Goals, Objectives, Strategies and Results

The provincial government has established Five Great Goals for a Golden Decade in British Columbia. The ministry’s goals support these five goals, particularly the goal of creating more jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada, as transportation is crucial to trade and growth.

This section describes the ministry’s overall goals, the supporting objectives that should be met along the way, the major strategies the ministry will use, and targets against which performance will be measured. Ministry staff and the public will be able to gauge how well these strategies are working over the next three years by comparing the performance targets below with the actual measured results that will appear in future annual service plan reports.

Overview

The Ministry’s Goals

In order to further the provincial government’s Five Great Goals, the ministry has the following goals:

1. Key transportation infrastructure is improved to drive economic growth and trade.
2. British Columbia is provided with a safe and reliable highway system.
3. British Columbia’s transportation industries become more competitive.
4. Excellent customer service is achieved.

The Province’s Five Great Goals for a Golden Decade

The ministry supports the provincial government’s Five Great Goals in the following ways.

Create more jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada.

• A $2 billion investment in transportation improvements over the next three years will capture greater opportunities in trade, tourism and resources.
• Major infrastructure projects, such as the Kicking Horse Canyon Project, the William R. Bennett Bridge and the Sea to-Sky Highway Improvement Project, will stimulate economic development and job creation by allowing more efficient movement of goods and people and increased tourism.
• Public-private partnerships provide economic benefits to British Columbia through private sector innovation and timely investment.
• Expanded Pacific Gateway infrastructure and stronger relationships with rapidly-growing economies in Asia will realize trade, tourism and cultural benefits.

Lead the world in sustainable environmental management, with the best air and water quality, and the best fisheries management, bar none.

• Ministry transportation strategies aim to encourage the use of public transit, reduce traffic congestion and find ways to move goods and people more efficiently.
• Vigorous environmental reviews are performed on all infrastructure projects.
• Annual investments of $2 million protect and enhance wildlife and fish habitats linked to highway projects.
• Ministry vehicles use environmentally friendly fuels wherever possible and practical. Currently over two thirds of the ministry’s fleet of approximately 372 light vehicles utilize alternate fuels, which are less damaging to the environment. This percentage is expected to increase as older vehicles are replaced.

Lead the way in North America in healthy living and physical fitness.

• Transportation network improvements make it easier to access health care.
• Investments in highway safety reduce the number and severity of crashes, thereby reducing demand on health care services.
• Investments in community cycling networks encourage physical fitness.
• Designers of all highway improvement projects explore opportunities for cycling and pedestrian access.

Make British Columbia the best-educated, most literate jurisdiction on the continent.

• Transportation investments and financial contributions to public transit and ferries support access to schools and other educational facilities.

Build the best system of support in Canada for persons with disabilities, those with special needs, children at risk and seniors.

• Transportation network improvements provide better access to support services for these British Columbians.
• Annual transfers to BC Transit help support transportation services for the disabled and seniors, such as HandyDART and Paratransit.
• Subsidized fares on BC Ferries for the disabled and seniors make it easier to access services in other communities.

Cross Ministry Initiatives

The provincial government has announced a number of important initiatives for which success will depend on the work of more than one ministry. Below are the Ministry of Transportation’s plans for supporting these cross ministry initiatives.

Asia-Pacific Initiative. Increase economic growth opportunities across British Columbia by maximizing British Columbia’s strategic advantage as Canada’s Asia-Pacific gateway.

• In cooperation with the federal government and industry stakeholders, develop an implementation plan for the Pacific Gateway Strategy (Infrastructure, Transportation and Border Management Action Plan), which is anticipated by spring 2006.
• Secure federal cost-sharing arrangements for key infrastructure projects to accommodate growth and improve the efficiency of British Columbia’s land-based and inter-modal links, such as Pitt River Bridge, Lower Mainland railway grade separations, and South Fraser Perimeter Road.
• Construct provincial infrastructure in support of the Pacific Gateway Strategy.
• Participate with all relevant parties in the development and implementation of public policy reforms in support of the Pacific Gateway Strategy (e.g., international air service agreements, Canada Marine Act amendments and land use reserves).
• Develop and implement measures to bring stability to the short-haul container trucking industry serving Lower Mainland ports.

2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Showcase the province on a global basis, celebrate provincial accomplishments and create lasting economic opportunities for British Columbia.

