Draft Transportation Plan RECOMMENDATION PURPOSE …

To: Mayor Skeels and Council From: Emma Chow, Island Community Planner, Planning Date: March 16, 2018 Meeting Date: March 26, 2018 Subject: Draft Transportation Plan RECOMMENDATION That the Committee of the Whole recommend to Council that the draft Transportation Plan be referred to the Transportation Advisory Committee, the Parks, Trails & Greenways Advisory Committee, the Recreation Commission, TransLink, BC Ferries, the Islands Trust, Vancouver Coastal Health, District of West Vancouver, Sunshine Coast Regional District, School District No 45, and ICBC. PURPOSE The purpose of this report is to present the draft Transportation Plan to Council. BACKGROUND On November 9, 2015, Council authorized staff to commence work on the ITMP:

RES #15-329: That Council approve the Terms of Reference and Work Plan for the Integrated Transportation Master Plan; and That Council authorize staff to carry out the tasks as detailed in the Work Plan.

On January 25, 2016, Council approved the ITMP Public Engagement Plan (PEP):

RES#16-053: That Council approve the Public Engagement Plan (PEP) for the Integrated Transportation Master Plan (ITMP).

PROJECT SUMMARY The ITMP project had five phases to 1) review inventory, 2) gather information, 3) engage stakeholders, 4) create alternatives, and 5) finalize the plan. The first four phases were completed on schedule, culminating in a public open house in May 2017. However, due to limited staff resources, the final phase of the project was delayed by about six months. Phase 5 involved preparing the Public Engagement Report, drafting the plan, and bringing it before Council for adoption. The Public Engagement Report and draft Transportation Plan are attached for Council consideration.

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT REPORT The ITMP project included a comprehensive Public Engagement Plan (PEP) as part of the Municipality’s commitment to provide engaged, accountable and effective government, as well as to develop a transportation plan that is truly reflective of the community’s vision and needs. The PEP was carried out on schedule and within budget, including eight different engagement initiatives. The Public Engagement Report evaluates and summarizes the outcomes of the PEP, which was considered effective in achieving project awareness and meaningful community involvement. TRANSPORTATION PLAN The Terms of Reference for the ITMP project asked for a plan that addressed:

• Regional connections improvement • TransLink bus service optimization • Cardena Rd pedestrian safety • Snug Cove parking management • Active transportation facilitation • Alternative modes opportunities • Multi-modal integration • Priority projects identification • Implementation strategies • Monitoring plan

These key objectives are addressed in the draft Transportation Plan using elements that were developed with community involvement, data collection and research. The elements are organized strategically to first develop infrastructure, establish more options, and then promote more sustainable travel behavior. Community engagement and technical review showed that one of the top transportation gaps for the island is lack of safe and efficient active transportation infrastructure. Priority projects over the next 20 years will be a cross-island multi-use path, pedestrian improvements to Cardena Dr, and coordinated schedules between BC Ferries, TransLink, and other service providers. The Plan also includes many elements to build pedestrian and cycling networks, improve road safety, optimize and expand transit service, encourage alternative options, streamline access to regional destinations, and advocate for better accessibility on- and off-island. A number of plan elements are already underway, such as Phase 1 of the multi-use path, a bike & scooter parking facility, a school active transportation plan, and pedestrian safety improvements for Cardena. Council adoption of the Transportation Plan will be integral to the timely and coordinated implementation of the plan elements, especially to meet the eligibility criteria for available funding, which usually require proposed projects to be a part of an adopted plan. NEXT STEPS Once the draft Transportation Plan has received comments from internal referrals, the draft will be revised to incorporate feedback and then laid out in the branding template. This revision will be sent for external referrals. Feedback will be incorporated in a third revision, which will be brought back to Council for adoption.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS The draft Transportation Plan has an estimated budget of $3.29 million over 20 years. Potential funding is estimated at $1.58 million, which equals a Municipal cost share of $1.7 million, or roughly $85,000 per year. This is a fraction of the current road maintenance cost, but the Plan will provide infrastructure and an integrated system that addresses major transportation gaps and substantially advances climate change mitigation. COMMUNICATION STRATEGY Project updates are communicated mainly through the newspaper, email, social media and the project webpage. Monthly updates are provided to the Transportation Advisory Committee and included as part of the meeting minutes that are forwarded to Council. These minutes are available to the public via the Municipal website and at Municipal Hall. SUMMARY / CONCLUSION The ITMP project has amassed a great deal of information and analyses through extensive public engagement and research work. The resulting plan strategies improve transportation connections and choices while balancing health of people and the environment. Public support is strong for the plan elements and strategies, with a focus on addressing active transportation deficiencies. Staff recommend that Council refer the draft Transportation Plan for comment and proceed with adoption to facilitate timely implementation. Attachments and References: Attachment 1 - ITMP Public Engagement Report Attachment 2 - Draft Transportation Plan SUBMITTED BY: _______________________________ Emma Chow Island Community Planner REVIEWED/APPROVED BY: _______________________________ Kathy Lalonde Chief Administrative Officer

