Island Transformations

By Lloyd Skaalen

It was a great pleasure for us to have had the opportunity at the February meeting of the JBNA, to explain a transportation transformation that would reduce the road and highway dependence of all residents on this Island. The key to this transformation is reactivation of the E&N Railway.

Browse the graphic to the left, or view our 18 minute video, () and note the transportation network that E&N rail services could bring to all currently-connected Island communities. The Victoria terminus of that will permit bus and rail connections for James Bay and all other CRD communities, improving efficiency and livability, and affecting fewer traffic jams on the Malahat, Sooke and Westshore roads. Further use of rail along the Peninsula will ensure a cleaner and less noisy environment, and less oily and toxic residues flowing from roads into creeks and sewage systems! These are our objectives!

None of that will happen overnight, mind you. We have some governance problems to overcome as well as innovative measures to fund such improvements. These will be presented in subsequent articles because we seek the support of residents of all jurisdictions. Once the advantages of such a transformation are understood and appreciated, a demand for it will follow.

Examples of rapid success in such objectives in other cities are many. Portland Oregon just celebrated its 25^th anniversary of transformation from freeways to tramways and integrated bus networks. Their story is now being repeated in many smaller cities from the UK and Europe to Waterloo, Ont. We will publish some of these stories for you, and we will attempt to highlight those that have a specific bearing on Vancouver Island and this Capital Region District.

In future Beacon articles, we will keep you posted. Those who would like to receive our weekly on-line newsletters may do so with a message to .

Stay tuned! Rail transit is expanding* - the number of new installations and ridership, for those now in operation, demonstrate the attractiveness of rail vs bus transit. "Canada line" in Greater Vancouver is one such example which exceeded ridership expectations within its first year of operation!