NORTH FRASER PERIMETER ROAD WEST CORRIDOR DEFINITION STUDY

Transcription

1 NORTH FRASER PERIMETER ROAD WEST CORRIDOR DEFINITION STUDY MAY 2011 SW1132SWD

2 NORTH FRASER PERIMETER ROAD WEST CORRIDOR DEFINITION STUDY TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION CURRENT TRAVEL PATTERNS AND DEFICIENCIES FUTURE CONDITIONS EFFECTS OF SOUTH FRASER PERIMETER ROAD PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS & ANTICIPATED BENEFITS SW1132SWD May 2011 i

3 NORTH FRASER PERIMETER ROAD WEST CORRIDOR DEFINITION STUDY 1.0 INTRODUCTION The North Fraser Perimeter Road (NFPR) corridor is a critical element in the Greater Vancouver transportation network because it links key routes, communities and commercial/industrial activity centres across the core of the region. Recognized in the Transport 2021 and Livable Region Strategic Plans, it is a strategic regional link serving inter-municipal traffic, particularly for goods movement and in short sections it provides access to local roads and private businesses. The North Fraser Perimeter Road exists today as a collection of municipal road segments, however, the discontinuities between adjacent segments and cross-section inconsistencies create capacity and safety issues that undermine the overall corridor performance. The current configuration and associated traffic operations do not provide reliable trip making and therefore do not reflect the economic importance of this facility. Travel demand patterns along the North Fraser Perimeter Road reflect regional land use patterns, the geographical constraints imposed by the river and the local topography. Over time, the corridor has become increasingly important in serving a growing regional population with numerous new business and residential developments. In 2008, TransLink in consultation with the City of New Westminster and the City of Coquitlam studied the North Fraser Perimeter Road West section between the Queensborough Bridge and United Boulevard in order to better understand the existing conditions in the corridor and to identify future improvements needed. This document provides a summary of the rationale behind the recommended improvements to the New Westminster segment of the North Fraser Perimeter Road and, in particular, the United Boulevard Extension. SW1132SWD May

4 NORTH FRASER PERIMETER ROAD WEST CORRIDOR DEFINITION STUDY 2.0 CURRENT TRAVEL PATTERNS AND DEFICIENCIES North Fraser Perimeter Road is an established corridor serving key travel demand patterns, including dominant traffic flows oriented to and from the Pattullo Bridge, and the Queensborough Bridge/Stewardson Avenue corridors. TRAVEL PATTERNS AND DESIRE LINES Modelled travel demand patterns for traffic using the NFPR corridor are illustrated in Exhibit 1 through Exhibit 4 with additional exhibits illustrating only truck traffic provided in Appendix A. The information provided in Exhibits 1 to 4 identifies the predominant municipal origins and destinations of base year traffic on East Columbia Street south of in the AM and PM peak hours. This location provides perspective on the broad range of travel demand using the corridor, as it captures traffic that enters the corridor from multiple origins and destinations to the north and south. For the 2011 time frame, the analysis of the travel patterns was based on the existing road network and did not include the proposed United Boulevard Extension. Furthermore, improvements to the Highway 1 corridor, construction of the South Fraser Perimeter Road facility, and the Evergreen Light Rail Transit Line were also omitted from the analysis. The following key observations can be made from these exhibits: Southbound Travel Patterns: The is the predominant origin of southbound NFPR peak period travel demand, generating approximately 85% and 60% of the traffic (at the location) in the AM and PM peak hours, respectively, with or without the United Boulevard Extension. and New Westminster are the predominant destinations of southbound NFPR peak period travel demand, respectively attracting approximately 40% and 35% of traffic in the AM peak hour, and approximately 30% and 60% of traffic in the PM peak hour, again with or without the United Boulevard Extension. 1 The Gateway GSAM5 EMME model was adapted for analysis of the NFPR in SW1132SWD May