Integrated Transportation Master Plan

Integrated Transportation Master Plan: Public Engagement Report

Table of Contents INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................................................1

ENGAGEMENT SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................. 2

COMMUNICATION TOOLS ............................................................................................................................................... 3

ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVES ...............................................................................................................................................8

Public Project Launch ........................................................................................................................................................8

Citizen Questionnaire .......................................................................................................................................................9

Public Information Session #1 ...................................................................................................................................... 10

Public Information Session #2 ...................................................................................................................................... 11

Public Information Session #3 ..................................................................................................................................... 12

Multi-Stakeholder Workshop ...................................................................................................................................... 13

Neighbourhood Meet Up: Queen Charlotte Heights ........................................................................................ 14

Neighbourhood Meet Up: Carter ............................................................................................................................... 15

Neighbourhood Meet Up: Cowan Point .................................................................................................................. 16

Neighbourhood Meet Up: Bluewater ....................................................................................................................... 17

Transit Review Open House ......................................................................................................................................... 18

Council Workshop ............................................................................................................................................................ 19

ITMP Project Open House ........................................................................................................................................... 20

CONCLUSIONS ...................................................................................................................................................................... 21

APPENDICES ........................................................................................................................................................................... 23


INTRODUCTION One of the first tasks of the Integrated Transportation Master Plan (ITMP) project was developing

a Public Engagement Plan (PEP), a comprehensive engagement strategy. This PEP is part of the

as to develop a transportation

The goal of the PEP is to facilitate meaningful community involvement. This was done by creating

project awareness, providing useful information, enabling participation, and communicating how

the engagement influences decisions. This report is the final public update, presenting a summary

and evaluation of all the engagement undertaken for this project.

A number of communication tools and engagement techniques were strategically employed to

engage a variety of stakeholder groups and facilitate involvement opportunities. These tools and

techniques were selected based on stakeholder needs, including the digital divide, accessibility,

and learning style.

Engagement was incorporated into every phase of the project. Over 1,000 people have been

engaged throughout this project, including citizens, service providers, businesses, and

government agencies (Appendix A). Participants include a good representation of key

stakeholders, especially the main users of Bowen transportation. Engagement results have helped

to identify key issues and opportunities, as well as develop innovative solutions and suitable

methods of implementation for Bowen Island.

Approximately $20,000 was spent on engagement for this project, plus a $5,000 grant from PlanH.

This is well within the budgeted amount of $22,220 and represents just under half of total project

expenditures. All engagement tasks and materials were completed in-house, which realized

thousands of dollars in savings.

The first part of this report will present an overview of the communication tools. The second part

will present an evaluation of each engagement initiative in chronological order.


ENGAGEMENT SUMMARY Initiative Level of

participation* Number of

participants Cost Effectiveness

(1 = not at all, 4 = very much)

Public project launch INFORM 3000 + $2,400 3

Citizen questionnaire CONSULT ~ 750 $3,000 3

Public information session #1

CONSULT ~ 500 $1,200 4


CONSULT ~ 20 $600 3


CONSULT ~ 80 $600 4

Multi-stakeholder

workshop INVOLVE 40 $3,200 4

Neighbourhood meet up: Queen Charlotte Heights

CONSULT 20 $900 4

Neighbourhood meet up: Carter

CONSULT 12 $900 4

Neighbourhood meet up:

Cowan Point CONSULT 12 $900 4

Bowfest pop-up booth INFORM ~ 60 $400 3

Neighbourhood meet up: Bluewater

CONSULT 7 $900 4

Transit review open house INFORM 7 $500 3

Council workshop COLLABORATE 7 $2,200 3

ITMP project open house INFORM 6 $1,500 4

*According to the Public Participation Spectrum as defined by the International Association for Public Participation.

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COMMUNICATION TOOLS The following is a list of communication tools set out in the PEP. All of these tools were used

throughout the project.

COMMUNICATION TOOL PURPOSE DESCRIPTION

Standards Awareness

A consistent visual identity and messaging will help the public familiarize with the project and build trust.

Key Contact Background information

Feedback

An electronic and physical contact for handling questions and concerns. Having a single contact can ensure consistent sharing of information and help keep feedback organized.

