[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 Letter to editor in TC – Get bus lanes rolling now

Times Colonist May 19, 2018

Re: “Horgan puts brakes on light rail for E&N,” column, May 16.

I’m glad Premier John Horgan is focused on getting the Douglas Street/Trans-Canada Highway bus lanes completed before moving on to more complex transit projects.

The 24/7 bus lanes on Douglas Street and parts of the Trans-Canada Highway are already under construction. Completing the highway shoulder bus lanes as far as the Six Mile Pub area will be simple, inexpensive and quick. It is a good project, and should not be left half finished.

Now that electric buses cost about the same as diesel buses over their lifetime, bus lanes can provide climate-friendly, quiet, fast and inexpensive transportation. Horgan’s climate action plan won’t be released until the fall, but he should get the bus lane completion rolling today.

Tomorrow he should start ordering hundreds of electric buses.

Eric Doherty
Better Transit Alliance of Greater Victoria

www.timescolonist.com/opinion/letters/get-bus-lanes-rolling-now-1.23307893

Better Transit Alliance on front page of Times Colonist

Bus-lane extension to speed commute to West Shore
Lindsay Kines / Times Colonist
March 8, 2018

Transit riders can expect a slightly faster commute to the West Shore this fall once work concludes to extend the northbound rapid bus lane on Douglas Street.

B.C. Transportation Minister Claire Trevena announced Wednesday that Jacob Bros. Construction Inc. of Surrey won the contract to build a priority bus lane from Tolmie Avenue to the Burnside Bridge, where Burnside and Interurban roads cross under the Trans-Canada Highway. Continue reading “Better Transit Alliance on front page of Times Colonist”

[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”

Finish bus lanes to West Shore – Better Transit Alliance Letter to TC

Shoulder bus lane on Highway 99 in Richmond BC

Times Colonist Letters to Editor
February 25, 2018

Re: “For now, the Crawl lives on,” column, Feb. 16.

It’s good news that the provincial government is proceeding with the next section of bus lane on Douglas Street in Saanich. The Better Transit Alliance also agrees with columnist Jack Knox that “continuous, dedicated transit lanes between downtown and the West Shore, allowing buses to blow past the Crawl” is a practical way to provide congestion relief. Continue reading “Finish bus lanes to West Shore – Better Transit Alliance Letter to TC”

Victoria BTA member’s letter pushes CRD to defend CRD Transport Plan

Adding blacktop solutions to handle more vehicles not the answer, reader writes
Jan. 14, 2018

Re: Regional transportation authority has mayors at odds (vicnews.com, Jan. 11)  Langford Mayor Stew Young has convinced me that a Capital Regional District transportation service is a good idea.

He suggests that ‘experts’ in the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI) should make decisions for the region. Continue reading “Victoria BTA member’s letter pushes CRD to defend CRD Transport Plan”

[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”

Great Letter by Brentwood Bay BTA member!

Have you written a letter to the editor about transit this month? How about writing a quick one right now, short and to the point is usually best!

Build efficient transit system now!

Re: “Trans-Canada congestion is a climate crime,” letter, Nov. 18.

I agree with the writer of the letter. I think it’s time that a lot more effort was put into transit, including dedicated transit-only lanes all along the Pat Bay Highway. Continue reading “Great Letter by Brentwood Bay BTA member!”