Okanagan Valley Transportation Symposium #2:

Transit Overview

September 16, 2011

1

Presentation Outline

• Travel Patterns and Demographics

• Transit in the Okanagan Today

• Urban Form and Transit

• Transit Mode Characteristics

• Multi‐modal Planning & Sustainability

• Synthesis

2

2007 North and Central Okanagan Household Travel Survey

3

Travel Mode Percentages by Time of Day

4

Average Trip Time By Mode and By Trip Purpose

Transit Trips times typically 2x Auto Times

Source Data: 2007 North and Central Okanagan Household Travel Survey 5

Travel Modes by Age Groups

Transit

Source Data: 2007 North and Central Okanagan Household Travel Survey

Age

6

76.6%

65.1%60.0%

56.3%49.2% 48.8%

47.1%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%

Vernon Central Kelowna

Westside, WB, PL (W)

Spal/Arm/Dnd (N)

Suburban Kelowna

Coldstream, Lumby

Lake Country (N&E)

Percentage of Trips Staying within Community

Source Data: 2007 North and Central Okanagan Household Travel Survey 7

2011

Population-Age: Okanagan Similkameen

8

2036

Population-Age: Okanagan Similkameen

9

2011

Population -Age: Central Okanagan

10

2036

Population -Age: Central Okanagan

11

2011

Population -Age: North Okanagan

12

Population -Age: North Okanagan

2036

13

14

Implications for Travel and Transit

• Most travel is local

• Okanagan is aging

• More significant in South

• Lower growth in younger residents

• Implications for trip purposes & destinations

15

Conventional Transit

– Kelowna Regional

– Penticton

– Vernon Regional

Custom & Paratransit– Kelowna Regional 

– North Okanagan

– Okanagan ‐Similkameen

– Osoyoos

– Penticton 

– Vernon Regional

Transit Services in the Okanagan

16

WORKING DRAFT 17

WORKING DRAFT 18

WORKING DRAFT 19

Total Cost per Ride: 2010-11

$2.85 $3.69

$5.26 $5.60

$0.00

$1.00

$2.00

$3.00

$4.00

$5.00

$6.00

Kamloops Kelowna Regional

Penticton Vernon Regional

20Source Data: BC Transit 2010/11 Year End

Custom Transit/Paratransit –Rides per Capita: 2010-11

1.22 1.03

4.32 4.18

0.97 1.011.38

0.000.501.001.502.002.503.003.504.004.505.00

21Source Data: BC Transit 2010/11 Year End

Custom Transit/Paratransit –Service Hours/Capita: 2010-11

0.290.20

0.33

0.75

0.29

0.160.25

0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

0.70

0.80

22

Source Data: BC Transit 2010/11 Year End

Custom Transit/Paratransit –Local Cost/Capita: 2010-11

$6.99

$4.41

$14.60

$26.32

$4.82$3.03

$5.65

$0.00

$5.00

$10.00

$15.00

$20.00

$25.00

$30.00

Kamloops * Kelowna Regional **

North Okanagan

Okanagan -Similkameen

Osoyoos Summerland Vernon Regional

23Source Data: BC Transit 2010/11 Year End

Custom Transit/Paratransit –Cost Per Ride: 2010-11

$17.64

$13.63

$7.85

$13.64

$20.12

$9.32

$14.30

$0.00

$5.00

$10.00

$15.00

$20.00

$25.00

Kamloops * Kelowna Regional **

North Okanagan

Okanagan -Similkameen

Osoyoos Summerland Vernon Regional 24

Source Data: BC Transit 2010/11 Year End

What is a Transit Trip?

25

Elements of Transit‐Friendly Design

• Density• Land Use Mix• Pedestrian Amenities• Road/Street Network and

Design

26

Urban Form

Walk Bike Transit

Automobile

27

Type of Dwelling

28

NORDCORD

TOTAL

29

30

Change

31

Urban Movement Patterns:What Transit Can Do Well

Many Origins –Strong Centre

Many Origins –Weak Centre

32

Inter-City Transit

33

Maximum Transit Capacities – Pass/Hour*

60,000

30,000

15,000

45,000

Busiest Bus RouteIn Kelowna approx. 300 pass/Hr

Highway 97 from N intoKelowna approx. 3000 cars/Hr

34

Bus on Street

8,400

Light Rail Transit

18,000

*Source: Professor Nigel Wilson, MIT: http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/civil-and-environmental-engineering/1-258j-public-transportation-systems-spring-2010/lecture-notes/MIT1_258JS10_lec03.pdf

Metro Rail

60,000

Bus Rapid Transit

36,000

Transit Outlook

• Significant potential for better local transit– Low ridership levels today

– Requires increased focus on complete communities

• Limited role for inter‐city transit– Demand would limit frequency of service

• Demand suited to Bus rather than Rail– Destinations are dispersed

– Relatively low ridership & high costs

– Preserve Rights‐of‐Way

35

Roles and Responsibilities for Transit

Key is Stable, Predictable and Appropriate Revenues/Funding36

Need for Multimodal Planning• For Sustainability and Resilience

– Modes are planned together: Pedestrian, Bike, Transit, Auto

– Success depends on integration, especially for transit

– Need to develop integrated multi‐modal ‘transportation’ plans

– Challenging with current roles/responsibilities

• Complex Funding/Institutional  Arrangements– Between Province and Municipalities

– Between local governments

Key is Stable, Predictable and Appropriate Funding37

Synthesis

• Physical Structure – Low densities, dispersed destinations

– Highly auto‐dependent communities

– Often pedestrian, bike and transit unfriendly

– Communities have limited resilience today

• Demographics– Population is aging – needs will be significant

– Lower growth in ‘traditional’ transit markets38

• Trip Characteristics– Most  trips remain local 

– Limited market for ‘regional travel’

– Transit usage is low – significant  potential for growth

– Likely increase for medical/social trips with older pop’n

• Transit Modes– Much more can be done by bus

– Keep options open for rail transit

Synthesis continued

39

Synthesis continued

• Focus should be Urban/Sub‐regional Transit – Current services below threshold of utility for many people

– Intra‐regional demand is low

– No present role for rail

• Integrated Transportation Planning– Essential to advance sustainability

– Challenging under current structure

– Problem of ‘who pays, who benefits’

– Different governments/agencies, timescales, funding

40

WORKING DRAFT 41