General Information Brochure

Background information

An easy-to-understand and graphically-engaging document that highlights key elements of the project, including purpose, process, timeline, opportunities for participation, and website and contact information. This is a valuable tool for sharing throughout the process and priming public participation.

Press Release Awareness

Event promotion

Updates

A statement or story prepared for media distribution to increase awareness and enthusiasm for the project, as well as maintain process transparency.

Advertising Event Promotion

Paid advertising space from local media, likely the Bowen Island Undercurrent, is used to promote upcoming project events.

Social Media Awareness

Event promotion

Feedback

Bowen Island Municipality has an online presence via a website, Facebook and Twitter. There also exists other accounts related to Bowen Island transportation issues. These channels allow for pushing out notifications, as well as receiving feedback (excluding Twitter).

Mailing List Event promotion

A list of electronic or physical addresses of people that have expressed an interest in receiving notifications. This allows targeted communications that saves time and money, without bothering those not interested.

Mail-Drop Awareness

Event promotion

Paper mailings that can blanket certain geographical areas are effective for reaching those that may not otherwise be aware of the project or events.

PlaceSpeak Background information

Event promotion

Updates

Feedback

PlaceSpeak will host the project website and all project-related digital files. The platform is integrated with mailing lists, common online surveys and social media to allow for easy electronic notifications and feedback.

Neighbourhoods Map

Awareness

An official map of neighbourhood names and boundaries helps to strengthen sense of place and ownership of local decision processes, and supports organization of participation data.

QR Codes Awareness

A 2D bar code that can provide smartphones quick access to information. QR codes should be integrated into the above tools where possible to encourage participation.


The tools were effective overall in achieving communication objectives, with email and social

media being the main vehicles for updates and feedback due to low cost, ease of implementation

and quick turnaround.

About half of all email submissions were through the key contact email, followed by the Island

Community Planner email or redirected from a Councillor, as well as a few from the general

municipal email, the transportation advisory committee email, and the Mayor & Council email.

The main challenges encountered stemmed from the use of a third party online engagement

platform, which will be discussed in detail below.

Standards Communications standards were initially established for this project, including logo and usage,

fonts, and colours (see Appendix B). However, the municipality completed a rebranding project

during Phase 4 of this project, which applied to the ITMP project. Subsequent

deliverables and public communications materials have followed the

new municipal branding guidelines. While this has resulted in some

discontinuity in visual identity, the project logo has remain unchanged.

Also, almost all of the project awareness and public outreach efforts

were completed during the first phases of the project using the same

initial communication standards. There has been no feedback to

suggest that the change in standards have caused any negative impacts.

Key Contact The project key contact was the ITMP Project Team and included email address, phone number,

mailing address, and project website address. Sixteen emails providing feedback came through

the key contact email, [email protected]. There were several phone calls and zero

mail feedback submissions. Almost all of the emails were received during the spring of 2016,

mostly within weeks of the public project launch in late February. The feedback received was

mostly concerned with the engagement initiatives themselves, followed by comments around

improving active transportation and transit service.

mailto:[email protected]

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General Information Brochure A standard tri-fold brochure was developed to present key messaging, project

timeline, opportunities for participation, and key contact information (see

Appendix B). A total of 2,300 brochures was printed for this project, costing

approximately $1,000. About 1,700 brochures have been used throughout the

project. The number of brochures used at engagements initiatives during the

latter part of the project was much lower than anticipated. The brochures have

been useful in providing quick and convenient project information to interested

parties.

Press Release A 200-word press release was prepared for the public project launch and

submitted to the local newspaper, The Undercurrent (see Appendix B).

While keeping the title of the press release, the published article was

drastically different, incoherent, and seemed to focus on an entirely

different subject (women entrepreneurs). The newspaper was

experiencing some staff changes during this time. The municipality has

since been actively building a working relationship with this media channel. However, to better

maintain quality of public communications, no further press releases were submitted to the

newspaper. Rather, these releases have been published on the project webpage and on the

municipal advertisement space in the newspaper.

Advertising Almost all paid advertisements were in the newspaper on the

municipal Island Page. There was one advertisement placed on a

popular local online discussion forum, the Bowen Online Forum, for

promoting the citizen questionnaire. The cost for the newspaper ads

was part of the municipalit

Forum ad cost $60. Readership and visitation rates for the newspaper

and Forum, respectively, are unknown. However, the newspaper is a

default media channel for local government communications. The

Forum has an established online community and has often been used

by the municipality for public communications.

Social Media The project utilized municipal social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter to communicate

truncated versions of promotion ads and update stories. The municipal Facebook account has

almost 600 followers, and the Twitter account has almost 80 followers. Number of views or

retweets for project-specific posts is not available.