5 North Shore / Vancouver New Westminster 10 Avenue Pitt Meadows / Maple Ridge South Surrey / Langleys Braid Street 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% South Surrey / Langleys Pitt Meadows / Maple Ridge Vancouver / North Shore Highway 1 Lougheed Highway United Boulevard 50% 40% 8 Avenue Street 30% 20% 10% 0% Existing No UBE New Westminster Origins for South of (Southbound) Destinations for South of (Southbound) 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% South Surrey / Langleys Pitt Meadows / Maple Ridge Vancouver / North Shore 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Existing No UBE New Westminster Existing AM Southbound Travel Patterns Without UBE (All Vehicles) Exhibit 1

6 North Shore / Vancouver New Westminster 10 Avenue Pitt Meadows / Maple Ridge South Surrey / Langleys Braid Street 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% South Surrey / Langleys Pitt Meadows / Maple Ridge Vancouver / North Shore Highway 1 Lougheed Highway United Boulevard 50% 40% 8 Avenue Street 30% 20% 10% 0% Existing No UBE New Westminster Destinations for South of (Southbound) Origins for South of (Southbound) 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% South Surrey / Langleys Pitt Meadows / Maple Ridge Vancouver / North Shore 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Existing No UBE New Westminster Existing AM Northbound Travel Patterns Without UBE (All Vehicles) Exhibit 2

7 North Shore / Vancouver New Westminster 10 Avenue Pitt Meadows / Maple Ridge South Surrey / Langleys Braid Street 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% South Surrey / Langleys Pitt Meadows / Maple Ridge Vancouver / North Shore Highway 1 Lougheed Highway United Boulevard 50% 40% 8 Avenue Street 30% 20% 10% 0% Existing No UBE New Westminster Origins for South of (Southbound) Destinations for South of (Southbound) 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% South Surrey / Langleys Pitt Meadows / Maple Ridge Vancouver / North Shore 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Existing No UBE New Westminster Existing PM Southbound Travel Patterns Without UBE (All Vehicles) Exhibit 3

8 North Shore / Vancouver New Westminster 10 Avenue Pitt Meadows / Maple Ridge South Surrey / Langleys Braid Street 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% South Surrey / Langleys Pitt Meadows / Maple Ridge Vancouver / North Shore Highway 1 Lougheed Highway United Boulevard 50% 40% 8 Avenue Street 30% 20% 10% 0% Existing No UBE New Westminster Destinations for South of (Southbound) Origins for South of (Southbound) 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% South Surrey / Langleys Pitt Meadows / Maple Ridge Vancouver / North Shore 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Existing No UBE New Westminster Existing PM Northbound Travel Patterns Without UBE (All Vehicles) Exhibit 4

9 NORTH FRASER PERIMETER ROAD WEST CORRIDOR DEFINITION STUDY Northbound Travel Patterns: is the major origins of northbound NFPR AM peak period travel demand, generating approximately 40% of the northbound traffic (at the East Columbia Street location) in the AM peak hour, with or without the United Boulevard Extension. The remaining northbound AM peak hour travel demand originates in New Westminster, and, generating approximately 22%, 20% and 16% of traffic (at the location), respectively. In reverse of the AM peak trend, the is again the predominant destination of northbound NFPR PM peak period travel demand, attracting just under 90% of northbound traffic (at the location) in the PM peak hour, again with or without the United Boulevard Extension. Summarizing the previous exhibits based on the predominant origins and destinations, two key desire lines emerge as shown in Figure 1 below. The primary desire line passes through New Westminster and matches travel along the north side of the Fraser River between the Northeast Sector and. The other desire line passes through New Westminster accommodating travel between and the Northeast Sector via the Pattullo Bridge. Figure 1: NFPR Corridor - Primary and Secondary Desire Lines SW1132SWD May

