Fraser Health Transportation Demand Management Plan

The Fraser Health Authority retained Bunt & Associates to develop a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Strategy in support of over 20,000 employees. The purpose of the project was to encourage sustainable commuting at Fraser Health sites.

The work included research of TDM best practices at large health care facilities across North America, establishment of a classification system for Fraser Health sites, identification of the most promising measures for application to Fraser Heath, facilitation of staff workshops to prioritize key measures, and preparation of a summary Draft Board Report and annual program cost estimates to 2030. The cost estimates were grounded in anticipated uptake of TDM program elements and mode shares at existing Fraser Health sites. This was informed by detailed travel surveys designed and deployed by the Bunt team. Additionally, we assisted Fraser Health in the establishment of specific TDM targets and a monitoring plan as part of its negotiated commitment to the City of New Westminster for the approved expansion of Royal Columbian Hospital.

The Fraser Health Transportation Demand Management Plan was completed in 2020. 

CN Calgary Logistics Park Transportation Impact Assessment

The 680-acre CN Calgary Logistics Park is a significant intermodal transportation and logistics hub located east of Calgary within Rocky View County. The Calgary Logistics Park serves as a key point for the efficient movement of goods and commodities by integrating rail, trucking, and distribution facilities. It is strategically positioned to play a vital role in the transportation and logistics industry in Western Canada. It provides businesses with efficient and reliable connectivity to domestic and international markets, contributing to economic growth and facilitating trade between Canada, the United States, and beyond.

Bunt & Associates was engaged by CN to provide a Transportation Impact Assessment as part of the overall Conceptual Scheme and customer warehouse development permit applications. Our study identified network improvements required to accommodate traffic to/from major highways.

The first customer warehouse facility was completed in 2018 with additional facilities opening since. Roadway upgrades include the twinning of Township Road 250 east of Stoney Trail.

Spruce Grove City Centre Parking Management Plan

The City of Spruce Grove Council passed the City Centre Area Redevelopment Plan in April 2010. As part the implementation plan, the City retained Bunt & Associates to undertake the development of a Parking Management Plan for the City Centre.

Through data collection and analyses of existing conditions and emerging issues, Bunt was able to gain a thorough insight into current conditions and limitations/opportunities related to future conditions. A series of specific improvements and supporting strategies were suggested for implementation based on short-term and long-term need. The plan will allow the City to determine appropriate responses to current and future parking considerations as they affect parking across the City Centre area. 

The City Centre Parking Management Plan was presented to Committee of the Whole and received as information on February 16, 2021.

Missing Middle Housing Right-sizing Parking Supply

Missing middle housing is a range of housing types that bridge the gap between single-family homes and large-scale apartment buildings. It refers to medium-density housing options that can accommodate more people within a neighborhood while still maintaining a sense of community and a human-scale environment. The term “missing middle” reflects the fact that these types of housing have been largely absent or underrepresented in many housing markets. Examples of missing middle housing include rowhouses, courtyard apartments, bungalow courts, and small-scale apartment buildings.

For the period between fall 2020 and spring 2022, Bunt & Associates (Bunt) supported parking reductions required to accommodate 33 missing middle housing projects in Calgary comprising a total of 445 residential units. As each parking reduction required Council direct control zoning approval, in April 2022 Council directed City staff to change the Land Use Bylaw to support missing middle housing developments.

In October 2022, Council approved the addition of a new land use district (Housing – Ground Oriented) and supporting revisions to other districts. These revisions included reductions to Citywide residential parking requirements to match the 0.50 stalls per unit ratio identified in previous Bunt studies presented to Council. Land Use Bylaw updates have resulted in a significant increase in missing middle housing projects, reduction in application timelines, and limited development appeal risks.

Bonnie Doon Transit-oriented Mixed Use Development

Bunt & Associates was engaged by Morguard to complete a Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA) for the re-imagination of Bonnie Doon Shopping Centre as a Transit-oriented urban centre, supporting a mix of high density residential, retail, office, and institutional land uses.

Bunt evaluated the active modes and transit integration opportunities provided by the rezoning application and highlighted potential network improvements that would establish strong pedestrian and bicycle links between the site and the adjacent communities. Bunt also evaluated traffic operations along adjacent roadway corridors and intersections, and outlined potential improvements to nearby roadways based on a Complete Streets methodology.

The rezoning application was approved by Edmonton City Council on April 15, 2019.

Rivers District Master Plan

Bunt & Associates was engaged by the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) to provide transportation planning input into the Rivers District Master Plan and build on our previously successful relationship in Calgary’s East Village. Envisioned as Calgary’s Culture & Entertainment District – CMLC’s 20-year vision for east Victoria Park calls for a mixed-use community that will be home to 8,000 new residents and 4 million square feet of new mixed-use development space.

The redevelopment of East Village was approached by determining how to connect East Village to the core and surrounding neighbourhoods while attracting development. In east Victoria Park, the same focus on planning and designing for connectivity was considered.  Options included the 17^th Avenue Extension and Victoria Park LRT station replacement, the new 5^th Street SE Underpass, the Stampede Trail festival street design, the 9^th Avenue Bridge replacement, and the new 4^th Street SE Cycle Tracks.

The Rivers District Master Plan and associated amendments to the Beltline Area Redevelopment Plan were approved by City Council in 2019. A total of $150 million has been committed by CMLC towards short-term infrastructure improvements such as the 17^th Avenue Extension and 5^th Street SE Underpass. 

Bunt & Associates remains involved in realizing the 20-year Rivers District Master Plan vision. Currently, we are the Transportation and Pedestrian Movement consultant for the $500 million Event Centre project in the heart of the Rivers District that will be the new home of the Calgary Flames. Bunt is providing comprehensive transportation planning and engineering services to facilitate the design, construction and opening of this 19,000 seat facility, including extensive external traffic and pedestrian simulation modelling using VISSIM and VISWALK.

District of Tofino Road Assessment

The District of Tofino (the District) commissioned Bunt & Associates to complete a Road/Sidewalk Conditions Assessment for all  roads within the District’s jurisdiction.

Bunt conducted field surveys to document existing roadway and sidewalk conditions within the District including cross-section elements, pavement type, and classification. Using the pavement condition index, which is a numerical index to indicate the general condition of pavement, Bunt developed a unique scoring system to rate the roadways and sidewalks. A GIS map was created to visually show conditions from poor to very good.

The scoring system and GIS map will enable the District to create a priority list for upgrades and future infrastructure funding. 

Stony Plain Active Transportation Strategy

Bunt & Associates was engaged by the Town of Stony Plain to develop an Active Transportation Strategy that would resonate with the community’s desire for a healthy lifestyle and a sustainable place to proudly call home.

The scope of work included evaluating the functionality of Stony Plain’s existing 43 kilometers of designated trails that connect the community as well as reviewing Canadian and international active transportation infrastructure best practices. This work resulted in an Active Transportation Strategy that identified gaps with current trail and sidewalk infrastructure and a prioritized list of 44 specific implementation strategies including Class D cost estimates with the goal of increasing efficiency of the town’s active transportation network. Bunt employed innovative public engagement techniques to assist with the development of a thorough and tailored strategy. The “Thought Exchange” platform informed residents of the Study and provided an opportunity for residents to comment on problematic areas including their suggestions for improvement. Comments were prioritized allowing both the Town and Bunt to pay special attention to areas of collective concern and ideas for improvement.

In addition to infrastructure improvements, the Strategy also included various location-specific tailored initiatives to promote and enable active transportation. These included steps towards differentiating between the town’s sidewalk and trail networks as well as a host of potential partnerships and next step actions. The Town of Stony Plain Active Transportation Strategy was presented to Council and adopted in March of 2020.

The Final Report can be found here.

Interior Health Hospitals Master Site Plans

Bunt & Associates was engaged by Interior Health as part of a multi disciplinary team to assist in the preparation of two hospital site master plans in Kamloops (Royal Inland Hospital) and Williams Lake (Cariboo Memorial Hospital). We were responsible for providing site planning input to the project team, but also for preparing stand alone Master Transportation Plans which focused on the future parking requirements for staff, patients and visitors as well as potential off-site traffic and parking impacts.

Our scope of work for both sites included an assessment of existing parking and traffic conditions at each site; detailed parking supply/demand and traffic volume data collection including a patient/visitor interview survey; development of traffic models to test operational impacts of increases in site traffic over the time horizon of site redevelopment; and, preparation of parking demand forecasts to guide master site planning.  Bunt was also responsible for site design reviews using AutoTURN and preparing supporting Master Transportation Plan documents and associated chapters in the Master Plans.

Deerfoot Trail Corridor Design and Safety Review

Deerfoot Trail is Alberta’s busiest freeway and a critical component of Calgary’s transportation network for both commuter travel and goods movement. The Deerfoot Trail Corridor Study is an Alberta Transportation initiative to develop a plan to manage traffic and improve safety on Deerfoot Trail. The Deerfoot Trail team comprised several consulting firms (Associated Engineering, Tetra Tech, Al-Terra, Bunt & Associates) and Alberta Transportation. One part of the design process was the capacity analysis of the Deerfoot Trail corridor and the associated interchanges.

Bunt worked with the prime consultant and Alberta Transportation to source traffic volumes for each link and intersection. With the different traffic volume sources, Bunt amalgamated the volume sets to create a substantive volume matrix to be used by all team members in the design process. While performing VISSIM microsimulation analysis, Bunt made lane and intersection configuration recommendations to the design team. We tested multiple different configuration options suggested by the design team and provided qualitative and quantitative feedback on the efficacy of the design options. Additionally, Bunt has provided safety reviews of the Deerfoot corridor design, and the safety review helped inform the ultimate design package.

Bunt regularly attended large-scale project meetings with the other consultants and Alberta Transportation and smaller-scale progress and discussion meetings. As part of the cooperative effort, Bunt also provided detailed technical reports to other team members. As a key cog in the design process, Bunt collaborated with the other team members to create a design package to be used by Alberta Transportation as part of the construction for Deerfoot Trail. Preliminary construction work began in 2023.

Calgary Flames Traffic Detour Impacts

Bunt & Associates (Bunt) was engaged by the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation to observe pre-event and post-event traffic flows on roadways near and in Stampede Park during a Calgary Flames game in 2023.

The purpose of the data review was to assess the impact of traffic detours associated with Green Line Beltline East utility work and other recent network changes. Data was collected and compared to 2017 Calgary Flames event data previously collected by Bunt.

The data and a summary document were submitted to CMLC. This document identified changes in traffic flows and distributions, changes in traffic capacity, the impact of detours, and pinch points on the network. The document will be used as an input into event management plans.

Premium Outlet Collection, Edmonton International Airport – Traffic and Parking Accommodation Strategy and Special Event Management Plan

Bunt & Associates was engaged by Ivanhoe Cambridge to develop and manage the Traffic & Parking Accommodation Strategy for the Grand Opening week of the Premium Outlet Collection Edmonton International Airport.

Leading up to the opening of the mall, Bunt worked with a multi-faceted group of stakeholders including Ivanhoe Cambridge, Edmonton Airports, Leduc County, Leduc County Enforcement Services, Alberta Transportation, RCMP and Alberta Traffic Supply to develop a Special Event Management Plan that proactively managed and controlled mall patron traffic while minimizing the impacts on the surrounding transportation infrastructure, developments and airport operations.

During the Grand Opening week, Bunt provided on-site traffic and parking management services overseeing the execution of the Special Event Management Plan over the course of the 5-day event. The coordinated plan included wayfinding, variable message signs, real-time tracking of parking demand and intersection operations, parking attendants, intersection traffic control staff, tow truck services, on-site medical services, shuttle service, transit service, pedestrian accommodations and real time detour strategies to address peak demands.

Bunt is proud to have been involved in this exciting and challenging project, and to have worked with our great partners in this endeavor, which saw over 118,000 patrons and 40,000 vehicles enter and exit the site without impeding operations of a major airport or impacting highway operations.

UBCO Downtown Mixed-Use Building

Bunt & Associates was retained by UBC Properties Trust to provide transportation consulting services for the development of UBC Okanagan’s mixed-use building located at 550 Doyle Avenue in downtown Kelowna. The proposed campus will be used for institutional, commercial and residential purposes. It will include a four-storey underground parkade, providing over 250 parking spots plus bicycle and electric vehicle spaces.

Bunt completed a transportation impact assessment report to analyze the development’s potential impacts on the transportation system. We also reviewed existing land use and transportation conditions, forecasted future traffic conditions, reviewed site plan design, conducted crash analysis, and presented a Transportation Demand Management and active mode strategy to support the project’s traffic and parking goals.

The project was approved by Kelowna City Council in July 2022.

East Village Pedestrian Counts

Bunt & Associates was engaged by the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) to collect 72-hour pedestrian and cycling volumes on key pathway networks and public facilities within Calgary’s Downtown East Village neighbourhood.

This volume data was used to identify variations in pathway usage by date (weekday vs. weekend), time (morning vs. afternoon), mode (pedestrian vs. cycling), and location (riverfront vs. internal neighbourhood). The data was also used to determine occupancy of key facilities such as The Bounce basketball court by time of day.

The data and a summary document were submitted to CMLC. This data confirmed high usage of public realm facilities including up to 11,000 daily users of the RiverWalk pathway system at certain locations.

Willingdon Lands Transportation Impact Assessment

Bunt & Associates was retained by Aquilini Development, in partnership with Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations, to provide transportation consulting services for the Master Plan Rezoning of the 40-acre Willingdon Lands site located at the southwest corner of the intersection of Willingdon Avenue and Canada Way in Burnaby, BC. The development will be comprised a mix of residential, retail, community, and film studio land uses.

Bunt prepared a Transportation Impact Assessment reviewing the development’s overall impact on the surrounding transportation network and identified road network mitigation measures. With the development’s proximity to Highway 1, both the City of Burnaby and BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure were involved in the project’s approval process. Bunt was heavily involved in the design development and provided recommendations for the master site plan, internal road network layout, access arrangement, and parking and loading strategy.

The Burnaby City Council approved the rezoning application for the Willingdon Lands site in May 2022. The development of a conceptual master plan and design guidelines is currently underway, with the aim of achieving adoption in 2023.

Town of Morinville Pedestrian Crossing Review

The Town of Morinville completed their Transportation Master Plan (TMP) in 2020 to guide transportation planning and growth over 5, 15 and 25-year horizons. Pedestrian safety was a common theme echoed by stakeholders, the public, and the steering committee throughout the development of the TMP.

Key to safety recommendations was our review of pedestrian crossing treatments used throughout Morinville. The application was not always consistent, which resulted in inadequate, excessive, and/or non-standard pedestrian crossing treatments. One of the key objectives identified within the TMP’s 5-year horizon (2020 – 2025) was to review all existing pedestrian crossings within the Town through the application of the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) Pedestrian Crossing Control Guide, 3rd Edition to ensure a consistent approach to implementation throughout the community.