Mailing List Initially, the project mailing list was to be based on interested parties

subscribing through the project website. However, a new online

platform, PlaceSpeak, was used to compile a project-specific mailing

list but community uptake was low. Therefore, the general municipal

mailing list was used instead (295 subscribers), supplemented with the mailing list of participants

from the ITMP multi-stakeholder workshop (32 attendees). The mailing list was only used to

announce the project launch and promote engagement initiatives. There may have been

opportunities for more frequent project updates if there was a dedicated project mailing list. The

mailing list consisted wholly of email addresses.

Mail-Drop A single island-wide mail drop was used for the public project launch,

including promotion of the citizen questionnaire. This includes all

properties with a mailing address on the island. About 1,200 general

information brochures were sent out, along with promotion cards for

the citizen questionnaire. Due to the high cost of the mail-drop, about $1000, it was only used

once. There were plans to be included in other future municipal mail-drops, such as for property

taxes, to help share costs. However, these mail-drops were already full with other public

communications.

PlaceSpeak Bowen Island Municipality was selected for a 1-year free trial of PlaceSpeak for 2016. This is a

location-based civic engagement platform. By the end of 2016, the ITMP webpage on PlaceSpeak

had a total of 113 connections. Almost a hundred comments were submitted on the discussion

pages, mostly from the Tunstall Bay, Cates Hill and Queen Charlotte Heights neighbourhoods. The

most common topic was bus service improvements, closely followed by the need for safer

walking and cycling on the island. 66 members participated in an online poll for transportation

improvement priorities. Almost half voted for better walkability, followed by 22% for cycling, 20%

for accessibility, and 9% for roads (for cars).

@

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During this trial period, several accessibility issues were encountered and never fully resolved.

The geo-verification process required to become a participant on PlaceSpeak was a deterrent for

many to use the site. The process was considered too complicated and many people were not

comfortable divulging the amount of personal information required. Several community members

reported issues with the process and difficulty accessing the support provided on the platform.

Also, PlaceSpeak did not allow non-members to access surveys hosted on their site. This posed a

major accessibility issue for the project, as the citizen questionnaire was an important data

collection tool that required a high participation rate to be effective. To overcome this issue, the

survey was hosted on a third party site. PlaceSpeak did not approve of any promotion of the

survey as it was not hosted on their site. Along with the low community uptake of the platform,

the added value that PlaceSpeak offered was minimal.

Once the trial period was over, PlaceSpeak was not continued for 2017. In its place, a project

webpage on the municipal website, created in spring of 2016, was used for the remainder of the

project. While the municipal project page did not have the interactive or geo-verification

capabilities offered by PlaceSpeak, it functioned well as an information repository and

noticeboard for project updates and event promotion. To date, the municipal project page has

received almost 600 views.

Neighbourhood Maps A neighbourhood map was developed at the beginning of this project to help establish formal

neighbourhood boundaries and names for data collection and analysis. This has been very helpful

in organizing information and enabling legitimate comparisons over time in terms of growth, traffic

patterns, and localized feedback. These neighbourhoods have since been used in other municipal

projects, which maintains consistency in data collection, allows for easier cross-disciplinary

collaborations, and helps reinforce sense of place in the community.

QR Codes QR codes have been used for the project webpages (both PlaceSpeak

and municipal), the citizen questionnaire, and a ferry survey. It is

uncertain how many people actually use these codes to access more

information, but anecdotal feedback seems to indicate not many.

However, the codes were included in the PEP since they are free to

generate, eye-catching, and easy to incorporate into print materials.

Info Kiosk An info kiosk was established inside the library. This location was chosen to reduce risk of

vandalism and also for availability of internet access for those that wish to participate online. The

kiosk has been updated with the project Terms of Reference, general information brochures,

citizen questionnaire promotion cards, Phase 2 snapshot, print copies of the deliverables up to

the Background Report, and some reference material around building healthy communities.

According to library staff, the kiosk has been moderately used.


ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVES Public engagement evaluation forms have been completed for each initiative (see Appendix C).

Overall, the PEP was successful in achieving its aim with effectiveness of the initiatives ranging

from 3 to 4 out of 4 in the evaluations.

The PEP included nine distinct engagement initiatives:

Public project launch

Citizen questionnaire

Council workshops

Public information session

Stakeholder workshop

Classroom workshop

Community event booths

Public open house

Public hearing

Two notable changes involved the classroom workshop and the public hearing. The school

curriculum did not have an available time slot for a classroom workshop. Instead, a public

information session was held at Bowen Island Community School during pick-up hour where both

students and parents were engaged. Also, an invitation for the stakeholder workshop was sent to

all the local schools with participation from three youths.