10 NORTH FRASER PERIMETER ROAD WEST CORRIDOR DEFINITION STUDY These desire lines are primarily based on historical land use or existing development patterns found in the areas of the region identified above. As there are many origins and destinations at each end of the desire lines, the actual width of the desire line can be significant, however, critical links in the road network tend to narrow the desire lines, in most cases to just a single corridor typically consisting of one or more parallel facilities / routes. Given their basis on current development patterns, desire lines cannot be easily altered through simple changes in roadway operations as traffic will tend to follow routes which closely match the most direct path between the dominant origins and destinations. CORRIDOR TRAFFIC FLOWS While the above analysis identifies the key desire lines based on the predominant municipal origins and destinations of traffic at a representative point in the NFPR corridor, it does not identify which corridors traffic uses to access/egress the NFPR. The latter traffic flow patterns contributing to all traffic on south of are depicted in Exhibit 5 and Exhibit 6. These patterns were derived from the travel demand model, and illustrate conditions without the United Boulevard Extension in place. Key observations are noted as follows: Southbound Traffic Flows: (Exhibit 5) In the AM peak hour, the major contributor to southbound traffic is Brunette Avenue (54%), followed by / North Road (20%), Highway 1 (19%) and United Boulevard (7%). In the PM peak hour, the major contributor to southbound traffic is /North Road (36%), followed by (29%); In the AM peak hour, the majority of traffic from the selected link is destined to Stewardson Way (58%), followed by New Westminster (31%) and Pattullo Bridge (11%); In the PM peak hour, the majority of traffic from the selected link is destined to New Westminster (51%) followed by Stewardson Way (47%). Due to the closure of the loop ramp from Columbia Street to the Pattullo Bridge southbound during the PM peak period, traffic destined to the bridge does not use the selected link portion of the NFPR as evidenced by the low contribution at 2%. SW1132SWD May

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13 NORTH FRASER PERIMETER ROAD WEST CORRIDOR DEFINITION STUDY Northbound Traffic Flows: (Exhibit 6) In the AM peak hour, the major contributor to northbound traffic is the Pattullo Bridge (52%) followed by Stewardson Way (29%) and New Westminster (19%). In the PM peak hour, the major contributor to northbound traffic is Stewardson Way (44%), followed by New Westminster (32%) and the Pattullo Bridge (24%). In the AM peak hour, the majority of traffic from the selected link is destined to Highway 1 (33%) followed by (27%), and United Boulevard (20%); In the PM peak hour, the majority of traffic from the selected link is destined to (45%) followed by Highway 1 (35%). These observations emphasize the significance of the NFPR corridor for traffic travelling between the and and. Furthermore, the analysis highlights the importance of key road segments such as Stewardson Way and the Queensborough Bridge, the Pattullo Bridge, and as the key entry / exit points for traffic using the NFPR corridor. LOCATIONS WITH OPERATING DEFICIENCIES In addition to the modelled travel pattern and corridor traffic flow analyses documented above, operational analysis of existing signalized traffic operations along the corridor has been conducted, on the basis of the most recent available 2 traffic data for the study area. Capacity analyses of a total of thirteen intersections along the established NFPR corridor were conducted, incorporating traffic data from 2007 through A summary of intersection locations identified with existing peak hour operating deficiencies in provided in Table 1 overleaf. 2 At time of analysis for the North Fraser Perimeter Road West Corridor Definition Study (Delcan, Oct. 2009) SW1132SWD May

