Better Transit Alliance – Advocating for better public transit in Greater Victoria

Transit should be more reliable than driving during snow days, says critic

Kori Sidaway – CHEK
More snow than expected brought public transit in Victoria to a brief standstill.

That was much to the frustration of users, who questioned the region’s transportation system’s decision and challenged it to do better.

“When there’s only a little bit of snow, you don’t expect the whole transit system to shut down,” said Eric Doherty, a member of the Better Transit Alliance for Greater Victoria.

Five to 10 centimetres blanketed the region overnight, and Saanich Police told CHEK News they responded to five crashes between 6 and 7 a.m.

But with roads more slushy than snowy, walking appeared to be the more treacherous morning commute. However, it was even more trouble for those walking to a bus stop.

“I don’t think BC Transit takes reliability seriously enough,” said Doherty.

Despite the relatively small accumulation, BC Transit suspended service in Victoria temporarily, with many routes not fully serviced until 11 a.m.

Doherty is calling for better transit in the Capital Region, saying if the province is serious about its climate goals, transit should be more reliable than driving.

“The provincial government has committed to having 25 per cent less driving by 2030 as part of their Clean BC climate plan,” said Doherty.

“If transit isn’t reliable, there’s no way that we’re going to get the thousands and thousands of people to stop driving and take transit.”

In a statement to CHEK News, BC Transit said it was “not a decision the organization took lightly.”

Transportation contradictions popped up in Sooke and Nanaimo School Districts as well. Schools were open later than usual, but bus services were cancelled.

The decision angered at least one parent, prompting them to take to Twitter and say parents shouldn’t be expected to drive to school if buses aren’t operating.

In contrast, Victoria School District remained open, and instead of stopping its bus services, it added more.

Source: www.cheknews.ca/transit-should-be-more-reliable-than-driving-during-snow-days-says-critic-1142710/

BTA News – Vote for Better Transit on Sat Oct 15!

The Better Transit Alliance is a member of Victorians for Transportation Choice (VTC), a collection of seven groups who work for better transportation solutions for all. We have received numerous responses to our questionnaire on transportation issues, and more are still coming in.

Candidates who responded have overwhelmingly supported a target of reducing car traffic 25% by 2030 as called for in the provincial climate plan, and a set of supportive policies to make public transit, walking, rolling and cycling more appealing in Greater Victoria. Both mayoralty candidates in Saanich support the 25% traffic reduction target.

Specific questions regarding public transit include one regarding bus lanes, with variations by municipality. The City of Victoria question is “Do you support rapidly completing 24/7 bus lanes along Douglas Street through downtown Victoria, as well as similar measures along all of BC Transit’s proposed RapidBus routes in Victoria?” The Saanich question asks about support for “rapidly completing 24/7 bus lanes along McKenzie to UVic.”

Media Release – Greater Victoria Election Candidates overwhelmingly support 25% traffic reduction target: Responses support wheelchairs on bike and roll routes, bus lanes & more

Victoria – Candidates in the October 15 municipal election have overwhelmingly supported a target of reducing car traffic 25% by 2030, and a set of supportive policies to make public transit, walking, rolling and cycling more appealing in Greater Victoria.

Victorians for Transportation Choice (VTC), a collection of seven groups who work for better transportation solutions for all, has received numerous responses to their questionnaire on transportation issues. And the overwhelming majority support radical change in how people get around our region.

Media Advisory: Greater Victoria Election Candidates Challenged to Take Positions On Transportation Questions

Seven groups pose questions ranging from wheelchairs on bike and roll routes to passenger trains.

Victoria – Victorians for Transportation Choice (VTC), a collection of seven groups who work for better transportation solutions for all, has launched a candidate questionnaire for the October 15th municipal elections. The VTC hopes to inform the voting public about candidates’ ideas and platforms on a surprisingly wide range of transportation questions.

The VTC’s member groups – Capital Bike; Greater Victoria Placemaking Network; British Columbia Sustainable Energy Association; Walk On, Victoria; Vancouver Island Transportation Corridor Coalition (VITCC) Action Committee Of People With Disabilities (ACPD); and the Better Transit Alliance of Greater Victoria – want our communities to shift to transit, walking, biking, and rolling, as a means to meet transportation needs while improving livability, while reducing carbon pollution and other harm.

BTA’s BC Budget 2022 submission

2022 BC Budget Submission – Better Transit Alliance of Greater Victoria

September 29, 2021

Dear members of the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services,

The climate emergency is turning lives upside down in BC. This year hundreds of people died in a heatwave and towns burned. We are in a climate emergency, which translates to a budgetary emergency for governments and families.

According to BC government data, transportation is BC’s largest and fastest growing source of GHG pollution. As shown in the graph below, transport emissions increased by 31% from 2011 to 2018.[1]

This increase was largely caused by provincial budgetary decisions, particularly spending billions of dollars to increase the capacity of urban highways instead of using the same funds to improve public transit and active transportation.

BTA News: “The perfect highway alternative” podcast & article – Right Transit Conversation webinar date change

1) BTA member Eric Doherty co-wrote an inspiring article, and was interviewed for “The perfect highway alternative”podcast about Rapid Bus and the CRD’s new policy of prioritizing transit.

2) The date for the Having the Right Conversation About Transit has changed from Sept 29 to Tues Sept 28 at noon

1) Rapid bus Article and podcast

Over the summer BTA member Eric Doherty co-wrote an inspiring article, and was interviewed for a podcast, about Rapid Bus and the CRD’s new policy of prioritizing transit over highway expansion.

Please sign national bus and rail petition – good news from CRD

Please sign this petition (and circulate) calling for a national, affordable, accessible public bus and rail system – we need just 88 more signatures to meet the 500-signature threshold for presentation in the House of Commons!

Chris Alemany from Port Alberni initiated the petition, and any citizen of permanent resident of Canada can sign.

https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-3431

A bit of summertime good news!

On Wednesday July 14, the Capital Regional District (CRD) board unanimously approved a new policy on transportation prioritization in the region. Now Greater Victoria’s regional district is prepared to advocate for transportation investments that contribute to meeting regional transit ridership, affordability, and greenhouse gas reduction targets. The document is vague in places, but CRD directors asked CRD staff some pointed questions and got important reassurances. Staff clarified that their approach to dealing with congestion will favor improving public transit and active transportation rather than increasing highway capacity for cars with wider highways or new interchanges. We will be following this ongoing process carefully.

Hope you are enjoying your summer, and expect to hear more from the Better Transit Alliance in the fall.