A public hearing was initially included for the plan to be adopted as a bylaw. However, the plan

will be adopted as a policy and will not need a public hearing.

Public Project Launch

Purpose: The project was publicly launched at the end of February with the objective of

generating project awareness and evaluating a new online platform, PlaceSpeak.

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Awareness: A press-release was sent to the Undercurrent, an email was sent to Mayor & Council

and municipal staff followed by one to the municipal mailing list, and notice was sent via social

media. The PlaceSpeak project webpage was published and promoted in launch materials and on

the PlaceSpeak website. The info kiosk was set up in the library for the launch. Neighbouring

municipalities and partnering agencies, such as TransLink, BC Ferries, Vancouver Coastal Health,

and ICBC, were also notified of the launch by email.

A mail-drop was scheduled to coincide with the launch, but was delayed to include the citizen

questionnaire, which was experiencing setup issues on PlaceSpeak. The mail-drop went out a

week following the official launch date, along with the creation of a municipal project webpage.

Educate: The general information brochure was provided online, at the Municipal Hall, the info

kiosk, and as part of the mail-drop. The key contact was available through phone, email and in-

person to address any inquiries.

Involve: The launch mainly informed the general public with opportunity for feedback through

the key contact. Ten feedback submissions were received within the first month of the launch,

mostly through the key contact. The ITMP Working Group documented and responded by email

to each submission.

Effectiveness: Through the mail-drop, this initiative was very effective in widespread project

awareness. The secondary objective of evaluating PlaceSpeak was also achieved with several

benefits and deficiencies identified.

Citizen Questionnaire

Purpose: To understand and quantify the travel patterns of Bowen Island trips (to, from and on the

island). The survey was active from March 14th to April 12th, 2016.

Awareness: The survey was advertised through the project webpages, social media, mailing list,

the Island Page, the Bowen Online Forum, the mail-drop, and printed cards (see Appendix C). The

cards were distributed via local shops, restaurants, the Municipal Hall, the info kiosk, as well as


members of the Working Group. Additional social media posts and email reminders were sent a

week before the survey closed and one day before it closed. Over $450 in prizes were donated

by Bowen businesses and local transportation providers as incentives for completing the survey.

Educate: The survey was administered almost entirely online through LimeSurvey. Paper versions

were available, but were designed to be administered by members of the Working Group due to

the complexity of the survey. Five paper surveys were submitted.

Involve: The survey consulted users of Bowen-related transportation. Participants provided

information on existing travel patterns including origin, destination, trip purpose and mode.

Completed surveys were received from 273 households, representing 671 trips from a good cross-

section of the population.

Effectiveness: Over 22% of Bowen households responded, which greatly surpassed the expected

rate of 5%. This initiative was successful in serving its purpose and was considered cost- and

time-effective. The use of LimeSurvey cost about $20 and approximately 20 hours of staff time

was involved with the designed and implementation of the survey. For future reference, feedback

from two individuals critiqued the survey design and would like to be involved in the

development of similar surveys in the future to improve accuracy and reliability of the data.

This survey provided valuable data on typical weekday trips that involved Bowen Island, including

mode share, trip purpose, and user demographics.

Public Information Session #1 Purpose: To provide background information

to commuters and other ferry users. This

event was held at the Snug Cove ferry dock

on Thursday, May 19th, 2016 from 6 AM - 10 AM.

Awareness: The event was advertised two

weeks in advance through the project

webpages, social media, mailing list, the Island

Page, and a newspaper story submitted by a

member of the Working Group.

Educate: Three members of the Working Group were present to help provide information and

answer questions, along with one Councillor and one consultant from Stantec (on behalf of

TransLink). There were four large display boards, along with copies of the general information

brochure and a one-page summary of background information from Phase 2 (see Appendix C).

There was also a large chalkboard and post-it note boards for interactive public feedback.

Coffee, juice and pastries were provided.

Involve: Information was distributed among the ferry line-up and at the dock. Feedback was

gathered through comment sheets, the chalkboard, post-its, emails, and written observations by

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Working Group members. An estimated 400-600 people were engaged at this event, which

covered three peak-time sailings.

Effectiveness: This session was very effective in reaching commuters. According to two written

comments and general feedback, participant satisfaction was high. The cost for materials was

relatively high compared to other initiatives for this project, totalling over $1,500. However, the

entire cost was covered by an external grant, and given the high volume of people engaged, the

per capita cost was quite low.

A portion of the one-page summary sheet was perforated for comments, which worked well to

efficiently provide information while eliciting feedback. Lessons learned were to have better

windproofing of display stands, and to have a larger more prominent display of the project

website for those in the vehicular ferry line-up.

