TransLink 400 – 287 Nelson’s Court , BC V3L 0E7 Canada Tel 778-375-7500 www.translink.ca

South Coast Transportation Authority

Service Optimization Proposals: North Shore sub-area Municipal Staff Review TransLink’s Service Optimization Program

BACKGROUND ON SERVICE OPTIMIZATION Service optimization is TransLink’s ongoing program of reallocating transit resources from routes or time periods of lower productivity to where it is needed most. The goal is to better match service levels to customer demand to make the best use of limited transit resources. The need to optimize bus service was highlighted in the Review of the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority (October 2012) by the Internal Audit and Advisory Service branch of the Ministry of Finance.

Since 2010, TransLink has re-allocated approximately 340,000 annual hours of bus service across the region. Service optimization has helped increase the efficiency of the transit system - median boardings per revenue hour have increased by 10% and cost per boarded passenger has decreased by 6.8%. Through the optimization of transit service, TransLink has been able to accommodate an additional 8 million passenger boardings on the bus system with no increases in non system generated revenues.

ANNUAL BUS SERVICE REVIEW On an annual basis, TransLink reviews the performance of the transit system to identify areas of high and low ridership. Data is collected through an Automated Passenger Counting system during the fall quarter and released in the spring. The findings and analysis include a summary of recent service changes and the outcome of those changes, can be found in TransLink’s 2013 Bus Service Performance Review available online at www.translink.ca, under Plans & Projects /Managing the Transit Network/Transit System Performance.

IDENTIFYING OPTIMIZATION OPPORTUNITIES Using ridership data, TransLink works collaboratively with Coast Mountain Bus Company to identify candidate projects for optimization. Potential optimization projects could include changes in service frequency, changes in hours of operation, changes in vehicle type and/or changes to network architecture (stopping procedures and corridors served). Proposed changes are aimed at making services more effective and productive by serving areas of stronger demand, making routes more direct and simple to understand, matching service levels to customer demand and avoiding service duplication. For more information on how TransLink makes decisions on where to add, change or reduce service see our Managing the Transit Network primer available online at www.translink.ca, under Plans & Projects/Managing the Transit Network.

PROPOSED 2015 OPTIMIZATION INITIATIVES As part of our review of transit system performance, a number of transit services across the region have been identified that would benefit from optimization. These proposed initiatives would be implemented in 2015 and 2016 during regular sheet changes that happen 4 times per year. This document summarizes proposed optimization projects for 2015 for the purpose of opening the discussion on the impacts of these changes with municipal staff.

2013 2014 2015 2016

2014 Initiatives Data Project Stakeholder Project Collection Development Consultation Implementation

2015 Initiatives Data Project Stakeholder Project Collection Development Consultation Implementation

This is where we are now. 2 2015 Service Optimization Proposals - Municipal Staff Review TRANSIT SPEED AND RELIABILITY The cost of providing transit service is directly related to operating speeds. Customer experience is also closely linked to service speed and reliability. Simultaneous to the proposed service change concepts, TransLink is starting to investigate where speed and reliability can be increased in the bus network. The first step in this process will be the identification of places and time periods where buses are experiencing challenges maintaining reliability, including examples of where increased traffic congestion may require the addition of transit resources to keep buses on schedule. Preliminary information from this first phase is presented in this package. While this investigation is still ongoing, TransLink would like to discuss the initial findings during the municipal staff review on these service optimization proposals. Average operating speed maps on page 10 provide a high level view of transit speed and reliability performance in sub-areas.

CONSULTATION ON PROPOSED INITIATIVES TransLink is committed to consulting on service changes that affect customers and communities prior to implementation. Before taking proposed initiatives to the public for input, TransLink would like to consult with municipal staff and elected officials. Consultation with municipal staff is planned for early fall 2014, and elected officials will be consulted prior to public consultation. The consultation phase of the optimization process is an opportunity for TransLink staff to present proposed initiatives to stakeholders and gather feedback.

FINAL ADJUSTMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION Based on the results of public and stakeholder consultations TransLink may make adjustments to the proposed initiatives. Once approved by TransLink executive, the proposals will be implemented on a quarterly basis from Fall 2015 to Spring 2016.

