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Home My WebLink AboutINS-11-010 - Transportation Planning OverviewREPORT TO:Planning & Strategic Initiatives Committee DATE OF MEETING: January 17, 2011 SUBMITTED BY: Pauline Houston, Deputy CAO, Infrastructure Services Jeff Willmer, Deputy CAO, Community Services PREPARED BY: Jeff Willmer, Deputy CAO, Community Services 519-741-2325 WARD(S) INVOLVED: All DATE OF REPORT: January 12, 2011 REPORT NO.: INS-11-010 SUBJECT: Transportation Planning Overview RECOMMENDATION: For information, introductory to Reports CAO-11-001 and INS-11-005. BACKGROUND: City Council gave approval in principle to the 2010 Cycling Master Plan in September 2010, with implementation funding being referred to the 2011 budget. Staff reports on Kitchener’s Long Term Parking Strategy and Parking Enterprise Business Case are now complete and will be considered January 17 2011 by standing committee of Council, and work is nearing completion on a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Study. All of these are components of and help inform the proposed Kitchener Transportation Master Plan scheduled for completion in 2011. This report gives a very general overview of how these related initiatives complement each other and align with the City of Kitchener Strategic Plan. REPORT: The City’s Transportation Master Plan, being completed in 2011, will define and prioritize a transportation network that is supportive of all modes of travel - including walking, cycling and transit - thereby reducing dependency on single occupant vehicle trips and reducing the effect of community growth on our roads and parking facilities. Single occupant vehicles continue to be the predominant mode of transportation in our community. However if our transportation infrastructure, in particular roads and parking facilities, are to continue to provide an acceptable level of service as the city grows it is necessary to influence community members to modify travel choices. A TDM study will provide the basis for the City to positively influence such a shift towards sustainable modes of transport. The TDM program will be a comprehensive combination of education, policies, programs, services and products that promote sustainable transportation choices. The Cycling Master Plan, Long Term Parking Strategy and Parking Enterprise Business Case are interrelated initiatives whose development has been coordinated with the others so that the combined result is a strategic package of initiatives. These are developed to be consistent with TDM principles and balance the community’s interests in social vitality, environmental viability and economic prosperity. î ó ï A key aspect of the proposed Parking Enterprise is that it would provide sustainable funding for implementation of the Cycling Master Plan and proposed TDM initiatives. Without this source of funding, these initiatives could be funded from the tax-based budget but would have to compete with all other high priorities through the budget process. ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: The City of Kitchener Strategic Plan (2007-2027) guides decision-making in the interest of building and maintaining a healthy and sustainable city. The Plan emphasizes the importance of considering the interests of future generations. The current package of transportation initiatives (Cycling Master Plan, Long Term Parking Strategy, Parking Enterprise Business Case, Transportation Demand Management Strategy and Transportation Master Plan) is intended to help manage the forces of change to shift transportation choices. This shift promotes improved individual and public health, and mitigates transportation impacts on air quality which is of primary importance to the community. Community Priorities Quality of Life The citizens’ vision includes investing in maintaining basic services. Parking facilities are basic services which promote economic development and urban vitality. Cycling facilities are a relatively new component of transportation infrastructure, but should most certainly be considered as basic services. By establishing a Parking Enterprise, Kitchener will generate sustainable revenue not only to provide and maintain parking facilities but also to fund TDM initiatives including Cycling Master Plan implementation. Leadership & Community Engagement Strategic Direction #1: “That the city partners with citizens, business, agencies, organizations, school boards and all orders of government, as appropriate, in all Healthy Community initiatives.” The Cycling Master Plan, TDM Strategy and Transportation Master Plan are all good examples of how we have engaged the community so that the resulting plans and strategies are based on community needs as expressed by community members themselves. Diversity As set out in the shared vision all residents should have equitable access to civic life. This is true not only in the figurative sense but in the literal sense as well. Physical access is a key principle in the transportation initiatives as they recognize all modes of travel, including transportation access for the disabled. Development Careful planning for neighbourhoods and growth is a key aspect of the citizens’ vision for development in Kitchener. The Transportation Master Plan, encompassing all components of the transportation initiatives, will give strong guidance to development so that future generations will benefit from the positive outcomes of the modal shift in transportation choices. Strategic Direction #5 promotes continuing with economic strategies to focus on urban vitality and the knowledge-creation cluster for downtown employment lands in order to support the city’s economic health and wellbeing. An adequate supply of well-managed parking is one of the key elements of promoting downtown economic development in the short term. In the longer term as modal shift continues and public transit continues to be improved, the downtown should be able to accommodate significant additional development without a significant increase in public parking facilities. î ó î Downtown The citizens expressed a vision for a vital and lively downtown. The Parking Enterprise will enable the continued development of structured parking so that surface lots will no longer be a negative influence on vitality but will become opportunities for new development to add to a lively downtown environment. Strategic Direction #1: “That the city continues to implement the Downtown Strategic Plan which outlines the vision and strategy for the revitalization with an emphasis on attracting more people into the core.” The supply of structured parking that enables job-creation and is well used during weekday periods is then available for special events and other evening and weekend activities that are of key importance to downtown vitality. Environment Strategic Direction #3: “That council supports the implementation of the recommendations brought forth in the citizens’ report on Air Quality in Kitchener.” The 2010 Air Quality report contains the following recommendations: Natural Heritage Systems and Recreational Areas Recommendation 1.3 - Promote the use of trails as transportation routes; Air Quality Recommendation 3.1 - Support citizens to reduce their level of automobile use and promote the use of non-automotive transportation; Land Resource and Growth Management Recommendation 4.3 - Encourage or facilitate the implementation of alternative modes of transportation; Environmental Education and Public Awareness Recommendation 7.3 - Improve public awareness and knowledge of transportation options. The primary means of delivering on these recommendations is by implementing the TDM strategy. Strategic Direction #4:“That the city develops a Transportation Demand Management Strategy that is an umbrella for efficient, environmentally friendly transportation policies and programs for the future.” The 2011 TDM strategy aims to do just that, and its implementation will be successful only with sustainable funding, which is proposed through the Parking Enterprise. Effective and Efficient Government Financial Management The goal is, “We strive to ensure long term corporate financial stability and fiscal accountability to our taxpayers.” By establishing a Parking Enterprise Kitchener will utilize a long-term sustainable source of revenue to expand and maintain parking facilities. Not only will the Enterprise be self-funded but it will generate a dividend to the City, even after funding the implementation of the Cycling Master Plan and TDM initiatives. Public Sector Leadership Anticipating and being responsive to external pressures is one key aspect of public sector leadership. Kitchener will demonstrate its leadership in public sector policy with its innovative approach to transportation planning and the use of parking revenues to positively influence changes in transportation choice. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: The establishment of a Parking Enterprise will provide a sustainable source of funding to implement TDM initiatives and the Cycling Master Plan so that these initiatives are not reliant on funding from the tax base. î ó í COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Community engagement is addressed in each report for the various components of the current transportation initiatives. ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Pauline Houston, Deputy CAO Infrastructure Services Department î ó ì