Transit

LRT System Success Questions:

• Why LRT? • How we succeeded with Ride the Wind? • How did we make this happen and continue building the vision and maintain political consensus and keep up momentum for the plan? First a bit about Calgary and Calgary Transit Calgary Today…

• Population = 1.09 million • High density downtown – 130,000 jobs • Low density suburbs • 848 sq kms (2006 = 764 + 11%)) The City Past 10 Years = Growth! . Leading Canada in Economic Growth . 25,000 / year, (75 / day) . 20% of all new Canadian jobs . Building in every corner of the city

The People . Young . Affluent . Well Educated . Mobile . Love of outdoors . Environmentally Conscious . Yahoo!

Leadership

. Council & Administration Alignment . Common Shared Vision . Sustainability is key principle . Triple Bottom Line (environment, social, economic) . Community Buy In

. How does this happen? Calgary Transit Overview • Operating since 1909 • Integrated Multi-modal System – LRT (CTrain) – Bus – Access Calgary (disabled transport) • 1,000+ vehicles (900+ buses, 193 LRVs) • ~2,500 Employees

RIDERSHIP

• Annual system trips = +95 million

• Weekday = ~575,000 (bus + LRT)

• CTrain carries ~50% ~270,000 daily

– Up to 760 passengers / hour on LRT

– 6% of system operating hours

10 Year Ridership Trends 1999 to 2008

• Population +25 % • Transit Ridership +33 % – CTrain +80 %

• Market Share (work trips) – Downtown 50% – City-wide 17 %

HOW DO WE COMPARE?

• Highest Per Capita Transit Ridership West of Mississauga • Highest LRT Ridership in North America – Total ridership – Trips Per Capita Factors for Transit Success • Consistent long range vision • City’s Municipal Development & Transportation Plans are linked • Continuous planning updates – Lots of Public engagement • Demonstrated transit system success – LRT a key factor • Capital Funding support from Province for transit City’s Vision is Founded in Planning

• Pattern of intensive growth spurts resulted in recognition for better planning • Common vision for a more sustainable city • Series of long range planning initiatives • Considerable public engagement and support

Long Range Planning History of Plans • Calgary Transportation Study – 1968 • Calgary General Municipal Plan – 1979-1981 • Go Plan - 1995 • Municipal Development Plan 1998 • Consistent objectives and concepts for transit plan • Considerable public input Downtown Parking Policy • 1972 policy restricts supply of new parking in • No new roadways + strategic parking supply • Transit service required to transport ~50% of downtown employees – led to LRT decision. • Cash in lieu policy requires developer contribution to fund strategically located, City operated parkades (25% of supply). • Only 25% of normal supply at each new building.

Recent Planning

Imagine Calgary PlanIt Council’s Key Directions approved November 2008 1. Achieve a balance of growth - established & new communities

2. Provide more choice within complete communities

3. Direct land use change within a framework of nodes & corridors

4. Link land use decisions to transit

5. Increase mobility choices

6. Develop a Primary Transit Network

7. Create Complete Streets

8. Optimize infrastructure 18 Imagine Calgary > PlanIt 2005 to 2009 • Imagine Calgary – 100 year vision & goals – 18,000 consulted • PlanIt – Municipal Development Plan – Calgary Transportation Plan • Significant public and stakeholder engagement over 5 years

Plan Addresses How can we accommodate 1.3 million more people & 600,000 more jobs over the next 50 - 60 years?

 Where will they live?  Where will they work?  How will they travel?  What are the implications? Intensify around Suburban Nodes and Corridors

Nodes & Corridors Primary Transit Network Transit network hierarchy Crowfoot • LRT • BRT PTN • Regular bus University Sunridge Frequent, Fast, Reliable, Connected MRU < 10 min. frequency,

~15 hours/day, 7 days/week Chinook

Anderson

LRT Lines Shawnessy

Crosstown Connectors (mode to be determined) SE Hospital

Shift in Thinking!

for & Tools Decision Making Setting Priorities

Sustainability Triangle CTP section 3.1 Mode Priority by Road Type CTP section 3.7

Current or Future Per cent of future Facility Transportation Modes Examples Network (centre-line) Walking Cycling Transit Goods Autos

Deerfoot Trail Skeletal Road 34%

Road

Country Hills Blvd Arterial Street 44% Southland Drive

Industrial Arterial 72 Street S.E. 10%

16 Avenue N. Urban 5%

MacLeod Trail Street

Neighbourhood 17 Avenue S.W. 3% Boulevard Kensington Road

Memorial Drive Parkway 4% Elbow Drive

Legend: Accommodated with high standards Accommodated with variable standards Not required, or poor performance is acceptable 23 Cascading Dependent Plans Vision Values, Goals, Targets Community-generated - imagineCALGARY ‘100’ year Strategic Policy Municipal Development Plan / Land Use & Mobility Plan; 30 to 50 year Environment Plan; Economic Development Plan; Regional Partnership; Social/Cultural Plans

10 year Financial Planning / Investment Asset Management; Long Range Financial Plan; Transportation Priorities (TIIP) ; Culture / Parks / Recreation Priorities (CPRIIP)

3 year Priorities Council-Driven Council Priorities; Multi-year Business Plans & Budgets; Corporate Direction; Financial Analysis; Measurables

1 year Accountability

Current year Goals & Performance Measures

SMART GROWTH IN CANADA: A REPORT CARD

CMHC December 2005

Opportunities / Challenges Smart Growth in Canada: A Report Card CMHC December 2006 ". . . there is a large gap between the stated growth management policies found in the planning documents (Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Saskatoon, Calgary & Vancouver) and accomplishments on the ground."

