2019 Statutory Annual Report
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SOUTH COAST BRITISH COLUMBIA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY 2019 STATUTORY ANNUAL REPORT The South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority (TransLink) is required to provide an annual report and audited financial statements to the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation by March 31st. This report fulfills the reporting obligation to provide: A. A summary of operations during the year with comparison to the strategic transportation plan and the applicable service, capital and operational plans; B. The audited financial statements for the year; C. A summary of the nature of complaints received in the year and actions taken in response to those complaints; D. A summary of the results of the customer satisfaction survey process; E. Amendments to the articles of the Authority; F. A summary of the date, type and outcome of meetings of TransLink’s Board of Directors held during the year; G. Fare Collection Bylaw; and H. A summary of tickets issued and collection under Section 248. This report should be read in conjunction with the 2019 Accountability Report, in order to get a full understanding of the organization and its financial and operational performance. The 2019 Accountability Report will be posted on TransLink’s website. TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................... 4 A. OPERATIONS SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................................... 5 1 Transit Service Levels .......................................................................................................................................... 5 2 2019 Investment Plan Status Report .................................................................................................................. 7 3 2019 Financial Plan ........................................................................................................................................... 14 4 2019 Capital Program ....................................................................................................................................... 17 5 Transportation Demand Management ............................................................................................................. 30 6 Short-Term Fares Assessed ............................................................................................................................... 36 7 Borrowings Undertaken in 2019 ....................................................................................................................... 37 B. AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ................................................................................................................... 39 C. COMPLAINTS SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................. 40 D. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION ................................................................................................................................ 46 E. CHANGES TO ARTICLES OF THE AUTHORITY ..................................................................................................... 50 F. BOARD SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................ 51 G. FARE COLLECTION BYLAW ................................................................................................................................ 57 H. SECTION 248 TICKETS AND COLLECTIONS ........................................................................................................ 61 South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority—2019 Statutory Annual Report March 2020 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Under the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Act, TransLink is required to prepare an annual report that includes a summary of operations for the year along with a comparison to the organization’s applicable strategic, service, capital and operational plans. This 2019 Statutory Annual Report meets that requirement and includes other reporting obligations such as audited financial statements, complaints and customer satisfaction summaries. This report should be read in conjunction with the 2019 Accountability Report to obtain a full understanding of the organization and the strategic platform that drives its financial and operational performance. The 2019 Accountability Report will be posted on the TransLink website. TransLink’s current strategic plan, applicable to 2019, as defined by legislation, is the 2018-2027 Investment Plan: Phase Two of the 10-Year Vision (the “Plan”) approved by the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation on June 28, 2018. This 2019 Statutory Annual Report makes reference to the 2019 year of the Plan. Page 4 of 61 South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority—2019 Statutory Annual Report March 2020 A. OPERATIONS SUMMARY 1 Transit Service Levels The table below provides a summary of conventional transit service hours, Access Transit trips and ridership numbers while comparing 2019 actual results to the Plan. Actual Investment Plan Fav/(Unfav) % Change 2019 2019 Over Plan Conventional Transit (thousands of service hours) Conventional Bus 4,615 4,599 16 0.3% Community Shuttle 653 645 8 1.2% West Vancouver Conventional Bus 118 142 (24) (17.1%) SkyTrain Expo and Millennium Lines 1,322 1,337 (15) (1.1%) SkyTrain Canada Line 203 186 17 9.1% SeaBus 13 13 - - West Coast Express 37 37 - - Total Conventional Transit 6,961 6,960 1 0.0% Access Transit Trips (thousands of trips) HandyDART 1,198 1,271 (73) (5.7%) Taxi Supplement 183 102 81 79.4% Total Access Transit Trips 1,381 1,373 8 0.6% Ridership Ridership (millions of transit journeys) 272 259 13 5.2% Note: Ridership in this table is based on delivery of total conventional transit service hours and HandyDART Access Transit service. Conventional Transit Service Levels Conventional transit service hours were mainly consistent with the 2019 year of the Plan as a result of the successful execution of service expansion as committed to in the Mayors’ Council’s 10-Year Vision (the “10-Year Vision”). The expansion increased the bus frequency on specific routes and added new bus routes and additional service hours. Furthermore, Coast Mountain Bus Company (CMBC) took over the operations of a route in West Vancouver, which resulted in a decrease in service hours for West Vancouver Conventional Bus and an increase in service hours in Conventional Bus. More service hours were delivered on Canada Line than what was outlined in the Plan. This is partly offset by a decrease in service hours for the Expo and Millennium Lines which was mainly a result of cancelled trips due to inclement weather and the cancellation of special events. Page 5 of 61 South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority—2019 Statutory Annual Report March 2020 Access Transit Service Levels In 2019, Access Transit service trips were slightly above the expansion outlined in the 10-Year Vision. HandyDART vehicles are our primary resource for trip delivery but during peak hours and at times when demand exceeds our fleet capacity, trips are delivered with taxis. Ridership Journeys for conventional transit service and Access Transit achieved a record of 272 million in 2019, surpassing the Plan projection by 5.2 per cent. Journeys represent a complete transit trip using Compass fare media or other proof of purchase regardless of the number of transfers. Strong ridership growth in 2019 compared to the Plan was a result of customer improvement initiatives, a strong economy with low unemployment, and – for some months – higher gas prices. Page 6 of 61 South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority—2019 Statutory Annual Report March 2020 2 2019 Investment Plan Status Report Phase Two of the 10-Year Vision includes new investments in every mode of transportation – transit, roads, walking and cycling – as well as maintains the existing transportation system in a state of good repair. A status update of the Plan is provided below. New Transportation Investments in the Phase Two Plan The Plan expands rapid transit across Metro Vancouver according to the priorities established in the 10-Year Vision. It completes the rapid transit early works investments begun in the 2017-2026 Investment Plan: Update to Phase One of the 10-Year Vision (“Phase One”), including the Broadway Subway Project (“BSP”, formerly the Millennium Line Broadway Extension) and the Surrey-Newton-Guildford Line (SNG). Two significant events occurred related to the rapid transit projects after the Plan was approved. The responsibility for delivery of the BSP was transferred to the Province of British Columbia (Province) and the City of Surrey requested the Plan be amended to swap the SNG Line with the Surrey-Langley line and that this be SkyTrain service instead of Light Rail Transit. Building New Rapid Transit Major Rapid Transit Projects o Construction and Operation of the BSP . A Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Province’s BSP was issued by the Province in June 2019. Advanced works to support the BSP including the trolley overhead line relocation to accommodate bus route changes in support of bus operations during construction. o Surrey Langley SkyTrain (SLS) Project . In early 2019, TransLink appointed a SLS team to complete planning, design and engagement activities necessary for project