Downtown London Member Survey Regarding BRT May 8, 2017
Table Of Contents 1 Description of the Research 3 Objectives 4 Methodology Profile of Respondents 5 6 2 Summary 9 3 Detailed Results Unaided Opinion of BRT 12 Opinion of BRT Following Presentation of General BRT Information 17 Opinions of North Corridor Route Options 20 Opinions of East West Corridor Route Options 23 Overall Opinions of BRT with Various Route Combinations 25 Perceived Long Term Impact of BRT 26 4 Appendices 27 A. Advance Notice Sent to Members by Downtown London B. Survey Invitation from Insights to Members C. Downtown London BRT Questionnaire D. Verbatim Responses Explaining Respondents Unaided Positions on BRT May 8, 2017 Downtown London Member Survey re BRT 2
1 DESCRIPTION OF THE RESEARCH Objectives Methodology Profile of Respondents May 8, 2017 Downtown London Member Survey re BRT 3
Objectives SURVEY OF DOWNTOWN LONDON MEMBERS TO OBTAIN VIEWS REGARDING BRT The goals of the survey were: (1) to offer members of Downtown London the opportunity to express their views regarding BRT, and (2) to play an educational role by offering accurate information regarding the plans and options for BRT.* Specific objectives of the survey were to: Understand members views regarding BRT, overall: initially, on a top of mind basis; subsequently, following presentation of BRT information; Ascertain route preferences for the: North corridor: Wharncliffe / Western Roads vs. three Richmond Street options (tunnel, underpass, at grade with dedicated BRT lanes); King Street vs King / Queens Couplet options. * BRT information was sourced from the Technical Memo North Corridor and Downtown Alternatives (http://www.shiftlondon.ca/reports) May 8, 2017 Downtown London Member Survey re BRT
Methodology DATA COLLECTION PERIOD April 27 May 4, 2017 Start was timed to allow for inclusion of the information on routes that was released by the City on April 26, and closing was timed to allow for delivery of our report in advance of City Council s May 16 meeting to determine route choices THE SURVEY Online survey Avg. completion time = 23 min. DATA ANALYSIS Full tabulation of results provided separately No data weighting as profile of member base by demographics, business variables and location is unknown INVITATIONS & RESPONSE Invitations were sent to all BIA members for whom Downtown London had email contact information, and Downtown London issued communications inviting members to request invitations if they had not received one Of the 375 invitations successfully sent, 142 completed surveys were received, for a response rate of 38%. May 8, 2017 Downtown London Member Survey re BRT 5
Profile of Respondents ABOUT THE MEMBERS WHO RESPONDED AGE GENDER 28% 21% <35 35-44 42% 45-54 55+ 58% Male 38% Female n=130 n=122 TENURE AS BUSINESS OWNER IN DOWNTOWN LONDON 25% OWN THE BUILDING WHERE THE BUSINESS IS LOCATED 26% 59% 16% <5 years 5-9 years 10 + years n=141 74% Yes No n=136 May 8, 2017 Downtown London Member Survey re BRT Page 6
Profile of Respondents ABOUT THE RESPONDING MEMBERS BUSINESSES BUSINESS LOCATION NATURE OF BUSINESS TOTAL NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES* Richmond Street 45% Retail with storefront 29% 1-3 20% King Street Clarence Street Queens Ave None of the above 3% 1% 18% 34% 66% Restaurant or bar Professional Service Office Arts / entertainment 4% 4% 20% 18% 15% 4-10 11-25 26+ 31% 29% 20% AVERAGE: 23 Other NUMBER OF FULL TIME EMPLOYEES* NUMBER OF PART TIME EMPLOYEES* NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES WHO TAKE THE BUS TO WORK AT LEAST SOME OF THE TIME 0 1% 0 29% 0 34% 1 10% 1 9% 1 15% 2 18% AVERAGE: 15 2 AVERAGE: 8 2 12% AVERAGE: 6 3-10 42% 3-10 30% 3-10 25% 11+ 30% 11+ 18% 11+ * Number of employees includes respondent n=142 for all graphs on page May 8, 2017 Downtown London Member Survey re BRT Page 7
2 SUMMARY May 8, 2017 Downtown London Member Survey re BRT 8
