January 9, 2008
The past year is likely to be remembered as the year we spent a lot of time talking about transportation options for southern Vancouver Island but did little about implementing them.
As world supplies of crude oil diminish and prices threaten $100 a barrel and beyond, pump prices for consumers are sure to soar. Add the expected creation of a hefty carbon tax on fuel and other energy resources and the need for low cost and environmentally sound transportation alternatives have never been more important.
How much longer can we patch and bend our existing infrastructure to service our growing population? What alternatives do we have readily available for residents to access for work and recreation? As 2007 draws to a close, we have made little in the way of progress to meet growing demand.
The much awaited Malahat Corridor Study provided us some sketchy numbers on reliability and capacity, some possibilities for improvement that were extremely costly environmentally and economically, the promise of a rapid bus or two with no time frame for delivery and little optimism for the supporters of a revived rail service from the Cowichan Valley to Victoria. Two years of study produced plenty of consultation, lots of paper, but no plan to address the safety and reliability of the single ribbon of road we call the Trans Canada Highway.
Municipal leaders are seized of the challenges and are stepping up to fill the void created by provincial and federal inaction. On commuter rail there is a very active committee of local government representatives, BC Transit, land developers, the Island Corridor Foundation and Southern Railway that has commissioned research on costs and ridership projections. The data being gathered will hopefully prove the market demand and the cost effectiveness of rail service as a genuine alternative to the morning commute.
Not a day goes by that someone doesn't ask me why the train idea is stuck in the station. Put simply, without funding from senior levels of government for capital improvements to the railbed and new environmentally sound rail cars and engines, the project will continue to be stalled in the planning stage.
For residents of Sooke and beyond, a more user friendly park and ride network to access buses to the Langford rail hub are essential to the success of renewed rail service. But equally important are improvements to the road infrastructure in Sooke and communities along the Westcoast Road.
This fall, the Transportation & Health Initiative held a day long conference on transportation choices in the Sooke region. Information gathered at the conference and other consultation processes have set ambitious targets. More trails and bike ways will lead to better health outcomes as well as better acceptance of alternative modes of transportation.
In the short term, the trail front holds more hope for positive results than road improvements. The Galloping Goose is a regional treasure that leads many tourists and day trippers to the wild west coast for recreation and economic activity. This fall we had a visit from the federal Minister, cash in hand - $11million of our gas tax coming back to where it was generated - to develop the E&N corridor trail network toward Goldstream Park and points north. The announcement was well received south of the Malahat, but the trail should proceed in tandem with the train to ensure the areas requiring double tracking are not compromised.
The network of logging roads that crisscross the Sooke Hills can be turned into trails that could link the Goose with the Trans Canada Trail in the Cowichan Valley. Equally important is the reconstruction of the Kinsol Trestle north of Shawnigan Lake. With a little over $3million already committed by the Province, and business and individual support in the offing, the Harper government needs to find resources to preserve this magnificent piece of Island history? Where is the gas tax to complete the Trans Canada Trail network? With an incomplete trail network on the Island places like the Okanagan will be the preferred destination of cycle and walking-friendly travellers looking to enjoy a two wheeled holiday.
We need more than studies if we are to meet the transportation challenges in our community. We need all levels of government to work together and focus our tax dollars to deliver alternatives. The best way to do that is through a regional transportation authority. An organization that is conscious of the costs to regional taxpayers and accountable to the people that use the services.
Let's resolve to make 2008 the year of the train and the trestle.
If you have thoughts on this or other provincial matters contact me at 391-2801 or by e-mail at John.Horgan.MLA@Leg.BC.ca
