Coun. Colin Plant would like to see an abandoned train track used for a light commuter rail system to ease traffic in Greater Victoria. And if that is not feasible, he would like to see the same line used for a dedicated busway.
He made those comments after his trip to Ottawa as part of Saanich’s delegation to the 2017 annual conference of the Canadian Federation of Municipalities, a national conference for municipal leaders across Canada.
“I think it is hard to point to one thing that stood out because there were so many good conversations I had and seeds of ideas planted (at the conference),” he said. “But perhaps what cemented for me was the idea that we must maintain the [E+N Rail corridor] for light rail. Or that even if we do not see it as a future rail line, it could be developed into a dedicated busway.”
Plant, who also sits on the board of the Capital Regional District (CRD), made these comments among growing concerns about prospects for a commuter-rail service on the E & N Rail corridor from Langford to Vic West. While the rail corridor does not through Saanich, the district has a financial stake in the Vancouver Island Corridor Foundation, which owns the corridor. Trains stopped running on the E&N corridor in 2011 because of issues with the tracks.
Leading up to last month’s provincial election, transportation minister Todd Stone of B.C. Liberals said the province would examine options to revive commuter rail service in the Greater Victoria area.
Stopping short of a full promise to revive such a service, Todd nonetheless favourably of the idea in announcing that the province would form a working group consisting out of various members to complete a business case for commuter rail.
However this promise was before the provincial election of May 9 and more than implicitly premised on the B.C. Liberals returning to power. “I have said I expect a business case to be completed and on our desks, ready for the next government to consider, so that we can finally move forward with commuter rail here in Greater Victoria,” Stone said at the time, according to published reports.
But the B.C. Liberals are currently fighting for their political survival after the B.C. Greens have announced that they would support a New Democratic minority government.
This arrangement announced last month would control exactly one more seat than the B.C. Liberals. It is however not clear yet whether this arrangement would ever get off the ground as the legislature must choose a speaker, a process that promises to be complicated, if not impossible, thereby raising the possibility of another election.
While aware of this possibility, several local municipal leaders have argued that the light commuter rail proposal is worthy of moving forward regardless of how might govern. A new survey from the Island Corridor Foundation — which owns the line — also found more than 84 per cent of Greater Victoria residents support revival of rail service.
With his comments, Plant is part of that chorus with one proviso. “Given the insurmountable fact that their is no rail bridge into (Victoria), I cannot help but think a dedicated busway might be a better use of the corridor,” he said. “In Saanich, I’d suggest that exploring dedicated bus lanes at certain chokepoints may help with congestion.”
Held June 1-4, the 2017 annual FCM conference dealt with various social issues, including housing affordability, said Plant. Among other speakers, attendees heard from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who used the occasion to repeat this government’s commitment towards the creation of a National Housing Strategy.
“The PM spoke on Friday morning and the most significant takeaway was his continued support of the role municipalities play in building and shaping the nation,” said Plant. “He acknowledged that local governments know better than Ottawa what is needed in our communities.”