OPINION: CRD must push province to fund rapid bus instead of expanding highways
From Capital Daily: New climate action policy sets important precedent for other regions
By Eric Doherty and Jane Welton August 11, 2021
On Wednesday, July 14, the Capital Regional District (CRD) board unanimously approved a groundbreaking new policy on transportation prioritization in the region. It means Greater Victoria’s regional district is prepared to advocate for transportation investments that contribute to meeting regional sustainable transportation, affordability, and greenhouse gas reduction targets. If the CRD follows through, the region could see hundreds of millions of provincial and federal dollars invested in electric rapid bus lines, cycling routes, and sidewalks. We could also get climate pollution from transportation trending down rather than up, and make the region healthier and more affordable.
The Transportation Priorities Implementation Strategies report rates rapid bus, general transit improvements and active transportation (walking, rolling and cycling) very highly. It also rates “Multi-Modal and Safe Highways” highly, which could be interpreted as a justification for the CRD to go along with continued provincial highway expansion, given the vague wording. However, Mayor Lisa Helps of Victoria and Salt Spring Island CRD director Gary Holman asked CRD staff some pointed questions and got important reassurances.
Helps got confirmation that CRD staff understand that their “marching orders” are to prioritize projects based on “mode shift, climate action, congestion, safety and affordability.” (Mode shift means to reduce private automobile use and increase public transit ridership, walking and cycling.) Holman got staff to clarify that their approach to dealing with congestion will favour improving public transit and active transportation rather than increasing highway capacity for cars with wider highways or new interchanges. read more at link.