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Levi Timmermans Manager, BC Transit Initiatives Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure

Daniel Pearce Manager Transit Operations Regional District of Nanaimo

Peter Rantucci General Manager Regional Transit Systems BC Transit

Erin Felker Transportation Planner City of Kamloops

UBCM Convention – Workshop  September  19,  2014  Mee2ng  Rooms  8  &  15  Time  2:30-­‐4:30pm  

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Background / work to date: •  Overview of Independent Review Process •  Updates from Working Group agencies:

•  Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure •  BC Transit •  UBCM / Local Governments

Working Session: •  Discussion on 3 of the panels recommendations

•  5ii Input into system wide capital spending decisions •  5iii Notice of service changes / financial implications •  6 Involving BC Transit in local processes/decision that

impact them

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BC Transit •  Crown corporation established under the BC Transit Act •  Reports to Minister of Transportation & Infrastructure •  Act defines purpose of BC Transit •  Letter from Minister provided annually to outline expectations (GLE)

The Partnership •  Formalized through operating agreements: a Master Operating

Agreement (MOA) and an Annual Operating Agreement (AOA) between BC Transit and local government

Transit Operations – delivery models •  Local Government- BC Transit (contract operator) •  Local Government- BC Transit (local government operator) •  Transit Commission (BC Transit operator/other)

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Partnership Concerns •  Governance & Funding •  Operations and Maintenance •  Communications & Consultation •  Decision making & Desire for greater involvement

Government Response •  Government recognized concerns raised by local government and

appointed an independent review panel to make recommendations on BC Transit’s performance and operations.

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Review  Development  

• Local  Government  Officials  express  concerns    to  Minister  • Terms  of  Reference  prepared  • 3  Member  Independent  Panel  selected  

Independent  Review  

• Panel  undertakes  analysis  • Consulta2ons  with  Transit  Partners  • August  2012  -­‐  Final  Report  Prepared  

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•  The report tells us that we have a great transit system and that we can make it even better by strengthening our partnerships

•  Confirms that BC Transit provides first- rate, efficient and effective public transit service and identified that there is always room for improvement

•  Level of Provincial financial support is the highest in Canada

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•  Panel provided 18 recommendations for all transit partners to consider, primary themes of their recommendations are linked to: •  Strengthening the Partnership •  Communications •  Accountability

•  Panel put their recommendations into three categories: •  Governance – ensuring local government is recognized

as a real partner •  Decision Making – ensuring that parties impacted by a

decision have a role in the decision making process •  Accountability – enhanced reporting on performance

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•  The panel’s report calls for the transit partnership to be modernized and all partners are called upon to take action

•  Government supported the recommendations and presented an official response at the 2012 UBCM Convention

•  Government initiated a process to implement the panel’s recommendations

•  Government remains committed to implementing the recommendations

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I.  Integrated Work Plan II.  Working Group III.  Communications Approach IV.  Implementation Activities V.  Continuous Improvement

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Review  Development  

• Local  government  officials  express  concerns    to  Minister  • Terms  of  Reference  prepared  • 3  Member  Independent  Panel  selected  

Independent  Review  

• Panel  undertakes  analysis  • Consulta2ons  with  Transit  Partners  • Final  Report  Prepared  –  August  2012  

Government’s  Response  

• August  2012  -­‐  Report  released  • Sept  2012  -­‐  Government  Response  Announced  UBCM  Conven2on  

Implementa2on  

• Dec  2012  -­‐  Working  Group  Established  • Winter  12/13  -­‐  Integrated  Work  Plan  • Implementa*on  –  In  Progress  

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Modernizing BC Transit’s Business: •  Guidelines for Commercial Ventures approved by Minister

(Rec. #16) •  Clearer direction to BC Transit on Provincial Transit Plan

(Rec. # 8) •  Enhanced Service Planning processes (Rec. #17)

