Evaluation of the impact of Infrastructure Canada programs in the Vancouver area

Infrastructure Canada’s evaluation of the impact of programs in the Vancouver area assessed the extent to which INFC programs funded between April 1, 2009 and March 31, 2019:

  • Contributed to increasing the economic growth in an inclusive and sustainable way
  • Improved urban mobility in Canadian communities
  • Improved environmental quality, reduced GHGemissions and increased resilience of communities
  • Built inclusive and accessible communities

During that period, INFC paid $2.1 billion in claims on projects in the Vancouver area, and has additional financial commitments of close to $2.1 billion remaining for the projects not completed as of March 31, 2019. The programs cover the Investing in Canada Plan programs (IICP), legacy programsFootnote 1 and the Gas Tax Fund.

Program overview in the Vancouver area
378 Infrastructure Projects $2.1 billion
- INFC Claims Paid		 $4.2 billion
- Total Approved INFC Contributions		 $9.8 billion
- Total Eligible Project Costs

What the evaluation found

INFC provided funding in a variety of asset categories in the Vancouver area

  • Municipalities’ needs cover a wide range of infrastructure asset categories.
  • Vancouver-area needs are similar to the needs of other large Canadian cities: new infrastructure to accommodate growth, aging asset replacement, and climate change adaptation.
text
$1,669 million $56 million $66 million $256 million $97 million
69 public transit projects 49 wastewater and drinking water projects 62 cultural and recreational projects 128 transportation projects 70 other projects (Brownfield, Broadband, Tourism, Solid Waste …)

INFC program funding positively contributed to the Vancouver and Canadian economies

text

British Columbia

Canada

Direct and Indirect Impact

Direct, Indirect, and Induced Impact

Direct and Indirect Impact

Direct, Indirect, and Induced Impact

GDP Impact ($ million)

1,078

1,403

1,469

1,968

Total Output ($ million)

2,473

2,978

3,331

4,161

Number of Jobs

10,290

13,154

13,599

18,133

Number of Full Time Equivalents (FTEs)

8,922

10,989

11,839

15,169

INFC funding contributed to positive environmental outcomes and improved mobility

  • 14% reduction of TransLink’s GHG emissions per boarded passenger between 2014 and 2018. INFC’s funding to major transit projects, such as rapid transit train lines across the Vancouver area, including the Canada Line, Expo Line and Evergreen Line, contributed to the public transit expansion.
  • Reduction of 6.9 million litres of TransLink diesel consumption between 2014 and 2016.
  • The Gas Tax Fund supported vehicle replacement with those powered by alternative energy and supported the construction of a public transit compressed natural gas facility in the Vancouver area.
  • 13 municipalities representing 82% of the area’s population built or enhanced their wastewater system as a result of INFC funding.
  • Modal share of public transit use increased from 16.5% in 2006 to 21.4% in 2016 for the Vancouver area.
  • Modal share of active transportation increased during the period from 2006 to 2016 from 6.3% to 7.3% (walking) and from 1.7% to 2.5% (cycling) for the Vancouver area.

INFC funding contributed to social inclusion and to improved accessibility in the Vancouver area

  • 46 completed and accessible public transit projects in 14 municipalities which represent 88% of the Vancouver area population.
  • 62 completed and accessible cultural/recreational projects in 9 municipalities which represent 65% of the Vancouver area population.
  • 72% of survey respondents who identified as having accessibility needs reported that they were more easily able to get on the new transit buses.
  • 68% of survey respondents who identified as having accessibility needs reported that they can more easily enter the transit stations.

INFC programs’ design and delivery were responsive and effective to the advancement of INFC objectives. However, there were 19 programs with similar objectives and different requirements, creating some confusion among recipients.

Recommendations

It is recommended that Infrastructure Canada should:

  • Establish Departmental Results Framework results, indicators, baselines and targets that are meaningful, at a national and provincial/regional level, so that the Department can measure and report on progress towards meeting objectives. Care should be taken to ensure that indicators remain as stable as possible, for results to be compared over time.
  • Explore options to streamline application and reporting requirements for current programs, where possible. In the future, before creating new programs, explore whether existing programs could be modified or expanded as an alternative.
  • Provide sufficient time for submissions of applications, provide increased advance notice for program announcements and improve communications related to program criteria, category eligibility and application assessment.