How to make your Transportation Master Plan “Future Ready”

Brett Sears, MCIP RPP

Senior Project Manager

1. What is “future ready?”

2. Why do we need to be “future ready?”

3. How do we become “future ready?”

4. Concluding thoughts

Presentation Outline

What is “future ready?”

Seeing the Future More Clearly

Future trends across broad categories

Understand future trends and their impact on transportation.

Consider implications of individual trends and trend convergence on design across sectors.

Incorporate thought leadership on critical trends as new policies.

Ensure that designs are Future Ready.

Climate Society Technology Resources

Why do we need to be “future ready?”

— The way we access transportation - as a service, not via ownership

— New modes - e-bikes, e-scooters

— The use of big data to plan and operate transportation systems

— Interaction at the curb

— Delivery modes / operating models / on-line shopping

Everything is changing!

— The future is not something that is just happening to us, it is something we can (and must) shape

— Start with the idea of planning for people, not carso Plan for personal mobility

o Vision Zeroo Define complete street designs that

support multimodal mobility, livability, safety

— Overarching policy support

How do we manage what is happening now?

walking

biking / scooters

transit

carpool

drive alone

using a TNC

RESOURCES• Renewable energy• Energy storage• Circular economy

CLIMATE• Warmer• Wetter• Stormier

TECHNOLOGY• Electrification and

automation• Innovative

technologies• New materials

SOCIETY• Immigration

• Changing workforce• Demographics

• Health and well-being

Trends

WETTERExtreme precipitation

events are expected to double by 2050, with

more rain and less snow

WARMERHeatwaves will increase. By 2050, a 1 in 20 year

extreme hot day is projected to become four times more likely

STORMIERThe strongest winter

storms are projected to become 8-15% more

frequent over the next 50 years across Canada

Climate

Safety

• Potential overall worsening in network safety performance • increased likelihood of

collisions due to loss of traction, reduced visibility, falling trees

• Increased likelihood of collisions would directly increase the risk to road workers and core responders

• Harsh conditions would be detrimental to road workers (slips, trips)

Operations

• Lane closures due to flooding or collisions would lead to reduced capacity

• Road damages through the effects of moisture (such as potholes) may cause drivers to swerve to avoid such damages

• Equipment/technology on the roads may be damaged. This has detrimental impacts on the safety and operation as it cannot be used to control traffic or deal with incidents.• Increased workload for

operators and road workers

Maintenance

• Deterioration of road surfaces, structures and assets from heavy rain, heavy wind, flooding or subsidence.

• Damage to roadside technology• Most current ducted

drainage designs would result in submerged or waterlogged cables

• Accessibility to equipment may be compromised by heavy rain or flooding

Impacts of extreme weather on strategic roadsPrecipitation - future impacts and trends

Safety

• Increased chance of road surface ruts forming from melting asphalt which could increase likelihood of driver losing control• In turn increases the need

for road works and therefore the exposure of risk to road workers

• Extreme heat can have a detrimental impact on the welfare of road workers• Heatstroke, sunburn, heat

exhaustion, dehydration

Operations

• Road damage through the effects of heat (such as road deformation) may cause drivers to swerve to avoid such damages

• Equipment/technology on the roads may be damaged. This has detrimental impacts on the safety and operation as it cannot be used to control traffic or deal with incidents.• Both increase exposure of

risk to road workers

Maintenance

• Current roadside technologies are not designed to withstand high temperatures• Roadside cabinets

experience a greenhouse-like effect inside which increases deterioration rates

• High temperatures may affect infrastructure with a large surface area as a result of expansion –causing defects through additional stresses• Workers may not legally be

able to access equipment

Impacts of extreme weather on strategic roadsHeat - future impacts and trends

Problem identification:

Congestion(too much traffic

volume for available capacity)

Solution:

More or

wider

roads(to increase capacity)

Consideration:

Auto(minimal

provision for alternative

modes)

Future Alternatives Evaluation – Traditional Methods

Results of Traditional Evaluation Methods

More

trafficMore

congestion

RESULT

Smart Mobility – What is Changing?