Summary THE DOWNTOWN LONDON MEMBERS WHO RESPONDED TO THE SURVEY WERE STRONGLY AGAINST BRT. Only ~ one quarter of respondents were in favour of BRT overall, and explained their point of view by saying that it would benefit the City overall. Opposition to BRT was expressed by ~ three-quarters of respondents and was rooted in concern with the impact on downtown businesses during the construction phase. Concern with cost, long term loss of business and a general sense that BRT was not needed also contributed to the opposition. The majority of respondents did not buy into BRT creating positive benefits once completed. At most, almost 3 of 10 felt that it would positively impact making London a better city, and make it easier for employees and customers to come downtown. Looking ahead, only 1 of 5 respondents felt that BRT once up and running - would be advantageous for their business and only a quarter thought that it would be advantageous for the health of downtown and the downtown experience. Route preferences are summarized on the following slide, and favour the Wharncliffe Western Road option for the north corridor and the King Queens Couplet for the east west corridor. May 8, 2017 Downtown London Member Survey re BRT Page 9
Summary OPINION OF BRT AND ROUTING CHOICES Scenario % opposed % in favour n = all respondents (142) Top of mind opinion of BRT Slight increase in opposition 73% 23% Opinion after explanation of BRT is offered once information about BRT is shared 77% 21% North Corridor options: Tunnel Tunnel drew the most 78% 15% opposition but all Richmond Underpass Street options were strongly 68% 22% opposed At grade 71% 16% Split opinion on Wharncliffe Western / Wharncliffe Roads option but it was preferred 39% 42% over Richmond Street East West Corridor options: King St King Queens Couplet was preferred for the east west 70% 8% King Queens Couplet route, but still drew opposition from 43% 43% 34% When route combinations were evaluated, the Richmond Street tunnel, with either east west option, drew the strongest opposition. The remaining Richmond Street options were made more palatable when combined with the Couplet, but two-thirds were still opposed. The Wharncliffe option with the Couplet drew support from a third, making it the most positively viewed alternative. May 8, 2017 Downtown London Member Survey re BRT Page 10
3 DETAILED RESULTS Unaided Opinion of BRT Opinion of BRT Following Presentation of General BRT Information Opinions of North Corridor Route Options Opinions of East West Corridor Route Options Overall Opinions of BRT with Various Route Combinations Perceived Long Term Impact of BRT May 8, 2017 Downtown London Member Survey re BRT 11
Unaided Opinion of BRT TOP OF MIND, 73% WERE OPPOSED TO BRT, WHILE 23% WERE IN FAVOUR. OPPOSITION IS STRONGER AMONG RETAIL BUSINESSES WITH STOREFRONTS AND BUSINESSES LOCATED ON RICHMOND STREET. Unaided Opinion of BRT TOTAL OPPOSED 73% Strongly OPPOSED 61% Somewhat OPPOSED TOTAL IN FAVOUR Somewhat IN FAVOUR Strongly IN FAVOUR 9% 14% 23% NEITHER in favour nor opposed 4% TOP OF MIND REACTION TO BRT Retail with storefront BY TYPE OF BUSINESS Service Restaurant or bar Professional or office BY BUSINESS LOCATION On Richmond On King TOTAL OPPOSED 93% 77% 79% 61% 89% 60% TOTAL IN FAVOUR 2% 18% 18% 35% 9% 32% = SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER BASE = all respondents (n = 142) Q1a) Based on what you know or have heard, which of the following best describes how you - as a downtown business person - feel about Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) for London? May 8, 2017 Downtown London Member Survey re BRT 12