Bunt & Associates completed a review of 47 existing pedestrian crossings. Our team identified the crossings to be retained and/or upgraded along with the crossings recommended to be removed. The process, findings, and lessons learned through the review can be applied to future pedestrian crossings considered by the Town.

Brooklyn at Bernard Block Transportation Impact Assessment

Bunt & Associates was retained by the Mission Group to prepare a Transportation Impact Assessment for a 25-storey, 178-residential unit concrete tower with approximately 2,600 sq.ft. of ground level commercial space at 1471 St. Paul Street (at Bernard Avenue) in Downtown Kelowna.

The report primarily examined impacts to adjacent roads and laneways. Supplemental analysis regarding the future half signal at the Doyle Avenue and Richter Street intersection and potential Bernard Avenue signal coordination were found to have little or no impact on existing and future operations.

The TIA recommended that a parking variance supported with TDM measures be approved and also recommended that the City consider establishing a curbside loading zone on St. Paul Street fronting the site.

CVRD Regional Active Transportation Plan

Bunt & Associates (Bunt) was engaged by the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) to prepare a Regional Active Transportation Plan (ATP). The Regional ATP integrates existing and in-progress transportation plans, policies, and initiatives while filling in gaps to create a cohesive and connected regional active transportation network.

The Regional ATP was informed by robust Stakeholder, Public, and First Nations engagement efforts planned and led by Uplift Engagement Communications Inc. We participated in the engagement activities via a regional tour with key Stakeholders, one-on-one meetings, Technical Advisory Group workshops, and online and in-person Public Open House events. Furthermore, we worked with MOTI road authority to provide implementable recommendations that fit within their existing capital work programs to inform active transportation design selection and project prioritization.

The recommended regional active transportation network was organized into three regional network components – the ‘Cowichan Valley Trail Completion and Improvements’, a proposed ‘East Route’, and ‘Regional Community Connections’. Bunt’s quantitative scoring system guided project prioritization and supported the implementation strategies and recommendations intended to result in the greatest community benefit and are considered critical first steps for the CVRD to progress toward their active transportation goals.

The Final Report can be found here.

UBC Diesel Bus Exchange Conceptual, Schematic, and Detailed Design

Bunt & Associates was commissioned by TransLink to provide initial conceptual design development and technical design review during phase one of the Diesel Bus Exchange and layover facility project located at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Pedestrian count data was collected to establish major pedestrian movement demand patterns and corridors surrounding the Bus Exchange. Based on the information, an initial exchange layout concept was established to identify the orientation of bus stops with the goal of minimizing the interaction between pedestrian and bus movements. Technical design review services were provided to investigate the feasibility of a number of refined concepts produced by UBC’s project consultant. A VISSIM micro-simulation model was developed to visually illustrate the challenges with a proposed mid-block pedestrian crossing of the exchange.

For the second phase of the project, Bunt was jointly engaged by UBC Properties Trust and Translink as part of a multi-disciplinary team led by DIALOG to develop a new schematic design for the bus exchange facility that did not rely on an expensive underground layover space. Bunt was instrumental in identifying and developing the preferred design concept which minimized pedestrian/bus interaction, ensured efficient and safe bus operations, and achieved the urban design objectives of UBC by supporting the development of student housing above the at-grade layover space. Bunt was responsible for developing design criteria, preparation of multiple layout options, testing all options for drop-off,  and layover and pick-up positions using customized AutoTURN templates and TransLink’s Transit Infrastructure Design Guidelines.

Once the schematic design was approved by both UBC and TransLink, Bunt participated in an extensive field design test with Coast Mountain Bus Operators, including on-going detailed design and traffic engineering advice related to the interim configuration of the exchange and off-site roadway and traffic control improvements on Wesbrook Mall.

Banff 2012 Transportation Master Plan Update

Bunt & Associates updated the Town of Banff’s 1999 Integrated Transportation Master Plan, with a key focus on reviewing the current and emerging issues in the existing transportation system (traffic, parking, transit, and active modes) based on appropriate data collection and analysis methods. Our team:

• developed a forecast traffic model to establish the necessary transportation infrastructure needs associated with potential growth;
• assessed current parking characteristics and undertook a parking supply-demand analysis;
• recommended appropriate parking management strategies; and
• participated in public consultation with both internal and external stakeholders.

Approximately 50 percent of all transportation trips in the town are made by walking and cycling.  Therefore, planning for cycling formed an integral part of the wider Transportation Master Plan. Bunt distilled the current cycling patterns and behaviours to establish a plan that enhanced and expanded cycling routes throughout the town, including new bridge crossings. We provided cycle-friendly street design guidance focused on shared use and expanded route options. We also recommended supporting measures such as ‘bicycles at rest’ areas, bicycle mapping, way-finding, and public bike rental programs.

City of North Vancouver Waterfront Transportation Network Study

The City of North Vancouver’s Waterfront area is an active year-round mixed-use destination for people of all kinds, offering a variety of residential, retail, and leisure spaces.  The area is dense with a total of 214 businesses and 1,048 residents and continued growth in the area is expected to increase mobility needs. These result in challenges related to safety, accessibility, and functionality. Bunt & Associates was commissioned by the City of North Vancouver to conduct a study to assess the existing and potential future functions of the transportation network for all modes that access and serve the Waterfront area.

Our work included the preparation of a comprehensive inventory of access conditions and loading needs based on stakeholder surveys, observational surveys, and vehicle volume data collection.  A best practice literature review was completed on vehicle access control technologies, curbside management, delivery optimization, and shared street design.  Multi-criteria analysis was then carried out to evaluate multiple road network options.  A set of road network intervention recommendations were developed to help facilitate active mode trips, improve safety, and enhance the pedestrian realm while balancing the needs of passenger cars and loading access as well as parking for visitors, residents, and businesses.

The study was finalized in November 2022. 

Jericho Lands Policy Statement and Comprehensive Master Plan

Bunt & Associates (Bunt) was engaged by Urban Strategies Inc. to provide transportation planning and engineering services in support of the Jericho Lands policy statement framework plan development. The Jericho Lands are located within the unceded traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. The development opportunity represents a partnership between the three nations and the Canada Lands Company to create a complete community that is cognizant of, respectful toward, and purposeful in incorporating indigenous values. The planning program aims to create a comprehensive policy statement to guide the future development of the 90-acre site.

Bunt is a core member of the design team involved with helping to plan and design a framework plan which emphasizes walking, cycling and transit in a car light community.  Bunt’s work involved evaluating the existing transportation context and providing key transportation inputs into the framework plan.  In particular, our team investigated the traffic operations of the study area, developed innovative street and multi-use pathway cross-sections, innovative strategies for residential and non-residential vehicle parking, loading and servicing strategy as well as bicycle and micro-mobility parking strategy.  Bunt is currently involved in the development of a Policy Statement Transportation Assessment and management Study and a Transit Integration Study for the site, and will help develop a high-level site-wide Transportation Demand Management plan to support a very low parking provision and encourage high active and transit mode shares.

The TAMS report was submitted to the client in August and will be submitted to City for in September. It is anticipated that the policy statement will be presented to the Council for consideration in Fall 2023.

Beacon Heights Transportation Impact Assessment and Intersection Design

The Shoppes at Beacon Heights is a narrow commercial retail sited in northwest Calgary located between two Arterial Streets (Sarcee Trail NW, 112 Avenue NW) and across from the Beacon Heights regional shopping centre (Costco, Canadian Tire, Home Depot).

Bunt & Associates was engaged by Cidex to complete a Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA) and intersection design as part of the development application process. As the site is located across from the main access into the Beacon Hills regional shopping centre, a key consideration was limiting intersection impacts. An approved design for the Sarcee Trail NW access was prepared to allow inbound all-turns movements and outbound right turn movements which maintained connectivity to/from Stoney Trail but limited impacts to shopping centre traffic movements. Additionally, the internal site roadway and secondary access was designed to accommodate fuel tanker truck movements for the Shell gas station.

The development was completed in 2021.

Bainbridge Community Plan

Bunt & Associates Engineering Ltd. (Bunt) was retained by Sperling LP to provide transportation planning input regarding future redevelopment of their lands at 6800 Lougheed Highway as well as a review of the overall Bainbridge Urban Village Community Plan area (BCP), to help inform the City of Burnaby’s planning process. 

The Bainbridge community area benefits from its proximity to the Sperling–Burnaby Lake SkyTrain Station and the Central Valley Greenway, a 24km multi-use trail that connects Metro Vancouver (Vancouver/New Westminster/Burnaby).

As part of a Community Plan process, Bunt’s involvement on a community-level transportation study helped the City of Burnaby identify future road network changes needed to support the overall land use and density changes in the BCP area. The focus of this work was to review the proposed future road network for the current Community Plan vison and working plan concept. In doing so, future traffic operations were assessed with the long-term build-out of the entire community area, along with the proposed future road network, street connections, and planned density. The study also assessed future active mode transportation networks, walking and accessibility, cycling, public transit, and goods and services movement with the full build-out of the community. 

As a result of Bunt’s study, the City was able to plan for new street and active mode connections throughout the Bainbridge Community that will support the increase in density and livability of the neighborhood.

7th Street Cycle Track In-Service Road Safety Review

The City of Calgary retained Bunt & Associates to undertake an In-Service Road Safety Review for the 7th Street SW Cycle Track. This Cycle Track network will connect the Elbow River and Bow River network system, with the 7th Street SW cycle track being completed first.

The objective of the study was twofold. First, to obtain input from key internal/external stakeholders in order to gain an understanding of experiences with the existing cycle track facility and the route along 7th Street. Second, was to focus on collecting germane information along 7th Street, assessment of the traffic/cycle conditions, collision performance, and to identify safety related issues.

Through the process, the In-Service Road Safety Review (ISRSR) Team developed possible mitigation measures for the City and design team to consider for both the existing and future cycle track facilities.

Bingham Crossing Shopping Centre Transportation Impact Assessment

Bingham Crossing is a multi-phased commercial development located in the Rocky View County community of Springbank on the Highway 1 corridor between Banff and Calgary. The first two phases include 270,000 ft² of retail commercial, a 175,000 ft² large-format retailer (Costco), and senior housing units. Future phases will include additional commercial space.

Bunt & Associates (Bunt) has been engaged by Rencor Developments since 2011 to provide transportation engineering support. As part of the development application process, Bunt has completed a Transportation Impact Assessment, which Alberta Transportation and Rocky View County approved. We identified staged interchange and roadway improvements required to support a phased build-out of the shopping centre development. Additional work completed included roundabout designs and an interchange Road Safety Audit.

A development permit was approved for phase 2 (Costco) in the spring of 2023, with construction starting soon after. Off-site improvements, including new roundabout interchange ramp intersections, are a condition of development approval.

17 Avenue SE Extension Vissim Operational Assessment

The 17 Avenue SE Extension & Victoria Park/Stampede Station rebuild was a two-part project managed and funded by the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC). The roadway component of the project introduced a new pedestrian and vehicle connection into Stampede Park along 17 Avenue SE. The LRT station rebuilt component introduced an at-grade accessible station. Both components removed accessible barriers that previously required pedestrians to use an overpass to access Stampede Park.

Bunt & Associates (Bunt) involvement in the projects began in 2007 with the preparation of a Vissim operational assessment for the Calgary Stampede in coordination with a US transportation engineering firm. Through the 2017 Rivers District Master Plan process, in coordination with Stampede Park, CMLC, and CIVITAS, the need for the extension and station rebuild was confirmed as critical to support the envisioned Culture + Entertainment District. With CMLC identifying the need for these improvements, Bunt worked with Calgary Transit and Hatch Engineering to prepare preliminary designs. Bunt supported by providing Vissim/Viswalk analysis to identify spacing requirements to accommodate pedestrians.

Construction of both the extension and station were completed in 2024 in coordination with the BMO Convention Centre expansion project.

Town of Okotoks Network Screening Program

Bunt & Associates was retained by the Town of Okotoks to develop an unbiased network screening program. The primary objective of the program was to evaluate the Town’s road network at the macro level to identify the locations most suitable for detailed analysis. Based on the available data set, a combined Risk-Index and Collision-Based methodology was developed to rank the intersection locations situated within the Town of Okotoks. The network screening program included a review of traffic volumes, traffic speeds, vulnerable road users, Town comments and collision history of more than 100 locations in Okotoks. 

The network screening program was based on the best practices outlined in the Guidelines for the Network Screening of Collision Prone Locations and the in-service road safety reviews were completed based on the procedures outlined in the TAC Canadian Guide to In-Service Road Safety Reviews. This study included the development of the network screening tool and a review of existing physical geometrics, collision history, traffic volumes, and on-site observations of the existing facilities so as to obtain site familiarity and to better understand the existing operational issues.

Based on the outcome of the network screening program, the Town of Okotoks engaged Bunt & Associates to complete detailed in-service road safety reviews for the top 2 high risk intersections.

Lochdale Community Plan

Bunt & Associates Engineering Ltd. (Bunt) was retained by Wall Financial to provide transportation planning input regarding future redevelopment of their lands as well as a review of the overall Lochdale Urban Village Community Plan area (LCP), to help inform the City of Burnaby’s planning process.  

The City had aspirations for the future Lochdale community as a mixed-use, pedestrian and transit-oriented neighbourhood with a focus around Hastings Street (and the RapidBus line), extending from Kensington Avenue to the west through to Duthie Avenue on the east with neighbourhood serving commercial uses and medium density residential homes, transitioning to single family residential along the southern edge of the area. The village ‘heart’ or centre will be concentrated on the Hastings corridor between Kensington and Ellerslie – Inlet.

The focus of Bunt’s transportation study was to review the proposed future road network. Future traffic operations were assessed with the long-term build-out of the entire community area, assuming the proposed future road network, street connections, and density concept proposed. Another key aspect of the future transportation strategy was to review Transportation Demand Management (TDM) and parking supply strategies aimed at lower private vehicle ownership. 

Fernie Active Transportation Master Plan

Bunt & Associates was engaged by the City of Fernie to prepare an Active Transportation Master Plan addressing city-wide multi-modal transportation needs for the next generation. The plan defines the role and function of the transportation system in Fernie and guides the City in implementing an improved multi-modal transportation network over the next 25 years.

Through the plan preparation process, Bunt & Associates met with a range of stakeholders (Ministry of Transportation, Fernie staff, Council, business organizations, school board, and others) and reviewed the needs of all transportation users in Fernie (pedestrians, cyclists, transit, goods movement, emergency services, passenger vehicles, and others). Through this process, a future pedestrian, rolling, and vehicle network was identified with consideration of existing and future development areas.

The resulting plan identified and ranked infrastructure mobility improvements based on need, cost estimates, and community input. The City of Fernie is in the process of implementing the plan with the first step being newly funded multi-use pathways along Highway 3.

The Final Report can be found here.

