southlands - urban design 4 health,...

TDM Options for Southlands 1 Urban Design 4 Health, Inc.Prepared for

Century Group

Urban Design 4 Health, Inc.

Seattle - Vancouver

January 2010

Southlands

Investing in Transportation Within the Tsawwassen Area

TDM Options for Southlands 2 Urban Design 4 Health, Inc.

Introduction

This document presents a comprehensive set of strategies to meet nearer and longer term

transportation needs within the Tsawwassen area. It is designed to convey a set of strategies that

will work interactively to not only address impacts of developing the Southlands site; but to help

increase travel options within the area surrounding the project site. It seeks to connect Boundary Bay,

Tsawwassen’s town centre, and the residential community to the west of Southlands and to make the

region more vibrant and sustainable. The concepts presented further support the ability to provide

a wider range of housing options that will enable residents to remain in the community throughout

different stages of the lifespan and to promote an active healthy lifestyle.

THE WORK PRESENTED HERE BUILDS ON TWO PREVIOUS DOCUMENTS DEVELOPED AS

PART OF THIS PROJECT:

1. Transportation in Southlands: Existing Conditions Analysis describes site characteristics,

and current transportation facilities and land use patterns surrounding the study site and forming

its physical context. Policies and current plans in effect or under development that may influence the

development of a trip reduction program are also reviewed.

2. Creating Travel Options for Southlands surveys a range of strategies including new programs to

provide travel options to area residents, and physical investments to improve existing facilities within

the study area and establishing or enhancing transportation options for sub-regional and regional

travel. The primary aim is to reduce vehicle traffic on and off-site, provide recreational opportunities,

promote active transportation and health, and reduce environmental impacts from cars.

THIS DOCUMENT OUTLINES THE COMPONENTS OF A TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM THAT CAN

ADDRESS THE FOLLOWING GOAL AND OBJECTIVES:

PROGRAM GOAL

→→ Reduce Southlands traffic impacts while benefitting the larger community

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

→→ Reduce the number of cars leaving the Southlands site by meeting residents’ daily needs on-site

with shopping and services within easy bicycling and walking distance.

→→ Shift trips to and from the Southlands to bicycling and walking for shorter trips, and transit

for longer trips.

Southlands’ estimated traffic impacts are well within what can be accommodated by the Tsawwassen

road network, with or without a transportation program. However, Century Group is committed to

encouraging sustainable forms of transportation, minimizing traffic impacts, and making investments

that benefit the Tsawwassen


community as a whole. The program presented here is therefore robust, innovative, and designed to

benefit not just Southlands, but all of Tsawwassen. Neighborhood-scale strategies such as the ones

presented in this plan have been shown to reduce vehicle trips substantially – by 20 percent or even

more in the most supportive of conditions. Based on evidence found in published research, we present

a set of program goals that will further reduce Southlands’ traffic impacts.

THE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM CAN ALSO HELP TO CREATE A HEALTHY, SUSTAINABLE

TSAWWASSEN, AS SUMMARIZED BY THE FOLLOWING SECONDARY GOALS:

→→ Provide opportunities for physical activity and recreation in Southlands and Tsawwassen both

through engagement in active transportation when traveling within the community and through

leisure time activities

→→ Enhance and create direct and pleasant connections between existing destinations within

Tsawwassen (town centre, Boundary Bay, residential areas) that are currently blocked or made more

circuitous by the Southlands site.

→→ Reduce Southlands’ environmental impacts (air pollution, greenhouse gases)

Southlands’ flat terrain and envisioned compact, pedestrian-friendly urban design creates a perfect

opportunity to encourage people-powered transportation and integrates sustainable transportation

and local, sustainable agriculture. The proposed development strategy offers considerable potential to

bolster jobs and energize the town centre by attracting interest and investment to the area.

Most of the strategies in this program can at least partially be implemented by Southlands’ developer,

Century Group. Based on previous experience, this investment in transportation enhancements within

the Tsawwassen area will stimulate and leverage investments by TransLink, the Corporation of Delta,

and other organizations. Some improvements will require blended investments. Having capital to

support these needed improvement from the Southlands development will make improvements to the

area more competitive relative to other possible ways in which these funds could be spent.

For example, this could include the potential expansion and improvements to transit service from

the study area to major destinations in the lower mainland. Providing such investments in service

hours, information education about transit options, demand responsive services, a shuttle connecting

residents with regional transit, and transit passes for Southlands residents will help to build a

supportive constituency and ridership that can advocate for expanded transit services. Achieving

a critical mass and level of demand is essential to gain the attention needed to warrant major

improvements to transit.


The recommended strategies are designed to be implemented in a flexible manner. In addition

to describing the strategies that make up the program, we make recommendations for program

evaluation and lay out a set of initial goals for program performance. Feedback from performance on

how well strategies are doing in meeting ridership or trip generation targets will be used to gauge

which additional investments build best on what is already in place. Strategies will be adjusted over

time to best meet the needs of Southlands residents, businesses and other institutions. The goal will

be to create a program that is the most efficient in terms of cost and effort in meeting travel needs of

both Southland and other area residents. Therefore, it should be clear that strategies in this program

will provide benefits to the larger community in terms of infrastructure and access to programs and

services.

