Future options for transportation and energy on Vancouver Island
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ITO is winding down
Hello regular readers of this newsletter. It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing the start of the winding down of Island Transformations Organization.
We have been around for over 15 years, starting out from the remnants of the Greater Victoria Light rail society to ITO. As an educational We took part in many discussions and several initiatives including the Solar Colwood hot water heating program that ran for a few years.
The plan is to transition the remaining members energy and assets left in the organization to the Vancouver Island Transportation Corridor Coalition (VITCC).
It has been a pleasure doing this work and you may receive this newsletter for a few more weeks as things transition to VITCC.
Take care out there.
Eric Diller
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Hear Yea, hear yea!!
A special general meeting will be held online at 8PM on December the 12th so that the membership and interested parties can decide on the future of Island Transformations Organization.
If you are interested in attending, we can send you the link. To receive the link, please send an e-mail to:
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As the sign below says
This rally is in response to the killing of Crystal Bourque in a lit crosswalk with flashing lights. Please attend if you can.
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Notice of Special General meeting.
A special general meeting will be held online at 8PM on December the 12th so that the membership and interested parties can decide on the future of Island Transformations Organization.
If you are interested in attending, we can send you the link. To receive the link, please send an e-mail to:
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Vancouver Island civic leaders see rail as a solution to Malahat woes
Local civic and transportation leaders want to see renewed consideration for investing in rail infrastructure in the wake of the challenges of moving commuters and cargo created by the recent traffic disruptions along the Malahat.
While Malahat mudslides limited Hwy. 1 traffic to one lane, created supply chain concerns and stranded commuters for a matter of days, those affecting the Shawnigan Lake’s rail corridors last used by passengers in 2011 were inconsequential and cleared in a matter of hours, said Jake Peake, president of the Vancouver Island Transport Corridor Coalition.
“Had this corridor received the investment that it should have many years ago, we could be running passenger trains and even freight as far as Nanaimo, Duncan, Victoria or wherever necessary (following the Nov. 15 rain event),” he said.
A business plan currently being developed by the Island Corridor Foundation expected to be released to the province this year would see currently rail-equipped corridors from Victoria north to Courtenay, and running laterally from Parksville to Port Alberni, serving passengers and shipments daily, said Peake. Basic service would have two three-car trains travelling between Victoria and Langford from 6 a.m. through rush hour if the plan were funded.
Peake, a former mayor for the Town of Lake Cowichan, said he’s heard from dozens of upper Island residents who would prefer rail travel to keep medical appointments or limit their gas spending. Several producers, including a grain supplier in Duncan, already have the infrastructure to ship and receive via rail. “Many crate users would be happy to see freight rail back in place,” he said.
“(Victoria) Council has endorsed rail on many occasions … and is definitely on record calling on senior levels of government to invest in intercity passenger transport and for freight trains,” said Coun. Ben Isitt. “All levels of government need to step up and make the investment.”
The investment required to make commuter trains a reality is $2.6 million per kilometre of track, Peake said, for the installation of 115-pound rails and continuous welding. Of the half dozen proposals to improve the Malahat section of Hwy. 1, Peake said each averages more than $19 million per kilometre.
“Every year the province of B.C. spends literally billions of dollars on transportation,” Isitt said. The McKenzie interchange, for example, came at a cost of $96 million when completed in September 2020. “They choose to spend that money on highways rather than on rail.”
With the population of the Cowichan Valley Regional District swelling from 65,000 to 85,000 during his time in civic office while the Island grew from 650,000 to 850,000, Peake said continuing to develop highways as opposed to getting people into public transit would be hypocritical of the region’s sustainability goals.
“There’s a very strong business case for investing in the renewal of the Island rail. Our highways are getting increasingly clogged, we see fuel prices only going up. I don’t think tearing out forests to put in highways that are going to get washed out in storms is a good policy,” Isitt said. “So the efficiencies of moving people by public models of transportation I think are only going to be more and more clear.”
From KIERNAN GREENNov. 29, 2021 6:30 a.m.LOCAL VIC NEWS
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Comment: Malahat solution will take more than buses
I am not sure what to make of the most recent commentary by Todd Litman, a well-respected transportation planner, and Alistair Craighead, a former B.C. Transit board member and the chair of the Rails to Trails organization.
