A comprehensive approach was adopted to complete the Transportation and Mobility Study. Background information regarding the regional growth strategy for the region was collected, including existing background reports on transportation and transit, population and demographics, and all of the municipal and electoral area official community plans. Meetings were conducted with a sub-committee of the Intergovernmental Advisory Committee, which included representatives from the member municipalities, the Regional District and the provincial government with a role in transportation services and planning. A workshop was conducted to solicit the perspectives of transportation stakeholders, including federal, provincial, regional and municipal agencies with a role in transportation planning or transportation related service provision, emergency service providers, local air travel providers, local harbour authorities, industry representatives, and other related interest groups. Other regional district's experiences and methods of addressing regional road networks and regional transportation issues were also examined. This information, along with the consultant's experience and expertise in transportation planning, was used to develop the study's recommendations.
The Transportation and Mobility Study recommends that a regional road network system be considered for incorporation into the Growth Management Plan, and further, that roads that meet specified criteria should be considered for inclusion in the regional road network. The Study recommends that sections of road that score a minimum of 60 points according to an assessment framework, outlined below, should be considered for inclusion in a regional road network:
| Component | Element | Locations | Rate | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Regional Gateway Regional Activity Centre |
Essential | ||
| B | Highway Connection Cross-boundary Continuity |
40 points 30 points |
||
| C |
Daily Traffic Volume (vpd) Trip Length (% >10 Km) Truck Volumes (vpd) Bus Services (vpd) |
1 point / 1000 1 point/ 2% 1 point / 100 1 point / 10 |
||
| Total Score | ||||
| Required Score | 60 | |||
The Transportation and Mobility Study identifies regional transportation issues that should be addressed in order to achieve the Growth Management Plan vision and goals. Identified issues include the following: the need to develop an overall approach and commitment to regional transportation planning and system management that is comprehensive and coordinated among the various transportation stakeholders, the need to enhance opportunities for transit as an alternative transportation mode, the ability to respond to emergencies, the movement of goods, the need to enhance opportunities for cycling as an alternative transportation mode, and ferry traffic.
The Transportation and Mobility Study recommends that a framework including the following components be established to address the above-noted issues:
- As an immediate priority, establish a regional transportation database for the systematic collection, interpretation and reporting of transportation data for the region (Among other uses, the data could be used to support the identification of regional roads according to the formula identified above);
- As a longer term action, establish and develop terms of reference for a regional transportation committee (comprised of elected officials) and a transportation advisory committee (comprised of staff);
- As a longer term action, develop terms of reference for the development of a regional land use/transportation planning model (to provide data that can be used to identify regional roads pursuant to the above noted formula); and
- As a longer term action, develop terms of reference for a comprehensive land use/transportation planning study of the region, featuring application of the newly developed planning model for testing of the various policies and guidelines of the Growth Management Plan.