This plan is designed to enhance accessibility and mobility for area residents and is based on the

premise that the Southlands is a key feature in the Tsawwassen community and offers a unique

opportunity to enhance the quality of life of area residents. The working development plan for

Southlands should result in measurable improvements in the ability to travel within the community

and to other destinations in the lower mainland. Planning for the development of Southlands needs to

be done in concert with the other investment decisions and planning processes that impact the larger

community.

The proposed plan is broken down into a number of phases that correspond with the timing of

Southlands’ construction and leasing. The table below illustrates the recommended program elements

and their timing. Each phase, and the elements within it, is discussed in more detail in the sections

of the document that follow. The ID number beside the strategy refers to the discussion about that

strategy in the Creating Travel Options for Southlands document.


STRATEGY Overarching

Design

Strategies

phase one strategies phase two

strategies

Information /

encouragement

only

not recommended

During

construction

Conclusion

of first phase

construction

Commercial

leasing

Residential sales

/ leasing

*Urban form & site design X

Bicycling Support Programs

*B1. Public bikes / Bike-

sharing program

X

B2. Indoor bicycle parking,

showers, lockers

X

B3. Outdoor bicycle parking X

*B4. Bike station X

B5. Human-powered hauling

support

X

*B6. Trail Connections X

Parking Management

P1. Unbundling parking X

P2. Centralized, shared

parking

X

P3. Paid parking X

Institutional Support Strategies

I1. Transportation

Management Association

(TMA)

X

Employer-based Strategies

E1. Telecommuting X

*E2. Telework Centers X

E3. Flexible work hours X

E4. Guaranteed Ride Home

Program

X

E5. Ride matching X

E6. Subsidized transit passes

for employees

X

E7. Other incentives / rewards X

STRATEGY PHASE ONE STRATEGIES phase two

strategies

information /

encouragement

only

not recommended

Overarching

Design

Strategies

During

construction

Conclusion

of first phase

construction

Commercial

leasing

Residential sales

/ leasing

RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS

R1. Subsidized transit passes

for residents

X

R2. Personalized travel

planning

X

R3. Transportation “welcome

package” for new residents

X

MOBILITY SUPPORT PROGRAMS

*M1. Car-sharing program X

*M2. Transit service -

alterations to current service

/ new stops

X

*M2. Transit service –

expansion focus

X

M3. School Programs X

M4. Vanpool programs X


Recommended Program Strategies

1. Overarching Design Strategies

These strategies represent a package of physical investments that will be built into the Southlands’

project and will work synergistically with the programmatic actions to reduce trips.

→→ Compact, walkable urban form and site design

→→ B6. Trail Connections

→→ P2. Centralized, shared parking

ALL OF THE PLANS DEVELOPED FOR SOUTHLANDS REFLECT THE FOLLOWING URBAN FORM

AND SITE DESIGN PRINCIPLES:

→→ Retail development within a short walk of homes: Allows residents to meet their everyday needs

without a vehicle, and/or without leaving the site. The Market Square will be within a 10-15 minute

walk for most residents (a 5-10 minute bicycle ride). Tsawwassen town centre is further away for most

residents but still accessible within a 10-15 minute bicycle ride.

→→ A walkable, multimodal street network: In addition to providing convenient, direct access to

destinations, the street and trail network design proposed for Southlands makes walking and cycling

a safe and pleasant experience. Streets will be designed to slow vehicle traffic, and walking and

bicycle access will be prioritized over vehicle-moving capacity. In collaboration with the Corporation

of Delta, streets connecting to Southlands such as 56th Street, 4th and 6th Avenues, and Boundary

Bay Road will be redesigned to provide better through connections for pedestrians and bicyclists

between Southlands and the residential areas to the west, Boundary Bay, and Tsawwassen town

centre. Such improvements will benefit not only Southlands residents, but greater Tsawwassen as

well. These potential connections are described further in the Existing Conditions and Travel Options

documents, as well as in the transportation report prepared for Southlands by Bunt

Engineering in 2008.

→→ Compact development: Housing densities planned for Tsawwassen are transit supportive

(±15 du/acre) and concentrate more homes within walking distance of shops and services and transit.

→→ Low parking requirements: Parking will be provided at the minimal practical level to encourage other

forms of transportation; for example, residential parking is planned at one space per unit or less.

Parking facilities that are centralized and shared between different uses lower development costs,

create a better pedestrian environment (functionally and aesthetically), and discourage excessive

driving, and minimize the negative impacts of parking on a pedestrian friendly site design.


Based on past evidence, these urban design characteristics will,

in themselves, promote walking and cycling simply by placing

everyday destinations within a convenient distance and creating

safe, pleasant conditions for walking or bicycling, as research

has demonstrated.1 These design strategies will also provide a

foundation for the other strategies in the transportation program

to be effective. For example, car sharing is not a realistic option

without a compact area with several potential users of the

program. These physical investments will play a key role in making

programmatic actions effective by giving residents (of Southlands

and Tsawwassen), employees and students real options to use

more sustainable modes to get around.

1 Ewing R, Cervero R (2001). Travel and the Built Environment-A Synthesis.

Transportation Research Record 1780. TRB, National Research Council, Washington

D.C., pp. 87-114.