Belmont Joint Use Site Parking

Belmont is a greenfield community in southwest Calgary. The community plan includes a 34-acre joint use site. The western portion of the site is identified in plans as a location for a recreational centre, field house, library, police office, and affordable housing. The eastern portion of the site is identified as a location for a new High School.

As part of the master plan process, Bunt & Associates was engaged to determine an appropriate parking supply with the consideration of shared parking opportunities between the civic and school site. The Parking Study identified anticipated demand for individual uses, internal shared parking on the separate sites, and further shared parking opportunities through a combined parking supply.

Site plans were prepared to include the parking supplies recommended.

East Village Area Redevelopment

Located within the Rivers District, east of Calgary’s downtown city hall, East Village is a substantive urban area encompassing almost 50 hectares of land. The area includes older buildings, roadways and infrastructure, numerous recreational opportunities, and sites of historical significance. Due to the village’s proximity to the downtown core, the river, and busy sites such as Fort Calgary and the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, a comprehensive and unique plan for redevelopment was required.

To assist with this plan, Bunt & Associates performed a comprehensive transportation study for the City of Calgary between 2003 and 2005 that included the development of road networks, traffic controls, bicycle routes, and transit service plans for the new neighbourhood, including narrower, pedestrian-friendly street design standards.

The overall objective for the transportation network of East Village was to enhance pedestrian and bicycle connectivity, and to create a shortblock network of streets, lanes, and mews for accommodating vehicle traffic. Bunt later developed detour plans during the implementation phase with the aim of integrating the East Village with the surrounding urban and geographic landscape.

The redevelopment plan and associated studies were adopted by the City in 2005 and redevelopment commenced in 2007 through the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC). During construction, Bunt organized and executed annual programs to maintain efficient flow of traffic, transit, pedestrians, and bicycles through this challenging area. These programs involved comprehensive communication processes and live upgrades to numerous staging plans with the CMLC, their contractors, key City departments, and other infrastructure consultants.

Coquitlam Bicycle Parking Design Guidelines

Bunt & Associates was engaged by the City of Coquitlam in 2020 to update their existing Transportation Demand Management program to support off-street parking reduction within their Transit Oriented Development (TOD) areas.

As part of the review, Bunt conducted with staff from five (5) neighbouring municipalities within Metro Vancouver, including existing City of Coquitlam staff. These interviews provided additional insight into existing TDM programs, as well as future plans to incorporate TDM programs into Bylaw updates if not already included. Additionally, Bunt conducted research on the effects of various TDM measures on parking demand, as well as developed a toolkit of TDM measures for the City to consider as they update their TDM Policy. As an added work task to the original scope of work, the City also engaged Bunt to prepare their first Bicycle Parking Design Guidelines to provide additional guidance to designers as they incorporate bicycle parking in new buildings.

The Coquitlam Bicycle Parking Design Guidelines has been published in July 2021. 

Oakridge Centre Redevelopment Master Plan

Bunt & Associates have been involved with the transportation planning and engineering analysis for the Oakridge Redevelopment in Vancouver over the past several years through the project rezoning approval by the City of Vancouver in 2014 through to the development permit approvals and construction traffic management work today.  The Oakridge Redevelop is the one of the most high profile and ambitious mixed-use redevelopments in all of the Metro Vancouver Region and a cornerstone for the entire Municipal Town Centre redevelopment envisioned by the City of Vancouver for this area.

The Bunt team has worked with the project team to develop an access strategy for Oakridge for all modes of travel (vehicle, public transit, walking and cycling), a parking and loading supply rationale and comprehensive Transportation Demand Management (TDM) plans.  We have been involved with the design development of street cross sections to incorporate vehicle, pedestrian and cyclists, and transit passenger capacity analysis of the Oakridge Canada Line Station and bus transit service along the West 41^st Avenue and Cambie Street frontages of the project.  Bunt has also been involved with the extensive public consultation component for each development permit application in the past several years, and work with City staff on the construction management plan for each construction stages. 

Inglewood Mixed-Use Fire Hall

The Calgary Fire Department received Council funding to construct and operate a new Fire Station within Calgary’s Inglewood community. The station, in combination with a second Bridgeland location, will replace Downtown Fire Station #1. Based on Council direction, a multi-use facility was identified to maximize the utility of land near the future Green Line LRT station. The City entered into an agreement with RNDSQR to develop a mixed-use Fire Hall and 215 unit residential building.

Bunt & Associates was engaged by RNDSQR and the City of Calgary to provide a Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA). Through the TIA, traffic operational requirements were identified including those needed to support fire department response times and transit-oriented development growth. As the site was being used as an informal parking lot by adjacent brewery patrons, a public parking assessment was also completed to identify strategies to reduce parking impacts.

Council approved a land use redesignation to accommodate the proposed development. The City of Calgary will be implementing intersection and signal improvements in 2024 as part of station area streetscape improvements.

Lelem Village Master Plan

Bunt & Associates was commissioned by Musqueam Capital Corp. to undertake a Transportation Assessment to support the development of lelem, a 21.44-acre master planned community located within the University Endowment Lands (UEL) fronting University Boulevard to the northwest of the University Golf Club.

Extensive community consultation efforts have been undertaken for the master planning since 2008. Musqueam submitted a formal rezoning application to develop a mixed-use project on this parcel in December 2013, followed by a revised rezoning application in May 2015. The Transportation Assessment report provided a review of the study area’s travel characteristics, planning policy, as well as neighbouring development plans that would influence future travel characteristics in the area. The report also examined the existing transportation system, modal splits, traffic operations in the local network, and parking provisions. Bunt also established the future vehicle projections in the study street network, taking into consideration the background traffic growth in the area and the development vehicle movements.

After the completion of the Transportation Assessment report, we were engaged by Polygon Development Ltd. and Townline Group, to provide design inputs into the development of individual parcels and its commercial village centre.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) 2050 Official Campus Plan

As part of their KPU2050 Official Campus Planning process, Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) retained Bunt & Associates to support the development of a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Strategy and advise on future parking forecasts.

To guide the future development of a TDM Strategy for four campuses within the Lower Mainland, Bunt completed a comprehensive research exercise that reviewed the implementation of TDM at other higher education institutions within Metro Vancouver and further afield. In addition to providing detailed descriptions of a spectrum of potential TDM measures, the research document also included estimates for the magnitude of costs associated with each measure and their effectiveness (in percentage terms) in reducing parking demand and trips completed by auto modes.

In the interest of future-proofing the amount of vehicle parking provided as part of the KPU Master Plans, Bunt completed a review of the exiting campus parking supplies, comparisons to other university parking supply ratios, and key factors that are known to affect parking demand. Following this, Bunt provided recommendations for future parking supply rates moving forwards, keeping in mind the developing land-use trends and evolving transportation context of each campus. Another distinguishing feature of Bunt’s participation in the project included the calculation of the Scope 3 Emissions related to ‘Commuting’ (GHG Category 7) for the KPU campuses.

10th Avenue Corridor Bike Lane Design

Bunt & Associates was jointly engaged by Vancouver Coastal Health and the City of Vancouver to be part of a multi-disciplinary team supporting a collaborative design process for the 10th Avenue corridor bike lane project.  The City was planning for new separated cycle tracks on one of its oldest and most popular cycling routes – the Off Broadway bikeway route, with one section of the track passing through the VGH Health Care Precinct. Separate cycle tracks at the boulevard level as proposed by the City was of concern to VCH due to the perception of decreased safety for the vulnerable pedestrians, and also due to the loss of on-street parking, which Health Care Precinct patients and visitors rely on because of a lack of on-site parking.

Bunt provided background information related to how the corridor was currently used. This involved a comprehensive and multi-modal data collection program that included vehicle, pedestrian and cycling volume demand at every intersection and every driveway, corridor mode split estimates, loading activity by size, location and frequency, parking  occupancy and turnover surveys, driver interviews to understand ultimate destinations, pick-up/drop-off surveys, and license plate surveys to understand through versus local traffic components. Bunt was also responsible for analyzing and evaluating traffic lane closure options at the western end of the corridor including development of traffic diversion forecasts and traffic operations models. Finally, our team participated in three facilitated workshops that explored street user types, hierarchy of needs, and the development of various design options.

Bunt’s contribution to the project was instrumental in informing a balanced design solution that limited lane closures and parking loss, while meeting the City’s objectives to provide separated cycle tracks and space for landscaping. The project was approved by City Council in 2017.

The Amazing Brentwood Master Plan Transportation Assessment

Over the past decade, Bunt and Associates has been retained by Shape Properties as the lead transportation consultant to support the transportation planning work for The Amazing Brentwood master-planned community in Burnaby, BC. This new compact mixed-use urban community has a permeable network of routes for pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles. It will have a critical mass of residential and employment uses to complement the existing and future commercial uses (retail, local services, cafes / restaurants, leisure activities, etc.), while being supported by the Brentwood SkyTrain Station hub.

Bunt completed a comprehensive transportation assessment to support the overall master plan, taking into consideration proposed changes to the street network in the local area. The study area included evaluation of the performance of more than 15 intersections in the surrounding street network. Subsequent work was prepared to support the phasing strategy, recognizing the characteristics of the street system at that time. The report summarized the high-level planning principles while more detailed aspects would be articulated through other avenues as the design evolves, including for bus transit design. The study primarily focused on the master plan’s interface with the local street system and how access and circulation system can be developed to accommodate future demands. It took into consideration planning policy, changing travel dynamics of the local area, pedestrian and bicycle integration, transit planning, street and intersection changes, and Transportation Demand Management measures.

The overall Master Plan was approved by the Burnaby City Council in 2014 and Phase One of The Amazing Brentwood was opened in 2019. The planning work for Phase Two of the project is currently underway.

Downtown Vancouver Hudson’s Bay Development

Streetworks Development, the real estate development arm of Hudson’s Bay Company Properties and Investments, is leading the transformation of the iconic Hudson’s Bay building in the centre of downtown Vancouver into a mixed-use development. The ongoing redevelopment is proposed to include 1 million square feet of new office space on top of the heritage building, new public connections through the block to connect to Pacific Centre, Vancouver Centre, Granville SkyTrain Station, and a flagship cycling hub with 500 public bicycle parking spaces. To retain the heritage building, no on-site parking will be provided. To support the zero-parking approach, Bunt & Associates was engaged to prepare a Transportation Assessment & Management Study and Transportation Demand Management Plan.

As the project also proposed to reimagine public access through the block to Granville SkyTrain Station, Streetworks retained Bunt to prepare a pedestrian model using PTV Viswalk to ensure the feasibility of the proposed accesses. This involved forecasting current and future pedestrian volumes, transit ridership, and usage by all users of the building, as well as modelling of desire paths, vertical circulation, and dynamic routing between the buildings many entrances.

The project is currently in the planning stages, and a Letter of Enquiry has been submitted to the City of Vancouver for rezoning. Once rezoning is approved, an application will be submitted for a development permit and subsequent building permit, with construction potentially starting as early as 2024.

Brewery-Rail District Transportation Impact Assessment and Roadway Design

Matco Development engaged Bunt & Associates (Bunt) to provide a Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA) for the Brewery Rail lands located adjacent to the inner-city community of Inglewood, near the future Ramsay/Inglewood LRT Station, and next to the CPKC Railway. The site has been occupied since 1893 and has hosted various industrial uses, including the Calgary Brewing and Malting Company. The planned compact mixed-use site redevelopment will include 1,750 residential units and 600,000 ft² of commercial.

The proximity of the CP Rail tracks and site location near an existing historical Main Street represented both transportation barriers and benefits. As part of the land use redesignation application, custom public roadway cross-sections were prepared to support an enhanced public realm road network, a new intersection was planned adjacent to an at-grade rail crossing, a non-standard public roadway geometry was designed by Bunt to avoid demolishing historical buildings, and a new ‘Rail Trail’ was proposed adjacent to the CPKC Railway to provide an enhanced cycling/pedestrian connectivity to the future LRT station.

A comprehensive land use redesignation application was submitted to the City of Calgary in February 2022.

Edmonton Federal Building

The restoration and expansion of the historic Edmonton Federal Building (335,000 ft2) within the Alberta Legislature Grounds represented an important link between the city’s past, present and future.The retrofit of the existing Edmonton Federal Building includes the Centennial Plaza constructed over a 650 stall underground parking garage, outdoor and indoor fountains, a skating rink, visitor center, café, restaurant and gift shop.

Bunt & Associates was commissioned by Alberta Infrastructure through Kasian Architects to assess the demand for employee and visitor parking demands, and to develop a corresponding parking accommodation and traffic management plan including the number, location and configuration of parkade access portals and lane arrangements. Working closely with the project architects, Alberta Infrastructure, and the City of Edmonton, we developed an approved traffic accommodation and parking management program. A key element of the parking management plan was to develop a flexible system which responded to employee parking demands during typical weekday operations, and to visitors on weekday evenings and on weekends.

Bunt & Associates was also responsible for the review of below grade truck loading and unloading facilities as part of the overall traffic plan.

Edmonton Exhibition Lands Planning Framework

The City of Edmonton initiated the Exhibition Lands Planning Framework to provide a vision and principles for the future development of lands around the closed Coliseum and Racetrack.  In addition to providing a framework for future development, the study identified opportunities to improve active modes and transit connectivity to and through the study area.

Bunt & Associates prepared an Existing Mobility Conditions Summary memo at the outset of the project to provide the project team (O2 Planning & Design) with an overview of the existing transportation networks, opportunities, and constraints in the study area.  The memo outlined existing conditions for pedestrians, cyclists, transit users, and drivers.  The summary also outlined the existing parking conditions in the study area and provided an overview of network connectivity and user experience under existing conditions.

The resulting planning framework included the identification of a transportation network for all modes to support future development in the study area. As part of the planning process, a transportation review was completed to outline the future opportunities and constraints associated with the revised transportation network, and to help guide transportation submission requirements at the next stage of planning.  In addition to evaluating new network elements, the review also examined future traffic volumes from the City’s 2050 Regional Travel Model to identify future vehicle congestion points on the network.

University of Alberta Greenhouse Gas and Commuting Survey

Bunt & Associates was retained in 2017, 2019, and 2021 by the University of Alberta Energy Management and Sustainable Operations (EMSO) group to collect the necessary data to calculate greenhouse gas emissions generated by student and staff commuter travel. 

Bunt’s role included the preparation of a survey instrument to be used to collect modal split, travel distance, and frequency information, in addition to information related to travel behaviour, mode choice, and levels of satisfaction. Bunt worked with the University’s Test Scoring & Questionnaire Services (TSQS) – Information Services & Technology (IST) who prepared the formal electronic survey for implementation, deployed the survey to staff, faculty, and students at the University of Alberta Edmonton and Augustana campuses, and provided the raw data. Our scope included survey data reduction, analysis, a comparative review, and study documentation.    

The study results allow the University of Alberta EMSO to continue tracking greenhouse gas inventory data as it relates to travel behaviour over time. 