Unaided Opinion of BRT - Reasons THOSE WHO WERE IN FAVOUR OF BRT GENERALLY FELT THAT IT WOULD BE ADVANTAGEOUS FOR THE CITY REASONS FOR BEING IN FAVOUR OF BRT BRT needed for the benefit of the city (general) 61% We need rapid transit to address traffic concerns in the city and to help the city grow. It will bring more people into the downtown core 12% Effective public transportation is vital to the wellbeing and longevity of a community. Better/easier access for my staff Will reduce traffic congestion 9% 6% Easier access for clients/customers to reach our facility in the long term. Is better for the environment 3% BASE = all respondents who were IN FAVOUR of BRT (n = 33) Q1a) What are the main reasons why you feel that way? SEE APPENDIX D for full list of verbatim comments We need to move forward with an improvement to transit that serves the existing business case (ridership numbers) but allows us to build on that infrastructure in the future. BRT allows this flexibility. May 8, 2017 Downtown London Member Survey re BRT 13
Unaided Opinion of BRT - Reasons THOSE WHO WERE OPPOSED TO BRT ARE PRIMARLY CONCERNED BY ITS NEGATIVE IMPACT ON BUSINESSES AND BY ITS COST 1 2 3 4 5 REASONS FOR BEING OPPOSED TO BRT Negative impact on my business/ businesses during construction/ people will go out of business NET:Cost concern Ridership/benefits will not justify investment Concern re: cost to build/cost escalation Waste of my tax dollars NET:Loss of business long term Business losses as downtown will be less car friendly Negative impact on my business/ Downtown businesses in the long-term NET:BRT not needed / worthwhile Bus technology will become obsolete (autonomous vehicles) BRT not needed System not worth it to reduce a commute by a couple of minutes NET:Spend funds on other improvements Improve existing transit system vs. RT Prefer LRT Opposed to the Richmond St. tunnel Loss of parking City Council not knowledgeable enough/ qualified to make this decision Current plan unclear/does not make sense Opposed to RT on Richmond St. * Reasons with less than 4% of mentions are not shown 4% 6% 6% 8% 6% 14% 12% 9% 9% 8% BASE = all respondents who were OPPOSED to BRT (n = 104) Q1a) What are the main reasons why you feel that way? SEE APPENDIX D for full list of verbatim comments 20% 20% 18% 15% 22% 29% 33% 49% Traffic congestion will discourage customers from coming to my business. Customers with cars will NOT change their habits Customers with cars will shop elsewhere before giving up their cars. Business case is deeply flawed. This will only serve 23% of all routes. Entire bus population is 6% of taxpayers excluding students. Ridership needs to hit 40% growth and we have declined ridership of 1% on a population growth of 5%. Devastating to local business and their employees. Will destroy Richmond St retail/restaurant and King St. with 3 years on major construction. Does not improve transit rider times materially nor ridership accessibility. Great danger of cost overruns in tunnel construction and operating deficiencies when ridership doesn't meet the 40% increase built into plan thus creating big increase in property taxes. Will destroy homeowner value along routes as lawns get encroached on. May 8, 2017 Downtown London Member Survey re BRT 14
Unaided Opinion of BRT EVALUATION OF CONCERNS: Cost to build, negative impact on business during construction and increased congestion top the list, and are of concern to 8 of 10 respondents. % Not concerned % Concerned Cost to build 4% 7% 9% 18% 63% 81% Impact on your business during BRT construction 6% 5% 9% 69% 1% 78% Fewer lanes for vehicles on some streets, resulting in more traffic congestion 8% 6% 6% 15% 63% 1% 14% 78% Loss of parking on some downtown streets 7% 55% 20% 68% Cost to operate 5% 10% 18% 18% 49% 1% 15% 67% The extent to which BRT will be used 8% 8% 15% 15% 50% 4% 16% 65% Very LOW concern LOW concern MEDIUM concern HIGH concern Very HIGH concern I'm NOT SURE BASE = all respondents (n = 142) Q2a) The purpose of this question is to get your opinion regarding some of the specific issues that have been expressed in the media regarding BRT. First of all, to what extent is each of the following a concern for you as a downtown business person, when it comes to BRT? May 8, 2017 Downtown London Member Survey re BRT 15
