3157 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

Planners gonna plan. Even when unnecessary. Otherwise they lose their job.

[splashflash]

Thing is we are unique in that our largest area for new residential development is behind an impossible pinch-point. That has another, unused, artery running through it. One that has a valuable trail alongside it. One that has areas that cannot be converted to a vehicle road. A route that basically has to be run one wat at a time both ways so driving is also not an option. The only possibility is to run a tram on it. Be it with tracks or without. With parking being expensive, driving a car being a pain, the ability to surf the web while commuting.....

Since the rail corridor will now be severed at Esquimalt FN, perhaps build a toll bridge just south of the Esquimalt FN to Colwood/Langford. On the east side it could use the rail right-of-way that could provide quicker by 10 minutes access to DT Victoria from Sooke and the West Shore.

The remaining right-of-way could still provide a bus route, perhaps even a driverless one. That would especially be the case if driver fees were instead spent on "rent" across the Esquimalt FN reservation.

The Okanagan, now ahead of the Island in more than one way transportation-wise, might be developing driverless buses along it's rail trail corridor right-of-way. https://infotel.ca/i...tudied/it103842
2024

"In 2022, the city partnered with experts from UBC Okanagan to research options for a multi-modal corridor, which would see driverless electric vehicles transporting residents along the rail trail.

"In October 2023, the research group acquired a little over $300,000 in funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the non-profit national research organization Mitacs, as well as other avenues, to get started on researching the feasibility of this plan.

“"The Okanagan Rail trail is a critical infrastructure. It's a regional infrastructure that connects the region from downtown (Kelowna) to Lake Country,” Dr. Mahmudur Fatmi, associate professor in the UBCO School of Engineering, told iNFOnews.ca. “But our scope is within the city of Kelowna and if we keep the scope within the city of Kelowna it connects very critical destinations like the airport, UBC Okanagan and downtown.”

Edited by splashflash, 07 April 2024 - 12:30 PM.

[Vin]

Maybe the final nails in the coffin for rail on the E&N Corridor on the Island in the foreseeable future: Langford_EandN_Land_Reversion_Discussion_(Feb_2024).jpg

Good riddance for another 50 years.

Not really.

 

 

Unclear decision continues uncertain future for Vancouver Island rail corridor

https://www.transpor...-rail-corridor/

 

Hopefully, more parties can have better foresight to see the benefits of railway corridor preservation. If it is truly broken up by some "nations", a commuter line can still exist between Victoria right up to Duncan.

[Daveyboy]

I'm hoping that the government will fund the replacement of the telegraph line that once existed between Victoria and Nanaimo.  Such a great memento of our heritage should not be allowed to disappear and think of the tourism opportunities it would bring to the area.

[Victoria Watcher]

Brightline West has broken ground on a 218-mile high-speed rail system that will connect Las Vegas to southern California. The rail line will be constructed in the middle of the I-15 in the western portion of the U.S. and is based on Brightline’s vision to connect city pairs that are too short to fly and too far to drive.  

 

Brightline West will run zero-emission, fully electric trains capable of speeds of 200 miles per hour. The project was recently awarded $3 billion in funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The rest of the project will be privately funded and has received a total allocation of $3.5 billion in private activity bonds from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).  

 

 

https://www.masstran...a-and-las-vegas

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 23 April 2024 - 06:32 PM.

[AllseeingEye]

Good for Alberta - 

 

https://www.msn.com/...b&ei=18#details

[splashflash]

https://www.msn.com/...rta/ar-AA1nVsRY

Just last week, Statistics Canada revealed that for the first time since it started tracking commuter behaviour, more suburban Canadians were commuting within the suburb in which they live, or from one suburb to another, than were commuting from suburbs to downtowns.

[splashflash]

Well golly. I posted this article first.

https://www.vicnews....to-rail-7354171

Purvis said rail would have to be a successor of RapidBus systems, which have began rolling out in Greater Victoria over the past year on the 95 bus route.

In a statement to Black Press Media, BC Transit said RapidBus will serve riders for the “immediate future” and it’s shaved 20 minutes off a weekday commute between downtown Victoria and the West Shore. Future RapidBus lines, which see a bus arrive at stops at least every 15 minutes, are eyed to go up the Saanich Peninsula and along McKenzie Avenue.

[splashflash]

During an April presentation from BC Transit officials, members of the CRD’s transportation committee were mainly focused on the future of rail in the region’s transit system. Committee members were particularly interested in what would trigger a jump from bus services to light rail systems on highly travelled routes.

Several of the committee’s local politicians, who represent every corner of the region, said they get excited just talking about the prospect of rail in the CRD, with one saying the topic makes him feel “warm and toasty inside.”

Yes, you get warm and fuzzy when spending someone else's money....
Could be the tail wagging the dog, talking about mode first and what development is needed to foster it.

Anyway, rapid bus first, along the TC Highway and Island Highway, maybe rail in 20-30 years.

[dasmo]

It’s the artery that’s key. The pinch point at Thetis is the problem and the rail line is another, unused route through it. Converting it to a bus lane is a no because it would nuke the trail. The tracks no longer go into town so that’s dead too. Perhaps trackless trams should be looked at?

[Mike K.]

RapidBus will serve riders for the “immediate future” and it’s shaved 20 minutes off a weekday commute between downtown Victoria and the West Shore.