14

Past

Present

Future

Journey Journey

Workplace

PlacePlaceStart

Home

JourneyA Day in Life Scenario

15

Origin Place Place Destination

Park & Ride

Station

Multi-modal Station

Journey

Place Facilities

Community (childcare)

Public Space (parks)

Local retail (grocery stores)

Education (elementary school)

Health (clinic)

Restaurants

Transport Options

On-demand services

Walk Bus

BicyclePrivate vehicle

Train

LRT

Origin Destination

Mobility 1.0

Trip planning: some integration: TripLinx across Region but ride sharing, personal vehicle and cycling is not integratedPayment: separate fee transactions for different tripsAccess to Information: Via mobile applications, variable message signs, display boards, webpages. Some real-time information available depending on agencies (private/public).

Journey Journey

Workplace

PlacePlaceStart

Home

JourneyA Day in Life Scenario

16

Origin Place Place Destination

Park & Ride

Station

Multi-modal Station

Journey

Place Facilities

Community (childcare)

Public Space (parks)

Local retail (grocery stores)

Education (elementary school)

Health (clinic)

Restaurants

Transport Options

On-demand services

Walk Bus

BicyclePrivate vehicle

Train

LRT

Mobility 2.0

Integrated solution: ✓ One payment for all trips (even with services provided by different agencies)✓ Able to plan your trip/ access real time information, at 1 place (a Mobility Platform) for all modes of

transportation using different filters – cost, travel time/arrival time, comfort with shared mobility✓ Integration with calendar, fitbit to optimize based on your priorities

How do we become “future ready?”

Creating a Future Ready TMP

I. See the future more clearly through a series of key trends and thought

leadership

II. Design for it today by integrating future trends

into the work

III. Lead in innovation by positioning the TMP with innovation and future thinking

Apply experience

Leverage experience in a culture of future-focused innovation

WSP’sThree Core Pillars of Future Ready Thinking

Travel Demand Management - ITS / Smart Cities

Intelligent Transportation Systems is the application

of technology to transportation such as adaptive

traffic signals, variable message signs, smart card

fare payment system (PRESTO), ridesharing

applications (Uber, Lyft or others)

Smart Cities is the application of technology to

enhance how cities functionBig Data –

- Determine key data needs and develop a plan to collect (or purchase

from 3rd party)

- Analyze real-time data about the Town’s transportation infrastructure to

optimize system’s performance

Traveler Information –

- Develop strategy to make real-time

information available to all types of

travelers (motorists, pedestrians,

cyclists, transit users) to support

decision making

- Promote Mobility as a Service (MaaS)

options

—A city or community that leverages technology and innovation to increase its quality of life, support economic sustainability and connect its citizens and infrastructure.

—Smart cities start with planning.

What is a smart city? How does it relate to a transportation master plan?

Movement of people and goods through application of

technology, data and data analytics that balances safety,

efficiency, comfort, sustainability, ability, inclusion,

equity and cost.

What is Smart Mobility?

Road Weather Information

Systems (RWIS)

Commercial Vehicle Systems for border security, inspection

Congestion Pricing /Road user Charging

Priced Managed

Lanes

Data Analytics

Predictive Modelling

Integrated Corridor Manage-

ment

Mobility as a Service (MaaS)

Automated, Connected, Electric and

Shared (ACES)

On Demand Mobility Services

Platooning

New Mobility (e-bike, e-scooters)

Microtransit

Robo-delivery

Walking

Cycling

Ride Sharing

User Centric

Curbside Management

New Mobility Technologies

15New Mobility refers to technologies that enable ride-sharing platforms, electric vehicle operation and driverless vehicles.