Unaided Opinion of BRT EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL BENEFITS: The majority of respondents did not buy into BRT creating positive benefits once completed. At most, almost 3 of 10 felt that it would positively impact making London a better city, and make it easier for employees and customers to come downtown. % LESS % MORE Extent to which BRT would make London a better city 38% 5% 23% 15% 6% 43% 28% How easy it would be for employees and customers to get downtown 31% 6% 33% 15% 12% 3% 37% 27% Amount of new downtown development 27% 6% 35% 10% 34% 21% Bringing customers to downtown businesses 43% 4% 30% 8% 4% 46% 20% Amount of traffic congestion downtown 6% 9% 23% 15% 45% 3% 15% 60% Much LESS A bit LESS About the SAME A bit MORE A lot MORE I'm NOT SURE BASE = all respondents (n = 142) Q2a) The purpose of this question is to get your opinion regarding some of the specific issues that have been expressed in the media regarding BRT Next, please indicate how you think that BRT, once completed, would affect each of the following - that is, would it result in more, less or about the same when it comes to... May 8, 2017 Downtown London Member Survey re BRT 16
Opinion of BRT Following Presentation of Information AFTER ASKING TOP OF MIND OPINION ABOUT BRT, THE SURVEY PRESENTED THE FOLLOWING ROUTE INFORMATION Here is a quick description of where the BRT system would go, based on what the City has shared with Londoners. bus only rapid transit system that would run on dedicated lanes of city streets along two routes the so-called "L" or north-east route that would start at Masonville Mall in the north and go by Western University to downtown... then turning east and ending up at Fanshawe College the so-called "7" or west-south route that would start around the commercial development at Oxford and Wonderland in the west and travel downtown... then turning south and ending up at White Oaks Mall routing that was originally recommended is shown here and includes a tunnel to be built along Richmond Street alternatives for two sections of the route (Richmond Street tunnel vs. other options on Richmond OR using Wharncliffe instead; and using only one, rather than two, lanes of King Street) are now being considered, and no decision has yet been made by City Council May 8, 2017 Downtown London Member Survey re BRT 17
Opinion of BRT Following Presentation of Information AND ALSO PRESENTED THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL DETAILS Here are a few more details that the City has provided about BRT... system would be "rapid" because the buses would run very frequently (estimated at every 5 minutes during peak travel times and every 10 minutes in off peak times); the buses travel at the speed limit or below equipment has not yet been selected, but exhaust-free, quiet electric buses are being most strongly considered regular LTC buses would continue to serve routes not served by BRT $130 Million of the estimated total $560 Million cost for BRT would be paid by the City of London (with the majority to come from Development Charges and the minority from taxes)... and the balance is expected to come from provincial and federal funds would take up to ten years to complete all construction for all lines, working in phases and finishing one stretch before starting the next; construction would start in 2020, at the earliest May 8, 2017 Downtown London Member Survey re BRT 18