They tell us: “The Malahat is congested, dangerous and vulnerable to closures, as we experienced last week.” They suggest the answer to these problems is frequent, low-cost bus service.
So, to overcome congestion, we are going to add an hourly bus service to an already congested and dangerous highway?
This is even more confusing when you consider that the South Island Transportation Study they refer to in their piece tells us that transit times from Mill Bay to Victoria are estimated to grow to about two and a half hours by 2038.
Given that buses will surely be subject to the same two-and-a-half-hour transit time, I am not sure how one could come to the conclusion that buses are the answer to the problem.
Of course, buses will also experience the problems that come with highway closures.
It also seems a little incongruous when they say: “Instead of trying to move more vehicles, we can implement multimodal solutions, that move more people, increasing efficiency and providing more total benefits.”
The solution they are putting forward is exactly the opposite of this statement. They are putting forward a single-mode solution that puts more vehicles on the road.
They can argue that a bus is more efficient as it carries more people than an automobile; however, if the bus is sitting in the same congestion as the cars, I am not sure how many people will make the switch from their cars to the bus, taking away any potential benefit.
There is an alternative, and that is the full restoration of rail service on the Island.
Litman is no stranger to rail service, and in fact wrote a commentary that appeared in the Globe and Mail last week, wherein he says “a rail line or bus lane that offers fast and convenient transit service will attract some commuters out of their cars, reducing highway congestion.”
That article was arguing against investment in highway expansion in Ontario as it would attract more vehicles to the highways, but it seems that Litman has a different argument for the Malahat, as he tells us the answer here is more buses on the highway.
Litman and Craighead did consider a rail solution. They looked to the South Island Transportation Study, where the cost of rail for the Island is stated to be $1 billion, and therefore determined it is too expensive.
That number is for an over-designed premium rail service that, for example, contains a $595- million commuter rail system that is simply not required today.
That number contains an unheard-of contingency of 97 per cent, resulting in a doubling of the cost of a rail solution. The fact is that a safe, efficient and reliable rail service can be had on the Island for about $350 million to $400 million. That service would include a commuter passenger service in the Victoria-to Langford section of the corridor, inter-regional passenger train service, freight and excursion trains.
A multimodal solution is required if we are going to overcome the challenges of the alahat, and we should be embracing a whole network approach that involves the integration of our existing transit network with a rail network.
An integrated transportation solution is likely the only way we are going to effect true modal shift and get people out of their cars.
If we can do that, we will be closer to overcoming the challenges of the Malahat, with the added benefit of moving us closer to the Clean B.C. goals we so desperately need to achieve.
A commentary by the CEO of the Island Corridor Foundation, Larry Stevenson
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Resilience
At ITO, one of the big ideas that we like to share about and discuss is sustainability. Yet in recent times, the word is being used less.Which maybe a good thing if people were using, but not knowing what it really means. Perhaps it became a buzzword like so many before it.
In this piece by New Westminster Councillor Patrick Johnstone, he explores why politicians may not be using the word Sustainable as much any more.
Have we really given up on the next generation(s)?
Find out why.
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Over 180 cities, districts are working to reform their parking laws, will one of ours be next?
The Strong towns organization in partnership with the Parking reform network have updated their map of cities, towns and districts that are in the process of reforming their parking laws.
Check it out here.
image courtesy of Strong Towns/ unsplash
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BC uses State of emergency as cover for RCMP raids on Coastal Gas link protestors
The BC government is using resources that could be used to help BC families and businesses recover from the floods and this past summers fires to bulldoze and raid the Wet’suwet’en camp.
They flew in two plane loads of police officers to assist Coastal Gs Link (CGL) build a pipeline through land that CGL was evicted from in January 2020.
The BC government has signed UNDRIP which gives indigenous folks rights. Yet is not abiding by their own legislation.
All this while we experience weather events made much worse by the types of emissions that the CGL pipeline will produce. Its completely Bass Ackwards.
Write or call your MLA and tell them this is unacceptable.