2015 Service Optimization Proposals - Municipal Staff Review 3 2015 Service Optimization Concept Proposals

2015 SERVICE PROPOSALS SUB-AREAS As in previous years, the 2015 Service Proposals aim to For the purpose of this document, Metro has been make the transit network more efficient, more effective, and divided into 6 sub-areas. These sub-areas are guided by more productive by reallocating existing resources. The 2015 TransLink’s Area Transit Plan process, with the exceptions proposals focus on matching service levels and customer of Ladner / South Delta / Tsawwassen (combined with demand; reducing duplication of service; and increasing Richmond) and Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge (included access to the transit system. in the Northeast Sector) because several bus lines operate within these combined sub-areas.

Proposed Increases in Frequency and/or Hrs of Operation Proposed Reductions in Frequency and/or Hrs of Operation

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N35 C19 25 143 33 43 153/157 N19 17 791

C94 335 319 401

603

Proposed Vehicle Conversions Proposed Network Changes

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50 2 130 701 128 15 22 106 C43 595 501

395 501 502 NEW 395 320 341

531 394

531

4 2015 Service Optimization Proposals - Municipal Staff Review PREVIOUS SERVICE OPTIMIZATION FOR THE NORTH SHORE SUB-AREA Overall, TransLink has increased bus-based transit resources in the North Shore area by approximately 31,000 annual revenue hours of bus service since the beginning of the program in 2010.

Previous service improvements in the North Shore sub-area have included:

28 Joyce Station / / – Increased service levels Monday to Friday during the early AM Peak period 210 Upper Lynn Valley / Vancouver – Increased service levels Monday to Friday during the AM Peak and Saturdays during the midday; introduce two new trips in the PM Peak 227 Lynn Valley Centre / Phibbs Exchange – Introduce minibus service service between Lynn Valley and Phibbs Exchange with new service Sundays and Holidays 229 Westlynn / / Phibbs Exchange and 230 Upper Lonsdale/Lonsdale Quay –Increased service levels Monday to Friday and weekends during PM Peak and evening periods 239 Park Royal / Lonsdale Quay / Phibbs Exchange / Capilano University – Increased service levels Monday to Friday during the midday and improve service and service levels increased to Frequent Transit Network levels (every 15 minutes or better, seven days a week from early morning until the evening) 240 Vancouver / 15th Street – Increased service levels Saturday during the midday and evening 246 Highland/Vancouver – Extended all 246 trips to Vancouver and added trip to meet last SeaBus 250A Dundarave/Vancouver – Improved service levels Monday to Friday during peak periods and midday; Saturdays and Sundays/Holidays during the midday 251 Queens Park/Park Royal and 252 Inglewood/Park Royal – Conversion to minibus and introduction of two-directional service N24 Lynn Valley / Downtown Nightbus – Increase all night late night service and extend service to Lynn Valley Town Centre

For more information on previous service changes in the North Shore sub-area see TransLink’s 2013 Bus Service Performance Review available at www.translink.ca, under Managing the Transit Network/Transit System Performance.

2015 SERVICE OPTIMIZATION PROPOSALS FOR THE NORTH SHORE SUB-AREA TransLink’s regular annual review of system performance identified a number of services in the North Shore sub-area that would benefit from optimization.

The service improvement proposals include:

Increases to Frequency and/or Hours of Operation 230 Upper Lonsdale / Lonsdale Quay

Vehicle Conversions 246 Highland / Vancouver

Network Changes 130 / Hastings / / Phibbs Exchange / Capilano University 259 Lions Bay / Horseshoe Bay

The following pages describe the 4 service proposals in further detail.

2015 Service Optimization Proposals - Municipal Staff Review 5 PROPOSED INCREASE TO SERVICE FREQUENCY AND/OR HOURS OF OPERATION IN THE NORTH SHORE SUB-AREA To reduce overcrowding and support future ridership growth make the following increases in service frequency and/or extend hours of operation:

230 Upper Lonsdale / Lonsdale Quay Proposed change: Saturday: 9pm to 12pm increase to 2 trips per hour from 1

6 2015 Service Optimization Proposals - Municipal Staff Review PROPOSED VEHICLE CONVERSIONS IN THE NORTH SHORE SUB-AREA To better match service levels and customer demand make the following conversion from conventional bus to minibus:

246 Highland / Vancouver Background: On an average trip on Sundays/Holidays, the peak passenger load is around 14 people. The peak load is slightly higher on Saturdays with 19 passengers. Proposed change: Convert to minibus on weekends