Frank LD, Bradley M, Kavage S, Chapman J and Lawton TK (2007c). Urban form, travel

time, and cost relationships with tour complexity and mode choice. Transportation,

Volume 35, No. 1: pp. 37-54.


2. Phase One Strategies

Phase One strategies include the construction of supportive facilities, programs that will be

implemented during the commercial leasing process and those that will be focused on new residents.

Some facilities will continue to be constructed as the project gets built out (for example, bike parking

will not be necessary in front of residential development that hasn’t been built yet).

BUILT / IMPLEMENTED DURING CONSTRUCTION

This set of strategies are the physical and institutional support strategies which will need to be planned

and built / implemented during the first phase of construction.

→→ I1. Transportation Management Association (TMA)

→→ B2. Indoor bicycle parking, showers, lockers

→→ B3. Outdoor bicycle parking

→→ B4. Bike station

→→ E2. Telework Centers

The Southlands TMA should be created as part of the Southlands residential association, and be

up and running as soon as construction is complete as it will serve an overarching function. The

organization can then jump-start implementation of the other program components. All employers

and residents would automatically be members of the TMA as part of their residents association dues;

members could pay small fees for “extra” services such as transit passes or they could be provided as a

membership benefit. TMA staff, upon resident move-in will make an initial home visit as described in

the section on Personalized Travel Planning (p. 12). The TMA will also be responsible for starting up or

administering many of the components of the transportation program, and will serve a crucial function

as the one-stop shop for transportation-related issues and questions for Southlands lessees, residents,

employees and students. Staff should have specialized transportation expertise.

TMA FUNCTIONS:

→→ Provide information and personalized travel consulting on travel options and programs to residents,

students and lessees.

→→ Be a liaison to employers and institutions to help them reduce drive-alone trips.

→→ Distribute transit passes and other benefits.

→→ Represent Southlands’ interests on local and regional transportation issues; work with employers and

institutions to grow a strong voice for transit service enhancements.

→→ Monitor specific program’s and their effectiveness and propose recommend changes.

→→ Encourage telecommuting and flexible work hour programs.

→→ Review plans for all additions and changes to Southlands

→→ Review all transportation related plans for larger area

→→ Coordinate the parking program (parking leases, shared parking).

→→ Help to coordinate carpools and vanpools for longer distance regional commuters (both employees

and residents of Southlands).

→→ Coordinate events to generate interest and publicity, such as financial / other incentives, promotions,

awards and contests. Also consider starting walking / cycling clubs.


Secure indoor bicycle parking, showers and lockers should part of the design of all institutional and

office buildings in Southlands. Retail facilities should also include sheltered, secure outdoor bicycle

parking designed for longer term use as well as simple racks prominently in the front of the building.

Transit stops should also have covered, more secure bike parking, and simple covered racks can be

used close to residential, agricultural and recreational areas.

A bike station can be planned at a location in the Market Square, near a planned / future transit stop.

It can start small, providing rentals, repairs and information. As transit infrastructure and access grows,

the bike station can expand to include bike storage, lockers, showers, and a shared-bike program.

The bike station can be implemented as a private business or as a program of the TMA / residential

association. In order to make it work as a for-profit business, rent subsidies could be necessary in

the beginning, especially in order to make it available during the residential move-in period. For this

reason, the best model may be to have it operate as an arm of the TMA or residential association at first,

and convert to a for-profit business as demand and the customer base grows.

The telework center can similarly start small and expand, and be implemented as a for-profit business

or as part of the TMA / residential association. Again, it may make the most sense to have the telework

center operate as a program of the TMA at first in order to build clients, and convert to a for-profit

business once it is established.

Co-locating the bike station, the TMA and the telework center would create a convenient, visible

one-stop shop to serve the transportation needs of residents, employees and visitors. Putting all

of these functions in one place creates a node of activity and a clear ‘point of entry’ for residents. A

flexible design will allow its functions to evolve over time as the needs of the community grow and

change. Locating the facility near a future transit hub or stop will enhance its utility as a multi-modal

connection point and create a true ‘mobility hub’ that was envisioned by the Southlands Community

Planning Team.


START WITH CONCLUSION OF FIRST PHASE CONSTRUCTION

The following strategies can be put into place as the first phase of construction is completed, starting

small and growing as demand increases and as new phases of construction are completed.

→→ B1. Public bikes / Bike-sharing program

→→ M1. Car-sharing program

→→ M2. Transit service enhancements

→→ B5. Human-powered hauling support

The bike-sharing program can begin as a simple hourly bike rental program through the bike station.

As demand and interest increases, kiosks or other more sophisticated facilities can be added. Potential

kiosk locations could be at Boundary Bay, schools, the South Delta Transit Exchange, and Tsawwassen

town centre. As it grows, the program can therefore be made to serve all of Tsawwassen.

With the car-sharing program, it will be necessary to partner with Co-operative Auto Network (CAN) or

Zipcar to get a car located at Southlands and add cars as Southlands is built out. The human-powered

hauling support program can start with a few utility bikes, carts and trailers that can be rented by the

hour through the bike station. Alternatively, carts and trailers can be stored in lockers in the agricultural

areas of the site. Users could register for access to the carts.

