Special Commission Skytrain Extension Review Final Report May, 1999 Acknowledgements
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Special Commission SkyTrain Extension Review Final Report May, 1999 Acknowledgements The Special Commissioner gratefully acknowledges the generous and dedicated support and advice of the agencies, organizations and individuals that contributed to the Special Commission SkyTrain Review. The cooperation and assistance of the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority (TransLink); Greater Vancouver Regional District; City of Vancouver; City of New Westminster; City of Burnaby; City of Coquitlam; City of Port Moody; Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency; Fisheries and Oceans Canada; Environment Canada; Health Canada; Canadian Coast Guard; BC Transportation Financing Authority; BC Assets and Land Corporation; Simon Fraser Health Region; and BC Ministries of Environment, Lands and Parks, Transportation and Highways, Municipal Affairs, Small Business, Tourism and Culture were instrumental to the work of the Special Commission. The cooperation of the BC Environmental Assessment Office in providing considerable technical and administrative resources and support is greatly appreciated. In addition, the Special Commissioner particularly wishes to thank the members of the public and organizations who made submissions or participated in the workshops or public meetings for their efforts in the public interest. Staff Seconded to Special Commission David Johns, Kim Fawthorpe, Michael Price, Paul Finkel, Alan Calder, Mel Turner, Jennifer Kay, Tami Payne, Shari Steinbach, Sylvia Hinks, Eileen Bennett, Tanya Paz, and Joy Cohen. Environmental Assessment Office Patty Shelton, Norm Ringstad, Martyn Glassman, Donna Santori and Registry staff. Land Use Coordination Office Don Howes, Carol Ogborne, Susan Westmacott, and Judy Nicholson. Consultants and Contractors Dan Levy, Sypher:Mueller International Inc.; Wakefield Acoustics Ltd.; EVS Environment Consultants; Barry Downs, Architect; Harold Neufeldt, Landscape Architect; Dr. Patricia Brantingham, Simon Fraser University, School of Criminology; Patricia Howie, Erika Britney, and Janine Robinson, Praxis Pacific; Terry Groom, Canweb Website Solutions; John Nicol, John Nicol and Associates; and Silk Questo and staff, Malahat Group Communications. INTERIM REPORT DECEMBER, 1998 SPECIAL COMMISSION SKYTRAIN REVIEW 2 SPECIAL COMMISSION SKYTRAIN REVIEW ¥ INTERIM REPORT SPECIAL COMMISSION SKYTRAIN REVIEW INTERIM REPORT CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 9 1.0 Purpose of the Interim Report.........................................................................10 1.1 Organization of Interim Report........................................................................10 SPECIAL COMMISSION OVERVIEW 13 2.0 Special Commission Roles and Responsibilities....................................................13 2.1 Background ................................................................................................13 2.2 Terms of Reference.......................................................................................14 2.3 Special Commission Approach.........................................................................15 2.3.1 Roles and Relationships .......................................................................15 2.3.2 Working Approach ...............................................................................16 2.3.3 Special Commission Accountability.........................................................17 2.3.4 Context of Review ...............................................................................17 3.0 Special Commission Process............................................................................18 3.1 Areas of Focus.............................................................................................18 3.2 Process for Reviewing Impacts, Benefits and Mitigation........................................19 3.2.1 Key Issue Categories............................................................................20 3.2.2 Legacy Opportunities...........................................................................21 3.2.3 Technical Forums ................................................................................21 3.2.4 Geographic Information System .............................................................22 3.2.5 Evaluation Criteria ..............................................................................22 3.3 Process for Reviewing Route Alignment and Station Location Approach....................24 3.3.1 Monitoring Public Consultation ..............................................................24 SPECIAL COMMISSION SKYTRAIN REVIEW ¥ INTERIM REPORT 3 3.3.2 Evaluation Criteria ..............................................................................25 3.4 Process for Facilitating Public Involvement........................................................26 3.4.1 Disseminating Information....................................................................26 3.4.2 Receiving Public Input..........................................................................27 3.4.3 Special Commission Public Meetings........................................................27 3.4.4 Consultation with First Nations ..............................................................28 3.5 Process for Inter-Agency Coordination..............................................................29 3.5.1 Inter-Governmental Advisory Committee..................................................29 3.6 Process for Project Monitoring and Issue Resolution ............................................30 3.7 Process for Reporting....................................................................................30 3.7.1 Key Environmental Issues Reports...........................................................31 4.0 Special Commission Workplan and Timeline ........................................................33 4.1 Major Activities to Date.................................................................................34 4.2 Next Steps..................................................................................................34 THE SKYTRAIN PROJECT 35 5.0 Planning for Growth and Public Transit in Greater Vancouver ..................................35 5.1 Background and History ................................................................................35 5.2 The Skytrain Decision....................................................................................37 6.0 The Accelerated Skytrain Project......................................................................38 6.1 Rapid Transit Project Office (RTPO)..................................................................38 6.2 Accelerated Project Description ......................................................................39 6.2.1 Parameters of Accelerated Project Design ................................................39 6.2.2 Description of Accelerated Project Construction and Operation.....................39 6.3 Future Plans and Rapid Transit Corridors ...........................................................40 7.0 Skytrain Roles and Responsibilities ..................................................................42 7.1 Key Participants and Accountabilities ..............................................................42 7.1.1 Federal Government ............................................................................42 7.1.2 Provincial Government .........................................................................43 7.1.3 Regional Government...........................................................................43 7.1.4 Local Government ...............................................................................44 7.1.5 Other Stakeholders..............................................................................44 ROUTE ALIGNMENT REVIEW 45 8.0 Purpose of Route Alignment Review..................................................................45 9.0 RTPO Route Alignment and Station Location Program ...........................................46 9.1 Overview of RTPO’s Neighbourhood Consultation Program......................................46 9.2 Preferred Route Alignment .............................................................................48 4 SPECIAL COMMISSION SKYTRAIN REVIEW ¥ INTERIM REPORT 9.2.1 Segment 1ÐVancouver (VCC to Boundary).................................................49 9.2.2 Segment 2ÐBurnaby (Boundary to Delta) .................................................50 9.2.3 Segment 3ÐBurnaby (Delta to Lake City)..................................................50 9.2.4 Segment 4ÐBurnaby (Lake City to Bell) ....................................................50 9.2.5 Segment 5ÐBurnaby (Lougheed Mall) ......................................................51 9.2.6 Segment 6ÐCoquitlam (Lougheed Mall to Braid) ........................................51 9.2.7 Segment 7ÐNew Westminster (Braid to Columbia Station)............................51 10.0 Special Commission Review of Route Alignment .................................................52 10.1 Review of Route Alignment and Station Location Process ....................................52 10.1.1 Public Notification and Promotion of Public Involvement ...........................53 10.1.2 Program Design.................................................................................54 10.1.3 Resourcing the Process.......................................................................56 10.1.4 Communication Strategies ..................................................................56 10.1.5 Feedback and Closure.........................................................................57