Opinion of BRT Following Presentation of Information OPINIONS OF BRT FOLLOWING PRESENTATION OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WERE LARGELY UNCHANGED, WITH A SLIGHT INCREASE TO THE PROPORTION IN OPPOSTION OPINION PRIOR TO BEING PRESENTED WITH INFORMATION OPINION AFTER BEING PRESENTED WITH INFORMATION TOTAL OPPOSED 73% TOTAL OPPOSED 77% Strongly OPPOSED 61% Strongly OPPOSED 67% Somewhat OPPOSED Somewhat OPPOSED 10% TOTAL IN FAVOUR 23% TOTAL IN FAVOUR 21% Somewhat IN FAVOUR 14% Somewhat IN FAVOUR 8% Strongly IN FAVOUR 9% Strongly IN FAVOUR NEITHER in favour nor opposed 4% NEITHER in favour nor opposed 2% BASE = all respondents (n = 142) 3a) Based on what you have read here, which of the following best describes how you - as a downtown business person - feel about BRT? May 8, 2017 Downtown London Member Survey re BRT 19
Opinions of North Corridor Route Options THE NORTH CORRIDOR OPTIONS WERE EXPLAINED TO RESPONDENTS IN THE FOLLOWING WAY For the north corridor, moving from Masonville to downtown, the City is considering the option of Western Road to Wharncliffe Road as an alternative to Richmond Street... and is assessing three options for dealing with the railway crossing on Richmond Street: TUNNEL from St James Street to the tip of Clarence St near the Victoria Park Bandshell (but not IN the park) which would be for buses only; UNDERPASS, from Oxford to Pall Mall, which would be for buses and vehicles - and which would involve demolition of the buildings on one side of Richmond from Pall Mall to Oxford; Richmond Street with DEDICATED BUS LANES, and buses would have to wait for trains just as vehicles do today. May 8, 2017 Downtown London Member Survey re BRT 20
Opinions of North Corridor Route Options RESPONDENTS WERE ABOUT EQUALLY SPLIT IN THEIR OPINIONS OF THE WHARNCLIFFE OPTION. IN CONTRAST, OPPOSITION FAR OUTWEIGHED SUPPORT FOR ALL RICHMOND STREET OPTIONS AT A RATIO OF 5:1 FOR THE TUNNEL, WHICH HAD THE STRONGEST OPPOSITION. % IN FAVOUR % OPPOSED Richmond Street with a tunnel 72% 6% 6% 7% 8% 15% 78% Richmond Street with dedicated bus lanes, buses wait for trains 54% 17% 6% 16% 71% Richmond Street with an underpass 54% 22% 68% Wharncliffe to Western Road instead of Richmond Street 25% 14% 20% 20% 22% 42% 39% Strongly OPPOSED Somewhat OPPOSED NEITHER in favour nor opposed Somewhat IN FAVOUR Strongly IN FAVOUR BASE = all respondents (n = 142 ) 4a) How do you, as a downtown business person, feel about each of the following north corridor route options? May 8, 2017 Downtown London Member Survey re BRT 21
Opinions of North Corridor Route Options WHEN ASKED TO RANK THE NORTH CORRIDOR OPTIONS FROM MOST TO LEAST PREFERRED, the Wharncliffe option is clearly the most favoured, by a wide margin while Richmond Street with a tunnel ranks last for the majority. These trends are even more pronounced for those with businesses on Richmond Street. ALL RESPONDENTS RICHMOND STREET BUSINESS OWNERS PREFERENCE Wharncliffe to Western Road instead of Richmond Street 58% 17% 14% Wharncliffe to Western Road instead of Richmond Street 72% 17% 6% 5% Richmond Street with an underpass 16% 27% 48% 8% Richmond Street with an underpass 14% 20% 55% Richmond Street with dedicated bus lanes, buses wait for trains 42% 30% 15% Richmond Street with dedicated bus lanes, buses wait for trains 50% 28% Richmond Street with a tunnel 12% 14% 63% Richmond Street with a tunnel 3% 73% % OF RESPONDENTS WHO RANKED IT #1 % OF RESPONDENTS WHO RANKED IT #2 % OF RESPONDENTS WHO RANKED IT #3 % OF RESPONDENTS WHO RANKED IT #4 % OF RESPONDENTS WHO RANKED IT #1 % OF RESPONDENTS WHO RANKED IT #2 % OF RESPONDENTS WHO RANKED IT #3 % OF RESPONDENTS WHO RANKED IT #4 BASE = all respondents (n = 142 ) 4b) Looking again at the options for the north corridor, please rank the choices by putting a '1' beside your top choice, a '2' beside your second choice, and so on until all four have been ranked. May 8, 2017 Downtown London Member Survey re BRT 22
