Strategic Context

Planning and Strategic Issues

The ministry works to support the provincial government’s Five Great Goals for a Golden Decade and is strongly linked to the Great Goal of creating more jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada.

British Columbia’s transportation system is a catalyst for economic growth and prosperity, but the system’s future depends upon continuous improvement and careful planning. The pressures and anticipated trends, opportunities and risks facing the ministry as it helps to create jobs are outlined below.

The ministry has an effective risk management process in place, through which risks that are likely to have a significant impact on costs or the ministry’s ability to meet its goals and objectives are identified and mitigated as appropriate.

Pressures and Anticipated Trends

  • Demand for transportation will increase as a result of economic development and population growth.
  • Increased transportation will result in environmental impacts which will need to be managed.
  • Urban growth will place further pressure on transportation infrastructure leading to the need:
    • to mitigate demand through improvements to provincial and municipal road networks;
    • to protect existing networks; and
    • to manage travel demand.

Trade

  • Expansion of British Columbia gateways for growing trade between Asia and North America will require major investments in transportation infrastructure;
  • The provincial government’s Ports Strategy has set a goal of expanding British Columbia’s share of container traffic from 9 to 17 per cent by the year 2020, thereby creating 32,000 jobs in the province and increasing the provincial gross domestic product by $2.2 billion;
  • Other Pacific gateways in the United States will continue to upgrade their port and inland facilities to take advantage of the enormous trade potential with Asia; and
  • 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 and products to markets.

Access

  • Key transportation infrastructure for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games must be delivered on time to help showcase British Columbia and meet the needs of the Games;
  • Improved access to British Columbia’s heartlands and the safe transportation of goods and people through challenging topography will continue to be needed to support the province’s economy; and
  • Road transport will remain the preferred alternative for personal and work trips over short and medium distances, although expanding transit options will provide urban commuters with viable alternatives.

Investment

  • Partnerships with local governments, the federal government and the private sector 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
  • Effective transportation policy and smart regulations will become increasingly important to encourage investment.

Opportunities

Growth, Trade and Investment

  • Upgrading transportation infrastructure will position British Columbia to take advantage of the enormous trade potential with Asia and other major trading partners; and
  • Transportation projects in the Lower Mainland will play a key role in improving Greater Vancouver as a livable region, while addressing challenges arising from expanding trade and increasing population. These projects include the ministry’s Gateway Program, new rapid transit lines, and work with the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority (TransLink).

Cooperation

  • Continued cooperation with local governments, the federal government, other western provinces and territories, First Nations, and industry will provide a strategic synergy which supports industry growth, reinvestment and innovation; and
  • 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.

Risks

Costs

  • Wide variations in fuel and oil prices due to world events affect the cost of oil-based products used by the ministry such as asphalt, and are increasing costs for the delivery and maintenance of transportation infrastructure;
  • Increasing costs of construction materials such as steel and concrete will also place pressure on limited ministry resources; and
  • Increasing demand for motor fuel and limited refining capacity will continue to put upward pressure on price, shifting consumer preferences to more fuel efficient means of transportation with negative impacts on fuel tax revenue, which is dedicated for funding highway improvements and rehabilitation.

Security

  • Security concerns or trade protectionism may disrupt cross border trade in spite of infrastructure improvements; and
  • Weather and natural occurrences such as slides, floods, avalanches, earthquakes and fire are highly unpredictable and could result in major events that affect the transportation system.

Explosives Helicopter Avalanche Control Mission -- Sliding Mountain, Wells, BC.

Economy

  • Economic growth in the Asia-Pacific may cool, reducing international trade and the growth in the flow of goods moving though British Columbia;
  • 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; and
  • Potential labour shortages in key occupations may affect infrastructure improvements by raising costs or delaying completion.
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