Frequently Asked s (FAQ) Study Process... 2 Rapid Transit Service and Operations... 5 Public Consultation... 8 Business Impacts... 8 Design and Property Impacts... 9 Construction Impacts...12 Traffic, Congestion and Parking...13 This document issued July 19, 2017. July 19, 2017 1
Study Process What has occurred so far for Shift? Shift is following the Transit Project Assessment Process a public process that provides all citizens with an opportunity to have input in planning and designing our rapid transit network. The first stage of Shift was completed in Fall 2015. This stage assessed the need for rapid transit; the problems that rapid transit can help solve such as congestion, longer travel times, and the high cost of driving. Corridors that would be suitable for rapid transit and how streets can be designed to improve mobility for everyone no matter how they travel; and, the form of rapid transit, including vehicle type (bus, rail or a hybrid), the alignment and technologies. The second stage of Shift was completed in May 2016 with Council s adoption of the business case, which included preliminary rapid transit corridors and a plan to build the rapid transit network including how it will be funded. The third stage was completed in July 2017 when the Rapid Transit Master Plan was approved by City Council. July 19, 2017 2
What are the next steps for Rapid Transit? The environmental assessment process is continuing to follow the Transit Project Assessment Process, under Ontario Regulation 231/08. This environmental assessment process provides a framework to evaluate transit projects and has been successfully followed by many transit authorities across the province since its introduction in 2008. The process focuses on the assessment of potential impacts of the selected transit project, in this case the 24-km BRT network. Pre-planning activities are currently being completed. These activities include developing a preliminary engineering design, conducting public and stakeholder consultation, identifying impacts and proposing mitigation measures. The pre-planning activities will also include additional assessment of impacts to natural, cultural, archaeological and socio-economic environments and development of appropriate mitigation measures including monitoring. The entirety of the BRT network will be assessed in the development of the preliminary engineering design. How can we show support for Rapid Transit? Please consider writing a letter of support to Council. Contact information is available for all Councillors here: https://www.london.ca/city-hall/city-council/documents/council- Contact-List.pdf I have questions about Rapid Transit, who can I talk to? If you have specific questions, please contact the project team by emailing to shift@london.ca or calling us at 519-661-2489. You can also contact Jennie Ramsay, Project Director, Rapid Transit, City of London, P.O. Box 5035, London, ON N6A 4L9. July 19, 2017 3
How can we receive project updates and find out new developments in the study? You can sign-up for the project email list by emailing shift@london.ca or by using the following link: http://www.shiftlondon.ca/get_involved You can also stay up-to-date by using the following social media: Website - www.shiftlondon.ca Twitter - @shiftldnont Facebook facebook.com/shiftldnont Instagram - @shiftldnont July 19, 2017 4
Rapid Transit Service and Operations What time savings could practically be achieved by dedicated lanes versus buses in mixed traffic? Approximate travel time savings for Rapid Transit compared to business-as-usual were estimated in the business case. The savings are based on Rapid Transit travel times to existing transit travel times, from Downtown to the following points: To Western University 6 minutes To Fanshawe College 7.5 minutes To White Oaks Mall 3 minutes To Wonderland/Oxford 1 minute While these numbers may seem small, consider that saving 3 minutes each way to and from work, 5 days a week, adds up to saving half an hour every week per passenger. Multiplied by the thousands of people projected to use Rapid Transit to get where they are going. Does Shift mean other transit services won t be important? Rapid Transit does not replace the current LTC bus system. In fact, strengthening local transit service to work together with Rapid Transit is an important part of the proposed plan. Existing bus routes will be integrated to provide connections to Rapid Transit stations. This will help improve transit throughout the entire City not just along the Rapid Transit corridors. What about Paratransit? LTC s specialized transit services will continue during and after the implementation of Rapid Transit. In addition, Rapid Transit vehicles will be accessible, and station areas and platforms will be designed and built to meet accessibility standards. For more information on LTC s specialized services, please visit http://ltconline.ca/specialized.htm. July 19, 2017 5
What will the Rapid Transit stations look like? A typical Rapid Transit station has two platforms; a separate platform for each direction. Stations will be located at signalized intersections to provide controlled pedestrian access. In general, far-side platform placement at signalized intersections provides the most space-efficient design. This configuration places the platform opposite the dedicated left-turn lane. July 19, 2017 6