14 NORTH FRASER PERIMETER ROAD WEST CORRIDOR DEFINITION STUDY Table 1 Traffic Operations Deficiencies Intersection Location Deficient 3 Movement(s) Stewardson Way / Columbia Street & Royal Avenue EB through movement (PM peak hour) Columbia Street East / Front Street NB through movement (PM peak hour) WB right turn movement (PM peak hour) Columbia Street East / NB right turn movement (AM & PM peak hours) WB left turn movement (AM peak hour) / Braid Street WB left turn movement (AM & PM peak hours) WB through movement (AM & PM peak hours) NB through movement (AM & PM peak hours) SB left turn movement (AM & PM peak hours) EB left turn movement (PM peak hour) It should be noted that while the identified movements are operationally deficient, the overall intersection performance at these locations does not exceed critical thresholds in the time periods analyzed, with the exception of the / Braid Street intersection in the PM peak hour. Noting the magnitude of traffic using the segment of the NFPR and the deficient operational issues associated with the / Braid Street intersection, the proposed United Boulevard Extension element will provide improved continuity along the established corridor to serve that demand and reduce the congestion at the / Braid Street intersection as well as at the Brunette Interchange. TRUCK TRAFFIC As previously noted, the North Fraser Perimeter Road corridor is a key regional corridor for goods movement traffic. The corridor provides access to major goods movement activity centres located throughout the region, including commercial and industrial parks in, the Big Bend area of, Annacis Island, the South Coquitlam / Pacific Reach areas of Coquitlam, and along the Mary Hill Bypass. In addition, the NFPR corridor serves container terminals, transload facilities, and intermodal yards, such as Coast 2000 in, the Transpacific Container Terminal in Port Coquitlam, and the CP Intermodal facility in Pitt Meadows. Historic industrial developments along the riverfront and railway corridors, such as those in Brunette Creek and along Stewardson Way, are also served by the NFPR. 3 A deficient movement has been defined as having either a Volume/Capacity ratio > 0.85 or a Level of Service of D or worse. SW1132SWD May

15 NORTH FRASER PERIMETER ROAD WEST CORRIDOR DEFINITION STUDY The heavy utilization of the corridor by goods movement vehicles is demonstrated by the vehicle classification data collected along with the traffic count surveys 4 (also referenced previously) and summarized in Table 2, below. Table 2 Vehicle Classification Data % Trucks in Traffic Stream NFPR Corridor Location AM Peak Hour South North bound bound PM Peak Hour South North bound bound Stewardson Way (west of Royal Avenue) 12.4% 28.8% 9.3% 6.9% Front Street (East of Columbia Street) 46.0% 56.2% 41.5% 19.8% Columbia Street East (South of ) 14.5% 17.7% 5.4% 6.4% (west of Braid Street) 10.5% 15.0% 4.7% 6.2% It should be noted that the differences in truck proportions throughout the corridor reflects variations in auto volumes as well as truck volumes, however it is clear that the NFPR is an integral part of the regional goods movement network. In fact, region wide vehicle classification data provided in the 2008 Dangerous Goods and Truck Classification Survey 5 indicate that heavy vehicle movements along the NFPR corridor are among the highest in the Lower Mainland. In a 2008 survey conducted over a 10.5 hour period from 7:00 am to 5:30 pm on a typical weekday, south of Highway 1 was ranked as eighth among the top 20 locations for heavy vehicle volumes in Metro Vancouver, and second only to the Knight Street Bridge amongst the non-highway locations surveyed. 4 At time of analysis for the North Fraser Perimeter Road West Corridor Definition Study (Delcan, Oct. 2009) Dangerous Goods and Truck Classification Survey, BC MoT, TransLink, and Transport Canada SW1132SWD May

16 NORTH FRASER PERIMETER ROAD WEST CORRIDOR DEFINITION STUDY The analysis above clearly indicates that there currently exist strong desire lines passing through New Westminster associated with travel demand between the Northeast Sector and and. Furthermore, the existing collection of road segments forming the North Fraser Perimeter Road represent the most appropriate corridor to accommodate the traffic flows associated with these desire lines. However, intersection operation deficiencies and the lack of consistency between these existing municipal road segments strongly suggest that some improvements to the corridor are required to manage travel demand within the corridor. These improvements to the NFPR corridor are of significance economic importance, as well as in consideration of safety issues related to high volumes of goods movement vehicles. SW1132SWD May

