Strategic Context

Several factors have been and will be shaping the development and execution of the Ministry’s programs. Chief among these are:

1. The need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector and contribute to achievement of the government’s overall reduction goal;
2. The need to put in place policies and infrastructure to realize the economic development opportunities afforded British Columbia by the rapid growth in Asia Pacific trade;
3. The need to renew aging infrastructure;
4. The need to accommodate a growing and increasingly urbanized population; and
5. The need to put in place infrastructure to accommodate the evolving economies of many areas of the province, occurring in response to the pine beetle infestation and other factors.

Climate Change and Population Growth Transportation accounts for about 40 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions in the province. Automobiles alone account for 16 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions and therefore, the strategy for reducing these emissions must entail significant investment in transit infrastructure and services, and cycling facilities. This is required to provide alternatives to single-occupant vehicle use, and to support the development of denser communities to accommodate the growing population. The development of denser communities will, in turn, not only encourage further transit use but also walking as an alternate mode to gain access to nearby services. Volatile but generally rising prices for petroleum-based products will also change travel behaviour and shift mode preferences away from single-occupant vehicles.

Getting people out of cars cannot by itself achieve the desired result. Initiatives are also required to reduce emissions from the automobiles that will continue to be used, and from buses, trucks, trains, planes and ships. To a large extent, the focus here will need to be on reducing fuel consumption through the development and adoption of new emission standards and through incentives to encourage the deployment of new technologies.

New Relationship The Government of British Columbia is leading the nation in developing a New Relationship with First Nations and Aboriginal people. By working together, we will bring tangible social and economic benefits to Aboriginal people across the province. Ministry of Transportation is proactively seeking partnership opportunities with First Nations to stimulate First Nations’ economic development by improving commercial access from Indian reserve land to the transportation system, involving First Nations in the delivery of regional and major projects, and resolving highway tenure issues through Indian reserves. Ministry of Transportation assists Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation in developing a policy framework to support government’s strategic vision and great goal of creating more jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada, including First Nations and Aboriginal people.

Growth in Asia Pacific Trade Canada’s continued economic prosperity depends upon its success in world trade. A fundamental shift is taking place in the global economy with Asia occupying an increasingly central role. Economic growth in places like China, India, South Korea, and Japan offers businesses in British Columbia and the rest of Canada enormous opportunities to expand trade and tap into existing markets as well as establish new ones.

China is Canada’s second largest trading partner and British Columbia’s largest offshore trading partner. By 2020, China is forecast to be the world’s second largest economy and trade between China and North America is expected to increase by 300 per cent (from 2006 level).

India and other Asian nations, with their newly thriving economies, also have the potential to become far more significant trading partners for both Canada as a whole and B.C. in particular. India’s forecast annual economic growth rate of 8.2 per cent over the next 20 years is expected to place the country amongst the most powerful economies in the world.

British Columbia’s geographic location gives us a tremendous natural advantage as a gateway between Asia and North America. Canada’s west coast ports, airports and supporting road and rail networks have enormous potential to capture significant opportunities being presented by the growth in trade. The Ministry is working with all levels of government and industry to facilitate the development of Canada’s Pacific Gateway to benefit the economies of British Columbia and Canada. The government’s Ports Strategy has set a goal of expanding British Columbia’s share of west coast Asia Pacific 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.

Changing Regional Economies Additional log and forest product hauls from accelerated harvests triggered by the mountain pine beetle epidemic, projected to peak in 2013 and continue for some years after, will require additional investment in affected road networks, including more maintenance and rehabilitation due to additional wear and tear. This is required not only to facilitate the increase in industrial traffic, but also to ensure roads remain usable by other users.

Oil and gas development is continuing to expand to areas of B.C. other than the North-East Region. This requires the continued provision of side road networks for all season access by heavy vehicles, and will also require increased maintenance and rehabilitation due to additional wear and tear.

Aging Infrastructure Aging infrastructure will generate the need for continued investment to keep British Columbia competitive.

Security Concerns about the safety of the transportation network requires more enhanced security measures. Trade protectionism may disrupt cross-border trade in spite of infrastructure improvements.

Weather Natural weather occurrences such as slides, floods, avalanches, earthquakes and fires are highly unpredictable and could result in major disruptions to the transportation system.

Inflation Increasing costs of fuel, construction materials and services will also place pressure on limited Ministry resources.

The significance of the above factors is reflected in the goals, objectives and strategies the Ministry is pursuing. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector is a primary goal of the Ministry. It is being pursed through measures to increase the use of transit, cycling and other alternatives to the single-occupant vehicle; and through measures to reduce fuel consumption by cars, trucks trains, planes and ships. Transit investment is also vital to meeting the needs of an increasing and urbanizing population. In response to growing Asia Pacific trade, the Ministry is pursuing measures to improve road and rail access to the major economic gateways; and is levering provincial resources with funding from, and coordination with partners, including the federal government. Maintaining our transportation infrastructure and meeting the needs of changing regional economies will entail, among other measures significant investment in maintaining or improving interior and rural side road networks.