So 10 minutes in each direction? I find that hard to believe.

In fact, let’s take a look. My printed copy of the Sept 2019 schedule shows a 7:02AM departure from Langford Exchange arrives at the Legislature at 7:50, or 48 minutes.

The 95 today is scheduled to depart at 7:02, and arrives at 7:42. 40 minutes. 8 minute savings, on paper.

On the return, at a 4:04 departure in 2019, the 50 arrived at exactly 5PM, 56 minutes.

The 95 departs at 4:05 and arrives at 5:02, 57 minutes.

So the savings is 7 minutes on paper. Not 20.

[splashflash]

All the more reason to exercise caution when spending on new projects.

[Victoria Watcher]

As highways see congestion during daily commutes and with road transportation causing 40 per cent of the Capital Regional District’s (CRD) greenhouse gas emissions, officials recently showed they’re eager for new ways of getting people moving.

 

During an April presentation from BC Transit officials, members of the CRD’s transportation committee were mainly focused on the future of rail in the region’s transit system. Committee members were particularly interested in what would trigger a jump from bus services to light rail systems on highly travelled routes.

 

Several of the committee’s local politicians, who represent every corner of the region, said they get excited just talking about the prospect of rail in the CRD, with one saying the topic makes him feel “warm and toasty inside.”

 

BC Transit officials said the jump to rail would be informed by population densities along certain corridors, bus-ridership numbers on local routes and the experiences of other region’s that have swapped buses for trains. However, the officials noted their goal is to get people to where they need to go in the quickest way possible, and using whatever travel form allows for that to happen.

 

“At the moment, we are mode of transportation agnostic,” explained Carl Purvis, a planning manager with BC Transit. “We want to move the most number of people in the most efficient way, with the best use of our resources.”

 

The transit Crown corporation is watching as the world changes and populations grow, so it’s ensuring decisions being made now aren’t precluding the move to light rail down the road, Purvis added.

 

 

 

https://www.vicnews....to-rail-7354171

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 08 May 2024 - 08:52 PM.

[Nparker]

Rail may make the CRD’s transportation committee "warm and toasty", but we have neither the population density/demographics nor the funds to create a viable commuter rail system.

[Matt R.]

You know what, I’ve decided to switch teams and become a rail booster. Spend the billions, anything, whatever it takes to get people to quit yapping about it.

[splashflash]

West Coast Express ridership numbers for 2023 in:

https://dailyhive.co...statistics-2023

Commuter rail significantly trails other modes such as buses and SkyTrain

"West Coast Express sees ridership gains, but still trailing
The West Coast Express saw a significant year-over-year ridership increase of 47% from 885,000 boardings in 2022 to over 1.3 million in 2023.

This can be attributed to the ongoing recovery of office commuters into downtown Vancouver, and the return of the fifth train in each direction starting in June 2023, which restored the commuter rail line’s pre-pandemic frequencies. However, the operating capacity is still below 2019 levels from the use of fewer passenger cars per train.

The 2023 ridership tally on the commuter rail line represents a 54% recovery of 2019’s tally of 2.6 million boardings.

Station ridership on the West Coast Express:
Waterfront Station:
2019: 1.219 million (average of 4,880 per weekday)
2022: 412,000 (average of 1,660 per weekday)
2023: 614,000 (average of 2,480 per weekday)
Moody Centre Station:
2019: 289,000 (average of 1,160 per weekday)
2022: 98,000 (average of 400 per weekday)
2023: 152,000 (average of 610 per weekday)
Coquitlam Central Station:
2019: 310,000 (average of 1,240 per weekday)
2022: 89,000 (average of 360 per weekday)
2023: 134,000 (average of 540 per weekday)
Port Coquitlam Station:
2019: 258,000 (average of 1,030 per weekday)
2022: 85,000 (average of 340 per weekday)
2023: 490 (average of 490 per weekday)
Pitt Meadows Station:
2019: 98,000 (average of 390 per weekday)
2022: 34,000 (average of 140 per weekday)
2023: 48,000 (average of 190 per weekday)
Maple Meadows Station:
2019: 167,000 (average of 670 per weekday)
2022: 57,000 (average of 230 per weekday)
2023: 85,000 (average of 340 per weekday)
Port Haney Station:
2019: 131,000 (average of 520 per weekday)
2022: 50,000 (average of 200 per weekday)
2023: 68,000 (average of 270 per weekday)
Mission City Station:
2019: 135,000 (average of 530 per weekday)
2022: 63,000 (average of 250 per weekday)
2023: 88,000 (average of 350 per weekday)

Edited by splashflash, 22 May 2024 - 07:49 PM.

[Vin]

You know what, I’ve decided to switch teams and become a rail booster. Spend the billions, anything, whatever it takes to get people to quit yapping about it.

 

Good. Looking forward to seeing you yap about it. 

[Mike K.]

That’s all that’s ever going to happen.

That or Victoria elects a Conservative MP. Equally as likely.

[Vin]

For those who dare to dream big:

 

Imagine if the Langford Station cultural district can be reached by commuter rail. Downtown folks and tourists can frequent the area without taking their cars. That would be a dream come true for many.

 

https://www.cheknews...public-1033628/

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=NOzsbBnTZGg

[Nparker]

"Langford Station cultural district" has a bit of an oxymoronic ring to it.