17 NORTH FRASER PERIMETER ROAD WEST CORRIDOR DEFINITION STUDY 3.0 FUTURE CONDITIONS In order to assess the need for North Fraser Perimeter Road improvements in the context of other background network improvements, travel demand forecasts were developed for the horizon year. Selected to reflect the opening day conditions for the proposed United Boulevard Extension, the 2015 horizon year incorporates the Gateway Program improvements currently underway through the Highway 1 corridor, the Evergreen Light Rail Transit Line, the South Fraser Perimeter Road, and other committed projects throughout the region. Travel demand patterns and traffic flows for 2015 have been derived from the model, consistent with the base year (2011) analyses methodology. As part of this travel demand forecasting exercise, scenarios with and without the proposed United Boulevard Extension were tested to show the potential effects associated with this critical element of the North Fraser Perimeter Road corridor. The United Boulevard Extension was modelled as a four lane connection between and United Boulevard and with all movements permitted between the two facilities. To isolate the effects pertaining directly to the United Boulevard Extension, no improvements to the Pattullo Bridge or other elements of the NFPR were included in this set of analysis. The traffic pattern results of the 2015 analysis, with and without the United Boulevard Extension, are illustrated in Exhibits 7 to 10 where as the associated traffic flow diagrams are depicted in Exhibits 11 to 14. Key observations from these exhibits and those related to the existing conditions previously described in Section 2 are noted as follows: Traffic Patterns (Exhibits 7 to 10) The forecast origin destination patterns in the AM peak period without the United Boulevard Extension in place are very similar to existing conditions, with slightly less interaction with and slightly more interaction with New Westminster. When comparing future 2015 conditions with and without the United Boulevard Extension, no significant change in traffic patterns is noted with the exception of a very slight change in destinations in the Northeast Sector and North Fraser Valley (Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge) in the AM peak period. (See Exhibits 7 and 8) 6 A blended version of the 2011 and 2021 horizon years, adapted from the Gateway GSAM5 model. SW1132SWD May

18 North Shore / Vancouver New Westminster 10 Avenue Pitt Meadows / Maple Ridge South Surrey / Langleys Braid Street 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% Highway 1 Lougheed Highway South Surrey / Langleys Pitt Meadows / Maple Ridge Vancouver / North Shore United Boulevard 40% 8 Avenue Street 30% 20% 10% 0% Existing 2015 Existing 2015 No United Boulevard Extension With United Boulevard Extension New Westminster Origins for South of (Southbound) 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Destinations for South of (Southbound) Existing 2015 Existing 2015 No United Boulevard Extension With United Boulevard Extension South Surrey / Langleys Pitt Meadows / Maple Ridge Vancouver / North Shore New Westminster Existing and 2015 AM Southbound Travel Patterns With and Without UBE (All Vehicles) Exhibit 7

19 North Shore / Vancouver New Westminster 10 Avenue Pitt Meadows / Maple Ridge South Surrey / Langleys Braid Street 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% Highway 1 Lougheed Highway South Surrey / Langleys Pitt Meadows / Maple Ridge Vancouver / North Shore United Boulevard 40% 8 Avenue Street 30% 20% 10% 0% Existing 2015 Existing 2015 No United Boulevard Extension With United Boulevard Extension New Westminster Destinations for South of (Northbound) 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Origins for South of (Northbound) Existing 2015 Existing 2015 No United Boulevard Extension With United Boulevard Extension South Surrey / Langleys Pitt Meadows / Maple Ridge Vancouver / North Shore New Westminster Existing and 2015 AM Northbound Travel Patterns With and Without UBE (All Vehicles) Exhibit 8

20 North Shore / Vancouver New Westminster 10 Avenue Pitt Meadows / Maple Ridge South Surrey / Langleys Braid Street 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% Highway 1 Lougheed Highway South Surrey / Langleys Pitt Meadows / Maple Ridge Vancouver / North Shore United Boulevard 40% 8 Avenue Street 30% 20% 10% 0% Existing 2015 Existing 2015 No United Boulevard Extension With United Boulevard Extension New Westminster Origins for South of (Southbound) 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Destinations for South of (Southbound) Existing 2015 Existing 2015 No United Boulevard Extension With United Boulevard Extension South Surrey / Langleys Pitt Meadows / Maple Ridge Vancouver / North Shore New Westminster Existing and 2015 PM Southbound Travel Patterns With and Without UBE (All Vehicles) Exhibit 9

