Author: Eric Doherty

Our transit system in Greater Victoria is threatened like never before. Revenues from gas taxes and transit fares have evaporated, and the federal government is bailing out private yacht clubs and luxury car dealerships while refusing to provide emergency operating funding for public transit. There have been significant cuts to transit service in Greater Victoria already, and much deeper cuts could be on the way.

In the past, bail out funds have often gone to urban highway expansion boondoggles that make traffic and pollution worse, instead of to badly needed transit improvements.

The Better Transit Alliance has joined the Save Transit in BC Coalition, which is calling on the federal government to provide emergency operating funding. You can help by using their letter writing tool to tell your MP why you want emergency funding for public transit NOW.

Some points you might want to include in your letter include:

Continue reading “Save Transit – Write to your MP today!”

Continue reading “[BTA News] Green New Deal Town Hall Thurs – Support Youth Transit Passes – Good News, Bad News”

Dear members of the Capital Regional District Transportation Committee

April 23, 2019

Re April 24 agenda Item 5.1 – Motion with Notice: Transportation Improvements on Highway 1 and Highway 14 Corridors

Victorians for Transportation Choice (VTC) is very concerned about the direction of the Southern Vancouver Island Transportation Strategy (SVITS) and related provincial government plans to spend many millions of dollars on road and highway projects in our region. We urge you to support this motion and provide a strong regional voice.

Continue reading “Victorians for Transportation Choice letter to CRD re climate emergency”

Dear members of the Victoria Transit Commission,

re. Priorities and upcoming Victoria Transit Commission workshop

The Better Transit Alliance (BTA) understands that the Victoria Transit Commission will soon be holding an internal workshop to discuss setting priorities for BC Transit. We would like you to consider these points in your workshop and other actions.

Climate Emergency

Our region needs transportation solutions that address the needs of local residents while rapidly reducing greenhouse gas pollution as called for in the Climate Emergency declaration unanimously passed by the CRD. Every investment and decision must be examined to determine if it is going to be effective in reducing climate pollution over the next eleven years.

Continue reading “BTA Letter to Victoria Transit Commission”

In this newsletter:
• Invest in transit, and protect the Sooke Hills Park!
• Province foot dragging on filling Hwy 1 bus lane gap
• CRD needs to hear from you – in person or by email
• Electric bus article
• Breaking – Victoria to fund youth transit passes!

Invest in transit, and protect the Sooke Hills Park!

The Sooke Hills Wilderness Regional Park is part of the Sea to Sea Green Blue Belt, the Capital Regional District’s (CRD) green belt linking Saanich Inlet in the east to Juan de Fuca Strait in the west.

The provincial government wants to build an “alternative emergency” Malahat route through the CRD’s Sooke Hills Park. Continue reading “[BTA News] No highway through Sooke Hills Park, Yes to bus lanes! CRD Meeting Feb 27”