Uncategorized – Better Transit Alliance

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.”

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.

Letter to CRD Board – Regional Transportation Priorities

May 10, 2021

Dear CRD Chair Colin Plant & CRD Board members

From: BC Sustainable Energy Association Victoria Chapter, Better Mobility Saanich, Better Transit Alliance of Greater Victoria, Capital Bike (formerly Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition & Bike to Work Victoria), Cities for Everyone, Citizens Environmental Network in Colwood, Climate Justice Victoria, Council of Canadians Victoria Chapter, Greenpeace Victoria Local Group, Island Transformations Organization, Oak Bay Climate Force, Saanich Eco Advocates, Urban Thrive, and View Royal Climate Coalition.

Re 8.4 Identification of Regional Transportation Priorities report – May 12 CRD Board meeting

We support the CRD Transportation Committee’s recommendation “That the categorized priority areas listed in Appendix A be confirmed as amended, subject to clarification of the description of the ‘Highway Safety Improvements’ priority to ensure alignment with the Mode Share targets in the report.” This is a step towards creating transportation infrastructure priorities that are ranked according to CRD criteria including GHG pollution, sustainable transportation mode share, and affordability.

Open Letter to CRD Transportation Committee

Re CRD motions on transportation and climate – February 17 Transportation Committee

Dear Capital Regional District Transportation Committee Members,

Thank you for voting on December 9, 2020 to develop a list of transportation priorities informed by the CRD’s declaration of a climate emergency and the CRD’s climate targets.

We now understand that you will be considering two related motions at the February 17 Transportation Committee meeting.

Open Letter to CRD Board on Transportation and Climate Motions

Dear Capital Regional District Board Members,

Re CRD motions on transportation and climate – January 13, 2021 board meeting

Thank you for voting on December 9, 2020 to develop a list of transportation priorities informed by the CRD’s declaration of a climate emergency and the CRD’s climate targets.

We now understand that you will be considering two related motions at the January 13 CRD Board meeting.

We support both motions put forward by CRD Director Ned Taylor and ask that you vote in favor for both:

1) Motion re CRD letter to Ministers Fleming and Ma:

Open Letter – CRD response to South Island Transportation Strategy

Dear Capital Regional District Board Members,

Re CRD response to South Island Transportation Strategy

Thank you! Your 2019 votes against a new ‘alternate route’ Malahat highway and for the CRD Climate Emergency declaration has resulted in the provincial government releasing a South Island Transportation Strategy (SITS) that is a significant step forward.

We would like you to take the next step, and request a re-prioritization of provincial and federal funding to be compatible with the aspirations of SITS, the CRD’s unanimous Climate Emergency declaration, and the Pan Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.

Save Transit – Write to your MP today!

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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:

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

In this Newsletter:
1) Green New Deal Town Hall Thurs
2) Support universal youth transit passes in Greater Victoria
3) Good News – Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities supports funding shift for transit
4) Bad News – Provincial Government funds highway expansion & delays bus lane completion