21 North Shore / Vancouver New Westminster 10 Avenue Pitt Meadows / Maple Ridge South Surrey / Langleys Braid Street 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% Highway 1 Lougheed Highway South Surrey / Langleys Pitt Meadows / Maple Ridge Vancouver / North Shore United Boulevard 40% 8 Avenue Street 30% 20% 10% 0% Existing 2015 Existing 2015 No United Boulevard Extension With United Boulevard Extension New Westminster Destinations for South of (Northbound) 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Origins for South of (Northbound) Existing 2015 Existing 2015 No United Boulevard Extension With United Boulevard Extension South Surrey / Langleys Pitt Meadows / Maple Ridge Vancouver / North Shore New Westminster Existing and 2015 PM Northbound Travel Patterns With and Without UBE (All Vehicles) Exhibit 10

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26 NORTH FRASER PERIMETER ROAD WEST CORRIDOR DEFINITION STUDY In the PM peak period, the forecast origin destination patterns are also very similar to the existing conditions with slightly less interaction with and slightly more interaction with New Westminster and. A comparison of the 2015 conditions with and without the United Boulevard Extension indicates that again the origin destination patterns remain constant to the existing patterns with possibly a very slight increase in traffic destined to New Westminster in the southbound direction and an equally slight decrease in traffic destined to. (see Exhibits 9 and 10) Traffic Flow Diagrams - Southbound Traffic Flows Without the United Boulevard Extension in place, traffic flow destinations remain very consistent with those of 2011 during the AM peak period, with marginally higher flows to Stewardson Way and New Westminster, and marginally lower flows across the Pattullo Bridge. In the PM peak period, slightly higher traffic flows to New Westminster are noted with a similar decrease in traffic destined to Stewardson Way. (Exhibit 5 vs Exhibit 11). Traffic origins in the AM peak period shift slightly with the Highway 1 contribution increasing from 19% to 21% while the contribution decreases from 54% to 50%, and the United Boulevard contribution decreases marginally from 7% to 6%. In the PM peak period, a similar shift in traffic origins occurs between Highway 1 and, but to a lesser extent, and the United Boulevard contribution increases marginally from 8% to 11%. (Exhibit 5 vs Exhibit 11) When including the United Boulevard Extension, the contribution of traffic originating from United Boulevard during the AM peak period is forecast to increase from 6% to 18% as compared to the situation without the United Boulevard Extension. A slight decrease in the contributions from Highway 1 and are also noted. In the PM peak period, the contribution of traffic from United Boulevard is forecast to increase from 11% to 16% with a slight decrease in the contribution from. (Exhibit 11 vs Exhibit 12) Traffic flow destinations during the AM peak period also remain very consistent between the with and without scenarios with the United Boulevard Extension causing only a marginal increase in traffic to New Westminster offset by a similar decrease in traffic to Stewardson Way. In the PM peak period, the inclusion of the United Boulevard Extension results in a slight increase in traffic destined to the Pattullo Bridge with this increase offset by a similar decrease destined to Stewardson Way. (Exhibit 11 vs Exhibit 12) SW1132SWD May

