The BC govt recently announced a regional transportation strategy for southern Vancouver Island which does not include LRT.
Instead they propose more bus lanes, bus stops, etc.
LRT is long overdue for our region. Housing affordability often depends on density, which is largely dependent on efficient transportation.
An LRT would identify future areas for high density housing as well as protecting environmentally sensitive areas.
LRT will also likely depend on amalgamating 13 municipalities in the CRD, in order to get federal funding.
Combined, our region of about 380,000 residents is large enough to attract provincial and federal funding for initiatives like LRT.
For example, Edmonton started Light Rail Transit in 1974 with a population only 17% more than ours today. Now they have a population of more than a million, and the LRT has been an essential part of their planning.
The LRT was possible because Edmonton has a ward system – a form of amalgamation, which helped secure funding.
Small communities still exist, but as part of a single municipal council, where councilors work together.
Locally, we don’t have amalgamation, however a recent referendum supported studying unification between Victoria and Saanich.
Sustainability for our community relies on our managing the rising costs of transportation and housing.
We should start with demanding LRT.
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