ITO is an organization that promotes energy efficiency and less dependency on carbon based energy resources. This is why we are siding with Dogwood on this issue.
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2nd Anual smart rail technology conference
This is coming up soon in 10 days. There look to be some interesting speakers and for those who register, some opportunities for engagement.
Check it out
Image courtesy of CUTRIC/CRITUC
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Grading BCs Climate plan. The roadmap to 2030
The recent floods in Southern BC and on Vancouver Island have made it clear that BC is not doing so great a job at implementing the roadmap. This is especially clear since southern Vancouver islands only functioning land route was blocked by flood waters from streams flowing down the Malahat highway.
ITOs view is that the BC government needs to assist in getting the rail line repaired so as to have a viable secondary route for all of southern Vancouver island. Please write to your member of the legislative assembly (MLA) to tell them this.
Read West Coast Environmental Laws paper on the Clean BC plan here.
Image courtesy of WCEL.
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Tell the BC government to stop funding natural gas fracking
The B.C. government has launched its long-awaited public consultation on natural gas royalties. OK, I admit, it doesn’t sound all that exciting. But this is our best shot at cutting off the biggest taxpayer handouts to the oil and gas companies fuelling the climate crisis in B.C. And it’s happening thanks to people like you who have been holding the NDP’s feet to the fire on this. So take a minute and go tell the B.C. government to end its billion dollar giveaway to fracking and pipeline companies! Here’s why this review matters: Royalties are the fees companies pay the public to extract oil and gas. But instead of using this money to help the people of B.C., the province has been handing out way more in royalty credits (a.k.a. subsidies) than it gets back in payments. Because, despite the climate emergency and all their big talk about climate leadership, this government is actively using public money to encourage more fracking. The B.C. government now gives $1.3 billion dollars a year in handouts to oil and gas companies — and that number has doubled since the BC NDP came to power. Image courtesy of BBC news
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Lets get mapping Victorias problem pedestrian areas
In this excellent Sidewalking Victoria article, Thomas writes about a new app that allows people to document problem areas for pedestrians. It is similar to the Cycling one here.
Check it out here.
image courtesy of walk, roll, map.
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Have your say!
Take the Missing middle housing survey from the city of Victoria and have your say about what types of multifamily housing you want in your neighbourhood. Think of the advantages, Better infrastructure, better transit, that someone who would love to walk your cat, etc...
Take the survey here.
image courtesy of the City of Victoria
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Clean BC Roadmap
Following up on last weeks post is a great take from Victorias great transportation analyst. Todd Litman:
British Columbia's Road Map to 2030 sets specific targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and identifies policies for achieving those targets.
The Road Map includes targets to reduce light-duty vehicle travel by 25% by 2030, and to Increase the share of trips made by walking, cycling, transit to 30% by 2030, 40% by 2040, and 50% by 2050 (pages 34 and 35).
These are ambitious targets, higher than in California or Washington State.
They are achievable if local, regional and provincial policies change to favor non-auto modes and encourage more compact community development. Specifically:
Shift transportation funding from highway expansions to improving walking, bicycling and public transit, reflecting a sustainable transportation hierarchy.
Eliminate parking minimums so car-free households are no longer forced to pay for costly parking facilities they don't need.
Require large employers to implement Commute Trip Reduction Programs
Implement Pay-As-You-Drive vehicle insurance, so motorists pay lower premiums when they reduce their driving.
Allow more infill development in walkable urban neighborhoods, so more people can live in areas where it is easy to get around without driving.
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MLA running for leader of the BC Liberals, endorses rail on Vancouver Island
Skeena/ Kitimat MLA Ellis Ross endorsed reviving rail on Vancouver Island in this video. Hopefully he becomes leader of the BC liberals and follows through on promises.
Watch it here!
Image courtesy of Ellis Ross
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ITDP launches Cycling Cities
The Institue for Transportation Development Policy has launched Cycling Cities as a way of promoting this fun, healthy, affordable way of transportation in cities around the world. We at Island Transformations agree with this. Lets get out there and grow the cycling networks. During the Pandemic we allocated many kilometres of bike lanes. Lets not go back to the dirty, stressful way that we had before.
Read more here or Watch a video here
Image courtesy of ITDP
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