Opinions of East - West Corridor Route Options THE EAST WEST CORRIDOR OPTIONS WERE EXPLAINED TO RESPONDENTS IN THE FOLLOWING WAY Turning now to the east-west corridor - that is, the east-west route between Ridout and Clarence Streets downtown... the City is considering two options: King Street Two Way Corridor One eastbound general traffic lane for cars and other vehicles, one eastbound dedicated BRT lane (open to regular buses as well) and one dedicated westbound BRT lane King Queen Couplet System: Two eastbound general traffic lanes and one eastbound BRT lane (also open to regular buses) on King Street Two westbound general traffic lanes and one westbound BRT lane (also for regular buses) on Queens Avenue May 8, 2017 Downtown London Member Survey re BRT 23
Opinions of East - West Corridor Route Options OVERALL, THE KING QUEENS COUPLET OPTION WAS THE PREFERRED CHOICE FOR THE EAST WEST CORRIDOR (favoured by 7 of 10 when directly compared to the King Street option), albeit with opposition from 4 of 10 respondents when evaluated in isolation. King Street businesses were even stronger in their preference for the Couplet option. % IN FAVOUR % OPPOSED Preferred Choice (all respondents) 29% King Street Two Way Corridor 58% 12% 23% 6% 2% 8% 70% 71% King Queens Couplet System 30% 23% 22% 12% 34% 43% King Street Two Way Corridor King Queens Couplet System Preferred Choice (by King St. Business Owners) 17% Strongly OPPOSED NEITHER in favour nor opposed Strongly IN FAVOUR Somewhat OPPOSED Somewhat IN FAVOUR 83% BASE = all respondents (n = 142 ) 5a) How do you, as a downtown business person, feel about each of the following east - west corridor route options? 5b) Looking again at the same two options for the east-west corridor, please click on the one which you prefer. King Street Two Way Corridor King Queens Couplet System May 8, 2017 Downtown London Member Survey re BRT 24
Overall Opinions of BRT With Various Route Options OPINION OF ROUTE COMBINATIONS By way of conclusion, respondents gave their opinions about the various route combinations. The Richmond Street tunnel, with either east west option, drew the strongest opposition. The remaining Richmond Street options were made more palatable when combined with the Couplet, but two-thirds were still opposed. The Wharncliffe option with the Couplet drew support from a third, making it the most positively viewed alternative. Scenario % opposed % in favour A B C Richmond Tunnel with King St 72% 21% Richmond Tunnel with King Queens Couplet 78% 18% Richmond Underpass with King St 64% Richmond Underpass with King Queens Couplet 65% 25% Richmond at grade with King St 64% 10% Richmond at grade with King Queens Couplet 66% 17% D Wharncliffe with King St 59% 23% Wharncliffe with King Queens Couplet 51% 35% BASE = all respondents (n = 142 ); 6a) To recap, we would like to know if you are in favour or opposed to BRT being built in London, just overall, under the following scenarios. May 8, 2017 Downtown London Member Survey re BRT Page 25
Perceived Long Term Impact of BRT LOOKING AHEAD, ONLY 1 OF 5 RESPONDENTS FELT THAT BRT WOULD BE ADVANTAGEOUS FOR THEIR BUSINESS, ONCE UP AND RUNNING AND ONLY A QUARTER THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE ADVANTAGEOUS FOR THE HEALTH OF DOWNTOWN AND THE DOWNTOWN EXPERIENCE. % ADVANTAGE % DISADVANTAGE The health of your business 48% 8% 22% 6% 4% 19% 56% The overall downtown experience 47% 6% 16% 4% 27% 54% The health of downtown 43% 7% 17% 15% 8% 25% 50% Significant DISADVANTAGE Slight DISADVANTAGE NEITHER an advantage nor a disadvantage Slight ADVANTAGE BASE = all respondents (n = 142 ) 6b) Just to conclude our questions about BRT, we would like you to look into the future and imagine that you are still a downtown business person, and BRT is up and running. All things considered, do you feel that BRT will be an advantage, a disadvantage, or neither when it comes to each of the following: May 8, 2017 Downtown London Member Survey re BRT 26
APPENDICES A. Advance Notice from Downtown London to Members B. Survey Invitation From Insights to Members C. Downtown London BRT Questionnaire D. Verbatim Responses Explaining Respondents Unaided Positions on BRT May 8, 2017 Downtown London Member Survey re BRT 27