Bringing Active Transportation and Station Area Plans to Life

Transcription

1 Bringing Active Transportation and Station Area Plans to Life How PTIF funding is enhancing collaboration and improving integrated urban mobility in Waterloo Region ACT Canada Presentation: October 2017

2 Region of Waterloo Overview 900,000 Region of Waterloo Population Growth 800, , , , , , , , Regional Population Population Places to Grow Forecasted Population $1.4B for 500km of new roads over 20 years!

3 Who Am I? Kevan Marshall Principal Planner Transportation Demand Management, TravelWise TMA Region of Waterloo

4 Where We Are (and Why) Region's TDM Program moved to Grand River Transit in 2014 RTMP 2031 Goals: 15% of all trips in Region by transit (21 million rides in 2015 to 53 million rides) 12% trips by cycling and walking Big Question: What does this mean for Transit and TDM? 3 Themes emerging

5 1. Introduction of Light Rail Transit ION Phase One Light Rail Transit Waterloo to Kitchener (19km) Bus Rapid Transit Kitchener to Cambridge (17km) Launch in 2018 ION Phase Two Proposed LRT extension to Cambridge Conceptual and subject to funding

6 2. Build the New Transit Network Network redesign in progress Redesigned to grid ION to serve as "spine" Working towards seamless integration with conventional network

7 3. Embrace Integrated Mobility You're building it now will they come? GRT recognition that transit infrastructure is only one piece of the puzzle TDM measures will help meet ridership goals Investment in TDM Program "Bridge" between Transit, Community Planning, and Transportation Planning TDM Development Application Checklist Incentives and behaviour change programs that directly link to transit TravelWise TMA and discounted transit passes Conduit to local municipalities' TDM professionals/plans Active Transportation, Secondary / Rapid Transit Plans*

8 Enter PTIF Public Transit Infrastructure Fund Cost-shared federal funding to "improve and expand public transit systems across Canada", including: Transportation demand management measures and studies Projects for system expansion, including active transportation

9 Active Transportation Improvements PTIF and the Region have allocated $5M towards "Active Transportation Improvements": ION Station Access Improvements Spur Line / Iron Horse Trail Pedestrian Connections to Central Station Access Improvements Various GRT/ION Connections by March 2018!

10 Question: How do you spend $5 million in a year? Answer: Quickly! Better Answer: Together!

11 Background: Our Cities' Transit- Oriented Planning Activities Secondary Planning: "Station Area Plans", "Planning Around Rapid Transit Stations" Goal: identify and recommend plan amendments and capital projects to achieve transitsupportive neighbourhoods Challenge: capital projects recommended as part of vision, but funding typically not yet identified

12 Various GRT/ION Connections Project Identification In order to utilize the funding opportunity effectively, TDM staff reached out to the Area Municipalities Reviewed and identified potential active transportation projects that would enhance access to transit and, where possible, were shovel ready Focus on projects identified as part of the municipalities station area planning activities and active transportation master plans

13 Guiding the Discussions Would the project(s) not have taken place before 2018? Would the project(s) be possible without federal funding? How can the proposed project(s) enhance access to transit? Provision of active transportation connections and/or infrastructure ***Importance of local municipality's transit-supportive plans*** Do municipal staff have the capacity to carry out the proposed project(s) within the timeframe? Municipalities act as project managers for local projects

14 A total of seventeen transit-supportive, active transportation projects identified and funded from PTIF Nine to be coordinated by the Cities of Cambridge, Kitchener, and Waterloo in collaboration with the Region Results

15 Lessons Learned Benefit of transit-supportive planning at all levels of government to enhance mobility Benefit of having list "shovel-ready" projects Capitalize on studies and plans without implementation $$$ Most Important: Value of "cross-jurisdictional relationship building" AKA Collaboration! Recognition that mobility is not "owned" by any party Example: Transit plans have local impact, local active transportation plans have a transit impact Respect and transparency (AKA honesty) Recognition of the work done to date (station area planning) and understanding restrictions of the funding window (i.e., not every recommendation was "project-ready") Building the transit-supportive rationale for projects, together

16 Additional Info Project funding carryover announced Anticipated to allow up to 40% of funds to extend to 2019 Enabling us to implement all projects Agreements with City partners to move ahead on identified projects Memoranda of Understanding drafted, but Cities began work immediately in good faith Importance of good relationships and transparency!

17 A Very Special Thank You: Staff Cambridge, Kitchener, and Waterloo Grand River Transit Rapid Transit Transportation Planning Governments of Canada and Ontario

18 Questions? Kevan Marshall (519) x7349

19 Technical Feasibility/Design Study: Market Trail AT connections from ION stations to St Jacobs Market, including 1.5km MUT in rail corridor Waterloo Park Station Access Improvements Sidewalk infill, cycling connections to/from universities to ION station Projects - Waterloo

20 Projects - Waterloo Waterloo Park "Boardwalk" Connection Construct "missing link" of trail through floodplain to complete ION crossing network and ped/cyc circulation Pedestrian Access Improvements to Waterloo Recreation Complex Design and construction of new sidewalk, improved crossings, benches, and pedestrian-friendly parking lot improvements from nearest GRT stops New/ Improved painted crossings New sidewalks

21 Projects - Cambridge Pedestrian Rail Crossing Upgrades Upgrade pedestrian environment crossing to better connect residents to school, transit Transit Stop Sidewalk Infill Sidewalk infill to/from GRT stops

22 Projects - Cambridge Hespeler Road "Parkettes" Pedestrian-friendly parkettes on small parcels of Regional/Municipal lands near ION bus stops to enhance stop environment Cambridge Centre Station Bike Shelter Covered bike parking shelter Parkette Concept

23 Projects - Kitchener Grenville Ave/Mill ION Station MUT MUT design/construction connecting to ION station, GRT stops Traynor Trail Multi-Use Trail (MUT) Improvements* Surfacing/asphalt and entry lighting for neighbourhood trail between ION stations *To be confirmed 2018 Scheniders

24 Existing Iron Horse Trail Improvements (2 Projects) Widening/lighting to enhance active transportation to/from Central Transit Corridor Iron Horse Trail Extension New MUT connection to Downtown Core and Future Central Station Transit Hub Major Project Projects - Kitchener

25 Other Projects ixpress Network Bike Parking GRT complete installation of bike racks at current and planned ixpress stops Largest install/retrofit of bike infrastructure for GRT ever Bus "n" Bike Sensors, Software GRT install sensors and software to monitor bus bike rack usage UW Station Bike shelter Covered bike shelter at University of Waterloo Transit Plaza Cycling-Transit Wayfinding Signage Simple wayfinding signage to ION, GRT from nearby bike routes, trails, and/or key decision points