BTA News: Great Transit – Urban & Rural Webinar; Amnesty Transit & Human Rights Campaign; Good RapidBus News

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

Continue reading “BTA News: Great Transit – Urban & Rural Webinar; Amnesty Transit & Human Rights Campaign; Good RapidBus News”

BTA News – Letter to Editor Workshop, Climate Letter, and Recent Video & Articles

Better Transit Alliance News:
1) Webinar: Write a letter to the editor for transit funding – 3pm Tues Nov 30
 
2) Help get more endorsers for the BC Climate Emergency Open Letter
 
3) Recent video, articles and letter to the editor

 
1) Webinar: Write a letter to the editor for transit funding – 3pm Tues Nov 30.
 
In this 30-minute webinar with Gideon Forman of the David Suzuki Foundation we will learn how to write a letter to editor about transit funding. The webinar, hosted by our friends at the TTC Riders Union, will involve a short training, followed by time for you to write and send a letter during the event!

Continue reading “BTA News – Letter to Editor Workshop, Climate Letter, and Recent Video & Articles”

BTA News: Write to federal election candidates today! – Transit webinar Sept 28

1) #VoteTransit2021 – Write to candidates today! 2) Register now for Having the Right Conversation About Transit – Tues Sept 28 [date changed]

1) #VoteTransit2021 – Write to candidates today!
This federal election, with our friends in the national Keep Transit Moving Coalition, we’re asking candidates to end the financial crisis faced by our transit systems.

Continue reading “BTA News: Write to federal election candidates today! – Transit webinar Sept 28”

BTA News – 1) BTA Endorses Stefanie Hardman 2) Write to your CRD rep about South Island Transport Strategy

1) BTA endorses Stefanie Hardman in Victoria by-election

The Better Transit Alliance (BTA) has chosen to support Stefanie Hardman’s campaign for the Victoria City Council by-election. Stephanie has earned BTA’s endorsement by providing detailed and passionate proposals for improving public transit. She states that the climate emergency requires prioritizing public transit funding over highway expansion, and that re-allocating road space to transit lanes to make buses faster and more reliable.

Continue reading “BTA News – 1) BTA Endorses Stefanie Hardman 2) Write to your CRD rep about South Island Transport Strategy”

[BTA News] Action Needed: BC Government’s climate plans need a push, from you (Deadline Aug 24)

In this newsletter:
• BC Government’s climate plans need a push, from you
• Help get the Highway 1 Bus Lanes Completed – Write to your MLA

BC Government’s climate plans need a push, from you
The BC Government recently outlined some of their high-level ideas on climate action in a set of discussion papers. The transportation proposal is weak, and incomplete – with more ideas promised later. There are some very good things in these discussions papers, including a vague commitment to increase transit funding. But the government needs a push from you to show there is strong public support for prioritizing transit over urban highway expansion. Continue reading “[BTA News] Action Needed: BC Government’s climate plans need a push, from you (Deadline Aug 24)”

[BTA News] Car Free Day Sun June 17 (Volunteers needed!) – Help get the Hwy 1 bus lanes completed

In this newsletter:
• Visit or Volunteer with the Better Transit Alliance at Car Free Day
• Help get the Highway 1 Bus Lanes Completed – Write to your MLA
• Central Saanich Community Association forms Transit Committee
• Write a letter to the editor today!

Visit or Volunteer with the Better Transit Alliance at Car Free Day

On Sunday June 17th (Father’s Day) the Better Transit Alliance will be at Car Free Day on Douglas Street in Downtown Victoria. We would love to have you drop by and chat any time between 11am and 6pm. And we would love it even more if you could volunteer to help out for a few hours. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact us at bettertransityyj [at] gmail.com. It is fun, and no experience necessary! (The Better Transit Alliance is an all-volunteer organization, without volunteer energy we would not exist). Continue reading “[BTA News] Car Free Day Sun June 17 (Volunteers needed!) – Help get the Hwy 1 bus lanes completed”

[BTA News] Good news edition! $7 million/yr for better transit, bus lane progress & more

Provincial budget a 7 million dollar step in the right direction

The NDP government’s recently released budget includes a two cent per litre increase in the tax on gasoline and diesel to raise about $7 million per year for better transit. Local government representatives and the Victoria Transit Commission have been calling for this essential funding increase for years. This is very good news! Continue reading “[BTA News] Good news edition! $7 million/yr for better transit, bus lane progress & more”

[BTA News] Ask Victoria Council to Approve BTA’s Climate Friendly Transportation Motion! – More updates & actions

Ask Victoria Council to Approve BTA’s Transit & Climate Motion!

At the request of the Better Transit Alliance, Victoria City Councillors Jeremy Loveday and Ben Isitt have crafted a motion based on the BTA’s open letter on climate-friendly transportation investments! The motion is titled “Advocacy to Shift Investment to Low-Emission Transportation.” The motion reads: Continue reading “[BTA News] Ask Victoria Council to Approve BTA’s Climate Friendly Transportation Motion! – More updates & actions”

Sign our open letter on climate-friendly transportation investments!

Prime Minister Trudeau, former Premier Clark and most of Canada’s premiers signed the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change in 2016. This Framework contains a policy shift that could fund much better transit in our region, and reduce climate pollution. But this likely won’t happen without local support!

The Framework commits the federal and provincial governments to “shift from higher to lower-emitting types of transportation, including through investing in infrastructure.” This means investing more in better transit and less on urban highways that just become congested again.

So if you want better transit, and effective climate action, read and sign the open letter today!

Bus lanes on the Douglas / Highway 1 corridor would be completed quicker if the Climate Framework was implemented

 

Newsletter: Provincial & Federal Transit Funding – Want to get involved in the Better Transit Alliance?

Douglas Street Bus Lanes Update

Transit riders don’t cause traffic problems, so why should we have to endure them? The Better Transit Alliance is working to pressure decision-makers to move forward with their promise to install 24/7 bus lanes on Douglas Street & Highway 1 all the way to the 6-Mile Pub. The bus lanes could be completed within 24 months for a very reasonable cost, once our provincial government decides to get it done. See our blog post for an update on the progress of the project and help spread the word (including to your local provincial election candidates).

Province says “no” to better transit for Greater Victoria

We’re disappointed to report that our transit system will not be benefiting from an increase in gas tax. The Better Transit Alliance submitted a letter of support for the tax, along with many other local organizations. The CBC reports:

Continue reading “Newsletter: Provincial & Federal Transit Funding – Want to get involved in the Better Transit Alliance?”