changing transportation 04

7/28/2019 Changing Transportation 04

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Vision 2020 Goals:

Annual Indicators for this Theme Area:

Actions to Accelerate our Progress:

City

Community

The wasinitiatedtohelptheCity meetitsVISION 2020goal todiversifythemethods of transportation used within theCity andreduceinstances of singlepassengercommutes. Currently, the bus pass program has agreements with the McMaster StudentsUnion, McMaster Graduate Students Association, Redeemer College Student Senate,ColumbiaCollegeStudentUnionandCityof HamiltonEmployees.

TheCityhasalsopreparedaDowntownTransportationMasterPlan.Theprojectisakeypiecein theongoingrevitalizationof Hamilton'scentral urban area. Thestudy was undertaken aspart of a set of initiatives, referred to as

Putting People First was initiated to address a number of concerns in thedowntown including: Changing economy, lack of pedestrian and cycling amenities,unattractiveenvironment. Transportationisseenasakey componentinhelpingtorevitalizedowntownHamilton. Implementationof thisplanisalreadyunderway. Oneexampleis theconversionof J amesStreetfromonewaytotwowayandstreetimprovementstocreateamorepleasantpedestrian environment. A city-widesustainableTransportation Master Plan is alsobeingdeveloped.

wascreatedinthesummer of 2002byMcMasterUniversitytopromotewalking, biking, publictransportation,andcarpoolingtothestudentsandfacultyof theschool. This groupisworkingtoreducethedemandof parkingon

and around campus, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions within the City OfHamilton. The program, though relatively new, has been successful in a number ofendeavours, includinganintroductionof 14daily bustripsbytheGO regional transitsystemonto thecampus, demonstrationsof busroutestoincomingtostudentstobetter preparethemfor the transit systemand makethemcomfortable with making the choiceof public transit.Act is also working with the HSR to develop two new express routes onto campus. Theendeavour startedinresponseto theparkingissuesaroundandoncampus. ACT alsocreatesother benefits likefewer greenhousegasses emitted by commuters to campus andbetter airquality for everyone in the city. ACT is making a difference in the community, one whichhopefully will promotelifelongchanges in thetransportation choices madeby students andfacultyattheschool.

Bus Pass Program

Putting People First: Downtown Land Use andTransportation.

Alternative Commuting and Transportation (ACT)

To develop an integrated sustainable transportation system for people, goods andservices which is environmentally friendly, affordable, efficient, convenient, safe andaccessible.

To encouragea shift inpersonal lifestyleand behaviour towards transportation choicesthatenhancepersonal healthandfitness,savemoney,andhavethelowestenvironmental

cost.

Transit Ridership Per Capita

Number of CarsPer Capita

1593

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gingOurModeofTransportation

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Them

Overvie


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Canadian Urban Transit Association

Canadian Renewable Fuel Association

Drive Clean Program

GO Transit

Hamilton Street Railway Company

Ontario Ministry of Transportation

Smog/Air Quality-The Green Lane

Downtown Transportation Master Plan for the City of Hamilton

www.cutaactu.on.ca

www.greenfuels.org

www.driveclean.com

www.gotransit.com

www.hamilton.ca/Living-Here/Transit

www.mto.gov.on.ca

www.ec.gc.ca/air_e.html

www.hamilton.ca/Planning-and-Development/long-range/strategic-planning/downtown-planning.asp

(416) 365-9800

(905) 304-1324

1-888-758-2999

1-888-GET ON GO (438-6646)

(905) 528-4200

1-800-268-4686

1-800-668-6767

Places to Get More Information:

Performance in this Indicator is Related to:

1594

ChangingOurM

odeofTransportation

ChangingOurModeofTransportation

Theme

Overview

Local

Economy

Natural Areas

and Corridors

Improving the Quality

Of Water Resources

Consuming Less

Energy

Improving AirQuality

Changing Our Mode

of TransportationLand Use in the

Urban Areas

Personal Health

and Well-Being

Community Well-Being

and Capacity Building

Climate

Change


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1595

Description of Indicator:

Measuringour useof public transit is important becauseit provides informationonhow ourtransportationchoicesarechanging. Transit helpsreducesingle-occupantcar tripsthat resultinemissionsthatareharmful tohumanhealth,plants,andthenatural environment.Transitalsomakes more efficient use of road systems which are expensive to maintain and expand toaccommodateincreased traffic volume. Moreefficient useof roadsmeansfewer new roadsbeingbuilt. Newroadconstructioncannegativelyaffectwaterqualityandecosystemsif largeareasof thewatershedarealteredandpaved.


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Target:100 rides per personperyear.