Stampede Park Mobility Study

The $500 million BMO Centre Expansion within Stampede Park will enhance Calgary’s capacity to host larger events, exhibitions, conventions, and trade shows, thus boosting the city’s economic and tourism sectors. To address associated increases in year-round transportation demand, the City of Calgary requested a Mobility Study to assess the adequacy of Stampede Park active transportation connectivity with consideration of the need to maintain a flexible outdoor event hosting space. Bunt & Associates was engaged by the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) to complete this study.

The Mobility Study identified existing and future event frequency, reviewed active transportation (walking, cycling, wheeling) links, assessed transit route options through Stampede Park, and identified temporary event management plans during the 10-day Stampede.

The mobility study identified gaps in the network, particularly for cyclists. CMLC and the City of Calgary are implementing new facilities to address identified gaps. The mobility study also confirmed that an internal transit route is not viable due to congestion/event roadway closures.

Esquimalt Road Diet & Traffic Calming Feasibility Study

Bunt & Associates was engaged by the Township of Esquimalt to conduct a feasibility study and prepare a conceptual design for a Road Diet/Traffic Calming initiative for the 800 Block of Esquimalt Road. The primary intent of the project was to determine whether reducing the roadway to two lanes with traffic calming features would be feasible for the section of Esquimalt Road between Dominion Road and Head Street and if so, to prepare a conceptual design that would address the capacity, safety and access issues for all modes of transportation along this corridor.

Bunt’s services included:

Reviewing existing traffic data, accident history, existing geometrics, signal phasing, drawings, reports, design standards and concepts to confirm feasibility; Developing draft conceptual design options; Arranging and hosting a series of open house with stakeholders, including transportation agencies, BC Transit, local businesses & residents and First Nations; Incorporating stakeholder feedback and comments into the final conceptual drawings.

The project was approved by the Township and Bunt’s proposed corridor improvements were constructed in 2009. The revised street configuration is now pedestrian and cyclist friendly, with medians providing opportunities for mid-block crossings and attractive landscaping.

UBC Transit Exchange Conceptual Design & Gage South Master Plan

Bunt & Associates was commissioned by TransLink to provide and test initial conceptual design development and technical design review for the proposed Diesel Bus Exchange and layover facility at the University of British Columbia. Pedestrian count data was collected to establish major pedestrian movement demand patterns and corridors surrounding the Bus Exchange.

Based on the information, an initial exchange layout concept was established to identity bus stops orientation with the goal of minimizing the interaction between pedestrian and bus vehicle movements. A VISSIM micro-simulation model was then developed to simulate forecast operating conditions and visually illustrate the challenges with a proposed mid-block pedestrian crossing of the exchange. Technical design review services were provided to investigate the feasibility of a number of refined concepts produced by UBC’s project consultant.

Subsequent to providing design input to TransLink, Bunt was later retained by UBC Properties Trust to provide design support to the Project Team on the planning for the Gage South Neighbourhood, located between Student Union Boulevard and the General Services and Administration Building west of Wesbrook Mall. A key component of the Master Plan was to confirm the location of the new Aquatic Centre, along with the footprint and location of the new Diesel Bus Exchange. Bunt was involved in providing design support to the project Architect to advance the conceptual design of the new Bus Exchange.

2050 Pier Mac Way Transportation Review & Secondary Access Review

Bunt & Associates was retained by Beedie to conduct a Transportation Review and a Secondary Access Review for their proposed industrial development at 2050 Pier Mac Way in Kelowna, BC. The planned development, Stratosphere, will consist of two buildings with 13 strata units totalling more than 144,000 ft² of space.

The Transportation Review assessed the net change in future site trips compared to what was projected in a previous 2013 Transportation Study, and determined whether the current road infrastructure could accommodate the site trips generated by the proposed development from a traffic operations perspective. Bunt also completed an Access Review to assess the feasibility of a proposed inbound only access for the development located on Quail Ridge Boulevard at the west side (rear) of the site.  The findings of these reviews will be used to help inform future discussions between Beedie, the future Build-to-Suit user (occupying the northern portion of the site), the City of Kelowna, and BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.

The project was approved by the Kelowna City Council in 2022.  

Barron Building Conversion Parking Study

The Barron Building, an eleven-story historic office tower in Downtown Calgary, is being converted into a mixed-use residential development. The converted building will include 118 residential rental units and street-level retail. Constructed in 1949, the office building had zero on-site parking. While new parking was proposed from the Lane, a significant bylaw parking variance would occur with the conversion.

Strategic Group engaged Bunt & Associates (Bunt) to conduct a Parking Study in support of the redevelopment. Bunt completed a bylaw parking review for proposed site uses, reviewed relevant relaxation rules, assessed nearby active transportation facilities, and identified parking needs. The study supported the proposed limited parking supply due to policy intentions being met, significant active transportation opportunities, and off-site parking opportunities.

City Council approved in 2021 the rezoning required to allow for the building conversion.

Riley Park Village Transportation Impact Assessment

Riley Park Health Centre is located on a 5.2-acre site within Calgary’s inner city community of Hillhurst. The site includes the Grace Hospital which closed in 1996. To take advantage of the proximity of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), an LRT station, and area amenities, a land use redesignation was proposed to accommodate an additional 50,000 ft² of medical area and 800 new residential units.

Bunt & Associates was engaged by Northwest Healthcare Properties to complete a Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA) as part of the rezoning application. With an elementary school and public park located near the site, pedestrian safety was paramount. Through the TIA process, several roadway connection scenarios were assessed with consideration to the significant grades that occur on the adjacent 14 Street SW. Active transportation options were assessed to identify recommended upgrades which included a new signalized crosswalk, complete street upgrades, and a stairway connection up the escarpment to SAIT.

Council approved the land use rezoning application in 2021. The recommended pedestrian traffic signal at 14 Street & 7 Avenue NW was implemented by the City to replace an aging non-accessible overpass.

Metrotown Existing Bus Exchange Design Study

Bunt & Associates was engaged by TransLink to undertake a conceptual and functional design study for the reconfiguration of the existing Metrotown Bus Exchange. The exchange was intended to be converted to a layover facility once a new on-street exchange is constructed as part of the overall Metrotown SkyTrain Station improvement project.

Design requirements and objectives for the layover facility were developed in collaboration with TransLink staff and included the provision of at least eleven layover spaces and two trolley bus route spaces. These requirements guided the preparation of four conceptual design options which were then evaluated according to a set of criteria approved by TransLink and Coast Mountain Bus staff.

When a preferred design concept was established, Bunt prepared a more detailed Functional Design layout and a supporting technical report. At all stages, the designs were carefully checked for adherence to TransLink’s Infrastructure Design Guidelines, and AutoTURN assessments were undertaken to confirm the physical feasibility of proposed improvements for standard, articulated and trolley bus movements.

Decoteau North Area Structure Plan Transportation Impact Assessment

Bunt & Associates prepared a Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA) for the first neighbourhood in the Decoteau Area Structure Plan (ASP) area.  The Neighbourhood Structure Plan (NSP) provides more detailed direction for development of Decoteau North. Located in southeast Edmonton, Decoteau North is one of five neighbourhoods described in the Decoteau ASP and encompasses approximately 385 hectares (ha) of land. The neighbourhood is defined by area boundaries North – Anthony Henday Drive; East – City of Edmonton/Strathcona County Boundary (Meridian Street); South – Ellerslie Road; and West – 34th Street.

Bunt provided input on the proposed roadway network during the development of the land use concept, evaluated the transportation network requirements upon full build out of the neighbourhood, and prepared a short term staging assessment to identify roadway upgrades required to support initial development of the neighbourhood. In addition to identifying the internal vehicle based and active modes network for the neighbourhood, the project included updating the Decoteau ASP TIA to explore the potential reduction in vehicle traffic that may be realized through increased transit service.

Upon completion, the neighbourhood will include a range of housing options to accommodate a population of approximately 9,900, an interconnected network of wetlands and parks, which will be valuable to the north neighbourhood and the broader region; and areas for commercial and business employment development.

University of Alberta Travel Demand Management Study

For many cities and their major institutions, increased traffic activity has intensified roadway congestion and strained parking capacities. Universities and colleges, such as the University of Alberta, recognize the need to evaluate the best use of remaining land for parking expansions in addition to demands for more research space, classroom facilities, and campus green space. Bunt & Associates was retained by the University of Alberta to perform this evaluation.

The main objective of the study was to establish a Travel Demand Management (TDM) implementation strategy and framework for the university. The study, which supports the City of Edmonton’s ongoing TDM efforts, considered activities in the adjacent neighbourhoods of Garneau, Windsor Park, Belgravia, Mckernan, and Parkallen, and nearby land uses, including the University of Alberta Hospital, the Cross Cancer Institute, Canadian Blood Services, and the Jubilee Auditorium.

Bunt reviewed current TDM practices and evaluated practices and strategies as they might apply to the University of Alberta and its surrounding area. Bunt then developed a Transportation Demand Framework for the university which included: objectives, evaluation criteria, opportunities for implementation, barriers for implementation, anticipated impacts of strategies, and recommendations for TDM strategies to be pursued on the basis of a technical review.

City of Vancouver Parking Bylaw Update

The Vancouver Parking Bylaw is one of the most frequently referenced resources used to guide transportation assessments of infrastructure projects. Bunt & Associates (Bunt) was retained by the City of Vancouver to collect data and research services to support updates.

Bunt’s services included conducting travel and parking behavior surveys at social and supportive housing sites along with non-residential sites. We analyzed the data and developed recommended parking supply rates as part of the proposed changes. Furthermore, we researched existing and proposed developments throughout Canada that have zero on-site residential parking requirements. This work informed the parking and loading management of zero-parking buildings in Vancouver. We also investigated the required supply rates and dimensions for accessible parking to support updated regulations.

Our work was completed in 2018 and led to substantial updates to the Parking Bylaw, including a Transportation Demand Management policy and removal of minimum parking requirements for developments in Downtown Vancouver. Subsequently, the City also introduced accessible parking standards for accessible vans.

Riverview Neighbourhoods 1-3 NSPs Transportation Impact Assessment

Bunt & Associates was engaged by the Riverview Owners Group, which included Qualico Communities, Walton Development and Management, Melcor Developments Ltd., and other private participating owners, to prepare a comprehensive Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA) as part of the Neighbourhood Structure Plan process for Riverview’s first three neighbourhoods.  These three neighbourhoods, subsequently named River’s Edge, The Uplands, and Stillwater, encompass approximately 900 ha of land in West Edmonton and are expected to accommodate over 33,000 people in at least 13,000 homes.

The completed TIA identifies the transportation network elements required to support the proposed neighbourhoods.  This included using a Complete Streets approach to develop the network of roads and active modes connections that support pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and vehicle traffic.  The study also assessed the near term conditions to assist in identifying the initial roadway requirements to support the first stages of development.

Beaumont Intersection Management Guidelines

The City of Beaumont with a population of over 18,000 residents is located south of Edmonton and is one of thirteen community members of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board. Bunt & Associates was engaged in 2020 to produce the City’s Intersection Management Guidelines. The Guidelines considered previous studies completed by our team in 2017/2018 that addressed traffic signals at eight intersections along 50th Street. The morning and afternoon operations at these signalized intersections were reviewed with minor signal timing updates implemented in 2019. These studies along with changes to the Beaumont’s road network with the addition of arterial and collector roadways, changing traffic volumes, and changing traffic patterns were the catalysts to the City initiating the project.

Bunt developed a framework to identify candidate intersections for signalization. Guidelines were then established for the implementation of signal phasing, the development of a traffic monitoring program, and the implementation of different signal timing plans. A report on Beaumont’s traffic conditions were also developed as a reference document for City staff, consultants, and external stakeholders.

The Intersection Management Guidelines provide a foundation for ongoing work related to the management of transportation infrastructure in Beaumont. The document may be updated in the future as procedures are refined.

Mill Woods Library & Seniors Centre

Bunt & Associates was engaged by the City’s Asset Management and Public Works Department to complete a transportation plan for the new Mill Woods Library & Seniors Centre. The new Mill Woods Library, Seniors and Multicultural Centre will be situated in the immediate vicinity of the Mill Woods Town Centre and Mill Woods Transit Centre. The new library was planned to be in the order of 2,300 square meters.

Bunt & Associates developed a comprehensive transportation plan to facilitate passenger vehicle and bus movements into the site. This assisted in the planning and location of an appropriate on-site parking supply and ensured appropriate pedestrian linkages to a major transit terminal hub and Mill Woods Town Centre.

3 Avenue Corridor Cycle Track Operational Review

To maintain cycling connectivity within the Downtown core during Bow River flood barrier construction, the City of Calgary implemented a Cycle Track detour on 3 Avenue (8 Street SW to 1 Street SE) in 2021. The roadway is a key active transportation corridor and was previously a shared on-street bikeway. Implementing a temporary Cycle Track reduced vehicle travel lane widths, particularly at intersections. Concerns were raised by adjacent office building owners regarding impacts to parkade operations and increased vehicle delays.

Bunt & Associates (Bunt) was engaged by O2 Planning + Design and the City of Calgary to assess the traffic impact of the Cycle Track on the corridor and within large office parkades. A before/after analysis was completed using historical and new data collected by Bunt within four Calgary office parkades. Bunt observed vehicle delays and queues within parkades as part of the review.

Through our study, operational impacts were identified, including increased vehicle queuing resulting from intersection changes. Recommendations were provided to improve operations through peak-hour parking restrictions and adjustments to intersection designs. The City of Calgary will use the study as part of planned future permanent corridor improvements.

Sapperton Neighbourhood Parking Study

For many years, the Sapperton neighbourhood was impacted by parking overflow from the Royal Columbian Hospital as well as commercial and office developments in the nearby Brewery District. Bunt & Associates was retained by the City of New Westminster to prepare a parking study that included a review of the parking management plan and policies for the  neighbourhood.

Bunt’s work on the project entailed helping to set the community vision and objectives, collecting and analyzing data, undertaking a policy and strategy review, and leading the public consultation. Our team established an accurate baseline of current conditions that included on-street parking supply of approximately 3600 stalls. A review of resident on-street parking management was carried out and recommendations for adjustments to the parking management practices within the area was established.

The views of residents and workers within the Sapperton neighbourhood were recorded through an online questionnaire. In addition, Bunt led two public open houses and two stakeholder workshops to further gain residents and other stakeholder’s opinions, and to inform people of the proposals emerging from the study. The findings of our analysis and input from the community resulted in a plan that allowed for some quick-win changes to parking management while setting the stage for deeper discussion.

Kicking Horse Canyon Phase 4 Road Safety Audits

G. Ho Engineering Consultants Inc. and Bunt & Associates Engineering Ltd. (Bunt) were engaged by Kicking Horse Canyon Contractors to undertake Road Safety Audits (RSAs) for the fourth phase of the $600 million Kicking Horse Canyon Project. As part of the comprehensive Highway 1 – Kamloops to Alberta – Four Laning Program, the project upgraded approximately 4.8 kilometres of highway through the most challenging section of the canyon to improve safety, realigned 13 curves, and widened the highway to four lanes with median barrier and wider shoulders to accommodate cyclists.