Transit service enhancements will take a longer time to plan and implement due to necessary

coordination with TransLink, but the goal should be to have enhanced service up and running by the

time the first phase of construction is complete. Transit service changes that should be considered can

include taxi-bus service or other alterations to current neighborhood circulator routes, additions of

transit service to serve the Southlands population, and the placement of transit stops and hubs within

Southlands. It be important to use the Southlands transportation program as a way to build support

within the community for future transit expansions. The evaluative component envisioned as part of

the transportation program can also help to demonstrate potential ridership.

The transportation report prepared for Southlands in 2008 recommended converting neighborhood

circulator service to taxi-bus service, which allows some route flexibility, uses smaller vehicles, and

runs more frequently than traditional neighbourhood shuttle services.2 Re-thinking neighbourhood

shuttle service to be more flexible, frequent and demand-responsive may be possible within TransLink’s

budget and planning process, or can be implemented in partnership between Century Group and

a local taxi company. Increases in neighbourhood transit service are planned as part of the South

of Fraser Area Transit Plan – going from the hourly trips today to 10 minute headways during peak

periods3 - could make a large difference in increasing circulator ridership.


Another potential area of expansion will be additions to current regional service. According to the

South of Fraser Area Transit Plan, regional transit services for Tsawwassen will increase in frequency a

great deal over the next couple of decades – with bus service to Ladner and the Canada Line planned

to run every 8-10 minutes during peak periods, with faster and better connections to the other South

of Fraser centres such as White Rock and the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal.4

TransLink’s Area Transit Plan notes that implementation of the Plan is “tied to population and

density rather than time, therefore if growth occurs faster than predicted then the service must be

implemented at a faster rate.”5 This policy creates an opportunity to speed up implementation of better

service if local demand warrants it. However, given that Southlands will not be fully built out for over a

decade, it is difficult to say when Tsawwassen will reach the tipping point that will prompt additional

service. Putting measures in place to build transit ridership on the current service, such as subsidized

transit passes and adjustments to schedules and routing will help to create that critical mass sooner.

The evaluative program will also play a key role by tracking the use of, and interest in, transit services.

2 Bunt Engineering Ltd. Southlands Transit. Prepared as part of Southlands Community Transportation Statement, April 2008. p.

4-5. 3 South of Fraser Area Transit Plan Phase 2, p. 17. 4 South of Fraser Area Transit Plan Phase 2, p. 17. 5 South of Fraser Area

Transit Plan phase 2, p. 4. http://www.translink.ca/~/media/Documents/Plans%20and%20Projects/Area%20Transit%20Plans/

South%20of%20Fraser/South%20of%20Fraser%20Area%20Transit%20Plan%20Phase%202.ashx


IMPLEMENTED DURING COMMERCIAL LEASING

The parking components of the program should be implemented during commercial leasing.

→→ P1. Unbundling parking

→→ P2. Centralized, shared parking

During commercial and institutional leasing, parking spaces should be “unbundled” - leased separately

from the building spaces so that lessees can buy as much, or as little parking as they need. Doing

so will conserve space and decrease the cost of providing parking. Lessees should be encouraged

to share parking with other lessees, in order to further limit oversupply of parking. The TMA can

provide guidance on sharing parking and help to coordinate parking needs among commercial and

institutional tenants.

IMPLEMENTED DURING RESIDENTIAL SALES /

LEASING AS A MOVE-IN PACKAGE FOR NEW RESIDENTS

Phase 1 is designed to get residents and tenants thinking about new ways of getting around during the

“educable moment” of moving into a new household or business location.

→→ R1. Subsidized transit passes for residents

→→ R2. Personalized travel planning

→→ R3. Transportation “welcome package” for new residents

These three strategies would be combined as an outreach strategy to new residents. Since travel

patterns will need to be re-considered during a move anyway, education and encouragement

during this time can be the extra push needed to get an individual to seriously consider non-auto

transportation. As new residents move in, we recommend in-person contact from a “travel consultant”

(most likely TMA staff ) to conduct personalized travel planning - helping new residents understand

the options available to them and how to use them. The travel consultant could coordinate a move-

in survey that asks residents about their current travel habits, interests and work location; this survey

would be used to help establish a baseline for future evaluation and also aid in program planning and

ride-share facilitation. The travel consultant would also provide a transportation “welcome package”

to residents that includes items such as car & bike share membership, the subsidized transit pass,

maps and information about travel options and the TMA, and local retail discounts. It is important

that the travel consultant not just be the head of the homeowners association, but someone that has

experience “selling” transit, bicycling and walking.


3.Phase Two Strategies

Phase Two strategies will be implemented once “critical mass” is present or later phases of construction

are completed. Monitoring will be crucial to make sure the timing is right – too early could result in

a waste of funding and the lack of interest if critical mass is not there to support the service. Waiting

too long could result in lost opportunity and momentum. The program’s evaluative components can

support decisions about timing.

→→ M2. Transit service - expansion focus

→→ M3. School programs

→→ E7. Other incentives / rewards.

More intensive transit improvements will be focused on more frequent and faster transit service around

Tsawwassen and to the other parts of the greater Vancouver Region; largely implementing later phases

of Trans-Link’s South of Fraser River Transit plan. During the earlier phases of the program, one of the

most important jobs of the TMA will be to work with lessees, employers, institutions and residents in

Southlands to build a strong voice for better transit service in Southlands and Tsawwassen.