Has there been a study done on the number of Londoners that will stop driving and switch over to BRT? As identified in Smart Moves: A New Mobility Transportation Master Plan for London (2013), our goal is to achieve 20% transit mode share across the City by 2030. Future projected corridor ridership along the preferred Rapid Transit corridors for two cases was determined for two scenarios: with the existing transit system (i.e. Business as Usual ) and if Rapid Transit is implemented. The increase in projected ridership between the two cases is in part due to additional choice riders being attracted to the Rapid Transit service. How frequently will bus service run on the Rapid Transit network? The North-and-East corridors are proposed to have a bus every 5 minutes, in each direction. The South-and-West corridors are proposed to have a bus every 10 minutes, in each direction. The proposed service levels are based on the future projected corridor ridership. How far apart will the BRT stations be from each other? The average distance between RT stations will be approximately 750 metres. This station spacing was based on the 400 to 500 metre walking distance standard in Canada, which represents a walk time of 5 to 7 minutes. An average walking speed of 1.2 metres per second is generally accepted, for example when calculating the pedestrian crossing time at a signalized intersection (Ontario Traffic Manual Book 12). A walking speed of 1.0 metres per second can be applied when considering young children, seniors, or persons with mobility aids. July 19, 2017 7
Public Consultation I have specific questions about Shift and its impacts on my property or business. What do I do? If you have specific questions, please contact the project team by emailing to shift@london.ca or calling us at 519-661-2489. You can also contact Jennie Ramsay, Project Director, Rapid Transit, City of London, P.O. Box 5035, London, ON N6A 4L9. Are you going to talk to me about access to my property during construction and once rapid transit is operational? The current study phase involves developing design solutions for traffic, loading zones, parking, accessible parking, and other issues. This will be part of our ongoing community consultation. The City is committed to engaging with Londoners to develop solutions that support our businesses and citizens during construction and once the system is operational. The City is initiating ongoing conversations with impacted property owners. Business Impacts I hear that Shift will be bad for the Downtown. Didn t you talk to businesses? We are committed to moving forward while also working to ensure the potential short-term impacts on businesses and families are mitigated. The City takes consultation very seriously and will continue to do so as we work through the Transit Project Assessment Process. Input from residents, businesses, institutions and others is valued and will always be considered. The City has been holding meetings with key stakeholders to identify and develop solutions to the short-term impacts that construction may have in their neighbourhoods. July 19, 2017 8
How long will it take to build the Rapid Transit system? At this time, the funding has not been secured so the timeline remains uncertain. It is anticipated that the entire BRT Network would take about 7 or 8 years to construct. This would be done in stages, and timing of construction on other roads will be considered when planning the rapid transit construction. Other roads with planned construction include Western Road, Dundas Street, Wharncliffe Road, Wonderland Road, and the potential Adelaide Street / CP Rail grade separation. Are there any previously approved multi-residential projects that will alter their plans to build as a result of the current SHIFT routing scheme? The City is unaware of any previously approved projects that will alter their plans to build as a result of the preferred Rapid Transit corridors. Moving forward, the City anticipates that some developers may wish to alter their proposals to take advantage of the benefits of Rapid Transit. What type of compensation will be provided to affected businesses? There are a number of things that the City can do to assist businesses which will be impacted by construction one example is the implementation of a Community Improvement Plan (CIP). These plans are significant tools to help neighbourhoods address many of the challenges they face and to provide financing assistance for activities that help restore or enhance neighbourhoods. Design and Property Impacts What are the proposed solutions for the Focus Areas identified at Public Information Centre #4? The focus areas are being reviewed in detail, which includes evaluating multiple design solutions in an effort to minimize impacts. July 19, 2017 9