The Phase 4 “Canyon” section is the last and most difficult part of the entire Kicking Horse Canyon Project. The improvements were built with a view to safety, cost-effectiveness and as little disruption as possible to highway users and the community. The RSA Team prepared detailed road safety audit documents for each project stage, from interim design to detailed design, construction detours/temporary traffic control, and pre-opening/post-construction stages. Critical components of this assignment included site visits, a review of the documentation provided by the Designer, the identification of potential safety issues and possible mitigation measures.

The post-construction RSA report was submitted in November 2023. The Trans-Canada Highway through the Kicking Horse Canyon opened to full four-lane operation on November 30, 2023, marking substantial completion of Phase 4 of the Kicking Horse Canyon project.

Telus Sky Transportation and Parking Study

Bunt & Associates was retained by Westbank Projects Corporation to prepare a Transportation and Parking Study for the development of the Telus Sky building in downtown Calgary, Alberta. Located at 685 Centre Street South, the 60-storey development incorporates a blend of office, retail and residential uses.

Being located adjacent to an existing LRT station provided an opportunity for significant reductions in parking supply ratios, which in turn resulted in reduced traffic volumes when compared with what would otherwise have been expected at such a site. Bunt worked with the City of Calgary to determine appropriate trip generation and parking supply rates for the development with due consideration of the impacts of the LRT station, reviewed access and traffic flows, and participated in site planning and loading programming. The exercise involved working with the City to achieve a balanced parking allocation amongst residents, office and retail users to ensure appropriate supplies are available for each group during critical peak demand periods.

One significant outcome of the project was the successful application of a 30% reduction in residential parking supply at a time when such parking reductions were in their infancy. This success set the stage for other developments in the downtown core to pursue similar outcomes in the years that followed. Construction of the Telus Sky development was completed in 2019.

Newton-King George Boulevard Transportation Modelling for Stage 2 Land Use Plan

Bunt & Associates was engaged by the City of Surrey to conduct transportation modelling work in support of the preparation of a Stage 2 Neighbourhood Community Plan for this area located in the southern portion of Newton, BC along the King George Boulevard corridor. 

The scope of work included preparation of a set of base year PM Peak Hour volumes, trip generation using modified ITE rates, development of a well-calibrated traffic forecasting model for 2050 using VISUM informed by EMME traversal matrices, and traffic impact assessment using VISTRO.  Mode share estimates and non-auto mode demand forecasts were also prepared for the 2050 horizon year so pedestrian and cycling growth could be accounted for in the traffic operations analysis.  Bunt applied the forecasts and models to the evaluation of an initial road & traffic control plan, resulting in recommended refinements to roadway laning and traffic control elements. 

Bunt’s recommendations were employed by City staff to develop capital program plans and cost estimates for the Stage 2 NCP.  Bunt completed this project on budget within the agreed timeframe to suit the City’s schedule requirements.

38 Avenue & Sifton Boulevard Road Safety Audit

The City of Calgary retained Bunt & Associates to undertake a Road Safety Audit (RSA) of the ultimate design for the 38 Avenue/Sifton Boulevard corridor, which was identified in the Inner City Transportation Study reports as one of the City’s key problematic short cutting routes through the inner city. In that study, a number of traffic mitigation measures and traffic calming features were recommended for implementation to reduce the current/future traffic volumes and speeds through the residential communities.

The project was approximately one kilometre in length and extended from 14th Street to Elbow Drive. The primary purpose of the RSA was to ensure that the proposed traffic calming features considered all safety implications. As part of this RSA, Bunt & Associates identified a number of safety concerns and developed a number of mitigation measures to reduce the overall crash potential.

350 Doyle Avenue Transportation Impact Assessment

Bunt & Associates was engaged by Appelt Properties to prepare a Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA) for a 25-storey, 259-rental residential unit mixed-use project with approximately 25,000 ft² of commercial space in downtown Kelowna at 350 Doyle Avenue. 

Bunt’s services included evaluating the transportation impacts of the proposed development, reviewing existing land use and transportation conditions, forecasting future traffic conditions, reviewing zoning bylaw and site design, and presenting a Transportation Demand Management strategy to support the project’s traffic and parking goals.

The study was accepted by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and the City of Kelowna. The project was approved by Kelowna City Council in July 2022.

Rocky Ridge Athletic Complex Transportation Impact Assessment

Rocky Ridge Athletic Complex is an athletic park site located adjacent to the Rocky Ridge YMCA recreational centre. The complex will include two outdoor multi-use sports fields and an indoor fieldhouse to meet growing year-round demand for recreational facilities in northwest Calgary.

Bunt & Associates was engaged to complete a Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA) as part of the design process. The TIA assessed transportation network operations, reviewed vehicle access locations, and identified missing pedestrian/cycling connections. The study also identified expected peak parking demand.

Construction began in 2024 with Bunt access, sidewalk, and parking recommendations accounted for in the design.

1310 Monashee Drive Rezoning TIA and TDM

Bunt & Associates was engaged by Darwin Properties to complete a Transportation Impact Assessment to support a rezoning application for lands located on Monashee Drive in the District of North Vancouver. The rezoning will allow for the development of a mixed-use project including student and employee rental housing supported by resident amenities and commercial/retail uses.

Bunt’s services included a review of existing and future traffic operations, site access location and design, surface level loading and emergency vehicle operations, underground loading and circulation, parking review, and development of a Transportation Demand Management Plan.

Council gave it first reading in December of 2022 and referred the application to a public hearing. If approved, the development will provide 8,570 SF of commercial space and 315 residential rental units in two 6-storey buildings immediately adjacent to Capilano University.

East Village Condominium Zero Parking Study

Knightsbridge Homes proposed a unique development in the East Village community of Calgary. The N3 project (New Attitude, New Living, New Vision) is the first of its kind in Calgary and was marketed as a ‘car-less condo’ for a new generation of young urbanites.

Bunt & Associates was retained by Knightsbridge to undertake a research/literature review and parking analysis to determine the feasibility and impact of not supplying any parking stalls on-site for both residents and visitors of the proposed N3 Condominium Project.

The study was used by the City of Calgary Transportation Development Services and City Council to render decision on bylaw parking relaxation for the development.

UniverCity Master Plan at Simon Fraser University

The UniverCity Community has been developed as a sustainable residential-based community located on Burnaby Mountain in the City of Burnaby, BC. It is within walking distance of the Simon Fraser University campus and transit exchange, as well as retail shops, restaurants, services and community facilities in and around the Town Centre. Bunt was retained to provide transportation planning advice for the community plan. Our involvement included preparation of a transportation impact assessment and development of parking and car-sharing strategies consistent with the sustainable nature of the neighbourhood. We also produced functional design drawings for key roadways within the neighbourhood to accommodate various road users including pedestrians, cyclists, transit vehicles, and general traffic.

2010 Olympics Strategic Transportation Area Plans

In February, 2010, Vancouver hosted the Olympic & Paralympic Games. Over 1.6 million spectator tickets were sold to competition events held in 12 different venues, including three venues located in Whistler, two hours north of Vancouver via the Sea to Sky Highway.

Bunt & Associates, in partnership with another consultant, was engaged by the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) to prepare strategic transportation plans for the Greater Vancouver, Sea to Sky Corridor and Whistler Areas. These plans included:

• the establishment of goals & objectives;
• forecasting of both Background and Olympic Overlay travel demands at key locations;
• the development and evaluation of transportation strategies; and
• the preparation of tactical plans to address the increased travel demands during the Olympic competition period.

We reported to the VANOC Transportation Department staff during the year-long project but we were also responsible for ongoing and extensive consultation with VANOC’s transportation stakeholders, including the City of Vancouver, TransLink, Ministry of Transportation & Highways, BC Transit and the Resort Municipality of Whistler.

Bunt was awarded the Bill Curtis Project of the Year Award in November 2008 by the Greater Vancouver Section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers in recognition of the success of this challenging project.

Rogers Place Arena & Ice District Pedestrian System Analysis

Rogers Place Arena is a multi-use indoor arena in downtown Edmonton, Alberta. Construction started in March 2014 and the building officially opened on September 8, 2016. The arena has a seating capacity of 18,500, and replaced the 1974 Northland’s Coliseum as home of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers.  Bunt & Associates was involved the planning, design and construction phases of the new arena.

At the outset of the project, the design team needed to appropriately size the number and capacity of the pedestrian system elements within and surrounding the arena. A significant number of arena and entertainment patrons were anticipated to arrive to the site on foot, either walking from off-site parking or adjacent transit stops and therefore consideration of pedestrian movements was of key concern in site planning. Bunt was engaged by Oilers Entertainment Group to undertake a pedestrian demand and capacity analysis to better understand a number of pedestrian design related elements at major entry/exit points and at critical internal congestion points. Our scope included projecting pedestrian demand based on first principles and anticipated mode splits. The total entry and exit demands under several demand scenarios were determined during the peak 5 and 15 minute demand periods, at critical constrained locations within the arena (i.e. doorways, stairways, escalators).  In addition, projections of pedestrian movements on adjacent area sidewalks were estimated.

Using both industry-standard analysis procedures and VISWALK pedestrian micro-simulation software, Bunt was able to confirm  that planned capacity of the adjacent public sidewalk system, above grade pedestrian walkways, pedestrian routes to/from an adjacent LRT station, key facility stairways, escalators, and lobby areas were appropriately sized to offer a good level or service and sufficient space for queuing was available to accommodate projected pedestrian movements. Based on the peak pedestrian demands, our team provided detailed design input with respect to size/space and width requirements to the project architect and design criteria were recommended based on level of service principles.

Ganges Village Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure Plan

The Capital Regional District (CRD) identified a lack of sidewalks and bicycle facilities as an impediment to increased walking and cycling in Ganges Village on Salt Spring Island. Provision of additional infrastructure for these travel modes was seen as a means to provide alternatives to using vehicles for short trips in and around the village by visitors and residents alike.

To address this deficiency in Ganges Village, the CRD initiated a study to identify an appropriate configuration for sidewalks and bicycle facilities along the target sections of Lower Ganges and Rainbow Road as a first step to eventual development of a more comprehensive network of such facilities. Bunt & Associates, as a sub-consultant to J.E. Anderson, was responsible for assessing proposed conceptual designs for future roadway improvements. We analyzed existing traffic operations through a detailed traffic model, which provided insight to whether future roadway and traffic control improvements would be warranted. We also identified how best to incorporate infrastructure for alternative modes of transportation into the existing and planned future road corridors.

SFU Campus Master Plan

Bunt & Associates is part of a multi-disciplinary Master Planning Team that assisted Simon Fraser University in developing a 50-year master plan for the Burnaby Mountain Campus.  Bunt’s primary role was to provide transportation planning and design advice to the team during the development of the Master Plan.

Our services included the review and examination of existing travel patterns of all modes to/from the campus; identification of existing constraints and opportunities related to connectivity of different transportation modes;  preparation of a conceptual design for a new multi-modal mobility corridor to serve the Campus; provision of technical input related to future road alignment and dimensions along with parking supply and servicing strategies.

Bunt was active in participating in a design charette and various workshops throughout the Master Plan development process to ensure the vision of the Steering Committee was captured in the Master Plan.

720 Beatty St. & 701 Expo Blvd. Mixed-Use Development

Bunt & Associates was retained by Westbank Projects Corp. to provide a Transportation Assessment and Management Study (TAMS), a Pedestrian Microsimulation Model, and a Transportation Demand Management Plan to support their proposed office/retail mixed-use development. The project is located adjacent to the BC Place Stadium, at 720 Beatty Street and 701 Expo Boulevard.

The development site is a distinctive area within the City of Vancouver as a regional entertainment, sport, cultural and public activity centre. The proposed redevelopment will create a new public realm that will significantly improve pedestrian connection between the existing concourse of BC Place with the Downtown Core. In addition, the new plaza will also facilitate the implementation of the new Georgia Street ramp by mitigating grade changes and edge conditions as Georgia Street slopes down to Pacific Boulevard. To support the development of the Pedestrian Microsimulation Model, Bunt & Associates conducted a comprehensive data collection program to document existing pedestrian movement patterns on a ”dual-event” day where a White Caps soccer game at BC Place Stadium and a Canucks hockey game at the nearby Rogers Arena were taking place at the same time.

Using the observed data, Bunt developed a Pedestrian Microsimulation Model using VISWALK to evaluate the Level of Services for various pedestrian walkways based on a number of design/pedestrian flow scenarios. The Pedestrian Microsimulation was a useful evaluation tool for the Design Team to determine an appropriate width for the proposed breezeway within the building that will serve as a key pedestrian circulation route for the nearby BC Place Stadium.

Wesbrook Mall Multi-modal Corridor Design

The University of British Columbia engaged Bunt & Associates to develop a conceptual street design for Westbrook Mall; a new ‘multi-modal corridor’ and corridor traffic model that would better meet the needs of existing and future demands at the campus along with the growing residential community. The project boundary extended from Chancellor Boulevard to West 16th Avenue; a distance of approximately 2.2 kilometres. Liaising with key stakeholders was central to the planning and included reaching out to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, the University Endowment Lands, UBC property Trust, and UBC staff members.

The design was informed by the creation of a complex Synchro local network model that was refined with VISSIM micro-simulation modeling. Bunt collected and analyzed transportation data and existing physical characteristics; framed existing restraints for all street users; prepared a list of goals/priorities for the design development; developed new concepts through a design workshop on how the street could function with a focus on pedestrians, cyclists, and transit; and refined the best elements of each option into a concept design to move forward to detailed design.

The preferred concept included reduced crosswalk distances, new mid-block crosswalks, potential future pedestrian scramble, separated bicycle lanes, a trial Dutch bicycle intersection design, transit priority lanes at key intersection approaches, and a new gateway roundabout at Chancellor Boulevard. The concept design was integrated with the changes to the Student Union Boulevard design, the UBC Transit Exchange upgrade, and the new Whitecaps Training facility. Our team’s work was presented to the stakeholder groups through the design process and refinements were made based on the feedback received. Bunt’s conceptual design was used as the base for subsequent detailed design work by a civil consultant.

Golden Ears Bridge Project

Acting as Traffic Engineer on the Owner’s Engineer Team, Bunt & Associates was responsible for all transportation planning and traffic engineering tasks during the three stages of the project. During the Concept Development stage, Bunt developed traffic volume forecasts and conducted traffic analysis to assess the relative merits of three alternative configurations and prepared evaluation reports for presentation to the TransLink Board. With the preferred Concept endorsed by the Board, Bunt then assisted in the Design-Build-Finance-Operate (DBFO) Request for Proposal process by developing Design Hour Volumes and other traffic-related specifications for the RFP documents, provided design advice for the preliminary design concept, evaluated the bids from proponents, and participated in the negotiations for the final contract with the winning bidder. During the Implementation phase, Bunt reviewed the detailed designs presented by the Contractor, and provided traffic planning related advice to the owner and affected municipalities for specific matters that arose during the construction period.

