1) Webinar: 4pm Wed March 9 Great Public Transit – Urban and Rural with BTA member Eric Doherty
2) Amnesty International Letter Writing Campaign Supporting Better Transit and BC’s target of reducing traffic 25% by 2030.
3) Sign the Let’s Ride petition for a national inter-community bus network
4) Good Rapid Bus news
1) Webinar: 4pm Wed March 9 Great Public Transit – Urban and Rural with BTA member Eric Doherty
Better Transit Alliance member Eric Doherty is one of two speakers at first of a four part West Coast Climate Action Network webinar series entitled “Transportation in a Time of Climate Crisis”
This webinar focuses on the need for great transit, both urban and province-wide, with guest speakers Chief Judy Wilson, from the BC Union of Indian chiefs, and Eric Doherty, a Victoria-based transportation planner. MC is Tara Howse, co-founder of the BC Climate Alliance, based in Rossland BC. The Better Transit Alliance is one of over 200 members of the West Coast Climate Action Network.
Register now at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/great-public-transit-urban-and-rural-tickets-271858103907
2) Amnesty International Letter Writing Campaign Supporting Better Transit and BC’s target of reducing traffic 25% by 2030.
Amnesty International Canada says climate change is not only the great environmental emergency of our time, but also an unprecedented human rights crisis. Their new letter writing campaign focuses on reducing the number of vehicles on our roads and increasing clean-fuelled public transit is an achievable step forward for human rights.
Please take 15 minutes to write a letter to thank the BC government for their ambitious target for fewer cars and 25% less traffic, and demand transportation investments that respect human rights.
Click here to get started https://www.amnesty.ca/blog/fewer-cars-less-traffic-less-pollution-yes-please/
3) Sign the Let’s Ride petition for a national inter-community bus network
The parliamentary petition for federal funding and coordination for “transportation by bus and rail to Canadians, with the mission of connecting all communities within every province and territory with safe, affordable, accessible, resilient, and integrated service” now has over 900 signatures. The effort, supported by the Let’s Ride group, could result in federal funding for affordably, frequent and reliable highway coach service from Victoria to Nanaimo and other Vancouver Island destinations. (A similar petition was derailed by the federal election, this is a different one).
Please sign the petition at https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-3723
4) Good RapidBus news – Bus lanes through Downtown Victoria?
The maps in BC Transit’s latest presentation materials include continuous bus lanes through downtown Victoria on Douglas, which is an issue we will be watching closely. However, we are getting mixed messages regarding continuous bus lanes vs queue jumpers on Highway 1 from McKenzie to the Six Mile area (see map).
In addition, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has announced that new bus stops and short sections of bus lane will be built on the Pat Bay Highway at Mt Newton X Road. Advocates from Central Saanich are working to ensure safer pedestrian access to these bus stops.
A key challenge now is to ensure that the provincial government funds these transit improvements, instead of wasting money widening highways or adding interchanges or flyovers.