Enabler / Barrier

City Consumer Taxation Development Government Practices Preference & Political Industry Regulations & & for High Develop Will Interest & Standards Implemen Density ment Creativity tation Living Levies Implementation Plan

• Milestone targets and monitoring • Process change initiatives – Apply to funding principles – Planning updates / amendments • Accountability Citizen Satisfaction Surveys

• City of Calgary conducts annual citizen satisfaction surveys • Need for Transportation / Transit improvements is consistently a ‘top 3’ priority for citizens Provincial Funding

• Initial LRT system– 3 lines (1977 to 1991) – built with significant support from government • 5 cents per litre gasoline tax ($90 million annual funds) • Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI 2007 to 2017) – funding support for municipal infrastructure priorities ($1.3 billion for Calgary) • GreenTRIP (2010) – matching capital funds for transit infrastructure ($640 million for Calgary) **new** LRT PLANNING Calgary Transit Began In 1909 As A Street Car System LRT Development History

• 1981 South LRT – 12.9 km – Achieved ridership targets in first month! – Public wanted additional lines • 1985 Northeast LRT – 9.8 km • 1987 Northwest 1 – 5.6 km • 1991 Northwest 2 – 1.0 km

By 1991: • 29.3 kms – 31 Stations • 31 million annual passengers

Recent Expansion • 2001South LRT – 3.4 km • 2003 Northwest LRT – 3 km • 2004 South – 3 km • 2007 Northeast – 2.7 km • 2008 Northwest – 4.1 km

By 2008: • 45.9 kms – 38 Stations • 77 million annual passengers

Growth Trend

• Significant urban growth

• CTrain has enabled Calgary Transit to offer effective and efficient transit service LRT SUCCESS FACTORS: 1. Reserve corridors – long range planning 2. Develop corridor ridership – bus based 3. Integrate system with local environment 4. Provide priority for trains 5. Segregate right of way 6. Minimize grade separation 7. Scale stations to environment 8. Plan for a range of access modes 9. Vehicle procurement practices 10.In house construction & maintenance Discuss #1 & #2

KEYS TO LRT SUCCESS:

1. Strategic LRT Planning- Reserve Corridors 1960’s & 1970s Rapid transit rights of way were reserved in key growth corridors What do we do with all these buses?

Downtown Calgary – early 70s Planned 1976

Current

Under Construction Strategic Planning of LRT

Reserve LRT ROW in Median of Major Road

Strategic Planning of LRT

Station sites set aside Strategic Planning of LRT

Obtain ROW in New Communities New Community Planning

Land Use & Long Range Planning To Support Transit KEYS TO LRT SUCCESS:

2. Develop Ridership in LRT Corridors • Express bus service in future LRT corridors • Early BRT • All replaced with LRT LRT SUCCESS FACTORS: No Frills approach - keep capital cost affordable! • Integrate system with local environment • Provide priority for trains • Segregate right of way • Minimize grade separation • Scale stations to environment • Plan for a range of access modes • Vehicle procurement practices • In house construction & maintenance

Ride the Wind! (2001) Ride The Wind • Ride The Wind (2001) – a key first element in Calgary’s GHG reduction program • ISO 14001 (2003/04) – first transit system / city to achieve this rating – continuous improvement • In 2006 - City of Calgary adopted a GHG reduction goal – to reduce corporate GHG levels to 50% below 1990 levels by 2012 • Many other corporate initiatives are related to reduced consumption and renewable energy use. • See calgary.ca

Ride the Wind! An Environmental Partnership • Vision Quest Windelectric Inc. • ENMAX • Calgary Transit – 12 windmills – $10 million – Alternate source of 37.2 m annual kwh traction power for the CTrain Ride the Wind!

• Wind-Generated electricity • 100% Emissions-Free

• 26,000T CO2 Reduced Annually • Cost premium = $2.5 million or 0.5¢ per customer • Vs price certainty over 10 yrs • Cost Now = Conventional power The Future Future LRT Network

6 or (possibly) 7 Legs

Future Transit Network

Bus based service to connect between radial LRT lines

BRT Planning

• BRT to serve additional corridors and nodes • Greater focus on transit priority – (bus lanes) • Explore alternate modes • Functional plans required for most routes West LRT • Construction began in 2009 • Opens 2012 • 8 kms, 7 Stations • Operating extension of NE LRT SE LRT North Central LRT Conclusions Calgary’s CTrain

• Successful beginning based on sound planning, design, and implementation principles • Public acceptance and high ridership supports expansion • Low capital costs / high level of benefits • Regular updating of City plans based on sustainability principles / public engagement • Now building a city with LRT as a cornerstone Our Vision Is Clear! Vision Is The Key! Questions / Discussion