The major traffic planning work required for the project was development of design specific traffic forecasts for the Golden Ears Bridge (GEB) Project corridor and application of the forecasts in evaluating options and developing a Base Design. The forecasting process included development of a comprehensive EMME/2 transportation model (by others) for the east side of the Lower Mainland which included several other major infrastructure initiatives, that together with the GEB Project were expected to radically alter travel patterns on both sides of the Fraser River. The output from the EMME/2 model was then transformed by Bunt into a Synchro-SimTraffic micro-simulation model of the study area as a tool for traffic operations analysis. Since the project extended for approximately 15 kilometres through four rapidly developing suburban municipalities, a wide variety of localized traffic planning and operations issues had to be addressed prior to the RFP issuance to secure agreement among the municipalities, TransLink and the provincial Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure of the preferred design concept. In addition, during development of the RFP and subsequent evaluation of DBFO Proponent bids, Bunt established specific traffic performance measures for evaluation purposes which were later tested against the DBFO Proponent submissions as one of the criteria for selecting the preferred proponent.

UBCO Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Innovation Building Loading Court and Access Design

Bunt & Associates was retained by UBC Properties Trust to provide transportation engineering and design consulting services for the development of UBC Okanagan’s Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Innovation Building in Kelowna, BC. Set to open in December 2025, the four-storey building with 13,185 m² of space will support interdisciplinary teaching, learning, research, and community engagement.

To support the schematic design process, Bunt completed vehicular access and parking review and provided input on the loading court design. We provided high-level estimates of vehicle demand, worked with the client’s Design Team to develop the geometry for the new access road, and conducted swept path analysis to confirm vehicle manoeuvring of various design vehicles within the loading court. Bunt also reviewed parking requirements in the context of the overall campus parking supply as well as the City of Kelowna’s zoning bylaw requirements.

A building permit was issued by the City of Kelowna in January 2023 to allow for construction of the development.

Surrey City Centre Block Master Plan

Since 2011, Bunt & Associates has been providing transportation planning and engineering advice to facilitate the development of the Surrey Civic Centre and the City Centre Precinct. This involved the planning for Surrey’s new City Hall, a new library, plaza and underground parkade.

In 2018, Bunt was engaged by Surrey City Development Corporation (SCDC) as a sub-consultant to Urban Strategies Inc. to be part of the master planning exercise for City Centre Block, which included the street block located immediately south of the Civic Plaza bounded by Central Avenue, 102 Avenue, City Parkway and University Drive. Bunt’s primary responsibilities included: providing guiding principles and conceptual direction for transportation, circulation, parking and servicing; reviewing design options; presenting to Council, key stakeholders or other senior leaders at City of Surrey; and providing input to the Draft Conceptual Master Plan document including the development of a Movement and Servicing Plan as well as a Parking Strategy. 

In 2020, the master plan was advanced to a more refined design development featuring close to 1.2 million square feet of AAA office space in two towers, 153,000 square feet of institutional space, and 23,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, along with a covered transit plaza that integrates the SkyTrain station and future on-street bus stops. Bunt completed Transportation Impact Assessment, recommended site access requirements and intersection configurations, and provided conceptual design drawings for the new 102A Avenue and Central Avenue street configurations which include on-street bus drop-off and pick-up facilities replacing the current bus exchange. 

Beaumont In-Service Road Safety Review

Bunt & Associates was engaged by the City of Beaumont to complete an In-Service Road Safety Review as a response to feedback from members of the public and the City Council regarding operational concerns at the 55 Avenue/56A Street and Rue Montalet/56A Street intersections.

Bunt completed site visits, collected traffic and pedestrian data, and completed a safety analysis of each intersection. This involved a review of existing traffic conditions, geometric conditions, pavement markings and signage, traffic control, and human factors that may contribute to potential conflicts.

The report was presented and adopted by the City of Beaumont Council in July 2022. Recommendations covered the implementation and standardization of signage, sightline improvements, as well as the development of a curb extension pilot program planned to be implemented in Spring 2023.

Oak Bay Pedestrian and Sidewalk Master Plan

The District of Oak Bay has retained Bunt & Associates (Bunt) to assist with the development of a Pedestrian & Sidewalk Master Plan (PSMP) for the District. The PSMP is intended to guide improvements and additions to the sidewalk network and identify additional strategies to enhance the pedestrian experience for residents, visitors, and people working in Oak Bay. It provides an opportunity to build an inclusive and connected pedestrian network that strengthens the quality of life for the community.

Bunt completed a sidewalk condition assessment of Oak Bay’s existing Pedestrian Network to update the District’s Sidewalk Priority Index. They also met with a range of stakeholders (District of Oak Bay Staff, Council, BC Transit, Community Association of Oak Bay, schools, and others), and conducted two informative public surveys, and a public open house to understand the key issues and barriers to walking and how to ameliorate them. Bunt then collected additional pedestrian and traffic volume data, and developed a suite of design measures that could be applied to various locations to improve safety, comfort, enjoyment, and navigability around Oak Bay.

The development of the master plan and concept designs is nearly complete. These deliverables will provide valuable information to the District and help them progress towards an improved pedestrian network.  

Edmonton City Centre Airport

Bunt & Associates was retained by the Deputy City Manager’s Office to lead a multi-disciplinary team of land use planners, financial analysts and municipal engineers to evaluate land use, transportation, and servicing impacts as well as the market potential associated with the possible closure and redevelopment of the Edmonton City Centre Airport Lands.

At the time of the study, the airport operated as a general aviation airport. The potential redevelopment of the airport lands represented an opportunity to achieve longer-term land use and transit service objectives by providing an alternative to lower-density communities on the outskirts of the City through the development of a sustainable mixed-use activity node. For the purpose of determining these impacts and to identify opportunities and constraints associated with the possible redevelopment of the airport lands, a Demonstration Plan was prepared to illustrate how the lands could potentially be redeveloped as a comprehensive Transit Oriented Neighbourhood, including the development of LRT service into the development area. Redevelopment of the ECCA Lands as a compact mixed-use development area based on a Transit Oriented Development framework will align with the City’s current vision and Smart Choices policies.

Riverwalk Seniors Living Transportation Impact Assessment

Riverwalk Retirement Residence is a 12-storey retirement home centrally located within Calgary’s Cliff Bungalow-Mission neighbourhood. As part of the land use redesignation process, Bunt & Associates (Bunt) was engaged by Campion Group to complete a Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA) to review site access strategies and identify a use appropriate parking supply.

With limited traffic impacts expected, the Bunt study focused on accommodating mobility challenged residents. Flood plain building requirements resulted in the main floor being 0.9 metres above sidewalk level. To provide a convenient and wheelchair accessible pick-up/drop-off area, a one-way driveway was proposed through the site allowing for covered main floor access. Public realm enhancements were designed to allow shared resident/community space.

Calgary City Council approved the land use redesignation in 2019 with building completion occurring in 2023.

Flyover Block Zero Parking Study

Bunt & Associates (Bunt) was engaged by Eagle Crest Construction and RNDSQR to complete a Parking Study for Flyover Block, a six-storey mixed-use development located at 634 McDougall Road NE in Calgary and adjacent to the 4 Avenue Centre City flyover. The building has 65 zero-parking multi-family units and ground floor commercial.

Bunt conducted a Parking Study to identify the off-site impact of the site’s bylaw variance. We reviewed the bylaw parking requirements, assessed the proposed parking supply, evaluated the appropriateness of zero residential parking, identified Transportation Demand Management measures to support active transportation, and provided necessary parking mitigation measures.

The development and zero parking proposal was supported by the Community Association. Calgary City Council approved the land use redesignation in 2020 with building completion occurring in 2023.

The Quarters Area Redevelopment Plan

Bunt & Associates was engaged by the City of Edmonton Special Projects Office to provide transportation and parking planning consulting services in support of the Quarters Area Redevelopment Plan (ASP). The goal of this plan was to accommodate a population of about 22,000 residents. Bunt was responsible for reviewing alternative circulation options and parking accommodation plans for the area. Particular attention was made to the development of pedestrian friendly street systems acknowledging the influence of the proposed Valley line LRT alignment which will traverse through the plan area.

A key recommendation from this review was to modify the current parking zone bylaw of multi-family developments. Bunt proposed that multi-family parking regulations be based on floor area of units rather than number of bedrooms. Bunt’s proposal was successfully adopted.

In addition, Bunt researched alternative parking management models and presented benefits associated with the implementation of a civic parking agency.

Holdom Overpass Traffic Review (BNSR)

Bunt & Associates was engaged by Mott MacDonald, on behalf of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA), to conduct a Traffic Review of the proposed Holdom Overpass as part of the Burnaby North Shore Rail (BNSR) Project.

As part of the larger Gateway Transportation Collaboration Forum, the VFPA is proposing to replace the existing at-grade crossing of CN Rail’s New Westminster Subdivision at Douglas Road (Mile 151.05) with a new overpass at Holdom Avenue, connecting to a new four-leg intersection at Douglas Road & Norland Avenue south of the tracks.  The intent of the overpass would be to eliminate the delays and queues caused by the existing train events (30 per day in 2018), improve general north-south connectivity for vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists, and enhance safety for these modes.

Bunt’s study quantified the expected traffic impacts of the proposed overpass, assessed whether traffic operations with the overpass in place would perform reasonably well as compared to existing, identified any expected operational challenges, and explored potential mitigation measures.  The findings of Bunt’s comprehensive study were used by VFPA to inform the future analysis and design of the proposed Holdom Overpass.

Zoning Bylaw Parking Study

Bunt & Associates provided direction for the development of new and appropriate parking bylaw regulations, strategies and programs to assist the City of Edmonton in managing parking resources in a sustainable fashion to support future updates to the Zoning Bylaw. This included providing information on specific parking regulations and parking management operations that reflect, acknowledge and align with current planning and transportation strategic tenets.

The challenge of the project was to identify modifications to current parking policies and practices to enhance over-arching land use planning principles to support walkability and transit use. The basic study goals achieved included providing direction in the development of modified Zoning Bylaw parking regulations and identifying innovative parking management strategies. When combined with modified parking regulations, the study’s recommendations will assist the administration in assuming a stronger role in achieving the vision of a sustainable parking management plan including the goal of higher transit use.

Sawgrass Neighbourhood Structure Plan

The Davy Creek Community Area Structure Plan (CASP) is an approved development plan for 480 acres of land in the City of Airdrie. At build out, the CASP will accommodate 2,785 residential units and 1,685 jobs. The CASP was approved by Airdrie City Council in 2020. Building on the CASP approval, a neighbourhood structure plan (NSP) was submitted for the first neighbourhood (Sawgrass) which is comprised of 278 acres.

Bunt & Associates was engaged by Hopewell to complete a Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA) for both the CASP and NSP applications. The CASP TIA identified ultimate build out transportation network improvements. The NSP TIA identified stage one neighbourhood network improvements including thresholds for upgrades to Veterans Boulevard and 24 Street. Internal roadway sizing and connectivity analysis were also completed.

The NSP was approved by Airdrie City council in 2022.

Springbank Hill Transportation Impact Assessment

Springbank Hill is a new community located in West Calgary adjacent to 17 Avenue SW. To take advantage of the site’s proximity to LRT service and to meet Municipal Development Plan (MDP) goals, a 189-acre portion of the community was identified as a location for intensification.

Bunt & Associates was engaged by three landowners (Truman Homes, Partners Development Group, Round Hill) to complete a Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA) as part of their land use redesignation applications. The three landowners proposed over 2,000 residential units as an addition to the 2,600 residential units and commercial proposed by other area landowners in the area. The TIA identified transportation improvements needed to accommodate area development including new public roadways and intersection upgrades. With a future at-grade LRT track extension, intersection upgrades needed to consider LRT operations.

Development construction began in 2020 with residents starting to move in during 2022.

Brookfield Place Calgary East Tower Transportation Impact Assessment

Bunt & Associates was retained by Dialog on behalf of Brookfield Properties Corporation to prepare a Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA) for the 56-storey Brookfield Place Calgary East Tower located in the heart of downtown Calgary, Alberta. With 1.4 million sq. ft. of office space, the skyscraper became the tallest tower in Calgary upon its completion in 2017.

In support of the land use application submission to the City of Calgary, Bunt conducted traffic analysis, estimated trip generation, studied transit and active modes, loading access, as well as parking and loading demand. Bunt investigated the loading needs for the site and recommended a right-sized parking supply that would reduce vehicular traffic volumes.

The study was approved by the City of Calgary and construction of the development was completed in 2017.

CrossIron Mills Shopping Centre Traffic Impact Study & Grand Opening Traffic Management Plan

CrossIron Mills regional shopping centre includes more than one million square feet in Rocky View County, immediately north of Calgary. Since 2005, Bunt & Associates has been involved in site planning and has completed several traffic impact and parking studies to support the site planning, approval and on-going operation of development.

Bunt also developed and executed a successful traffic management plan for the site’s grand opening in August 2009. This included implementing a program to supervise over 40 traffic control and police service staff responsible for thousands of guest vehicles, emergency response access, and multi-modal circulation.

Bunt continues to work with the mall owners in on-going site planning and impact assessments as the site continues to evolve and expand.

Evergreen Line Public Parking Management Strategy

In the spring of 2015, the City of Coquitlam embarked on a project to develop a strategy for the management of public parking in the vicinity of the future Evergreen Line station, slated to be open to transit passengers in early 2017.  The City was concerned that streets near new stations, particularly those free stalls without time restrictions, would be attractive to park & ride activity by commuters. 

Bunt & Associates was engaged by the City to undertake an inventory and parking demand surveys of over 8,000 on-street parking stalls within 800m walking distance of the future stations.  Bunt developed a detailed GIS inventory with both supply and parking demand information, conducted extensive research into best practises for parking management near high capacity transit stations, forecasted the potential commuter demand overlay at each stations and developed a parking strategy for the City integrated with planned off-street long term parking supply increases to support the opening of the Evergreen Line. 

Bunt worked extensively with City staff and an Interdepartmental Committee to ensure a robust strategy suitable for staff resources to execute effectively, and also assisted in public outreach activities.

West Calgary Ring Road Safety Audit

The West Calgary Ring Road (WCRR), running between Highway 8 and the Trans-Canada Highway, is the final section needed to complete the Calgary Ring Road. The entire Calgary Ring Road will provide more than 100 kilometres (km) of free-flow travel around the city, improving access to hospitals, schools, workplaces and recreation, and reducing congestion within the city. Calgary Safelink (CS) Partners has been retained by Alberta Transportation (AT) to design and build the West Calgary Ring Road Segment from Highway 8 to Old Banff Coach Road in Calgary, Alberta. Bunt & Associates (Bunt) / G. Ho Engineering Consultants Inc. (GHEC) were engaged by CS Partners as the Road Safety Auditor to ensure the road safety implications of the project were fully considered during the detailed design/construction process.