• Upgrade the Sea-to-Sky Highway from Horseshoe Bay to Whistler for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Improvements include four lanes from Horseshoe Bay to M Creek; four, three and two lanes (with a temporary third lane during the Olympics) from M Creek to Murrin Park; four lanes from Murrin Park to Depot Road north of Squamish; and three lanes from Depot Road to Function Junction, at the south end of Whistler.
• Construct a new two-lane road through the Callaghan Valley to provide access to the Nordic Centre for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
• Develop plans to facilitate transportation needs during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

First Nations. Implement the New Relationship commitment of government.

• Resolve outstanding road tenure issues through reserves.
• Identify partnership opportunities between First Nations, and support and implement consultation and accommodation agreements.
• Review policy and operational procedures to ensure First Nations’ issues are identified and addressed.

Mountain Pine Beetle. Mitigate the impacts of B.C.’s mountain pine beetle attack on the forest resource, while recovering the greatest value and maintaining and protecting public health, safety and infrastructure.

• Ensure the provincial highway infrastructure supports the increased hauling of mountain pine beetle-attacked wood by:
• developing a long-term highway rehabilitation strategy to adequately respond to the increased truck traffic;
• minimizing the loss or destructive effects to the highway infrastructure through timely rehabilitation and upgrades; and
• working with other ministries to plan and budget for the necessary upgrades.

Regulatory Reform. Ensure provincial regulations are citizen-centered, efficient and effective.

• Look for opportunities to continue streamlining. Current activities include:
• an ongoing program to find business process improvements; and
• a program to streamline the existing policies and regulations that support passenger transportation licensing (taxis and scheduled buses) or the Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement unit.

ActNow BC. Motivate British Columbians to improve their health by reducing tobacco use, eating nutritious foods, being more physically active, and making healthy choices during pregnancy.

• Develop partnerships to assist with meeting ActNow BC goals and objectives. The Cycling Infrastructure Partnerships Program (CIPP) is a 50/50 cost share program to help local government enhance the attractiveness of cycling as a commuting option through the construction of bike lane networks.
• Promote active transportation to and from the workplace with Bike to Work Week.

Performance Plan

Across the provincial government, ministry service plans now focus on the main outcomes that interest and affect the public, in order to make the plans more relevant and easier to read. Key measures of safety, effectiveness and customer service all remain and are carefully tracked.

Strategies:

• Complete projects on budget and on time;
• Develop public-private partnerships in consultation with Partnerships BC, where appropriate;
• Capture value from surplus land to fund transportation improvements; and
• Secure federal funding for transportation projects in British Columbia.

The percentage of projects completed on budget and the percentage completed on time are averaged. While most projects finish on budget and on schedule, project scope changes and other unforeseen problems could negatively impact results.

Private investment capital leveraged measures three items:

• contributions from non-provincial partners (municipalities, Crown corporations, First Nations and the private sector) at the time of infrastructure construction;
• surplus land which is sold and the proceeds used to finance improvements; and
• the financing of improvements by the private sector under design-build-finance-operate arrangements.

Federal funding investment leveraged refers to the amount of federal funding secured through British Columbia/Canada contribution agreements. The amount of funding from the federal government will assist in British Columbia’s ability to achieve longer term sustainable financing for transportation improvements. The ministry’s ability to leverage federal funding is dependent on British Columbia government decisions with respect to the availability of matching provincial funding, and federal funding allocation and prioritization practices.

Strategies:

• Improve mobility and reliability and reduce bottlenecks on major urban and rural trade corridors using partnership cost-sharing where feasible;
• Reduce congestion at weigh scales by relocating and/or redesigning them, and by using intelligent transportation systems (ITS) to process truck traffic more efficiently; and
• Reduce congestion at Canada/USA border crossings through the use of ITS initiatives.

Satellite tracking technology records the travel time of 1,500 long-haul trucks whenever they travel on one of 36 selected highway segments connected to economic gateways. This data is used to estimate the average speed of commercial trucks.

Steady targets are reasonable, because growing traffic volumes will increase trucking delays, while capital and other improvements will reduce them.

Strategy:

• Fully implement and review the Contractor Assessment Program, a new procedure for administering the road and bridge maintenance contracts and assessing how well the contractors are delivering their services.

Ratings measure whether the contractors exceed contract requirements based on the results of local and regional assessments and road user satisfaction ratings. Contractors that exceed basic requirements are entitled to a bonus. A rating between 85–90 per cent warrants a 1 per cent bonus; between 90–95 per cent warrants a 1.5 per cent bonus and above 95 per cent warrants a 2 per cent bonus.