Explore the feasibility of using ride-sharing services to complement transit service1

2

3

4

Undertake a “new mobility audit” as part of preliminary planning for major transportation infrastructure to identify whether investment will meet future needs over facility’s lifecycle

Example: Why widen a road to accommodate for a parking lane if future demand does not require parking facilities?

Consider implementing a driverless vehicle pilot on a fixed route (shuttle or rideshare) to support multimodal commuting

Establish a “new mobility” advisory and/or staff committee to monitor technology developments and make policy recommendations responsive to new trends

Future Smart Mobility

23

Connected &Automated

Vehicles

Connectivity:

✓ Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V)

✓ Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I)

✓ Vehicle-to-Centre (V2C)

✓ Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X)

IMPLICATIONS

✓ Infrastructure Readiness – how does this change parking? Are dedicated lanes required for safety in mixed deployment?

✓ Operational Readiness – what new opportunities exist for managing congestion?

✓ Institutional Readiness – what new standards are needed for geometric design? How will data be managed?

Automation:

No automation to partial

automation serving

assistive technology with

a driver that must remain

engaged with the driving

task

Conditional automation

with the vehicle

managing most safety-

critical driving functions

and a driver ready to

take control of the

vehicle

High automation with

the vehicle capable of

performing all driving

functions under certain

conditions and a driver

having the option to

control the vehicle if

needed

Full automation with the

vehicle capable of being

completely driverless

under all conditions with

no need for human

driver

Levels 0 to 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5

Complete Streets Policy

Promote multi-functional road corridorsto provide better accessibility and travel options to different users

Incorporate best practice design guidelines available

Promote Complete Streets across different departments to integrateefforts toward the same goal

Complete Streets is a policy and design approach that requires streets to be planned, designed, operated, and maintained for all users and uses

Vision Zero Policy

Zero is the only reasonable target

Focus on planning solutions for system-wide problems that address fatal and severe injury collisions

Communicate and clearly define responsibilities between all stakeholders in the road system

Actively Participate in Road Safety Plans to coordinate efforts towards same goals

15Vision Zero is an innovative approach in road safety stating that any fatality or seriously injury on our

roadways is unacceptable

1

2

3

Vision Zero focus city

City with Vision Zero policy

State wide road safety plan

Additional future opportunities for mitigating extreme weather impacts

Roadside technology• Opportunities to implement more heat and water resilient roadside technology

cabinets to avoid over-heating and waterlogging.• In-vehicle information through connected vehicles could eventually replace the need

for message signs and therefore roadside technology.

Data• Utilizing asset data – ability to make maintenance more efficient by creating a data

trail. • In-vehicle systems – data from vehicles could report on road condition/weather in real-

time. • Network operations – the above could aid in the proactive measures taken by network

operators, enabling action sooner.

Concluding thoughts

Regional Collaboration

Accessibility

Champion

PrivacyData Standards

Connectivity

Geometric Standards

Infrastructure (New/

Upgrades)

Cybersecurity

Data Aggregation

Drone Policy

Things to be considered

Connected and Autonomous

Vehicle Readiness

Digitization

Policy & Regulations

Vision

Integrated Fare Payment

— Increased mode choices

— Informed decision making

— Different travel patterns

— New ways to manage congestion

— Repurposing of existing parking

— User centric (customized based on individual’s priorities)

Opportunities

Challenges

— Safety

— Equity

— Affordability

— Sustainability

— Privacy

— Security

How smart mobility in a transportation master plan can influence the growth of smart cities

✓ Plan to move goods and people smarter (easier access to jobs, real-time

traveller information, integrated fare system)

✓ Provide policy support for “future ready” infrastructure

✓ Support innovation, productivity and economic growth

✓ Help shape smarter, greener and healthier cities

✓ Provide mobility options that help cities attract talent and new firms

✓ Unlock new development sites through multi-modal access

Brett Sears, MCIP, RPPSenior Project Manager

Transportation Planning & Advisory Services

T: + 1 289-982-4752E: Brett.Sears@wsp.com