Any idea how much these new lit up bus stops are costing? They just showed up one day in my neck of the woods. That lit up round sign on the top looks like a Target!

Yeah I was wondering about the one I saw outside the McD's on Pandora. First of all Glass? Really? Here? and second it has Pandora Green written all over it. Now there is a plaque at Cook and Pandora which calls this triangular strip Harris Green and so is the neighbourhood. Where did the name Pandora Green come from?

Air your views on LRT funding

Times Colonist
February 01, 2012

The Capital Regional District wants more public feedback on possible funding options for Greater Victoria's proposed light transit system.

A joint task force of the CRD and B.C. Transit is preparing a report on local funding options before presenting a business plan to the federal government later this year.

Light rail transit systems usually require one-third local funding and another one-third each coming from the provincial and federal governments. Victoria's LRT is estimated to cost $950 million.

Last month, the task force posted online surveys for residents to submit ideas. So far, 80 residents have participated and about 60 have signed up for public forums scheduled for Feb. 14 to 16.

"We're seeing some new ideas and themes emerge from the 80 responses we've received so far," said Bob Lapham, chairman of the local funding task force. Lapham is also general manager for CRD planning and protective services.

READ MORE:
http://www2.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/capital_van_isl/story.html?id=36191852-f05b-485d-9e51-293d16d98902

E&N on the cusp of transformative success

It has taken many years and studies, but railway edging closer to rebirth

Graham Bruce
Times Colonist
February 01, 2012

When native and municipal leaders came together to protect and acquire the E&N Railway corridor, they understood the complexity of the task at hand.

In forming the Island Corridor Foundation, they created a structure that could accept the land transfer from the Canadian Pacific Railway and work to achieve eight objectives - one of which is to encourage modern-day passenger and freight rail services on Vancouver Island.

To do that, the foundation realized the need for a capable short-line rail operator, so it engaged Southern Railway of British Columbia, one of the best short-line operators in North America.

A subsidiary of SRY, Southern Rail of Vancouver Island, has worked with the foundation to develop an overall long-term infrastructure plan that forecast a $100-million cost for upgrades to the line.

Discussions with the provincial and federal governments led to the Ministry of Transportation commissioning a study to review the proposed upgrades and the potential for passenger and freight growth.

The report concluded there was potential - but that the foundation should take an incremental approach to infrastructure investment while improving rail service and building demand.

READ MORE:
http://www2.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/comment/story.html?id=7d1e274c-1aac-47c2-8baf-20167e3d8acb

^ One needs to read these types of articles with caution. This is a letter to the editor written by a person with an agenda. That agenda is to extract over $100 million dollars from our tax purse in order to operate a transportation facility which may or may not be financially viable.

Comments included in the letter such as “Millions of federal dollars have been spent on rail in other parts of Canada” and “Southern Railway....one of the best short-line operators in North America” are just that, comments without demonstrable proof.

Southern Railway, a division of the Washington Group of Montana, has a vested interest in having the costs of the improvements to the infrastructure of this rail line paid for out of the public purse.

Disturbingly, the Island Corridor Foundation is currently holding all meetings in camera, and the public does not have access to these meetings. One of the founders of the ICF has formed an action group to monitor the ICF and lobby for the right to attend meetings.

This article should not necessarily be accepted as “news”.