Strategies:

• Maintain the current condition of the main highway system (roads and structures) and mitigate the onset of deterioration in ways that provide the “least cost over the life-cycle” of the infrastructure; and
• Systematically assess the condition of the main highways to determine which needs should take priority in the annual resurfacing and structure rehabilitation and replacement programs.

	The above quantities apply to works on the main highway system only (all numbered highways).

This performance measure tracks the lane kilometres of highway rehabilitated during each fiscal year. Such activities include: first time hard surface paving or sealcoating; and resurfacing of existing paved surfaces by such means as overlay, hot-in-place recycling, mill and fill; and surface sealing. The target number of kilometres is constant because it corresponds to the optimal rate of repair to maintain the overall condition of the main highway system.

The lane kilometres of roads that are rehabilitated will be measured in the field during program delivery.

Strategies:

• Strategically invest in roadway rehabilitation and improvements, on the provincial side road system as follows:
• Heartland Roads Program — $75 million per annum for 2006/07 and 2007/08; $55 million in 2008/09.
• Heartlands Oil and Gas Road Rehabilitation Strategy (HOGRRS) — $42 million per annum for 2006/07 to 2008/09.
• Support British Columbia’s Mountain Pine Beetle Action Plan, through the strategic investment of $30 million per annum for three years, commencing in 2006/07.

	The above quantities apply to the side road system only (all non-numbered highways). The Mountain Pine Beetle funding will be invested on both the main highway system (numbered routes) and on the side road system.

This performance measure tracks the cumulative lane kilometres improved during each fiscal year starting from the commencement of the program. The quantities will include various treatments such as drainage improvements, base reconstruction and strengthening, gravelling, first time hard surfacing or resurfacing.

The lane kilometres of roads that are improved will be measured in the field during program delivery.

Strategies:

• Monitor highway safety and improve high-risk locations, in consultation with Regional Transportation Advisory Committees;
• Maximize highway safety and reliability through both safety focused enhancements and low-cost improvements, such as signs, lighting and lane markings; and
• Work with safety partners such as ICBC, the RCMP and the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General to develop a safety plan to achieve the targets established in the Canada-wide Road Safety Vision 2010.

	The crash data is gathered by the RCMP as part of its on-site accident investigation.

A comparison between baseline measures prior to capital improvements and measured results after safety improvements is completed. A minimum of three years (preferably five years) of crash data are required after the completion of a project in order to determine a trend as to how well the project has improved safety. For adequacy of statistical analysis, a sampling of 21 projects across the province was used. Data on the safety performance of these projects will be aggregated and reported on an annual basis.

Strategies:

• Establish and enforce standards that govern British Columbia’s commercial transport industry;
• Improve commercial transport safety regulations;
• Work with other jurisdictions to coordinate and harmonize commercial transport and vehicle safety standards; and
• Introduce systems improvements to enhance the quality and timeliness of commercial vehicle safety data for law enforcement.

The out-of-service (OOS) rate is the percentage of commercial vehicles randomly inspected at “Roadcheck” stops that are taken out of service for having serious safety violations. The OOS criteria are interpreted consistently by all jurisdictions. The ministry monitors the variations from the national average in the OOS rate to assess the impacts of road safety programs and the industry’s level of compliance with maintenance standards. For 2005, the national average is 18.5 per cent and the British Columbia average is 18.6 per cent.

Strategies:

• Ensure British Columbia’s ports and airports are gateways for economic growth and development by providing a long-term plan; and
• Work closely with other levels of government and stakeholders where responsibilities may overlap.

The annual rate of growth is expected to increase substantially once critical new or expanded infrastructure is in place. The infrastructure will begin coming online by 2008/09. At that time, the targets for future growth will be reviewed. International air passenger/cargo traffic at Vancouver International Airport will also be tracked.

Strategies:

• Undertake annual surveys of customer satisfaction and compare survey results with baseline data to ensure customer needs are met;
• Use survey results and public feedback to improve customer service processes and procedures; and
• Conduct focus group sessions with individual stakeholder groups to identify potential gaps in service delivery, and determine how to refine ways of doing business in order to better meet customer needs.

Ministry staff conducted 2,758 surveys throughout the province in 2005. The targets reflect a weighted average of stakeholder and highway user satisfaction with several types of ministry services.

Recent survey results suggest the ministry is succeeding in its efforts to improve service quality. The ministry is targeting areas that indicate a higher need for improvement.

Performance Plan Summary

The diagram below displays the linkages between the Five Great Goals and the ministry’s mission, goals, objectives and performance measures.