3103 replies to this topic

[VicHockeyFan]

Yes. But that's about at best they will be with such low ridership.

[HB]

Talk is cheap


Time and time again it was proven that people only care about things when those things are gone

E&N is a great example of that.Very few people used ir on a regular basis they only used it when it was threatened to be shut down

[Mike K.]

They didn't use it because it was a super sucky.

[VicHockeyFan]

Well, it was also not a commuter train.  Oh ya, and it sucked.

[AllseeingEye]

"I love catching a train that leaves every 30 minutes and drops me off with a 20 minute walk into downtown Victoria and only costs $6 each way..." no millennials will ever say

The best thing the Liberals could do for land interests west of downtown is to build another interchange at Tillicum. The train will accommodate such a tiny amount of people it's simply not worth it. An interchange will let the Westshore keep pushing forward, and ultimately that's what the Westshore really wants. That and a vastly improved Sooke Road.

What's happening with this initiative anyway? I recall reading last year probably somewhere on VV that the desire was/is to 4-lane the entire thing from the TCH to Sooke, install electronic reader boards....the whole smack, making it a "proper" highway. Is this still simmering on a back burner or is it in limbo, or completely dead for now?

[lanforod]

Recently being in Portland, I think the solution in Victoria is a tram line like they have there. Something that does a loop one way, and one block up a loop going the opposite direction, travelling mostly on existing streets, not the E and N, and using the new bridge. Automation is nice, but maybe not required.

This is all very expensive. We don't have the population to support this. But it is a bit of a chicken and egg problem here, of course, we can't really support a much higher population either unless something like this gets built.

 

Ultimately, traffic in Victoria isn't really that bad compared to actual big cities. A 1 hour commute, which is about the max here for most people, is nothing compared to many other cities in North America. If you're commuting from Sooke to Ogden Point at rush hour, sure, that'll take longer, but that's your choice re where to live.

So what to do? I think keep thinking of the traffic issues, deal with problem areas such Tillicum, use some bandaid solutions like BRT, but plan and save for 2040 when we really do need to have rapid rail transit due to a population approaching 600k.

[Nparker]

...use some bandaid solutions like BRT, but plan and save for 2040 when we really do need to have rapid rail transit due to a population approaching 600k.

This is the CRD. If we don't start now, it will be 2090 before anything happens. 

[splashflash]

As much as I'd like to see rail as a transportation alternative in the region, I have to agree that not accommodating for it in the new bridge design was a HUGE mistake.

Whether it was a mistake or not, that's water under the bridge now.

[UrbanRail]

This is the CRD. If we don't start now, it will be 2090 before anything happens. 

no no no, it will 3090 before anything happens here

[HB]

if there is a will there is a way.

Washington is considering putting rails on the I-90 floating bridge for a commuter rail if the can do that then surely rails could be put onto the new Pandora st bridge

[Mike K.]

There's just about zero appetite among Victoria taxpayers to foot the bill for a new bridge deck that could accommodate a train.

[HB]

then they can build a whole new bridge a swing bridge for rail

 

 

Victoria should have just gone with a draw bridge like the one in Courtenay very simple

[UrbanRail]

then they can build a whole new bridge a swing bridge for rail

 

 

Victoria should have just gone with a draw bridge like the one in Courtenay very simple

Actually what i was thinking was using the old road bridge.

[HB]

yes that is brilliant.

[ressen]

As I wrote elsewhere. Pave the tracks then use the corridor for self driving cars and busses. Spending money on infrastructure that does not put self driving vehicles in the equation is short sighted.

[dasmo]

Tracks are still needed even for self driving. Makes it more foolproof and more compatible with bikes and pedestrians close by. But I have a picture posted way back of the track wheel additions that could be applied to self driving electric buses. So we just shouldn't invest too heavily in tram cars. Won't need to at the start anyway. Only need a few to sell al the condos!

[On the Level]

As I wrote elsewhere. Pave the tracks then use the corridor for self driving cars and busses. Spending money on infrastructure that does not put self driving vehicles in the equation is short sighted.

This seems to be a repeating topic.....a single lane paved roadway would require extra width.  Blasting, grading and all new railway bridges.  Hundreds of millions of dollars......

[HB]

paving over the tracks is out of the question no sense in that at all

[UrbanRail]

Maybe we should change this thread's name to "Commuter Rail Will Never Happen, but Hey Lets build More Land Wasting Interchanges and Highways, As This Will Make it Easier For the Deer and Consultants to Commute into Victoria and Back" =)

 

Back to you guys....

[HB]

or commuter rail wont happen in Victoria until Victoria grows up and has a population base to support it