27 NORTH FRASER PERIMETER ROAD WEST CORRIDOR DEFINITION STUDY Traffic Flow Diagrams Northbound Traffic Flows Without the United Boulevard Extension, the 2015 AM peak period forecasts indicate an increase in the contribution of traffic from New Westminster and Stewardson Way as compared to the traffic flow patterns in The contribution from the Pattullo Bridge decreases from 52% to 42% during this same period. In the PM peak period, the contribution of traffic from the Pattullo Bridge decreases from 24% to 20% with slight increases in the contribution from New Westminster and Stewardson Way. (Exhibit 6 vs Exhibit 13) The destinations of traffic during the AM peak period also change with Highway 1 showing an increase from 33% to 39% while minor decreases are anticipated for traffic destined to, United Boulevard, and North Road. In the PM peak period, traffic destined to Highway 1 is forecast to increase from 35% to 38% with a no change in the traffic destined to United Boulevard. Marginal decreases in the proportion of traffic destined to and North Road are forecast. (Exhibit 6 vs Exhibit 13) When the United Boulevard Extension is included, the contribution of traffic from New Westminster, Stewardson Way, and the Pattullo Bridge remains relatively constant with the both the AM and PM traffic flow patterns associated with the condition that does not include the United Boulevard Extension. (Exhibit 13 vs Exhibit 14) In terms of destinations, including the United Boulevard Extension results in an increase in the traffic flow to United Boulevard from 18% to 36% in the AM peak period as compared to the scenario without the United Boulevard Extension. During this same period, traffic destined to Highway 1 is forecast to decrease from 39% to 31% and a similar decrease in forecast for traffic destined to. In the PM peak period, the inclusion of the United Boulevard Extension results in an increase in the proportion of traffic destined to United Boulevard from 9% to 26%.. The proportion of traffic destined to Highway 1 is forecast to decrease by 8% and the proportion of traffic destined to is forecast to increase by 1% as a result of including the United Boulevard Extension. (Exhibit 13 vs Exhibit 14) Thus, despite the large transportation projects such as the Port Mann / Highway 1 improvements, the South Fraser Perimeter Road, and the Evergreen Line coming on stream, it can be seen that the NFPR (with and without the United Boulevard Extension) will remain a key corridor serving high levels of travel demand associated with the previously identified desire lines. SW1132SWD May

28 NORTH FRASER PERIMETER ROAD WEST CORRIDOR DEFINITION STUDY 4.0 EFFECTS OF SOUTH FRASER PERIMETER ROAD Although the South Fraser Perimeter Road was included in the analysis conducted in the previous section, concerns have been raised that the North Fraser Perimeter Road is redundant in the context of South Fraser Perimeter Road. These concerns relate primarily to the indirect connectivity between the Port Mann Bridge river crossing and the SFPR and that if improved, traffic would be diverted from the NFPR and the Pattullo Bridge. The closest connection between the SFPR and the Port Mann Bridge river crossing is currently planned at Highway 15 (176 Street). An improved connection would likely involve a direct route from the SFPR to the Port Mann Bridge river crossing immediately west of the 152 Street interchange along Highway 1. This direct route, as modelled, would involve a facility with long steep gradients to overcome the significant elevation difference between the SFPR and the Port Mann Bridge. In addition, extensive property impacts would likely occur in the adjacent neighbourhoods in order to provide this additional connection to Highway 1. By providing a direct connection between the SFPR and the Port Mann Bridge river crossing, it is envisioned that the key desire lines identified in the previous sections would be deflected into north Surrey as shown in Figure 2, with actual traffic flows being accommodated along the new SFPR. Figure 2: Proposed Deflection of NFPR Corridor Desire Lines SW1132SWD May

29 NORTH FRASER PERIMETER ROAD WEST CORRIDOR DEFINITION STUDY In order to address these concerns, a diversion analysis of travel demand in the NFPR corridor has been completed to clarify whether the SFPR corridor can in fact serve the same travel demand patterns / desire lines as the NFPR. This analysis was conducted with the Gateway GSAM model noting that a six lane Pattullo Bridge (with tolls and direct connections to the SFPR) was included. The United Boulevard Extension project with four lanes and full movements was also included in this analysis. The forecast diversion on Columbia Street south of and on the Pattullo Bridge with a direct connection between the South Fraser Perimeter Road and Highway 1 at the Port Mann Bridge river crossing is summarized in Table 3, below. Table 3 Diversion Analysis (all vehicles) Link Direction 2031AM Diversion (%) 2031PM Pattullo Bridge East Columba Street South of Eastbound -3.4% -1.1% Westbound -1.7% -4.7% Northbound -0.1% -0.5% Southbound -2.4% -1.0% It can be seen from the table that a direct connection between SFPR and the Port Mann Bridge has little impact on traffic volumes on either the NFPR corridor south of or the Pattullo Bridge. The circuitous routing required for the current major NFPR traffic flows to use the Port Mann Bridge is clearly a major deterrent to diversion away from the NFPR corridor. This model analysis indicates that the NFPR remains more attractive to traffic with specific destinations on the north side of the Fraser River even with an improved connection between the SFPR and Highway 1 (at the Port Mann Bridge) and demonstrates that traffic patterns on the NFPR West Corridor are independent of the traffic patterns associated with the planned improvements on the south side of the Fraser River. SW1132SWD May