Is there room to fit the proposed Rapid Transit dedicated lanes and stations? Yes, most of the preferred Full BRT network fits within existing road rights-of-way. Localized widening is generally required at station locations and intersections. Roads that may need to be widened for rapid transit include: Wellington Road south of the Thames River, Oxford Street west of Wharncliffe Road, and Western Road north of Windermere Road. The designs are being developed for the areas. What is the narrow strip between the BRT lanes? Can it be removed to make the street narrower? For most of the Rapid Transit network, the dedicated transit lanes will be separated from general traffic by a raised curb. This separation is required to provide safe and efficient transit operations. In some areas, the raised curb will be between the transit lanes. Note that the conceptual designs presented at Public Information Centre #4 are not final, and alternative designs are being developed to minimize impacts. For some segments, such as King Street through the downtown, rapid transit lanes cannot be separated by a curb due to space limitation and also to provide access to parking lots and garages. In these cases, it is expected that the lanes will be clearly designated using paint and lane markings. What is the surface material on the Rapid Transit lanes? The exact pavement design has not been defined at this point. The City is considering different surface materials, such as the red asphalt used in York Region for VIVA bus rapid transit (e.g., Davis Drive near Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket). What happens at the Wellington curve when there is currently barely enough room for four lanes? The Rapid Transit project proposes improvements to the horizontal alignment of Wellington Road curve, between Grand Avenue and Whetter Avenue, in addition to widening for dedicated transit lanes. The design is being developed with efforts placed on minimizing impacts, including: Property impacts such as land acquisition, reduced driveways, parking, trees; and, Traffic impacts such as changes to lane configurations, restricted turning movements. July 19, 2017 10
Why do we need to change driveways along the Rapid Transit corridors to right-in, right-out? Along most of the Rapid Transit corridors, dedicated lanes will be provided in the middle of the road to be used by transit. To provide safe and efficient transit operations, unsignalized intersections and driveways will become right-in/right-out only to reduce conflicts between transit and turning vehicles. This is a typical approach used for many BRT systems in North America. July 19, 2017 11
Construction Impacts How will you manage construction noise along the Rapid Transit corridors? During construction, contractors will be required to follow provincial guidelines which place specific restrictions on source equipment sound levels. City by-laws also place restrictions on the hours of operation for construction activities. A protocol will be developed before construction begins to address noise and vibration complaints, similar to the City s standard practice for construction projects. The construction will cause a decrease in foot traffic in the downtown for businesses. Roads under construction will be closed from time-to-time to through traffic; however, local access for emergency services, businesses and residences will be maintained, including pedestrian access. Detour signs alerting drivers, cyclists and pedestrians of the construction area will be provided during construction, and wayfinding signs will be added to help guide visitors, delivery trucks and customers, to businesses and key destinations. How long will the Rapid Transit network take to construct? In order to determine a more detailed schedule for the project, a preliminary engineering design needs to be developed. This could include a value for money analysis, refining the overall project schedule considering cash flow, and analyzing the most suitable and cost effective procurement strategy for this project. July 19, 2017 12
Traffic, Congestion and Parking How is removing two lanes from Richmond Street going to improve traffic congestion? Richmond Street between Grosvenor Street and University Drive is one of the focus areas for the Rapid Transit design development. A decision needs to be made on whether this stretch of Richmond Street will have 2 lanes or 4 lanes for general traffic. The decision will consider impacts of the two options, including: 4 lanes will require road widening and result in property impacts, reductions to driveways and parking, and the removal of some trees. 2 lanes will result in increased congestion for general traffic, and require a shift in travel patterns. Other parallel roads are already planned for improvements to accommodate future north-south traffic. These include: Widening Western Road https://www.london.ca/residents/environment/eas/pages/west ern-road-widenining-environmental-assesmnet.aspx Grade separating Adelaide Street from the CP Rail crossing https://www.london.ca/residents/environment/eas/pages/adela ide-street-and-canadian-pacific-railway-grade-separation-.aspx Will there be permanent removal of on-street parking spots? There will be impacts to on-street parking in some locations. A recent parking utilization study indicates there is capacity to absorb the parking that will be impacted by Rapid Transit. In addition, solutions to provide additional parking in Downtown London as required for growth are being developed through the Downtown Parking Strategy. One bus can replace dozens of cars, and Rapid Transit will bring more people to the downtown. Fewer cars in the Downtown means less of a need for on-street parking. What is the plan for park and ride? Currently, one park-and-ride facility is being considered at the south terminus of the Wellington Road corridor. For the north, east, and west terminals, the integration of local transit will provide connections to Rapid Transit stations, and park-and-ride facilities are not planned at this time. July 19, 2017 13