As transit infrastructure, service and access grows, a number of the Phase One components should also

expand to enhance transit access. The bike station can grow to include bike storage and an expanded

shared-bike program with kiosks at major transit hubs in Tsawwassen. Both of these strategies will

serve as a “last mile” link to transit, allowing people to connect to/from transit with a short bicycle ride.

School programs can be developed for Kwantlen, and any elementary or other schools that are built

in Southlands, as those facilities are built and student populations increase. These programs can be

based on existing programs for residents, employees and lessees and implemented through the TMA. A

transit pass component similar to the one in UBC’s Trek program will be a key program element.

Once the program is up and running other incentives, rewards and special incentives, promotions and

contests will be important to maintain interest and visibility of the travel options available, especially

as new program features or benefits come on-line. It is anticipated that such programs would be

implemented periodically through the TMA and/or individual employers or schools.


4. Information / Encouragement Only

For these strategies, services are already provided through other agencies; therefore implementation

as a standalone program for Southlands will not be efficient or effective. This is not to underplay

the importance of these strategies or the function of a good information / promotional program. A

key function of the TMA will be to provide information on these services to commercial tenants and

residents as a matter of course, and encourage them to take advantage of these opportunities, in

coordination with the service provider.

→→ E1. Encourage Telecommuting

→→ E3. Encourage flexible work hours

→→ M4. Vanpool programs

→→ E5. Personalized / online ride matching

The TMA, for example, can work to promote and encourage residents and employees / employers to

use the telework center and to help companies put telework and flexible work schedules in place. The

TMA can also help to set up vanpools and carpools in cooperation with the existing Jack Bell Ride-

Share services, and run promotions to generate interest in these programs.

5. Strategies Not Recommended

A few strategies presented in the initial TDM Strategies report are not recommended for

implementation at Southlands at this juncture.

→→ E6. Subsidized transit passes for employees.

→→ P3. Paid parking.

→→ E4. Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH) program

There are not expected to be many employees at Southlands, and TransLink’s pass program allows

any employer with 25 employees to purchase passes anyway. Depending on tenants and lease

structure, it may be reasonable to reconsider this option at a later point. If there is interest from enough

commercial and retail tenants to have a block of over 25 employees, it might be possible to go through

the TMA to purchase passes. In any case, employers should be encouraged to subsidize transit passes

for their employees that are commuting into Southlands. Similarly, GRH is typically implemented by

employers in the Vancouver region. Such a program for residents could duplicate programs that are

already offered by employers and undercut community transit service.


TABLE 2. TRIP PURPOSES FOR RESIDENTS SOUTH OF THE FRASER RIVER

Source: South of Fraser Transit Plan Phase 1. Fig. 16, p. 22 Data from TransLink.

TRIP PURPOSE PERCENT

Personal business 57%

Work / post secondary school 31%

Grade school 9%

During workday 3%

Although paid parking can be a very effective way to discourage excessive auto trips, we do not

recommend it for Southlands. This is because parking in the rest of Tsawwassen is free, so shoppers

could end up choosing to drive to where the parking is free rather than paying to park. This could hurt

Southlands businesses. Paid parking could be considered as part of a broader parking strategy for all of

Tsawwassen in the future.

Table 3 on the following page summarizes Southlands’ travel markets and how the components of the

program would address them. For commute trips (the majority of which are longer and made during

peak periods, five days a week), programs that focus on transit and employers will be needed. For non-

work trips, which make up most of the trips (see Table 2, below) but are typically shorter, targeting

walking and bicycling and building on Southlands’ urban design features will be the focus. Student

populations are somewhere in the middle as students tend to make regular trips, yet live closer to

school than “regular” commuters.


STRATEGY Type of trip addressed Type of traveler served Mode

Emphasis

Commute

trips

Non-work /

short trips

Employees/

Employers

Students Residents Tsawwassen

Residents

Bike Walk Transit

Urban form and site design X X X X X X

B6. Trail connections X X X X X X

P2. Centralized, shared

parking

X X X X X

B2. Bicycle parking,

showers, and lockers as

part of development

X X X X

B3. Secure, sheltered

bicycle parking

X X X X X X

B4. Bike station X X X X X X X X

E2. Telework Centers X X X

B1. Public bikes / Bike-

sharing program

X X X X X X X X

O1. Car-sharing program X X X X

O2. Transit service X X X X X X X

B5. Human-powered

hauling support

X X X X

I1. Transportation

Management Association

(TMA) for residents,

students & employers

X X X X X X X X

P1. Unbundling parking X X X X X X

R1. Subsidized transit

passes for residents

X X X

R2. Personalized travel

planning

X X X X X X

R3. Transportation

“welcome package” for

new residents

X X X X X X

TABLE 3. TRAVEL MARKETS ADDRESSED BY SOUTHLANDS

TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM


PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER – EVALUATION & EFFECTIVENESS

Whether or not there is a transportation program in place, Southlands’ estimated traffic impacts are

well within what can be accommodated by the Tsawwassen road network. Still, a robust transportation

program is crucial to minimize the traffic impacts on the surrounding community. The traffic report

prepared by Bunt Engineering for the Southlands in 2008 estimated that at build-out, based on 2000

units built, Southlands would generate 640 vehicle trips during the PM peak hour. Assuming that

40% of trips occur within Tsawwassen, this would result in an increase of 380 trips on the busiest

section of 56th Street closest to Highway 17, well below the 1200 additional vehicles that this section

of roadway can accommodate. This estimate assumes a reduction in trips due to Southlands’ urban

design and transportation programs.6 Using the “standard” ITE (Institute of Transportation Engineers)

trip generation rate for a development of this type (which does not account for trip reduction

programs or urban design measures) results in 1,040 vehicle trips in the PM peak hour, and an increase

of 416 vehicles on the section of 56th Street closest to Highway 17 — still well below what can be

accommodated.