Public Information Session #2

Purpose: To provide background information to seniors. This event was held at the Legion

community lunch on Tuesday, May 24th, 2016 from 11:30 AM 1:30 PM.

Awareness: The event was advertised two weeks in advance through the project webpages,

social media, mailing list, the Island Page, and a newspaper story submitted by a member of the

Working Group.

Educate: Two members of the Working Group were present to help provide information and

answer questions. The same display and hand-out materials were available as for the first

information session, set up in the lounge area.

Involve: Information was distributed among the tables and available for pick-up at the display

area. Feedback was gathered through comment sheets and written observations by Working

Group members. An estimated 20 people were engaged at this event.

Effectiveness: This session was somewhat effective in reaching seniors. Participant satisfaction

was high, especially as a follow-up to the citizen questionnaire that some seniors had taken.

However, only half the expected number of people were present. This event took place directly

after a long weekend, which may have accounted for the low turnout.


Public Information Session #3

Purpose: To provide background information to young families (youths and parents). This event

was held at the Bowen Island Community School on Friday, May 27th, 2016 from 2 PM 5 PM.


social media, mailing list, the Island Page, and a newspaper story submitted by a member of the

Working Group. A notice was also included in the school newsflash by email.

Educate: Three members of the Working Group were present to help provide information and

answer questions, along with one Councillor. The same display and hand-out materials were

available as for the first information session, along with juice boxes.

Involve: Information was distributed to kids and parents. Feedback was gathered through

comment sheets, the chalkboard, post-its, emails, and written observations by Working Group

members. An estimated 40 adults and 40 youths were engaged at this event.

Effectiveness: This session was very effective in reaching young families, resulting in the most

feedback of all the sessions. The chalkboard and post-its proved very popular, especially with

the youths. Overwhelmingly, the biggest area of concern for kids and parents was better active

transportation, specifically the need for a multi-use path across the island.

Feedback from all three sessions show the following breakdown for transportation priorities:

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Multi-Stakeholder Workshop

Purpose: To facilitate consensus building on key transportation issues for Bowen Island.

Invitations were sent to representatives of all key stakeholder groups. The workshop was held in

Council Chambers on Saturday, June 11th, 2016 from 9:30 AM- 12:30 PM.

Awareness: Invitations were sent out two weeks in advance by email to identified

representatives of each key stakeholder group. Confirmed participants also received a reminder

email and information package three days before the event.

Educate: All five members of the Working Group were present to facilitate the workshop, along

with two TransLink staff, one Stantec consultant (on behalf of TransLink), and one Vancouver

Coastal Health staff for active transportation. The same display and hand-out materials were

available as for the information sessions, along with snacks and refreshments. Workshop materials

included a slideshow, maps, post-its, dots, flipcharts, and worksheets.

Involve: The workshop consisted of six interactive activities with a shuffling of groups every two

activities, maintaining a mix of stakeholders in each group. A room facilitator introduced each

activity with a slideshow as a visual aid, and group facilitators guided participants through the

activity. Each activity required discussion and some level of consensus.

Just over 20 people confirmed attendance, however, almost 40 people showed up to the event

(some without invitation). All participants were accommodated. Feedback was gathered through

workshop materials, comment sheets, email, and written observations by Working Group

members.

Effectiveness: The workshop was very effective in finding common ground for key transportation

issues across the community. Clear priorities for public investment were identified, namely a

multi-use path, improved transit and better regional connections. The highest priority location for

a multi-use path was along Grafton Road from Mt Gardner Rd to Grafton Lake. There was also

demand for a variety of alternative transportation options, including low-speed vehicles and ride

sharing. An exit poll showed that 84% of participants felt key issues were addressed well or very

well, and 94% were satisfied or very satisfied with the workshop.


Neighbourhood Meet Up: Queen Charlotte Heights Purpose: To collect localized feedback and maximize

geographical coverage of project outreach, especially in

areas that may have less accessibility to other engagement

events. This meet up took place on a private driveway in the

Queen Charlotte Heights neighbourhood on Saturday,

August 6th, 2016 from 10 AM 12 PM.

Awareness: The event was advertised two weeks in

advance through the project webpages, social media,

mailing list, the Island Page, and posters in the

neighbourhood.

Educate: Four members of the Working Group were present

to facilitate the meet up. The same display and hand-out

materials were available as for the information sessions,

along with snacks and refreshments.

Involve: Participants were guided through a loosely structured discussion around transportation

on the island, focussing on the local neighbourhood. Every participant was given time to share

their thoughts. Key points were identifying local destinations, improvements for active

transportation and aging in place, and general satisfaction with existing options. Feedback was

gathered through written observations by Working Group members. Over 20 people participated.

