Policy & Positions Manual
Policy Priority Area - Transportation
Rural and Small Community Transit - The Missing Piece in BC's Transportation Plans (2008)
The lack of a coherent focus on planning and investment in transportation services for rural and small communities is having a significant impact on their ability to grow, attract new workers, and on their ability to be proactive partners in reducing the province’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Strong small and rural communities are an essential part of a vibrant province. BC’s small and rural communities are characterized by several critical elements: committed people with a strong sense of community; creators of wealth; and guardians of our natural resources. In fact the economic success we enjoy as a province is a direct result of the strength and vitality of our small and rural communities.
Transportation, more specifically transit connections between communities and regions, has increasingly come to be recognized as a primary responsibility of government at all levels, given its role as an integral part of community stability, growth and economic prosperity. Added to this is the increased recognition that transit services and the choices these alternatives provide to individuals, will play a critical role in BC’s ability to reach the greenhouse gas reduction targets recently enshrined in legislation by the Provincial Government.
The challenge we collectively face as a province is that small and rural towns in BC are characterized by a combination of low population densities and large distances between towns, as well as limited or no provision for public transport services.
Some services do not connect with the nearest local service centre, and what services there are generally are so infrequent that they require an alternative form of transport for individuals to meet all essential needs. A new model of public transport is needed to support rural populations, particularly as the proportion of elderly people in rural and some regional areas will continue to increase. Funded, flexible transportation needs to be provided around smaller regional communities which do not currently have any adequate public transport service.
Transit services in BC are divided between a number of bodies, and a variety of services. In terms of responsibility, the province is essentially divided into two parts, the Lower Mainland, under the auspices of the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority (commonly referred to as Translink), while BC Transit (1) provides services to the majority of the rest of the Province. Both these transportation authorities have undertaken significant investments in transit.
The Lower Mainland is extremely well served by transportation, both in terms of infrastructure and transit services. The newly reorganized Translink has significant financial resources which result in an annual budget in the realm of $925 million. These revenues come from a variety of dedicated sources, primarily transit fares, gas and property tax.
Recently the Provincial Government announced a significant investment in transit services that focused on the Lower Mainland. The Provincial Transit Plan calls for the two levels of senior government and Translink to invest $14 billion up to 2020. The Chamber welcomed this investment as a critical component in addressing transportation challenges for the region.
The Chamber also recognizes that new investment in transit is not limited to the BC Transit Plan. Indeed, The Chamber congratulates senior levels of Government for their investment in transit services in a number of communities, including certain rural communities. Recent investments have included:
- $1.5 million in 16 BC communities from the Federal Government; (2)
- $775,000 through the provincial Public Transit Infrastructure Program (PTIP).(3)
These targeted programs are in addition to significant federal investment through the Building Canada Infrastructure Fund, the Gas Tax Program, and Public Transit Capital Trust Public Transit Agreements.
Further to this, PTIP funds are allocated primarily to existing public transit systems and may be used by eligible recipients in conjunction with funds allocated to them under the Public Transit Agreement (PTA) that was signed last year by U.BCM and the Governments of Canada and British Columbia.
Despite what is an unprecedented level of investment by senior levels of government, Chamber members are concerned with the lack of two key elements in Government programming. First, the lack of a coherent plan for communities of all sizes, and second, a seeming inherent bias against providing transit service to rural and small communities based on the requirement for service and schedules to be based on a ridership and cost analysis. This is exemplified by the categorization of service as defined by BC Transit, which defines service under three primary categories:
- Conventional transit – serves urban areas utilizing larger vehicles on fixed routes and fixed schedules.
- Custom transit – serves those who cannot access conventional transit through either disability.
- Paratransit – offers flexible service using vehicles such as minibuses, taxis and vans.
Throughout many rural communities, there are private companies that financially support and offer a transit option to the residents and tourists of the community. By way of private partnerships within the community, there are some transit options available. However, these options are often not adequate to address all the transit needs of the community due to the limited amount of funds private partners are able to contribute.
There is no doubt that there is a market for service in all communities in BC. Indeed BC Transit fully recognizes the potential for growth in transit ridership. If we were to look at BC Transits Outlook for Public Transit in BC 2005-2010, we would see statements such as, “community support for public transit is stronger than ever,” and, “continued expansion of transit services is a priority to access to jobs, education and health services.”
If we look at the Provincial Government we can see a corresponding level of commitment to public transit. Indeed, the Provincial Transit Plan states, “our Transit Plan is a major element of our climate action efforts, helping achieve our greenhouse gas reduction goals by significantly increasing transit ridership, reducing automobile use, and providing a foundation of transportation infrastructure to support the development of healthier communities in the future.”
The Plan goes on to state that, “we can establish British Columbia as a global leader in innovative transit, providing all British Columbians with economic, social and environmental advantages for decades to come.”
BC Transit has seen significant growth in ridership that places significant pressure on the provision of new and expanded systems. In 2007, BC Transit systems saw a total ridership of 42.5 million passengers, up from 40.7 million the year before.
Culturally, we need to move to a European model of provision and regard for the role of public transport in our society. This might not be the primary issue raised by transport planners and engineers, but the social relationship to transport is an essential key to building ongoing investment in public transport across political cycles.
THE CHAMBER RECOMMENDS
That the Provincial Government:
- develop a fully costed and funded rural transport plan to look into the creation of partnerships with private companies/organizations that will financially contribute to the success of the plan;
- ensure that the plan include provision for both capital and operating funds for transit service where a definable need exists that cannot be supported under a user pay model; and
- undertake an aggressive public relations campaign to highlight the availability and benefit of public transit in all communities in BC.
Footnotes
