George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project
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GEORGE MASSEY TUNNEL REPLACEMENT PROJECT PHASE 3 – PROJECT DEFINITION REPORT CONSULTATION SUMMARY REPORT MARCH 2016 This independent report of findings was prepared by Lucent Quay Consulting Inc. for the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. The analysis includes input received through open houses, feedback forms, written submissions and stakeholder meetings. The views represented in the feedback forms and written submissions, which are summarized in this report, reflect the interests and opinions of people who chose to participate in the consultation process. They may not reflect the views of the broader public. The Ministry will consider the results of this consultation program along with ongoing technical and financial analysis in determining how to move the Project forward. Feedback form results presented in this report are a combination of online and hard copy feedback. Online feedback was collected using the Interceptum survey platform. Interceptum stores all of its data in Canada. GMT Project Phase 3 Consultation Summary Report TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................. i 1. OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 About the Project ................................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Previous Consultation and Engagement .............................................................................................. 1 1.3 About this Report ................................................................................................................................. 2 2. PHASE 3 CONSULTATION PROCESS ....................................................................................................... 2 2.1 Overview .............................................................................................................................................. 2 2.2 Notification ........................................................................................................................................... 3 2.3 Engagement Methods .......................................................................................................................... 3 3. PARTICIPATION ......................................................................................................................................... 5 4. SUMMARY OF INPUT ............................................................................................................................... 5 4.1 Participant Mix ...................................................................................................................................... 5 4.2 Summary of Input from All Sources ..................................................................................................... 6 4.3 Stakeholder Meetings Summary .......................................................................................................... 7 4.4 Open Houses Summary ..................................................................................................................... 10 4.5 Feedback Forms Summary ................................................................................................................ 10 4.6 Written Submissions Summary .......................................................................................................... 21 APPENDICES APPENDIX 1 Advertisements and Other Notifications APPENDIX 2 Feedback Form APPENDIX 3 Display Boards APPENDIX 4 Stakeholder Presentation Deck APPENDIX 5 Stakeholder Meeting Notes APPENDIX 6 Written Submissions APPENDIX 7 Verbatim Responses1 1 Available under separate cover at the Project Office 29 Mar 2016 GMT Project Phase 3 Consultation Summary Report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY About the Project The George Massey Tunnel (Tunnel) is an important link in the regional and provincial transportation system, connecting to key gateways that fuel our national, provincial and regional economies. The Tunnel is now at capacity during the morning and afternoon rush hours and near capacity throughout the rest of the day. Population and employment on both sides of the Tunnel is forecast to continue growing, with demand at the Tunnel increasing by about 20 per cent over the next 30 years. In response to growing concerns about the impact of congestion and recognizing the age and condition of the existing George Massey Tunnel, the Government of British Columbia announced in September 2012 that planning for a replacement would begin immediately. Following two phases of public consultation, technical analysis and ongoing dialogue with stakeholders for a period of approximately three years, the Project Definition Report and business case were released for public feedback on December 16, 2015. The project scope includes replacing the Tunnel with a new 10- lane bridge (eight lanes plus two dedicated transit/high-occupancy vehicle lanes) spanning the Fraser River South Arm, decommissioning the Tunnel, and improving Highway 99 from Bridgeport Road in Richmond to Highway 91 in Delta. Proposed improvements include replacing the Westminster Highway, Steveston Highway and Highway 17A interchanges; widening Highway 99 to accommodate dedicated transit/high- occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes; and providing multi-use pathways for cyclists and pedestrians across the bridge that connect with the existing cycling and pedestrian networks on either side. The general alignment of the Project will follow the existing Highway 99 corridor, including across the Fraser River. The Project is designed to reduce congestion and improve travel times and reliability for commuters, transit, commercial vehicles, and tourists; improve safety; provide new travel options for cyclists and pedestrians; and provide capacity for improved transit. Consultation Process The Ministry adopted phased public and external stakeholder consultation program to support project planning and development. This included: • Phase 1: Understanding the Need (November to December 2012) – Focused on understanding the need and potential constraints to develop the project scope and design requirements. • Phase 2: Exploring the Options (March to April 2013) – Based on Phase 1 consultation results and preliminary technical work, Phase 2 sought input on the draft project scope and goals, five potential replacement scenarios and on the criteria to evaluate these options. • Phase 3: Project Definition Report (December 16, 2015 to January 28, 2016) – Sought feedback on the full Project scope and business case, including Project goals, design features, benefit and cost analysis, draft performance evaluation/Project success measures, and tolling to fund the Project. This report summarizes input received from Phase 3 consultation, which included participation from the public and stakeholders from across the Greater Vancouver region. Phase 1 and 2 results are available under separate cover and online at masseytunnel.ca. Participation • 1,037 people submitted a feedback form • 258 people signed up for project update emails (in addition to the 1,487 who had previously signed up) • 750 people attended the open houses • 102 people representing more than 60 organizations participated in the nine stakeholder meetings • 11 organizations provided written submissions • 266 people emailed the Project Office 29 Mar 2016 i GMT Project Phase 3 Consultation Summary Report • 310 people visited the Project Office in Richmond • 67 people called the Project Information Line • The Project website had 14,218 visits; the most popular downloads were: o Project Definition Report (2,677 downloads) o Business Case (286 downloads) o PDR Draft Reference Concept (256 downloads) Summary of Feedback The following is a high level summary of feedback from all sources, including stakeholder meetings, open houses, feedback form respondents and written submissions. • General support for the Project overall and interest in more detail about specific elements including interchange designs, traffic forecasts, and the upcoming environmental assessment • General support for the following physical scope elements: o Strong support for proposed transit, cycling and pedestrian measures o Strong support for capacity improvements to address congestion o Support for the proposed interchange improvements o Miscellaneous recommendations for additional Project scope items • Respondents from Delta and Richmond were more likely to be supportive of the Project as compared with Vancouver residents, who were more likely to say that the Project is not needed • Mixed support for tolling as a funding mechanism: o Most participants who commented about tolls supported tolling as a funding mechanism; however, many participants suggested that tolling should be applied in the context of a regional tolling policy o Some participants opposed any toll, for a variety of reasons • Strong support for use of other funding sources such as a federal funding contribution and contributions from Port Metro Vancouver • Vancouver residents were more likely than residents of other areas to indicate support for tolls, while Richmond residents were more likely to suggest tolling of all bridges at a lower rate and Delta residents were more likely to oppose tolling • Concerns about potential increased traffic congestion at the Oak Street Bridge