Effectiveness: The meet up was very effective in increasing project awareness in the

neighbourhood and collecting localized insight. Attendance was higher than expected.

Participants expressed high satisfaction with the event and opportunity to be heard. Several had

not been involved with the project before this event.

People in this neighbourhood enjoy the quiet traffic and proximity to the Cove and beaches.

However, the lack of trail connections and road shoulders, and steep cliffs along roads make

walking around difficult and dangerous, especially at night. Many would like to see some level of

transit service, as well as a trail through Apodaca to the golf course.

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Neighbourhood Meet Up: Carter Purpose: To collect localized

feedback and maximize geographical

coverage of project outreach,

especially in areas that may have less

accessibility to other engagement

events. This meet up took place at the

Belterra Common House in the Carter

neighbourhood on Wednesday,

August 10th, 2016 from 5:30 PM 6:30

PM.

Awareness: The event was advertised one week in advance through the project webpages, social

media, mailing list, and posters in the neighbourhood.

Educate: Three members of the Working Group were present to facilitate the meet up. The same

display and hand-out materials were available as for the information sessions, along with snacks

and refreshments.




transportation and accessibility, and general satisfaction with existing options. Feedback was

gathered through written observations by Working Group members. About a dozen people

participated.

Effectiveness: The meet up was effective. The event may have had higher attendance if it was

promoted more in advance.

Carter has a very good variety of transportation options with many trail connections for walking or

cycling, and proximity to transit service. Key concerns were around parking in the Cove, lack of

trail signage for wayfinding, and nighttime safety for pedestrians and cyclists. An immediate

for approaching

cars.


Neighbourhood Meet Up: Cowan Point Purpose: To collect localized feedback and

maximize geographical coverage of project

outreach, especially in areas that may have less

accessibility to other engagement events. This

meet up took place at the Bowen Island Golf

Course in the Cowan Point neighbourhood on

Saturday, August 13th, 2016 from 10 AM 12 PM.



webpages, social media, mailing list, the Island Page, and posters in the neighbourhood.

Educate: Four members of the Working Group were present to facilitate the meet up. The same


and refreshments.





gathered through written observations by Working Group members. About a dozen people

participated.

Effectiveness: The meet up was effective. This is a car-dependent neighbourhood, being far

from the Cove and lacking transit and active transportation infrastructure. Chief concerns were

lack of parking in the Cove and a desire for a taxi on the island (none in operation at the time) and

water taxi service to Seymour Bay. There was also strong support for a Park and Ride facility for

the neighbourhood.

Bowfest Pop-Up Booth

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Purpose: To present a project update, increase project awareness, promote a new Park and Ride

facility. Transportation guides were also distributed at this event. The pop-up booth was part of

of Bowfest, which was held on Saturday, August 27th, 2016 from 11 AM - 4 PM.

Awareness: The booth was advertised one week in advance through the project webpages,

social media, mailing list, and the Island Page. Bowfest itself was heavily promoted through

webpages, social media, posters, and various organizations.

Educate: Four members of the Working Group were present, working in two-person shifts, to help

provide information and answer questions. The same display and hand-out materials were

available as for the information sessions, along with juice boxes. There was an additional display

and handouts with Park and Ride information. Three wooden chairs and painting supplies were

also provided.

Involve: Information was presented via the display boards and hand-outs. Festival goers were

encouraged to help paint chairs for the new Park and Ride. The painted chairs were subsequently

placed along the roadside near the Park and Ride and served as a reminder of the ongoing project.

Feedback was gathered through comment sheets and written observations by Working Group

members. An estimated 60 people were engaged.

Effectiveness: The event was effectiveness in bringing the project to a large number of people

from a range of stakeholder groups, many of whom may not normally be aware of municipal

projects. While involvement was limited due to the nature of a festival event (quick visits), this

initiative was very effective for increasing general project awareness.

Neighbourhood Meet Up: Bluewater Purpose: To collect localized feedback and

maximize geographical coverage of project

outreach, especially in areas that may have

less accessibility to other engagement events.

This meet up took place at a private residence

in the Bluewater neighbourhood on Saturday,

October 1st, 2016 from 10 AM 12 PM.



webpages, social media, mailing list, the Island

Page, and posters in the neighbourhood.

Educate: Two members of the Working Group were present to facilitate the meet up. The same


and refreshments.






gathered through written observations by Working Group members. Seven people participated.

Effectiveness: The meet up was effective.

