Strategic Context

Vision, Mission and Values

Vision

The vision of the Ministry of Transportation is a fully integrated transportation system that advances economic and social growth, and moves goods and people within British Columbia and to markets beyond.

Mission

The mission of the Ministry of Transportation is to:

• Create an integrated and safe transportation network that incorporates all modes of transport, reflects regional priorities, and provides a strong foundation for economic growth; and
• Maintain and improve the provincial highway system, ensuring the safe and efficient movement of people and goods provincially, nationally and internationally.

Values

• We respect regional and community goals and priorities;
• We are responsive to the needs of British Columbia business;
• We strive for excellence and innovation; and
• We respect the people we serve and work with.

Values at Work

The ministry's values play an important role in guiding our everyday work. To keep up-to-date on community priorities, the ministry established Regional Transportation Advisory Committees. The ministry has responded to the needs of business by cutting red tape by over one-third. Excellence and innovation are now actively rewarded under the new contracts for maintaining British Columbia's roads and bridges. To make sure that our employees and customers are treated with the respect they deserve, the ministry regularly solicits their opinions and ideas for improvement. As described in the ministry's First Nations Consultation Guidelines, the ministry builds relationships with First Nations regarding activities and decisions that might affect their interests. Whenever ministry staff develops new policies, designs new projects or reviews past accomplishments, these values are the benchmark for success.

Planning Context and Key Strategic Issues

British Columbia's transportation system is a catalyst for economic growth and prosperity, but its future depends upon continuous improvement and careful planning. The pressures and anticipated trends, opportunities and risks facing the ministry are outlined below:

Pressures and Anticipated Trends

• Demand for transportation will grow in support of economic development and population growth in the more populous areas of the province and along major trade corridors;
• Increased passenger and commercial truck volumes will necessitate creativity and innovation in the safe and efficient movement of goods and people;
• Demand for the ability to move goods to support economic growth could generate the need to look for additional heavy haul routes;
• British Columbia's transportation gateways, particularly for the Pacific, will play an increasing role in supporting the movement of external trade;
• External trade will continue to grow as a major component of the province's economy, which is dominated by high levels of trade with China and the United States;
• Other Pacific gateways in the United States will continue to upgrade their port and inland facilities to take competitive advantage of the enormous trade potential with Asia;
• Key transportation infrastructure for the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics must be delivered on time to help showcase British Columbia;
• British Columbia's resource industries will continue to rely on cost effective transportation to compete in world markets, requiring an integrated multimodal transportation system that links resources to processing facilities;
• Opening up British Columbia's hinterland and the safe transportation of goods and people through challenging topography will continue to provide the economic backbone for the province;
• Road transport will remain the preferred alternative for personal and work trips over short and medium distances, although transit options will provide urban commuters with viable alternatives;
• Public-private partnerships will play an important role in the timely provision of transportation infrastructure to relieve congestion and address safety concerns;
• Aging transportation infrastructure will generate the need for continued investment to keep British Columbia competitive and, in some cases, catch up on deferred investments; and
• Effective transportation policy and smart regulations will become increasingly important to encourage investment.

Opportunities

• Upgrading transportation infrastructure to compete effectively with other Pacific gateways in the United States will position British Columbia to take advantage of the enormous trade potential with Asia and other major trading partners;
• Continued cooperation with the federal government, other western provinces and territories and industry will provide a strategic synergy which supports industry growth, reinvestment and innovation;
• Continued pursuit of a policy framework that promotes investment from non-government partners will facilitate the province's timely delivery of a safe transportation system;
• The pressure of economic growth and development will stimulate the need for enhanced integration across all modes of transportation;
• Continued work with the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority (TransLink) combined with the ministry's Lower Mainland Gateway initiative will serve as a catalyst to address transportation challenges arising from expanding trade and increasing population along shared corridors; and
• Urban transportation projects, such as the Richmond-Airport-Vancouver (RAV) rapid transit system and the proposed SkyTrain extension to Coquitlam, will play a key role in making Greater Vancouver a livable region and the primary international gateway for Canada's Pacific trade.

Risks

• Wide variation in fuel and oil prices due to world events affect the cost of oil-based products used by the ministry such as asphalt, and may result in increased costs for the delivery and maintenance of transportation infrastructure;
• Increasing costs of construction materials such as steel and concrete will place pressure on limited ministry resources;
• Security concerns or trade protectionism may disrupt cross-border trade in spite of infrastructure improvements;
• Labour issues could impact the flow of goods and services through British Columbia gateways in the short term and have the potential to shift established trade routes through British Columbia to other jurisdictions over the longer term;
• Potential labour shortages in key occupations may affect infrastructure improvements by raising costs or delaying completion; and
• Weather and natural occurrences such as slides, floods, avalanches and fire are highly unpredictable and could result in major events that affect the transportation system.