Judging the potential ability of the Southlands Transportation program to reduce trips is, in short,

complicated. Although there has been a great deal of research on some of the program components,

this is not the case with many of them. There are also always limitations in applying the research

findings to a particular case. There will be differences in the way a particular program element

is conceived and/or implemented, differences in scale of application or geographic conditions,

differences in the way the package of strategies is put together, and differences in the outcome is

being measured (program effectiveness vs. transportation impact, or VKT vs. vehicle trips or mode

share). Finally, ascertaining what sort of reduction in vehicle trips will be yielded from a particular

combination of strategies is difficult. Not only will a great deal of a program’s combined effectiveness

depend on the local conditions and quality of implementation, but different combinations of strategies

may have complementary, synergistic or even conflicting effects, making the impact of the whole

program not necessarily the sum of its parts. Additionally, the impact of the Southlands Transportation

Program in particular is made more complicated by the long build-out and phasing that is built into

the program.

Table 4 on the following page summarizes the research on effectiveness by strategy. Two summary

sources are listed in the table, in addition to the specific studies cited: The Center for Clean Air

Guidebook Emissions Calculator (www.ccap.org/guidebook) and the Victoria Transportation Policy

Institute’s TDM Guidebook both synthesize large amounts of research and develop recommendations

for individual strategy effectiveness. The TEEM model developed by the Washington State Department

of Transportation is also cited; TEEM models the effectiveness of vehicle trip reduction strategies

and factors were developed from an extensive analysis of over 10 years of Commute Trip Reduction

programs in the Puget Sound Region.

6 Bunt & Associates Engineering, Ltd. Southlands Community Transportation Statement, 2008, p.4.


STRATEGY EFFECTIVENESS

Urban form & site design A Vancouver study (UBC BCRPA) found that adults in the most walkable neighbourhoods drive approximately 58%

less than those in the least walkable neighborhoods. Tsawwassen is currently in the medium-low range of

walkability.

CCAP guidebook: 20-30% VKT reduction for transit-oriented development, 1-10% for pedestrian oriented design

A review of over 50 studies by Ewing & Cervero calculated estimated the amount of change in vehicle use that

would result based on the amount of change in land use patterns: • 0.05% decrease in vehicle trips with 10% increase in pedestrian environment• 0.05% decrease in vehicle trips with 10% increase in local density• 0.03% decrease in vehicle trips with 10% increase in local land use mix.

BICYCLING SUPPORT PROGRAMS

B1. Public bikes / Bike-sharing

program

No studies on transportation impact.

B2. Indoor bicycle parking, showers,

lockers

A UK study found outdoor bicycle parking increased commute bike mode share from 5.8% to 6.3%, indoor parking

increased it to 6.6%, and indoor parking and showers increased it to 7.1%. The increase in bicycling was found to

'pull' trips from all other travel modes equally.

B3. Outdoor bicycle parking See above.

B4. Bike station No studies; however, this strategy can be assumed to function similarly to strategy B2 and provide support services

for bicyclists that will increase bicycling closer towards the upper bounds of what is possible in terms of mode

share.

B5. Human-powered hauling support No studies.

B6. Trail Connections Going from disconnected network to complete off-street path coverage increases commute bicycling mode share

from 5.8% to 9% , with car mode share from 55.2% to 53.3%, car passenger mode share from 10.4% to 10% and

walking from 11.6% to 11.2%.

TEEM model: Bike mode share (for commuting only) in suburban / rural areas goes from 0.2% to 0.7% as bike connectivity goes from worst to best.

PARKING MANAGEMENT

P1. Unbundling parking CCAP guidebook: parking programs = 15-30% VKT reduction

P2. Centralized, shared parking CCAP guidebook: parking programs = 15-30% VKT reduction

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT STRATEGIES

I1. Transportation Management

Association

VTPI guidebook estimates 0.48% VKT decrease.

EMPLOYER-BASED STRATEGIES

E1. Telecommuting Education & information only; VTPI Guidebook estimates 0.71% VKT reduction for "telework/flextime"

E2. Telework Centers Telework effectiveness is limited to work trips, number of people that participate and the number of days per

week that they participate. Collantes and Mokhtarian (2003) analyzed data from 218 California employees and

found that the average teleworker telecommutes 1.5 days a week.

Mokhtarian and Varma (1998) found telework center users reduced VMT by 53% on telework days. The number of trips increased due to driving home for lunch. Henderson and Mokhtarian (1996) found 54% VKT reduction for

telework center users, and that telework center users had the longest trips (out of non-teleworkers, at-home

teleworkers and telework center users).