, such as

to shops and services. Residents really like the proximity to many beaches, but safe walking and

cycling connections are lacking (or need to cross private property). And even though transit runs

through the area, the steep terrain makes access difficult in many parts. There was strong support

for a cross island multi-use path to accommodate not only pedestrians and cyclists, but also

young families with strollers.

Transit Review Open House

Purpose:

island. Public feedback from this engagement was forwarded to TransLink for consideration. The

event was held in Council Chambers on Tuesday, September 27th, 2016 from 4 PM- 7 PM.


social media, mailing list, the Island Page, and posters in the neighbourhood.

Educate: One member of the Working Group was present to help provide information and

answer questions. There were several display boards, a slideshow, and a copy of the transit

review report, along with background information for the ITMP project. Coffee and snacks were

provided.

Involve: Information was presented via the display boards and a slideshow. Feedback was

gathered through comment sheets, email, and written observations by the Working Group

member. One email was submitted. Four people attended this event, plus three more that

inquired before the event.

Effectiveness: The open house was fairly effective. Attendance was lower than expected, but

feedback generally expressed very high support for the recommendations. One individual raised

Page 19 of 21

concerns around removal of the Mt Gardner run as some people may rely on it to reach the

recycling depot. More importantly, it was pointed out that there is no bus service to meet the first

ferry run on weekends. Those that catch this ferry usually must because of work or appointments,

and have very little alternative options for transportation given the early time of day (exceedingly

difficult to hitchhike). TransLink has received the comments and will try to incorporate them into

service improvements over the next few years.

Council Workshop

Purpose: To present project work to date and work collaboratively to establish priorities for plan

development. The event was held in Council Chambers on Monday, November 21st, 2016 from 1

PM- 3 PM.

Awareness: The event was only open to the Mayor and Councillors.

Educate: All five members of the Working Group were present to help facilitate the event. The

same display and hand-out materials were available as for the information sessions, along with

snacks and refreshments. Workshop materials included a slideshow, maps, dots, and worksheets.

Involve: The workshop consisted of three interactive activities, each involving background

information and in-depth discussion.

The Mayor and all six Councillors participated. Feedback was gathered through workshop

materials, comment sheets, email, and written observations by Working Group members.

Effectiveness: The workshop was effective for informing and collaborating with Mayor and

Council. They were generally in support of the outcomes of the engagement process. There was

unanimous agreement to take a balanced and integrated approach to transportation planning for

the island, shifting some spending towards active transportation infrastructure.


ITMP Project Open House

Purpose: To present project work to date, provide opportunity for discussion, and gauge public

support for proposed plan strategies. The event was held in Council Chambers on Wednesday,

May 17th, 2017 from 3:30 PM- 8 PM.

Awareness: The event was advertised 12 days in advance through the project webpages, social

media, mailing list, and the Island Page.

Educate: All five members of the Working Group were present, working in two-person shifts, to

help provide information and answer questions. The ITMP Research Report was made available

online one week before the event to help inform feedback. There were display boards

summarizing past work and proposed strategies, along with a slideshow, one-page summaries for

the background and the engagement results, and copies of project deliverables and relevant

reference material. TransLink also provided additional literature on transit service improvements,

the Compass Card, and some free cycling accessories. Snacks and refreshments were provided.

Involve: Information was presented via the display boards and a slideshow. Feedback was

gathered through comment sheets, email, and written observations by Working Group members.

One email was submitted. Six people attended this event.

Effectiveness: The open house was effective. General feedback expressed very high support for

the work done and strategies proposed. All comments regarding the engagement opportunities

provided for this project has been very good. One individual feels that a loop road around the

library for ferry marshalling would be the superior solution for Cardena Rd safety improvement.

This comment will be taken into consideration in the implementation section of the transportation

plan.

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CONCLUSIONS Overall, the public engagement for the ITMP project was very successful. All key stakeholders

were engaged, with high participation rates and high to very high participant satisfaction, and a

great deal of thoughtful feedback was received. The PEP was implemented fairly on schedule and

came in under budget.

The public project launch and citizen questionnaire during the initial stages of the project

effectively introduced the project and spurred community involvement. The following public

information sessions and pop-up booth further promoted project awareness while providing

detailed background information. The multi-stakeholder and Council workshops, and

neighbourhood meet ups were excellent opportunities for collaboration and developing potential

solutions. The last stages of the project had two open houses to present engagement results and

project development with opportunities for final review, discussion, and comment.

Engagement outcomes have been instrumental for establishing a community vision, determining

key priorities for transportation improvement and public investment, highlighting geographical

locations for better connections, and identifying opportunities for partnerships and innovation.

This information has directly informed the final plan to advance transportation for Bowen Island

over the next 20 years.

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Documents

Draft Transportation Plan RECOMMENDATION PURPOSE …