Approach Towards Housing Affordability

• Collaboration between orders of government, recognizing local governments’ role in defining community need and priorities

It is encouraging to see that provincial policies and local government housing priorities are, for the most part, aligned. The real test will be if the provincial government continues to follow through with its plan over the next decade to ensure that there is housing available for all people who live in our province.

Seattle’s light rail sheds light on what to expect in Surrey and Langley

With phase two funding approved in principle for the Mayors’ Council’s Ten-Year Transportation Vision, light rail will now be a reality in the South of Fraser. This funding will allow light rail to be built and operated along King George Boulevard and 104th Avenue. It will get pre-construction work completed for the Fraser Highway line, ensuring that construction can start the instant that the third and final phase of funding is approved for the Ten-Year Transportation Vision.

King County is served by Link Light Rail which opened in the summer of 2009. Some sections of their light rail network run in a tunnel, some sections run at-grade, and some sections run above-grade like SkyTrain.

My friend Paul Hillsdon and I decided to head to Seattle over the weekend to check out Rainier Valley. This part of King County is served by Link Light Rail where the stations and track are at-grade. This section is similar to what is being planned for South of Fraser light rail.

One of the first things that Paul and I noticed was that the trains don’t stop at intersections. All the traffic signals were set to prioritize light rail. The following clip shows light rail going through a signalized intersection. Link Light Rail runs in its own dedicated right-of-way which is how light rail will operate in the South of Fraser. While some cars passed the train in this clip, they had to queue at subsequent traffic signals.

Paul and I stopped at the Othello Light Rail Station where redevelopment has occurred around the station. We when into Cafe Red where we had a good chat with its barista who was very knowledge about light rail in Rainier Valley. I asked him if trains ever had to wait at traffic lights. He told me that this was a rarity. He stated that cross-street traffic and left-turning traffic gets delayed to prioritize light rail vehicles going through intersections. One of the balancing acts will be to ensure that light rail is prioritized while also ensuring that cross-street traffic gets some love too.

New development around Othello Station. Select image to enlarge.

The following pictures show Rainier Beach Station. This station is the best example of what light rail stations will look like in the South of Fraser.

Rainier Beach Link Light Rail Station: Platform and ticket-vending machines. Select image to enalrge.

Rainier Beach Link Light Rail Station. Select image to enlarge.

Pedestrian access to Rainier Beach Link Light Rail Station. Select image to enlarge.

Travelling along Martin Luther King Jr Way on light rail shows how light rail can function efficiently at-grade. I know that many South of Fraser folks are concerned about light rail getting jammed up with regular traffic. In Seattle, they have figured out how to prioritize at-grade light rail to ensure smooth sailing for its riders.