VTPI guidebook estimates 0.71% VKT reduction for "telework/flextime"

E3. Flexible work hours Education & information only; VTPI guidebook estimates 0.71% VKT reduction for "telework/flextime"

E4. Guaranteed Ride Home Program Although GRH programs are only used rarely, they are highly valued. A US study found that under 5 percent of

program registrants needed to use the GRH service in the past year, resulting in a median annual cost per GRH

program registrant of only $0.35. People appear to be more likely to ride-share with GRH and that without GRH, nearly half (47 percent) of people using alternative modes of transportation would not continue to do so.

E5. Ride matching Education & information only; VTPI Guidebook estimates 0.81% VKT reduction for "ride-sharing."

E7. Other incentives / rewards Education & information only; effectiveness will depend on program.

TABLE 4. EFFECTIVENESS SUMMARY



R1. Subsidized transit passes for

residents

An analysis of Boulder’s 2000 travel survey found that respondents with an Eco-Pass (Boulder’s residential transit

pass program) were five times more likely to have made a bus trip as non pass-holders.

R2. Personalized travel planning The Travel Smart program in Tsawwassen reduced drive-alone auto trips by 11% (10 percentage points more than

the control group), while increasing walking trips by 6% (2 percentage points over the control group), bicycle trips

by 54% (46 percentage points over the control group), carpool trips by 12% (13 percentage points over the control group), and transit trips by 2% (1 percentage point over the control group).

R3. Transportation “welcome package”

for new residents

No studies; however, this program is basically a way to implement strategies R2 and R1.


M1. Car-sharing program The studies that have been done have found little evidence that car-sharing decreases vehicle trips or kilometers

traveled., The biggest transportation benefit from car-sharing is likely to be reduced auto ownership. Cervero finds

evidence of reduced auto ownership among car-share members, although the evaluation was completed too early in the program’s existence to draw many conclusions. In a study of Portland car share members, 26% reported

having sold their car, and another 53% were able to avoid buying one due to car sharing membership. Similar results have been found with Boston’s car sharing program. Additionally, many car-share program participants are

from 0-1 car households. Although car sharing is likely to cause a small increase in driving among these

households, it represents an affordable and easy mobility benefit to provide and may prevent those households from having to buy their own cars in the future.

M2. Transit service - alterations to

current service / new stops

CCAP Guidebook: 0.5% VKT reduction for each 1% improvement in service frequency

VTPI Guidebook: 0.36% VKT reduction for "transit improvements & incentives"

M2. Transit service – expansion focus CCAP Guidebook: 0.5% VKT reduction for each 1% improvement in service frequency


M3. School Programs VTPI Guidebook: 0.25% VKT reduction

Mode (2004) Delta – Existing (2004) Target at end of Phase One Target at Southlands buildout Target post-buildout

Automobile 76% 69% 59% 52%

Transit 7% 10% 15% 21%

Walk / Cycle 16% 20% 25% 36%

Other 1% 1% 1% 1%

Mode Delta – Existing (2001) Target at end of Phase One Target at Southlands buildout Target post-buildout

Automobile 88.6% (avg occupancy 1.06) 85% 80% 75%

Transit 5.3% 8% 10% 15%

Walk 4.3% 4% 5% 5%

Cycle 1.1% 2% 3% 3%

Other (incl. vanpool) 0.8% 1% 2% 2%

Baseline: after first phase of

construction (Phase One programs)

Between first phase of construction

and full buildout (Phase Two programs)

After full buildout

Number of vehicles leaving/entering

Southlands, PM peak period weekday

TBD 10% decrease from baseline 25% decrease from baseline

Average daily number of walk and bicycle

trips by residents, students and employees

TBD 5% increase from baseline 25% increase from baseline

Mode share See mode share targets in Tables 5 and 6 (previous page)

Transit ridership TBD 10% increase from baseline 25% increase from baseline

TABLE 4. EFFECTIVENESS SUMMARY CONTINUED


Overall, programs vary widely in effectiveness. This is partly a question of program quality, coverage and scope, but also

one of scale. Programs at the single-employer level can reduce vehicle trips 30-40 percent or even more; because the

audience is more spatially diluted and there is a greater variety of trip types and destinations, effectiveness declines as

the program area increases. At the site level, 20 to 40 percent trip reduction is possible with aggressive measures such as

parking pricing and transit incentives; at the corridor or large area, reductions will be around 4 to 8 percent, and for entire

urban regions, 3 to 5 percent may be achievable.7

From these estimates of effectiveness, it is possible to set targets for mode share over time. These targets, shown in Tables

5 and 6, take into consideration the combined impact of the various urban design, transit and programmatic elements of

the transportation program and represent aggressive, yet achievable goals. The proposed targets ramp up over time as

more program elements are added and Southlands is built out to a critical mass. Targets are broken up into all trips and

commute trips; the separate targets for commute trips reflect the fact that it will likely be more difficult to shift commute

trips away from driving modes, due to the long travel distances and the insufficiency of transit for trips outside of Ladner

and the Canada Line corridor. For commute trips, cycling and walking remain at relatively low levels – again, due to long

travel distances and the fact that Tsawwassen is largely a residential area.