Bunt/GHEC conducted road safety audits (RSAs) at various stages throughout the design process. The audits were on the safety performance of design elements including: horizontal and vertical alignment; cross-sections (clear zones and drainage); traffic operations (driver expectations); vulnerable road user impacts; and the intersection layouts and operations. Bunt/GHEC identified safety-related elements and suggested corrective measures to mitigate the identified safety concerns.

The project is expected to be completed in 2024.

Calgary Event Centre 2021 Transportation Impact Assessment and Preliminary Event Management Planning

Bunt was retained to provide comprehensive transportation consulting services on the half-billion dollar Calgary Event Centre project. The Event Centre will be a multi-purpose event venue of approximately 19,000 seats to house the Calgary Flames, and to provide a concert/event facility with ancillary commercial uses, outdoor plazas and other amenities. The site is located within the Rivers District, between the Downtown Core, Stampede Park and the BMO Convention Centre which itself is currently underway with a facility expansion of similar scale and cost.  The Event Centre is also located adjacent to the Green Line LRT, which is under construction. The location of the site within the burgeoning Rivers District meant that during the design process, considerable attention needed to be placed not only on the movement of private vehicles, but on pedestrian movements, active modes, transit and LRT services.

The scale of infrastructure investment being made in the Rivers District area is enormous, and the Event Centre represents a major cornerstone of the development vision. The transportation effort undertaken by Bunt for the project was therefore substantial.  Tasks included full vehicular and pedestrian simulations of all outdoor spaces for pre and post-event periods using VISSIM and VISWALK tools, with due consideration of concurrent activities occurring at the expanded BMO Centre as well as within Stampede Park and elsewhere to provide visual and technically substantive benchmarks related to capacity and congestion management.

The modelling was used as one of many inputs for building design evolution, as well as roadway and pedestrian facility planning.  This work fed into a comprehensive Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA) as well as an extensive Event Management Plan (EMP).

Downtown Edmonton ARP Update Parking Study

The City of Edmonton initiated a Downtown Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP) update to ensure that downtown continued to be the strategic focus of the city’s cultural, business, and entertainment activity. This plan renewed the City’s commitment to downtown revitalization.

Edmonton is working towards creating sustainable downtown environments with a focus on walkability and transit. To achieve this vision, Bunt & Associates was hired to review existing parking policies and practices which conventionally offer free or low-cost parking and encourage increased single-occupant vehicle travel.

Bunt analyzed the parking characteristics of five downtown zones, including residential, employee, and commerical parking lots, and provided a detailed understanding of current parking space use. This information was used to forecast future parking demands. The study also illustrated that significant capital investment would be required to maintain current supply levels, contrary to the City’s goal of promoting transit and alternative modes as effective access to downtown.

The study provided guidance on Transportation Demand Management (TDM) programs and Parking Management solutions to reduce the need for additional parking stalls within the downtown area.

In addition, modifications were made to the current regulations for the five analyzed zones. The City of Edmonton was provided with the tools needed to assess future downtown development initiatives.

Granville Island 2040 Transportation Plan

The world-famous Granville Island located in the heart of downtown Vancouver, BC has been known since the 1970’s as very successful urban renewal project which transformed an inner-city industrial zone into a vibrant mixed use district with unique shared streets which is attractive to both residents and visitors to the City. Bunt & Associates was commissioned in 2017 by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) to conduct a transportation planning study as part of a broader planning process to reinvigorate the culturally and economically significant district. While Granville Island enjoys a relatively walkable environment, access by walking and other multi-modal options remain a challenge for some residents, resulting in considerable vehicle trip generation and associated parking pressures and conflicts with pedestrians and cyclists. There was an enticing opportunity to re-purpose some of the existing parking areas on Granville Island and further foster a walkable realm, while ensuring continued viability of Granville Island’s many unique uses and businesses.

The overarching goal of the transportation planning for the GI2040 project was to determine how walking, cycling and transit accessibility to Granville Island could be improved and to provide a bold but workable transportation plan to bring the vision for a more walkable Granville Island to reality. The project involved an extensive data collection program which mirrored a similar program undertaken by Bunt 10 years earlier. This data provided the basis for a detailed evaluation of current travel mode share and trip profiles and how these have changed over time. As well, multi-modal accessibility analysis using GIS and time dependent transportation network characteristics, including innovative integration of TransLink GTFS data, was employed to assess the benefits of improved walking and multi-modal connections to Granville Island.

The Granville Island 2040 Transportation Plan resulted in the development of several well-supported and unique infrastructure improvement plans intended to encourage more walking and multi-modal access to and throughout Granville Island.

VGH Master Transportation Plans Update

As part of the City of Vancouver’s conditions for the approval of the Development Application for the Joseph and Rosalie Segal Family Health Centre  located within the Vancouver General Hospital Health Precinct, the City of Vancouver requested updated campus plans be submitted addressing Parking, Loading and Transportation Demand Management Plans.  As the original author of these documents which were over 10 years old, Bunt & Associates was retained again by Vancouver Coastal Health Authority (VCHA) in 2016-2017 to prepare an update to these documents, while at the same time Bunt was assisting in the preparation of an overall Master Health Precinct Plan.

As part of this assignment, a thorough understanding of current parking, loading, traffic and TDM initiatives throughout the Health Precinct was required.  Bunt conducted a comprehensive data collection program comprising an inventory of existing transportation infrastructure, multi-modal traffic counts at site driveways and on the surrounding roadway system, staff/patient/visitor interviews, and extensive parking occupancy surveys both for on-site lots and on-street on the surrounding road network.  This baseline data allowed Bunt to compare current mode splits to historic information and demonstrate the success and progress of the TDM program in meeting its targets; also, if formed the foundation of a calibrated parking demand model of both on-site and off-site parking activity linked to mid-day site populations and gross floor area of Health Care Buildings.  Bunt explored future parking demand scenarios using this model, in light of anticipated effects of the new Broadway SkyTrain line as well as increased effectiveness of TDM measures over the long term which allowed Bunt to confirm future parkade requirements at full build out of the site under existing zoning regulations.

Calgary Bylaw Parking Review

Bunt & Associates (Bunt) was engaged by the City of Calgary in 2020 to evaluate the minimum and maximum parking requirements identified in Land Use Bylaw 1P2007. The study was separated into key focus areas of multi-family residential and commercial.

As part of this study, Bunt reviewed requirements and common practices in other municipalities, identified local demand, considered short-term and long-term trends impacting parking demand, considered shared parking impacts, and provided recommendations to reduce minimum parking ratios.

Calgary City Council removed commercial parking minimum requirements in 2020. Residential parking minimums were reduced in 2022.

Pearce Estate Park Parking & Traffic Accommodation Strategy

Pearce Estate Park is a popular recreational space located within Calgary’s Inglewood neighbourhood and adjacent to the Bow River. As demand for park and river spaces has grown, parking spillover and traffic congestion issues have increased. Through the Harvie Passage Facility Enhancement Plan, Council tasked City administration with improving the park and river recreational space.

Bunt & Associates was engaged to provide a strategy to address parking, traffic, and active transportation needs. Parking demand and spillover impacts were observed over 10 separate dates. As part of the study, parking layout design options were reviewed, cycling/pedestrian missing links were identified, and traffic operations were assessed.

Through our study, short- and long-term recommendations were provided to improve parking supply, manage parking demand, improve wayfinding, and address traffic impacts. Recommendations were approved by Council with funding provided for short-term recommendations. These short-term improvements include an expanded parking lot, wayfinding and occupancy signage, and new sidewalks.

The Uplands Roadway Staging and Collector Roadway Concepts

Qualico Communities is actively developing The Uplands neighbourhood in southwest Edmonton.  Since 2021, Bunt has been engaged by Qualico to complete traffic reviews and develop complete street cross-sections as part of the subdivision planning process.

Bunt has assisted Qualico in identifying required roadway links to support the on-going staged development of the area in a logical manner.  In addition, Bunt has supported the development of complete streets cross-sections and prepared preliminary roadway concepts for Uplands Boulevard, a key collector within the plan area that serves residential and commercial land uses within the neighbourhood’s Town Centre. 

Bunt’s current involvement is an extension of previously completed transportation planning work that supported the adoption of the Riverview Area Structure Plan (2013) and The Uplands Neighbourhood Structure Plan (2015).  

West District Master Plan

Bunt & Associates was engaged by Truman Developments to complete a Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA) for their proposed West District Master Plan in Calgary’s West Springs community. The 95 acre site provided a unique opportunity to develop a high density activity centre within an existing primarily suburban single-family community. Fully built-out, West District will add approximately 2,500 dwelling units, 4,600 new residents, and 3,600 jobs.

Through the TIA, a number of transportation improvements were identified to accommodate the proposed densities. These included new turning and transit by-pass lanes at major area intersections which were implemented by the City of Calgary in 2019 as part of the Bow Trail widening project. Other improvements including an on-site transit hub which will be provided as part of the phased development. The development proposal also included modified internal roadway cross-sections to accommodate enhanced pedestrian and separate cycling facilities.

The Master Plan was approved unanimously by Council in 2018 and received the 2019 City of Calgary Mayor’s Urban Design Award for City Edge Development. The 850 unit West District Gateway (Phase 1) opened in 2020.

Millwoods Wellness Community Hub Development Transportation Impact Assessment

Bunt & Associates was retained by Rohit Management Inc. and Covenant Health to conduct a Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA) for their proposed mixed-use residential/medical campus site located in the Kameyosek neighbourhood of Mill Woods in Southeast Edmonton.  The proposed 11.2-acre development, Covenant Wellness Community, will include a health centre, multigenerational housing, an integrated seniors’ continuing care centre, surgical services, and commercial buildings.

The TIA evaluated the transportation network capacity to accommodate the projected transportation demands of the site at acceptable levels of service. In addition to the preparation of the TIA, the project included the review of site access locations and configurations, the review of on-site drive aisle configurations, and the identification of opportunities to implement transportation demand management (TDM) strategies at the development permit stage.

The rezoning application was approved in August 2021. The development is expected to open in early 2025.

Sechelt Transportation Plan

Bunt & Associates was retained by the District of Sechelt to update the transportation component of the District’s Official Community Plan and develop a revised Road Network Plan. The intent of the project was to identify transportation infrastructure that could direct growth of the community into the future. The project also involved an update the District’s 1999 TMODEL travel demand model to a VISUM model to test the land use scenarios developed as part of the OCP update. Bunt developed and evaluated road network alternatives to alleviate the pressures expected to be placed on the existing network with projected population growth. Comprehensive transportation network plans were developed to accommodate growth to the 20,000 and 30,000 population horizons. The plan development process included:

Reviewing the previous OCP; liaising with the BC Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure to determine regional and provincial transportation requirements; developing and utilizing the VISUM model to assess demand and capacity on the road system; recommending future roadway functions, laning and alignments; preparing a strategy for road right-of-way acquisition and initial cost estimates for any transportation system upgrades; examining methods for enhancing alternate means of transportation, i.e. walking, cycling, transit, and others; and estimating preliminary costs.

Bunt was also responsible for traffic operations assessments of key intersections and corridors, crash assessments, and development of a supporting active transportation plan.

Okanagan Gondola Transportation Impact Assessment

Bunt & Associates was engaged by Ridge North America to prepare a Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA) for a proposed gondola located in the heart of the Okanagan valley overlooking Kalamalka Lake south of Vernon, B.C. The Okanagan Gondola attraction will include a gondola with walking trails, mountain biking paths, ziplines, restaurants, and ancillary retail stores. The attraction will provide event space and adventure for tourists, as well as for nearby residents.

As part of the land use redesignation application process, the TIA report provided an analysis of the existing transportation conditions, anticipated transportation impacts of the proposed development, reviewed the safety of adjacent intersections, and recommended transportation design and mitigation measures.

The Regional District of North Okanagan board passed second reading of both the rezoning and official community plan bylaw changes for the proposed development in Dec 2022.

Senakw Master Plan and Construction Traffic Management Plan

Bunt & Associates (Bunt) was engaged by Westbank Projects Corp. to provide transportation consulting services for the master planning exercise for the Senakw development project on 10.5 acres of Squamish Nation land located on Kits Point adjacent to Vanier Park. The highly sustainable, mixed-use project will provide 6,000 secured purpose-built rental homes, including 4,800 market rental units, about 1,200 below-market rental units, as well as 170,000 ft² of office, retail, and restaurant spaces by 2033.

Bunt provided ongoing transportation consultation and master plan design input in support of the development. We completed a Transportation Assessment and Management Study that documented the site context and accessibility, project statistics, site access, parking and loading arrangements, Transportation Demand Management measures, projected new vehicle trips generated, and the anticipated impact on the study street network.

As part of the City’s review process, Bunt completed a Construction Traffic Management Plan to facilitate the construction of Phase 1 of the development. Bunt reviewed the anticipated construction activity schedule, identified the peak hourly traffic, and identified mitigation measures that may be required to support the anticipated construction traffic.

Cortes Island Transportation Demand Study

The Cortes Island Transportation Demand Study explored strategies to increase and enhance transportation options for Cortes Island residents and visitors, with the intention of reducing the Island’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. Bunt was engaged by the Strathcona Regional District to undertake this study, which included a comprehensive public engagement process and travel surveys of both Island residents and visitors.

Our team worked with an Advisory Committee comprised of community representatives who were instrumental in providing guidance and support for the public engagement process and for increasing participation. The public engagement process guided the study to examine a variety of potential initiatives and strategies for increasing transport options on Cortes. Bunt prepared all open house materials and attended both events.

Bunt’s key recommendations included the formation of a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Task Force, and TDM measures such as a Car-stop program, revitalization of the Green Rider program, introduction of a bicycle repair station and bike hub, electric vehicle charging stations, and funding support for ride share. We also recommended exploration of new Quadra Island crossing opportunities and the development of short-cut walking routes.

Surrey Civic Centre

Bunt & Associates was engaged by Surrey City Development Corporation to provide transportation planning advice and expertise as part of the masterplanning for Surrey Civic Centre. This involved the planning for the City of Surrey’s new City Hall, a new library, plaza and underground parkade. The project involved determining the location of buildings and public spaces, new streets and intersections, as well as accesses and parking. Bunt’s services included:

• providing transportation leadership and expertise throughout the project lifecycle;
• preparing a full transportation impact assessment study for the project;
• developing a City Centre model for traffic distribution;
• parking demand and management strategy; and
• advice regarding on-street transit needs, location of new streets, and parkade entrances.

Both the City Hall and Library have been constructed and are now open.