2015 Service Optimization Proposals - Municipal Staff Review 7 NETWORK CHANGES IN THE NORTH SHORE SUB-AREA To support future ridership growth and improve service efficiency make the following network changes:

259 Lions Bay / Horseshoe Bay

Current Background:

• The 259 operates 3 trip per day: 1 heading south in the AM Peak and 2 heading north in the PM peak • The 259 has the highest cost per boarded C12 passenger in the network at $34.38 • The peak passenger load is roughly 15 passengers on a vehicle that holds 50-60 259 passengers • Annual boardings have steadily declined since 2011 (1/3 the boardings in 2011)

Continues as 257 at Horseshoe Bay

257

Proposed change: Proposed • Monday to Friday: Convert to minibus (24 person capacity) to better meet demand • Integrate service with C12 Brunswick - Caulfeild • Explore opportunities to re-design C12 to serve more customers

Results: C12 1/ Improves capacity utilization and cost per boarded passenger 2/ Maintain service coverage by converting to minibus 3/ Eastbound customers that currently ride through Horseshoe Bay to will transfer between services Customers transfer at Horseshoe Bay

257

8 2015 Service Optimization Proposals - Municipal Staff Review NETWORK CHANGES IN THE – NEW WESTMINSTER SUB-AREA To support future ridership growth and improve service efficiency make the following network changes:

130 Metrotown Station / Hastings / Kootenay Loop / Phibbs Exchange / Capilano University

Current Background:

• Currently, the 130 duplicates the 28 Joyce Station/Phibbs Exchange/Capilano University between Kootenay Loop Stn and Phibbs Exchange Stn • In non-peak periods, the 130 has an average passenger load of 13-30 passengers per trip on a vehicle that holds 50-60 passengers. During the same periods, the 28 serves roughly 15 passengers per trip • On Weekends/Holidays, ridership is even lower on this section for both lines

28 130

Proposed Proposed change: • Eliminate duplication by discontinuing the 130 extension to Phibbs Exchange during non-peak periods (from Monday- Friday after 6pm and on Weekends/Holidays)

Results:

1/ Resource savings associated with ability to reduce duplication 2/ Requires more detailed analysis of terminus capacity at Kootenay Loop

28 130

Limited service 2015 Service Optimization Proposals - Municipal Staff Review 9 AVERAGE OPERATING SPEED BY LINE IN THE NORTH SHORE SUB-AREA*

Transit Speed and Reliability Exploratory Work

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R G I A Average Operating Speed C Bottom 25% of bus services (Avg. Speed: 34-38 km/h) High 25% of bus services (Avg. Speed: 23-29 km/h) (Avg. Speed: 39-47 km/h) Top 25% of bus services (Avg. Speed: 30-33 km/h) Low 25% of bus bus services Sub-Area Boundary No Data / Outside Sub-Area   C   

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No data: 227, 250, 251, 252, 253, 254, 255, 256, 257, 258, 259, C10, C11, C12 Y Rank  2 4 3 5 1  Line No  229 230 239 241 231      Rank 10 8 6 9 7      DOWNTOWN Line No  228 246 240 236  232        Rank  12 14 13 11     SeaBus  Line No   209 242 210 211              Rank    18 16 15 17        Line No  247 212 C15 214             C Not to scale during weekdays and weekends * Data collected from September - December 2013   VANCOUVER

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10 2015 Service Optimization Proposals - Municipal Staff Review Next Steps

CONSULTATION PLAN

TransLink is committed to consulting on changes that affect people and communities prior to implementation.

Consultation on these proposed initiatives is planned for: • Municipal staff:fall 2014 • Elected Officials: 2015 (prior to public consultation) • Public Consultation: 2015 (after Elected Officials’ consultation) The public consultation will include: - Open houses and online feedback - Advertisements and other awareness mechanisms - Online and social media engagement

In addition to the above mentioned consultation activities, TransLink will engage, as required, with specific community groups that express concern with the proposed changes, including enlisting the support of TransLink’s TravelSmart programs.

If you have any questions regarding the proposed service changes, the elected officials meeting, or public consultation process, please contact [email protected] or 778-375-7845.

2015 Service Optimization Proposals - Municipal Staff Review 11