7Comsis Corporation, Georgia Institute of Technology, K.T. Analytics, Inc. and R.H. Pratt. Overview of Travel Demand Management Measures: Final Report.

Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1994. Winters, P. “Transportation Demand Management.” Transportation in the New Millennium.

Washington DC: TRB. A5010, Transportation Demand Management Committee. 2000. http://gulliver.trb.org/publications/millennium/00123.pdf



residents







for new residents

















Automobile 76% 69% 59% 52%

Transit 7% 10% 15% 21%

Walk / Cycle 16% 20% 25% 36%

Other 1% 1% 1% 1%



Transit 5.3% 8% 10% 15%

Walk 4.3% 4% 5% 5%

Cycle 1.1% 2% 3% 3%






After full buildout











residents







for new residents

















Automobile 76% 69% 59% 52%

Transit 7% 10% 15% 21%

Walk / Cycle 16% 20% 25% 36%

Other 1% 1% 1% 1%



Transit 5.3% 8% 10% 15%

Walk 4.3% 4% 5% 5%

Cycle 1.1% 2% 3% 3%






After full buildout









TABLE 5. MODE SHARE TARGETS FOR SOUTHLANDS, ALL TRIPS

TABLE 6. MODE SHARE TARGETS FOR SOUTHLANDS, COMMUTE TRIPS


PROGRAM EVALUATION

A strong evaluative component of the program will be necessary in order to track and maintain the

program’s effectiveness over time. A survey of residents, employees, employers and traffic patterns

once every year or two will allow program administrators to fine-tune the program according to

feedback from residents about which program components they value or use the most, know when

to add more services, ensure that the program is meeting its goals, and demonstrate potential

transit ridership. The evaluation should contain the following components:

1. Initial survey of all residents concurrent with move-in to assess travel habits, work/school location

and interests in transportation options. In addition to serving a practical function, this survey will

kick off the initial personal travel consultation and be the first step to building awareness around

transportation issues.

2. Survey of residents (sampled population). Short travel diary with supplemental questions about

which programs they use and how they value them.

3. Survey of employees. Short travel diary with supplemental questions about which programs they

use and how they value them.

4. Survey of employers / institutions. Questions about what they provide to their employees and how

they value the Southlands transportation program.

5. PM peak hour counts of vehicles entering and leaving Southlands; this will be focused on cars, but

can also include bicycles and pedestrians.

The recommended performance indicators tie into the Southlands Transportation Program’s

goal and objectives (shown for reference in the text box at left).

RECOMMENDED PERFORMANCE INDICATORS:

→→ Number of vehicles leaving/entering Southlands, on average, PM peak period weekday

(vehicle counts)

→→ Number of walk and bicycle trips, daily average (travel survey)

→→ Mode share for transit, bicycling, walking, auto (travel survey)

→→ Transit ridership on local transit routes (neighborhood circulators and longdistance,

commute-oriented transit; data from TransLink)

In addition, it is recommended that TMA staff use program and survey data to compile

indicators of the Southlands Transportation Program effectiveness. The core recommended

program effectiveness indicators are:

SOUTHLANDS

TRANSPORTATION

PROGRAM GOAL:

Reduce Southlands traffic

impacts while benefitting

the larger community

Program Objectives:

→→ Reduce the number of

cars leaving the

Southlands site by

meeting residents’ daily

needs on-site with

shopping and services

within easy bicycling

and walking distance.

→→ Shift trips that leave

Southlands to bicycling

and walking for shorter

trips, and transit for

longer trips.


RECOMMENDED PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS INDICATORS:

→→ Number of residential transit passes distributed / used

→→ Value of program components by residents, institutions, businesses (travel survey)

→→ Number / percent of residents participating in program

→→ Number / percent of employers participating in program

→→ Number / percent of students participating in program

The first survey would take place once the first phase of Southlands construction is complete and most of the residents

and businesses have moved in; this will set a baseline that subsequent surveys can be compared against. For each of the

indicators, goals should be established for performance monitoring. The recommended goals, shown in Table 7, ramp up

as Southlands approaches full buildout and more program components come on-line. They take into account that the

baseline survey will, to some degree, already reflect a reduction in vehicle trips from the area average.



residents







for new residents

















Automobile 76% 69% 59% 52%

Transit 7% 10% 15% 21%

Walk / Cycle 16% 20% 25% 36%

Other 1% 1% 1% 1%



Transit 5.3% 8% 10% 15%

Walk 4.3% 4% 5% 5%

Cycle 1.1% 2% 3% 3%






After full buildout









TABLE 7. RECOMMENDED PROGRAM PERFORMANCE GOALS


NEXT STEPS

This document is designed as a working document and will be used to get feedback from

community members, transportation professionals, planners, and other experts.

It will therefore surely change over time as comments and discussion continues, and as plans for

Southlands evolve. This is the intent – to provide a flexible framework that can be used by Century

Group and Southlands to design something that is innovative, challenging, and beneficial for the

greater community.

This document, and the discussion and comments that it provokes, will be used to develop an

Implementation Plan. The Implementation Plan will lay out in more detail the cost level, roles

and timing for each program element, as well as developing more detail about the program’s

evaluation component.