News Release - April 23, 2007
VICTORIA - Moving commuters from automobiles to alternative forms of transport including light rail, bus and cycling is the best and most economical way to ease congestion and build a sustainable transportation system on the South Island. That was a dominant theme at "Moving Ahead," a South Island Transportation Forum, led this weekend by the South Island Opposition MLAs.
"For Greater Victoria to make a substantive contribution to provincial targets for emission reductions that contribute to global warming, we need to change our transportation habits and shift people away from reliance on the automobile for commuting and short trips," said Victoria-Hillside MLA Rob Fleming . "Yet the B.C. Liberal government continues to deprive Greater Victoria of proper funding for public transit, and has no plans for substantive improvements in transportation projects."
"To improve transit's market share dramatically, transit must be able to bypass traffic congestion on the major corridor between downtown and Langford town centre," said Saanich South MLA David Cubberley , who facilitated the sessions. "It has to run on its own dedicated right-of-way."
"Roadway improvements alone won't do it, because it's true that, if you build it, they will come, and keep coming," said John Horgan , MLA for Malahat-Juan de Fuca. "The best way to relieve automobile congestion is to build up the other modes of alternative transportation."
"We need a comprehensive, coordinated approach to transportation, and with the B.C. Liberal government, we're not getting it," said Esquimalt-Metchosin MLA Maurine Karagianis . "Our region needs a new, integrated transportation authority with democratic representation by local governments and appropriate funding from the senior levels of government. Where's the gas tax that Gordon Campbell has been taking from the pockets of all of us?"
Nearly 100 interested citizens, community leaders and transportation consultants turned out for the forum, held on Saturday at the Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre. They heard that substantial increases in funding and supports are urgently needed for cycling, pedestrian and public transit infrastructure to break through the status quo strategy of re-engineering roadways to increase automobile capacity.
Several presenters spoke of the abundant economic, lifestyle and environmental benefits of Light Rail Transit (LRT), and the suitability of the Capital Regional District for LRT. With the densification happening along the Douglas Street corridor and View Royal, Colwood and Langford, there is a tremendous opportunity for an LRT system from downtown to the Western Communities.
"What's lacking is the political will to make it happen," Cubberley said. "The B.C. Liberals are spending billions in the Lower Mainland, yet next to nothing here, even though we're facing a transportation crisis. Building LRT and putting more resources into alternative modes of transportation is the only sensible way out of gridlock, and the South Island Opposition MLAs are taking that fight to the Legislature."
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