30 NORTH FRASER PERIMETER ROAD WEST CORRIDOR DEFINITION STUDY 5.0 PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS & ANTICIPATED BENEFITS Proposed improvements to the North Fraser Perimeter Road have been identified in the NFPR Corridor West Definition Report (Delcan Draft Oct. 2009). The proposed improvements have been developed to reflect the role and function definition for the corridor, and to respond to the inconsistencies between the existing road segments as well as the specific deficiencies noted in Table 1. Multiple improvement options were considered for the segment of the corridor containing the proposed United Boulevard Extension and for the Front Street segment of the corridor. For these two segments, the recommended improvements have been selected on the basis of a Multiple Accounts Evaluation. The recommended improvements for the New Westminster segment of the NFPR corridor are summarized below and graphically depicted in Exhibit 15: Route Improvements United Boulevard Extension Front Street improvements (Downtown New Westminster) Front Street widening to four lanes along Pattullo Bridge / Rail Bridge area Intersection Improvements Upgraded intersection at Royal Avenue / Stewardson Way Upgraded intersection at Front Street / Columbia Street (West) Upgraded intersection at Front Street / Columbia Street East Upgraded intersection at Columbia Street / Intersection Upgraded intersection at Spruce Street / Intersection Other Improvements Access management along the corridor Road / rail grade separation on NFPR / Front Street New 6 th Street Overpass to the waterfront new accessible Hyack Square pedestrian overpass SW1132SWD May

31 Ongoing study of Proposed United Boulevard Extension Highway 1 Lougheed Highway / E Columbia Street Intersection Improvement Connections to Pattullo Bridge to be determined McBride Boulevard East Columbia Street / Spruce Street Intersection Improvement Front Street / Columbia Street Intersection Improvement (Assuming Replacement of Pattullo Bridge) Widening of Front Street to 4-Lanes (Assuming Replacement of Pattullo Bridge) Queensborough Bridge Widening of Front Street to 4-Lanes (Assuming Replacement of Pattullo Bridge) Stewardson Way Access Management Royal Avenue Columbia Street Front Street Pattullo Bridge New 6th Street Overpass New Hyack Square Pedestrian Overpass Front Street / Columbia Street Intersection Improvement Stewardson Way / Royal Avenue Intersection Improvement North Fraser Perimeter Road West Corridor - Proposed Improvements Exhibit 15

32 NORTH FRASER PERIMETER ROAD WEST CORRIDOR DEFINITION STUDY A fundamental aspect of the proposed improvements to the North Fraser Perimeter Road corridor is that no additional lanes are being added to the corridor. It is important to note that while the recommended improvements include widening the Front Street segment of the corridor to accommodate a four lane cross section, these additional lanes replace the lanes previously removed from Columbia Street. Anticipated Benefits from proposed NFPR Improvements The combination of route improvements, intersection reconfigurations and upgrades will improve trip reliability and safety as well as reduce congestion levels and related vehicle emissions (eg. GHGs). Cross section consistency in combination with reconfigured intersections to permit the continuity of the through movements along the NFPR corridor is anticipated to improve the operational efficiency and safety of the existing facility. The improvements to the various intersections will assist in distributing traffic more evenly along the corridor as opposed to the existing situation with extensive queuing at poorly performing intersections. Traffic flow in the corridor will be moderated by these existing signalized intersections, thus minimizing the effects of increased traffic flow in any one segment of the corridor. The United Boulevard Extension will further improve the goods movement connection between the and. The United Boulevard Extension will ease the congestion at the Braid Street / intersection, and allow for more efficient traffic flow for travel across Highway 1 at the Interchange and King Edward Street overpass. In summary, the NFPR is an established and regionally significant component in the Metro Vancouver road network, serving a high volume of goods movement traffic. Improvements to this corridor are critical for economic reasons and will enhance safety for all users. SW1132SWD May