Edmonton Valley Line West Road Safety Audit

Edmonton Valley Line West is the second stage of the Valley Line, an urban-style 27 km line that will operate between Mill Woods in southeast Edmonton and Lewis Farms in west Edmonton, Alberta. The City appointed Marigold Infrastructure Partners (MIP) as the preferred proponent to design, build and partially finance the Valley Line West Light Rail Transit (LRT). Bunt & Associates (Bunt) /Canadian Highways Institute (CHI) was engaged by MIP as the Road Safety Auditor to ensure the road safety implications of the project were fully considered during the detailed design/construction process.

The Edmonton Valley Line West LRT RSA is currently an ongoing project and is being undertaken in accordance with the procedures outlined in the Transportation Association of Canada Canadian Guide to Road Safety Audits.  The study includes RSAs at the Detailed Design, Preliminary In-Service (Pre-Opening), and In-Service (Post-Construction) stages.  As part of this project, Road Safety Audit Certificates will and have been issued for the various stages during the RSA process. 

At this stage, the RSA Team has completed the “Detailed Design (60%)” RSAs and its anticipated pre-opening/post-construction RSA will be undertaken near completion. Construction for Valley Line West was started in 2021. It is expected to take 5 to 6 years to complete.

UBC Okanagan Master Plan

UBC Community Planning engaged Bunt & Associates to prepare a Master Transportation Plan to supplement an update to the UBCO Master Plan and support growth of the Okanagan Campus, which could potentially double in student numbers over the next 15 to 20 years. Central to this work was developing a transportation strategy to manage future student and staff vehicle demands in order to minimize new parking and road infrastructure needed on campus. Our services involved a peer review comparing transportation demands and trends of campuses of similar size.

Scenarios tested were developed based on fixing the number of future parking spaces at different levels and assessing what modal share would be required to match this supply together with the level of new Transportation Demand Management that would be needed. The scenarios primarily focused on additional bus frequencies and more student accommodation. An exploratory exercise was also undertaken assessing the preferred location for the future transit exchange and how this could blend into the master plan design while meeting future capacity expectations. Bunt prepared a Transportation Summary in the form of a reference document to guide and inform future studies.

River’s Edge Neighbourhood Structure Plan Amendment

Qualico Communities is actively developing land in the River’s Edge neighbourhood in southwest Edmonton and initiated a Neighbourhood Structure Plan (NSP) Amendment to update the NSP to remove decommissioned pipelines, reconfigure parks and open spaces, adjust road rights-of-way to accommodate Complete Streets cross-sections, and increase the range of housing typologies in the plan area.

As part of the planning process, Bunt & Associates was engaged to prepare updated traffic estimates for the neighbourhood and review the proposed active transportation network based on the principles outlined in the City of Edmonton’s The Bike Plan (2020). Additionally, we developed complete streets cross-sections and conceptual roadway layouts that incorporate shared use paths along collector and local roads within the plan area, developed complete streets cross-sections for Riverview Boulevard, an arterial that bisects the community, and supported Qualico Communities at the public open house and Public Hearing.

The River’s Edge NSP Amendment was approved by City of Edmonton Council on October 3, 2023.

Ledge on Lakeshore Transportation Impact Assessments and Parkade Design Review

Bunt & Associates (Bunt) was engaged by Westcorp Development Management Inc. to prepare Transportation Impact Assessments (TIAs) and conduct a Parkade Design Review for the Ledge on Lakeshore, a residential development comprised of 1,000 rental units located at 3795 Lakeshore Drive in Kelowna, BC.

Since 2008, Bunt has been providing transportation planning and engineering advice in support of the project. The TIA undertaken in 2020 provided an overview of existing transportation operations in the study area, forecasted future transportation demand and traffic operation, and recommended potential traffic impact mitigation measures. The report also assessed the existing and future connections for pedestrian, transit, and cycling users at full site buildout. In 2022, Bunt conducted a parkade design review and a vehicle manoeuvrability study using AutoTURN to access the impact of pre-cast structures on parking stall height clearance. The review informed the architects of any issues arising from the implementation of these structures.

The City of Kelowna issued a development permit for the latest phase of the project in December 2022.

Mount Royal Village West Transportation Impact Assessment

Mount Royal Village West is a mixed-use development with a commercial podium and a 223-unit residential tower located in Calgary’s Beltline neighbourhood and near the 17 Avenue SW Main Street. Commercial tenants include Canadian Tire and Urban Fare.

As part of the development permit application process, Bunt & Associates was engaged by First Capital to complete a Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA). Our TIA assessed transportation access requirements and identified a right-sized parking supply. The nature of commercial tenants requiring loading by large tractor trailers and the narrow side street road network resulted in the need to prepare a loading strategy.

The development opened 2019. One-way angled loading stalls were provided in the Lane and on-street timed parking restrictions were implemented to accommodate tractor trailer movements on adjacent residential streets. A new signal was implemented on 8 Street & 16 Avenue SW to accommodate previously prohibited pedestrian movements with signal timings adjusted to limit impacts to the 17 Avenue SW intersection located less than 25 metres away.

General Block Parking Study

General Block, located in Calgary’s inner-city community of Bridgeland, is a commercial building housing three popular local restaurants at street level (Village Ice Cream, Phil & Sebastian Coffee, and Una Pizza) and office space above. With a limited on-site parking supply, the site required a 75% parking variance.

Bunt & Associates was engaged by RNDSQR at the development application stage to provide a Parking Study identifying off-site impacts and the appropriateness of the bylaw variance. We reviewed bylaw parking requirements, considered City policies, accounted for alternating demand peak periods for tenants, and identified on-street impacts. The Parking study confirmed the proposed variance was supportable and that the mix of tenants limited off-site impacts. We also provided engineering design support for public realm improvements.

The development was completed in 2021 and received a Mayor’s Urban Design Award in 2022.

River District (East Fraserlands) Master Transportation Plan

Bunt was retained as part of a multi-disciplinary consultant team to provide transportation consulting services for the planned new neighbourhood in Vancouver, BC. The plan for this new neighbourhood, based on the principles of sustainability and “smart growth”, envisioned a future population of 12,000+ residents and neighbourhood-scale commercial uses. The land use plan was set within a transit-oriented urban form with street and sidewalk/bicycle routes that promoted walking and cycling for local trips and transit for longer distance trips. Bunt’s role in the project involved a detailed traffic impact study but also assistance in the preparation of innovative, pedestrian-oriented street designs with narrow widths and built-in traffic calming measures. We also researched and provided input to the project team on the potential for integration of a car‑share program, the benefits of mix-use zoning as well as shared parking synergies. Recent work includes updating Phase 3 of the Master Plan to potentially double the planned density, along with restructuring the street network to better serve the community. A new Transportation Assessment & Management Study and TDM Plan are currently being developed to support this new rezoning update.

Coquitlam Multi-Family Residential Parking Bylaw Study

Bunt & Associates was retained by the City of Coquitlam to expand the City’s apartment parking demand data set from just nine multi-family residential buildings that were identified in Metro Vancouver’s comprehensive Apartment Parking Study published in 2018.

Bunt’s work included observing resident and residential visitor facility parking rates, on-street license plate surveys, and household surveys for over 15 sites. Throughout the process, Bunt coordinated with the City of Coquitlam staff to develop correspondence to residents to encourage participation in the surveys.  We have conducted an online household survey with 1,371 dwellings across 11 sites, with a response rate of 9% and a 95% confidence level of +/-8%.

The study resulted in 8% to 15% decrease in strata building resident parking rates and 13% to 25% decrease in rental building resident parking rates.  Visitor parking rates were also reduced by 50%, consistent with findings from the region-wide study.

Spruce Grove Civic Centre Parking Study and Transportation Impact Assessment

In August 2021, the City of Spruce Grove retained GEC Architecture to lead the preliminary design of a Civic Centre, including a twin ice arena, library, black box theatre, art gallery, and transit centre with a park-and-ride lot within Westwind Centre. Bunt & Associates (Bunt) was engaged to conduct parking and transportation impact studies as part of the preliminary design phase of the project.

Bunt prepared a Parking Impact Assessment to confirm the on-site parking requirements needed to support the proposed facility. We also completed a Transportation Impact Assessment to confirm the site access lane arrangements and traffic control required to accommodate typical PM peak hour traffic volumes and traffic volumes associated with regularly occurring events.

Following a groundbreaking ceremony in November 2022, the City of Spruce Grove officially launched the start of the Civic Centre project, which is the largest project in Spruce Grove’s history. The facility is planned to be open to the public in 2025.

Molson/Crosstown Development

Bunt & Associates was retained by First Capital Realty to assess and evaluate the traffic implications associated with the redevelopment of the former Molson Brewery and Crosstown Motors sites, located north of 104 Avenue between 118 Street and 121 Street in the Oliver neighbourhood. The proposed redevelopment in the Central Business District fringe sector of the City of Edmonton includes the development of over 600 medium/high-rise residential units and over 260,000 square feet of commercial and office space.

Given that the future West LRT line is proposed to alter the existing cross-section of 104 Avenue, Bunt & Associates developed a comprehensive transportation plan to ensure that the project could be accommodated on the adjacent roadway network both pre and post-LRT.

The rezoning of the former Molson Brewery site was approved by City Council on August 26, 2013.

Acheson & Big Lake Master Transportation Impact Assessment

Bunt & Associates was engaged by Parkland County to undertake a Master Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA) for the Acheson and Big Lake areas. Bunt’s services included developing a road classification systems, level of service standards, estimating local trip generation rates and historical traffic growth rates, and developing and testing ultimate, long-term, and near-term roadway network options.  Bunt also prepared future traffic forecasts and completed a traffic operations assessment to ensure that the planned roadway network would be suitable to accommodate continued planned growth.

The Master TIA will be used be used by Parkland County to prioritize roadway improvements over the next 30-years, and will be an important tool in discussions related to funding significant improvements to the regional transportation network.

Bernard Block Transportation Impact Assessment

Bunt & Associates was engaged by Mission Group Enterprises to conduct a transportation review and prepare a Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA) for their proposed mixed-use project comprising of two towers (one residential and one office) both with ground floor commercial space in downtown Kelowna at 560-594 Bernard Avenue (at St. Paul Street) in Downtown Kelowna.

The TIA study was a requirement of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI) given the site’s proximity to Highway 97 (Harvey Avenue).  Bunt’s services included evaluating the transportation impacts of the proposed development on the adjacent road network, reviewing the developments planned parking and servicing strategy, evaluating the site plan from a transportation accessibility standpoint, and presenting a Transportation Demand Management strategy to support the project’s traffic and parking goals.

The study was approved by the MoTI and City of Kelowna and the project has subsequently been approved by Kelowna City Council.

Banff Trail Transportation Impact Assessment

The 24 Avenue NW corridor within Calgary’s Banff Trail community is comprised primarily of single-family dwellings. To take advantage of the proximity of the Banff Trail LRT station and the University of Calgary, six separate development applications were proposed in 2018 and 2019 along a six-block stretch east of Crowchild Trail. The combined development density of these mid-rise development applications exceeded 300 residential units.

Bunt & Associates was engaged by developers (Eagle Crest Construction, Stone West Homes) to complete a Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA) as part their land use redesignation applications. The TIA identified sufficient vehicle capacity on the adjacent road network to accommodate the proposed developments. However, deficiencies in pedestrian crosswalks and cycling connectivity were identified.

Calgary City Council approved the land use redesignation applications in 2020. As a response to the applications, the City of Calgary implemented new separated cycling facilities, improved sidewalks, and controlled crosswalks along the 24 Avenue NW corridor in 2022.

Strathmore Western Events Centre Transportation Impact Assessment

Bunt & Associates was engaged by the Strathmore & District Agricultural Society to complete a Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA) for a new riding arena and western events centre in Wheatland County east of the Town of Strathmore. The 146 acre development site will contain several uses including equestrian facilities, horse stall rentals, a rough-stock area, and seating for up to 2,000.

The TIA assessed roadway network requirements for typical daily operations as well as event management considerations. The study identified a peak parking demand of up to 800 parking stalls, which is accommodated for in the site plan.

Wheatland County Council approved the application in 2022.

Elevation Landing Industrial Transportation Impact Assessment

Elevation Landing is a 90-acre industrial development located east of the Calgary International Airport. The site was previously planned as a retail shopping centre but was re-positioned into an industrial development due to market conditions. At completion, the development will include 1.7 million square feet of industrial uses and an athletic park.

Bunt & Associates (Bunt) was engaged by BentallGreenOak to complete a Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA) as part of the land use redesignation process. The TIA updated prior analysis completed by Bunt for the previous landowner and development concept. The TIA supported reductions in previously approved roadway classifications/cross-sections. Located adjacent to the Airport Trail tunnel, access management was also a key consideration as functional plans for Airport Trail include accommodation of movements through the development site.

Calgary City Council approved the land use redesignation in 2020.

Londonderry Artificial Turf and Park Renewal

Bunt & Associates was engaged by the City of Edmonton to identify an appropriate parking supply to meet the demands of the Londonderry Athletic Grounds Master Plan as well as review and confirm the proposed site access strategy. The Master Plan included a new artificial turf sports field with a grandstand/pavilion with seating for up to 1,500 spectators.

The review of the required parking supply considered a mixture of on-site, on-street, and shared parking opportunities in consideration of parking demands associated with the different site users. Additionally, the access strategy was reviewed in relation to adjacent roadway classifications, operations, site demands, and on-site circulation requirements.

A number of recommendations were advanced to increase the on-site parking supply and efficiency including shared parking agreements, relocation of staff and student parking, and a parking lot expansion. Due to observed traffic behaviours, historical collision statistics, and projected capacity constraints, the investigation of a traffic signal at the 66 Street all-directional access was also recommended. The parking and traffic impact assessment was accepted by City of Edmonton administration in December 2017.

Midtown Station Development Master Plan

Bunt & Associates was engaged by Cantana Investments to provide transportation services for the land use re-designation of a 30-acre parcel south of Glenmore Trail between Macleod Trail SW and the LRT/rail corridor. The proposed development will be made up of a 24-building mix of high-rise residential towers, townhouses, and retail and commercial space. Midtown Station will also include community centre; a new station on the C-Train LRT Red Line; a park, bringing much-needed green space to this area of Calgary; enhanced pedestrian and cycle paths within the development area and connectivity to the surrounding communities; and the realignment of 73 Avenue, improving the road network and overall connectivity. 

Bunt developed a VISSIM traffic simulation model of the surrounding road network extending from 58 Avenue SW to 75 Avenue SW and MacLeod Trail to Centre Street. Creating connections to the surrounding road network was key for this analysis as the site is constrained by railway lines to the east and Glenmore Trail to the north. The model was used to identify the opportunities and constraints to accommodate all modes of transportation traffic (vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles, and transit). Bunt also reviewed existing C-Train ridership levels to ascertain the capacity within the existing schedule for the anticipated increase in ridership from this development and the surrounding community. Finally, conceptual road design plans were prepared for the identified improvements to the road network.