South Island Transportation 'strategy' slim on details

The provincial government finally released the long-awaited South Island Transportation Strategy last week. The report pays lip service to a number of issues that matter to the region, but offers few details about how Greater Victoria can achieve those outcomes. It's notable that the document originally referred to as a "plan" has become a "strategy."

“There’s some indication about what they intend to do but they don’t say how and when they intend to do it,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams told the Times Colonist.

The study made mention of improved transit service to First Nations, and about the need for better transportation options serving the West Shore. Chamber chair John Wilson also noted that there was no mention of improving transportation governance in Greater Victoria. The Chamber has long advocated that this is needed to ensure decisions are based on what's best for the region rather than individual municipalities.

With a provincial election now underway, we're still waiting for real solutions to transportation issues on the South Island. We don't need to study what's already been studied. We need decisions that actually benefit people on their everyday commute.

The strategy also offered little insight into the future of rail on Vancouver Island. Plenty of money has been spent on studies and assessments, but we still don't know what will become of this transportation option. To better understand how Islanders feel about rail, the Island Corridor Foundation has released a survey aimed at anyone interested in transportation on the Island.

Take the Survey

Island Corridor Foundation: Member since 2020