Strengthening the Partnership: •  Participating in the BC Transit annual workshop with local

governments (Rec. #’s 5i, 5ii, 6,)

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Governance: •  Draft board nomination framework being prepared for

UBCM/Local Government. (Rec. #’s 3ii, 3v)

Legislation – TBD •  Increase Board Size (Rec.# 2) •  Appointments to BC Transit Board and Transit

Commissions (Rec.# 3ii, 4) •  Staggering of Board Terms (Rec.# 3iv) •  Enable Multi-year Operating Agreements (Rec.# 10) •  Enable Single Agreement between BC Transit & Local

Government (Rec.# 11)

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Improving Communication & Collaboration: (Rec.’s #5i-5iii & 5v)

Current Improvements: •  EII Advisory Panel •  Regional Roundtables •  Procurement Consultations •  On-going interactions with Regional Transit Managers •  3 year budgeting process •  Expanded Annual Workshop

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Improving Communication & Collaboration: Additional Improvements in Progress:

•  Annual Strategic Partnership Communications Plan (Rec. # 7)

•  Outlines expected annual deliverables and key dates •  Enhanced service standards and performance reporting

(Rec.’s # 12, 13) •  New Annual Performance Reports (Rec. # 14)

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Actions on other Recommendations: •  Board Skill Matrix Established (Rec. #3i)

•  Working with Ministry on Service Planning enhancements (Rec.# 17)

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Local Government Participants Kevin Bertles, Director of Finance, Vernon Dennis Trudeau, General Manager, Transit, Nanaimo RD Erin Felker, Transportation Planner, Kamloops Joe Paul, General Manager of Infrastructure Services, Whistler Malcolm MacPhail, Planner, Planning & Protective Services, CRD Brian Sagman, Transit Manager, Sunshine Coast RD Jim Wakeham, Transit Manager, Cowichan Valley RD Ron Westlake, Director, Regional Services, Kelowna Linda Glenday, General Manager, Engineering & Operations, Squamish Barclay Pitkethly, Deputy Director of Dev. Services, Mission Nicole Kohnert, Manager, Regional Engineering, North Okanagan RD Drew Hadfield, Transportation Manager, Campbell River

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Governance: •  Submitted to the Minister, input into the 2014/15

Government Letter of Expectation (Rec.#1)

Strengthening the Partnership: •  Continue to engage BC Transit through the EII Advisory

Panel and participation at the annual BC Transit workshop. (Rec.# 5i, 5ii, 6)

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•  Provide elected official’s perspective on the three recommendations related to local governments

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Participant feedback

•  Recommendation 5ii: •  Local Government input on system wide

capital spending

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•  Two way communication on capital plans = local government support

•  Annual workshop to discuss capital plans •  Advisory panel

•  Terms of reference •  Balance the differing needs •  Range of community sizes •  Tasked with issues that cannot be resolved in the

workshop •  How do you keep elected officials informed of

capital initiatives?

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•  Do you agree with the feedback? •  What is missing? •  Political perspective?

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Participant feedback

•  Recommendation 5iii: •  Local Government should provide sufficient

notice to BC Transit on service changes so that the financial impacts are appropriately shared between BC Transit and local government

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•  Local government shares responsibility if they initiate the service change •  What changes require notice

•  Sufficient notice (variable)

•  How do you secure transit commitments that span terms of elected officials?

•  Outline in the MOA/AOA •  Service changes in the 3 year budget •  Regular communication

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•  Do you agree with the feedback? •  What is missing? •  Political perspective?

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Participant feedback

•  Recommendation 6: •  BC Transit’s role in land use planning

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•  BC Transit consulted in the planning process to review transit impacts of developments •  Provides transit expertise (which local governments

may not have)

•  Transit integration with walking, cycling, and other modes in a multi-modal transportation strategy

•  Transit considered at the outset of projects to be incorporated as development occurs

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•  Do you agree with the feedback? •  What is missing? •  Political perspective?

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Final questions / comments

Thank you