South Fraser OnTrax
A case for new transit options in the south Fraser region
February 27, 2009

WHO IS SOUTH FRASER ONTRAX ?
“We engage – We DON’T Protest”
A Holistic Approach to Transit
 Not For Profit / Non-Partisan BC Society Founded in April 2008
 Need for advocates that don’t head-butt MoT & TransLink
 Advocate for smart growth development and transit options
 Sponsor several free public education workshops each year
 Meet 2nd Thursday of each month in the Township of Langley
 We advocate by engaging public officials in open discussions
 We do not engage in political name-calling
 We listen to reason – We encourage middle ground

THE ISSUES WE SEE AND HEAR
 “Transit Deficit” in south Fraser (SF) region
 Current focus = get people to Vancouver
 TransLink numbers show need for SF community connections
 SF = roads and buses only - no LRT or Streetcars
 Aging population - transit for seniors and handicapped needed
 Disconnect between development (TOD) & transit due to focus
 We are built around roads (mobility) vs. people & walkability
 We have set ourselves up for what we have today
 Local work options growing – much more needed
 Long-term sustainable living/working/transport solutions
 No progressive alternatives to goods movement implemented
 Lack “complete roads” LRT – walkers – cyclers – automobiles

THE SOLUTIONS WE SEE AS PRACTICAL
 Re-activate Light Rail Transit from Abbotsford to Surrey
 Open to alignment – Safety & Serves the Greatest Good
 Can eventually connect to Chilliwack when there is a biz case
 Local streetcar systems = Abbotsford, the Langleys & Surrey
 Frequent LRT service with connection to YXX
 Community Shuttle Service is exceptional – connect to LRT
 Local bus or Community Shuttle 15/15/7 – integrated LRT
 Land use & transportation planning fit together (TOD)
 Build Complete Communities (Metro Van Livable Region)
 Build Complete Roads – mandate as a condition of funding
 Install rail lines with all complete roads
 Coordinate all new underground utilities to facilitate LRT

POPULATION From Stats Canada
2006:
2012: 1,000,000
846,166
2031: 3,000,000
1910: 18,000 1951: 77,583

TRANSPORTATION DEMAND
20%
80%
30% - No Car

ROAD NETWORK DEMAND
Assuming a 50% goods movement by rail
BC Port Traffic x3 by 2020
Increasing truck demand on our road network
-- MoT Gateway Program Discussion

ROAD NETWORK DEMAND
Change in nature of our trips
A = Traditional downtown pattern
B = Increased population & location of
job creation = Complex Travel Patterns

ABBOTSFORD PATTERNS

ABBOTSFORD PATTERNS

ABBOTSFORD PATTERNS
Destinations

ABBOTSFORD PATTERNS
“Horseshoe” Concept Transit & Other Corridors

ABBOTSFORD COMMUTER PATTERNS
31% From Langley & Surrey + 18% From Further West (49%)

SURREY PATTERNS
Surrey = 2,428 vs. Burnaby 2,387 people per sq km

SURREY PATTERNS
Blue = Private Auto Use / Red = Public Transit Use

LANGLEY CITY “MASTER PLAN”

LANGLEY CITY “MASTER PLAN”
Transit Hub

The 200th Streetcar Line
Brookswood
Fernridge
• Presently 14,000
• Future
Development Area
(2010‐2030?):
minimum 35,000,
but more likely
50,000

The 200th Streetcar Line
City of Langley
• Presently 20,000
• PreBy much built‐
out, but pursuing
aggressive
densificaHon;
could top out at
39,000

The 200th Streetcar Line
Willoughby
• Presently 18,000
• Current
Development Area
(2008‐2020):
likely 70,000,
including high rises
along 200th

The 200th Streetcar Line
Walnut Grove
• Presently 24,000
• Very modest
opportuniHes for in‐
fill; will top out at
25,000

The 200th Streetcar Line
200th Corridor Total
(from 196 to 216)
• Presently 76,000
(65% of the present
total populaHon of
Langley)
• Will top out at
184,000 (80% of the
projected total
populaHon of Langley)

The 200th Streetcar Line
Employment Areas
• NW Langley Industrial
Park
• Walnut Grove
Interchange
• 200th Office Parks
• Langley Regional Town
Centre
• Brookswood
• Campbell Heights
Industrial Park

The 200th Streetcar Line
Township of Langley
High Density Zoning
• High‐rises of up to
20 storeys

The 200 th Streetcar Line
Other Factors
• Regional links: The
Golden Ears Bridge and
the Interurban
•The Langley Events
Centre
• Open space sHll exists
along 200th for TransLink
to purchase and develop
for funding

Streetcar Benefits
We know from studies of places like Portland
that streetcars do two things:
• They get people out of their cars
• They aBract quality development
We need both of these on 200th Street.

System Cost – UBC Study
$2.8B = 12 km. UBC SkyTrain
$2.8B = 175 km Streetcars/LRT

Rapid Bus vs. LRT
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) / Rapid Bus LRT / Streetcar

Rapid Bus vs. LRT
Compared with Bus Only cities - Large Rail cities have:
• 400% higher per capita transit ridership (589 vs. 118 annual passenger-miles)
• 887% higher the transit commute mode split (13.4% vs. 2.7%)
• 36% lower per capita traffic fatalities (7.5 vs.11.7 annual deaths per 100,000 residents)
• 14% lower per capita consumer transportation expenditures ($448 average annual savings),
despite residents’ higher income.
• 19% smaller portion of household budgets devoted to transportation (12.0% vs. 14.0%)
• 21% lower per capita motor vehicle mileage (1,958 fewer annual miles)
• 33% lower transit operating costs per passenger-mile (42 cents vs. 63 cents)
• 58% higher transit service cost recovery (38% vs. 24%)
FROM: “Rail Transit in America”, Todd Litman - Oct. 2008 Victoria Transport Policy Institute Report

COST TO BUILD LRT vs. SKYTRAIN
Light Rail Transit (LRT)
Fraser Valley Heritage RR (2010 Tourist) = $325,000/per km
Typical North American LRT = $35M/per km
Typical Light Rail Station = $ 5K - $ 10K
SkyTrain
Canada Line = $105M/per km
Evergreen Line $127M/per km
UBC Line = $233M/per km
Typical SkyTrain Station = $30M - 40M

Q&A
More Information
Website: www.sfot.info
Blog: www.southfraser.net