STUCK IN GRIDLOCK: AGENDA-SETTING AND AGENDA MANAGEMENT- A CASE STUDY OF TRANSLINK- THE GREATER VANCOUVER TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY Jonathan E. Fershau B.A., Simon Fraser University, 1999 THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTERS OF ARTS in the Department of Political Science O Jonathan E. Fershau 2003 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY November 2003 All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. APPROVAL NAME: JONATHANFERSHAU DEGREE: Master of Arts (Political Science) TITLE OF PROJECT: Stuck In Gridlock: Agenda-Setting and Agenda Management - A Case Study of Translink - The Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority. EXAMINING COMMITTEE: Chair: Dr. Tsuyoshi Kawasaki Associate Professor Dr. Patrick Smith Professor, Department of Political Science Senior Supervisor - D?. H. Heter Oberlander Adjunct Professor, Department of Political Science Supervisor External Examiner Department of Geography Vice-president, University Relations Date Approved: n16d a PARTIAL COPYRIGHT LICENCE I hereby grant to Simon Fraser University the right to lend my thesis, project or extended essay (the title of which is shown below) to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. I fUrther agree that permission for multiple copying of this work for scholarly purposes may be granted by me or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this work for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Title of Thesis Stuck in Gridlock: Agenda-Setting and Agenda Management-A Case Study of TransLink-The Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority Author: (Signature) Jonathan Edmund Fershau (Name) November 20,2003 (Date) Abstract On July 30, 1998, the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority Act received assent from the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The Act, held up by urban planners as an exemplar for its unambiguous linkage of urban land use planning and transportation issues, established the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority (TransLink) as the coordinating agency for transportation planning, the delivery of transit services, major arterial roads, and air quality programs that support the Greater Vancouver Regional District's (GVRD) Livable Region Strategic Plan (LRSP). The Act also provided TransLink with revenue sources that are the envy of other urban metropolitan regions across Canada, including gasoline, property, and parking taxes, as well as the ability to establish tolls on new roads in the region. Yet despite these unprecedented powers within the Canadian urban context, TransLink has experienced significant problems in implementing its initial regional transportation agenda. This thesis presents the hypothesis that during preparations of its Stratepic Transportation Plan 2000-2005, TransLink failed to consider the potential for outside actors to formulate an alternative transportation agenda for the region. With respect to outside actors, this thesis hypothesizes that there exists more than one type of outside actor, which deviates from scholarly work to date. In this case, this thesis proposes that outside actors can be categorised on the basis of resources and motivations for action. Stemming from the mobilization of outside actors, this thesis hypothesizes that institutional actors can use a variety of substantive and procedural instruments to influence an institutional agenda. In this case, it is evident that TransLink deployed a variety of instruments against outsider actors: first, to discredit the outside organizations, and second, to incorporate the agendas presented by outsiders following the collapse of a proposed fimding mechanism to pay for urban transportation improvements. Dedication To my father Herbert, who taught me to question everything; To my mother Margaret, who taught me question everything rationally; and To my wife Terri, who taught me that if I question everything, I'll wind up with a headache. Acknowledgments Many people had a hand in the writing of this thesis. My thesis supervisor, Dr. Patrick J. Smith, provided me with the guidance, resources, and the inspiration of the analytical framework to make this thesis possible. His patience and hands-off advisory style are legenda ry... and much appreciated. Special thanks also to Drs. H. Peter Oberlander and Warren Gill for being part of my examining committee and providing valuable feedback on the final draft. In the Department of Political Science, I would like to thank Dr. Michael Howlett for his encouragement of my work, research opportunities, and financial assistance. I would also like to thank Drs. Lynda Erickson and Stephen McBride for affording me the opportunity to teach on wide array of topics. I met many intelligent and opinionated people during my undergraduate and graduate time at Simon Fraser. The following made my time here truly enjoyable: Bill England, Natalie Skinner, Laura Cuthbertson, Michael Stubbing, Russell Williams, Greg Clarke, Karen Lochead, Alexia Touralias, Daniel Robinson, Kimberly Worthington, Brant Felker, Scott Mathews and Jeannette Ashe. In writing this thesis, many people provided me with direction and background research. In particular, Lenore Slater, Brian Olsen and Henry Wong with the City of Coquitlam, Stewart Turner with the Ministry of Transportation, Clive Rock with TransLink, Ray Straatsma with BEST, Dave Park with the Vancouver Board of Trade, and Trace Acres with BCAA were extremely helpful. Special thanks to my wife, Terri Evans, who despite her hectic schedule, provided support and tireless devotion throughout this entire process. Table of Contents APPROVAL I1 ABSTRACT 111 DEDICATION 1V ACKNOWLEDGMENTS V TABLE OF CONTENTS VI LIST OF FIGURES 1X LIST OF TABLES X CHAPTER 1: THE TRANSPORTATION. LAND USE. AND URBAN GOVERNANCE CONUNDRUM 1 MAJORMETROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING: THE CANADIANEXPERIENCE ................................... 3 Metropolitan Montreal ................................................................................................................... 4 Greater Toronto ................................................................................................................................... 5 THEGREATER VANCOUVER REGIONAL DISTRICT AS TRANSPORTATIONGOVERNANCE CASE STUDY ......... 9 OVERVIEWOF RESEARCHAGENDA ............................................................................................................ 12 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW- AGENDAS. OUTSIDER ACTORS. AND INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSES IN THE CONTEXT OF LOCAL GOVERNANCE POLICY NETWORK 16 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................... 16 AGENDASAND AGENDA-SETTING:CONCEPTS AND MODELS..................................................................... 17 OUTSIDERGROUPS ................................................................................................................................. 21 Variable 1: Agenda-setting resources of outside actors ................................................................... 21 Urban Regime Theory and Systemic Power ....................................................................................................22 Variable 2: Motivation for Action ................................................................................................... 25 SUMMARY:TYPES OF INTEREST GROUPS.................................................................................................. 26 MULTIPLEVENUES AS INSTRUMENTS OF OUTSIDER INITIATED AGENDA-SETTING .......................................28 INTERNAL CONSTRAINTS: ~NSTITUT~ONALAND NETWORK DESIGN IMPACTS ON AGENDA CONTROL ........... 31 Inside actors ' agenda maintenance- muddling through?............................................................... 32 MANAGINGOUTSIDER AGENDAS: INSTRUMENTS OF NETWORK ADMINISTRATION ...................................... 35 Outsider Agenda denial ..................................................................................................................... 37 Substantive instruments of outsider agenda-denial .........................................................................................38 Procedural instruments of outsider agenda denial ...........................................................................................40 Outsider agenda acceptance ........................................................................................................... 41 Substantive instruments of outsider agenda acceptance ..................................................................................42 Procedural instruments of outsider agenda acceptance ...................................................................................42 SUMMARY:OUTSIDER, WSIDERS, AND AGENDA MANAGEMENT .................................................................. 43 CHAPTER 3: HISTORIC ORIGINS OF A TRANSPORTATION GOVERNANCE INSTITUTION IN GREATER VANCOUVER 45 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................... 45 REVIEWOF MASS TRANSIT REGIONAL COORDINATION ............................................................................