Data Table

Needs

Improvement

NeedsImprovement

How Are We Doing: Needs Improvement

Did You Know?Drivingyour car islikely themostpollutingthingyoudoin aday. Burning 1 gallon of gasoline generates 20 pounds ofcarbon dioxide. Using the most conservative estimate, theaveragecarcommutergeneratesabout7,350lbs.of carbondioxide(CO )ayear.2

Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Centre of the U.S.Dept. of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statisticsat:www.ecolivingcenter.com/directory/statistics.html


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20

40

60

80

100

120

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Year

AnnualNumberofRides

perCapita

Annual Transit Rides per Capita

100 Rides per Year TargetLevel

YearAnnual Transit Rides

per Capita

1993 55

1994 51

1995 50.3

1996 48.4

1997 48.1

1998 48

1999 47.1

2000 47.8

2001 49.0

2002 47.3

2003 46.9

Whilepopulationwithin theUrban TransitAreaincreased, transit ridershipremainedconstant. Growthinresidentsandjobsisoccurringinthefringesofthe urban area; however, service expansion has been curtailed due tobudgetary restrictions. Area ratingfor transit can havea tendency to keepservice levels lower in the former area municipalities, making it a less

attractive travel choice. Land use changes tend to favour auto-oriented


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Did You Know:

1596

ChangingOurM

odeofTransportation



Data Provider's Comments:

Limitations:

How Are We Doing: Needs Improvement cont.

development, withaminimal amountof growthinmediumandhigherdensitydwellings. Theresultisadecliningindicator,placingHamiltoninapositionwhereitisbecomingincreasinglychallengingtostarttomakesignificantpositivechangetowardsmeetingthetarget.

Infast-growingAncaster, are-alignmentof routes resultedinbetter servicetoMeadowlandsand the Duff's Corners industrial neighbourhood, including new service availability in theeveningsandonSaturday. InthedowntownandWestHarbourfront,theGoretoShoreShuttleprovided a free summer travel alternative for shoppers, residents and sightseers. The

transportation challenges created by the two major cycling events were dealt with in aneffectiveandefficient manner, allowingdowntownandWestMountainresidentstocontinuewiththeirdailytravel routineswithaminimumof disruptionandinconvenience.

Twenty accessible low floor buses, powered by compressed natural gas, joined the fleet,replacing high floor diesel buses that had reached retirement age. This fleet replacementstrategy is consistent with thelong rangeplan to providemoretravel choicefor thoseusingpersonal mobility devices and minimize the amounts of harmful air pollutants (PM , CO ,NO ) thatresultfrombusoperation. However, relianceonCNG fuel is resultinginincreasedoperatingandmaintenancecoststhat, intheabsenceof predictableandstablefinancingfromsenior levels of government, must be recouped thru higher taxes or user fees. Othertechnologiesareavailablethatalsoprovidestrongenvironmental benefits.

TheApril fareincreaseof between5and10percent, dependingonfaremedia, wasthe2 fareincrease in 19 months. This made it difficult to attract new users and placed many captiveusers under financial strain. Increasingcostsandlow ridership required theAirportShuttlerouteto bereplacedby ashared-ridetaxi service, makinggroundtravel for pricesensitiveairtravellersmorecomplex.

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x

nd

Transitservicesarenotavailabletoall areasintheCity. A betterindicatorwouldbetransituseasapercentageof populationintransitaccessibleareas.

Actions to Improve This Theme Area:

CitizensTakethebus onaregular basis. If youcannot takethebus all thetime, commit to usingpublictransitforasetnumberof tripsperweek.

Organizeasustainabletransportationlobbygroup.

Clearsnowfromtheentiresidewalk

Data Source and Commentary: City of Hamilton, Transit, Public Works Department


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1597


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Actions to Improve This Theme Area cont.:

GovernmentMoreintegratedplanningtolinktransitwithlocationofemployment.

Local governmentcan"leadbyexample" byprovidingincentivesfor employeestousealternativemodesof transportation.

ImprovethebicyclenetworkbytheHighLevel Bridge(PlainsRoadandYorkBoulevardCorridor).

Clearsnowfromtheentiresidewalk.

Evaluateexisting traffic calming projects to identify what works and continue to usethosetechniques.

Conductasustainabletransportationstudy.

ExtendGOTransitService.

Findwaysfortransituseerstofeel safe.

Non-GovernmentalOrganizationsPromoteHamilton'scyclingnetwork.

Createatransitcitizenadvisorygroup.

BusinessLargeemployerscanalsoprovideincentivesfor employeestotaketransit, for example,sharinginthecost.

Providetransitpassesforemployeesinsteadof parkingspaces.


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1599

Description of Indicator:

Measuringthenumberof carsperpersonisimportantbecauseitgivesusanideaof howwearetravelingtomeet our daily needs, aswell asgivingaroughideaof thetrendin thenumber ofvehicles in the community. Vehicle use has implications fo air quality, health and climatechange(seeTransitRidership,AirQualityandClimateChangesectionsof thisreport).

Asidefromthenegativehealtheffectscausedbyvehicleuseandair pollution, thereareotherhealth risks connected to reliance on vehicles. Recent studies have shown that we haveconstructed cities that do not encourage walking, bicycling or other physically activetransportationchoices. Theresultis asedentarylifestylewhichplaysaroleinawiderangeofdiseases includingcoronary artery disease, stroke, hypertension, colon cancer, breastcancer,diabetes,andosteoporosis.Twothirdsof Canadianchildrenarenotactiveenoughforoptimalgrowthanddevelopment. Economically, 2.5percentof directhealthcarecostsacrossCanada

($2.1billion)canbeattributedtophysical inactivity.


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Number of Cars Per Capita

Target:A decrease in the number of carsowned per capita is a movement intherightdirection.

Data Table

NeedsImprovement

NeedsImprovement

How Are We Doing: Needs Improvement

The data shows that over the past 10 years there has been a significantincreasein cars per capita. Moreemphasis needs to beput oninvesting inpedestrian friendly communities where dependence on the automobile isreduced.

Did You Know?In just one hour on a typical weekday morning, some 36,000passengersarriveatTorontosUnionStationbyGOTrain- if allthose people drove instead of taking public transit, wewouldneedtobuildthreemoreGardiner Expresswaysandthreenew

DonValleyParkways.GO Transit at:www.gotransit.com


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0.20

0.40

0.60

0.80

1.00

1.20

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Year

NumberofCars

OwnedperCapita

Numberof Cars per Capita

Year Number o f Cars per C apita

1993 0.79

1994 0.81

1995 0.82

1996 0.84

1997 0.85

1998 0.88

1999 0.902000 0.91

2001 0.93

2002 0.97

2003 0.99


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Did You Know:

15100

ChangingOurM

odeofTransportation



Data Provider's Comments:

Limitations:

Actions to Improve This Theme Area:

CitizensConsider alternativemodes of transportation. Useabike, takepublic transit, carpool toworkorschool, orwalk.

Considertransportationtimeandcostswhenpurchasingahome. Lookforalocationthathas access to public transit, schools, shops and community facilities within walkingdistance.

Startacar-sharinggroupinyourneighbourhood.

If youarepurchasingavehicle,considertheemissions.

Purchaseahybridvehicle.

Thisindicator provides insight into thelifestylechoices madeby individuals. Decisions aboutwhereonelives andworksarethemajor determinantsof thenumber of vehicles required by ahousehold. Are there opportunities for Hamiltonians to be less vehicle dependent? Manyfamilies feel that one vehicle is not enough given the location of community services andrecreation. Recentstudiesindicatethatthepercentageof theworkforcecommutingoutsidetheCityof Hamiltonis steadily increasing, doublingeveryfiveyearsfor thelasttwo decades. Themajorityof out-commuterstravel intotheGreaterTorontoArea,oftentodestinationsthatarenoteasily accessible by public transit. Do we have land use patterns and transportationinfrastructurethat makes it easier to reduce vehicle use? An automobile dependent land usepatternhaseconomicimpacts. Itfailstoprovidemobilityfor somepeopleandit isunaffordabletomanyhouseholds.InordertogetHamiltonianstochangelifestylechoices,theymustbegiven

more transportation options including transit, ridesharing, bicycling, walking, andtelecommuting. Noneof thesewill individually "solve" our mobility problems, but eachhas anicheinanefficienttransportsystem.

An incentive to improve transit infrastructure is the Ontario governments promiseto direct a portion of the revenue generated from the Federal Gas Tax tomunicipalities to upgrade transit system. For more information visit: www.cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2004/10/22/681232-cp.html

This indicator does not measuretheactual number of cars that areused in theCity. Vehiclesthat arecommuting into theCity arenot accounted for. Thereareno indicators of regionaltransportationtrends.

Data Source:Ontario Ministry of Transportation, LicensingAdministration Office.Commentary: Cityof Hamilton,Long RangePlanning, Planningand Development Department


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15101


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Actions to Improve This Theme Area cont.:

GovernmentContinue to develop an integrated network of non-vehicular transportation routesincludingbicycleroutesandmulti-usepathways.

Consideragreaterinvestmentintopublictransitsystems.

Promotethedevelopmentof retail andpersonal servicesclosetomajortransitfacilities.

Createamorecompactlandusepatternthatislessvehicleoriented.

Complete and implement the new Transportation Master Plan to create a moresustainabletransportationnetwork.

Data Source: Ontario Ministry of Transportation, Licensing Administration Office.Commentary By: City of Hamilton, Planning and Development Department.

BusinessProvidestorageandchangingfacilitiesforbicyclecommuters.

Provideincentivesforworkerstocarpool orusepublictransit.

Locatenewpremisesontransitroutesif possible.

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