5619 replies to this topic

[Nparker]

neither of which is likely worthy of a $1 million taxpayer/parker funded subsidy.

Ahh...but you forgot that this initiative will also end the climate crisis.

...Helps said the city is in a climate crisis and they want to work on cutting down carbon emissions from vehicles...

 

https://www.cheknews...g-may-1-536539/

Alluding to the "climate crisis" will be the way any concept can get pushed through from now on.

[RFS]

Ahh...but you forgot that this initiative will also end the climate crisis.

Alluding to the "climate crisis" will be the way any concept can get pushed through from now on.

 

Definitely some "Patriot Act" parallels here

[Victoria Watcher]

what's better for the climate? a kid from oak bay going downtown once per week on the bus or five times? strong climate action demands we put a real price ON carbon use not make it free.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 20 February 2019 - 03:08 PM.

[Midnightly]

this council vote (on sunday pay parking) took place february 11th.

 

https://www.cheknews...g-may-1-536539/

 

i guess the city's pr team did not highlight it.  and the local media just got to it now.

 

 

this vote also took place on one of the first snow day where most of the town was shut down

[Midnightly]

personally i don't see the need to give all kids within Victoria proper free bus passes, most schools are within a reasonable walking distance to school (they are also redrawing catchments to help with this, and making catchment kids high priority and fairly hard to change schools if your not in catchment, for example a kid living on the gorge wouldn't likely be attending james douglas in fairfield)

 

yes many parents drive but it's often not due to distance to the school, it's due to other aspects of life.. like picking your child up after work (it might take you a half hour or more to bus but 10 min to drive) or getting kids to after school classes, parents wanting to pick up their children vrs the children making their own way home (i'm sorry i'd never put a 6yr old on a bus without an adult-which would also need a bus pass)

 

and what are the numbers of kids who actually do take city transit to school? i'm sure it's a relatively small amount of kids vrs the total number of kids within the district

 

where are the actual breakdowns of numbers? it sounds soo wishy washy to me.. exactly how many kids are there for Victoria proper who would qualify for these passes? how many kids would actually benefit by these passes? what is the exact costs of passes for all Victoria proper kids? what is the realistic revenue expectations for Sunday parking and if there is a shortfall where is that shortfall expected to come from??

 

and of course what about kids within the same school catchment that are not from Victoria proper how does that work out? the magical line that separates Victoria from from other municipalities is not the same lines drawn for sd61, 2 kids might attend the same school, have the same distance to travel yet because one is in Victoria proper gets a pass but because the other is in saanich does not...

[Victoria Watcher]

helps says 6900 would qualify. now if only 1500 use them then we will probably grossly overpay for them. she does not know how much they will cost nobody from transit has given her a firm number. there is no price list for this presumably the transit board has to come up with a number.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 20 February 2019 - 06:56 PM.

[Nparker]

...2 kids might attend the same school, have the same distance to travel yet because one is in Victoria proper gets a pass but because the other is in saanich does not...

This is the part that really sticks in my craw and why this silly plan has no business going ahead until all municipalities and all school boards endorse it with a proper funding strategy.

[nagel]

I had a situation last week where I was going to bus downtown with the kids but when I realized the 9 and 7 year olds were both full fare, there and back went from a $5 trip to $15. I just stayed home. If I could have, I would have drove. Fares certainly influence decisions.

[Nparker]

I had a situation recently where I was going to travel to Hawaii. Then I realized it was going to cost $900 in airfare. I just stayed home. Perhaps I should be lobbying the CoV to subsidize my transportation costs too. 

[rjag]

So if this is a climate emergency what about all the reserved parking at Fisgard parkade for CRD and CoV employees....shouldnt it all be eliminated?

[rmpeers]

So if this is a climate emergency what about all the reserved parking at Fisgard parkade for CRD and CoV employees....shouldnt it all be eliminated?

Dammit this city is in the middle of a CLIMATE EMERGENCY. Please stop questioning our leaders. We should all be in an unquestioning state of panic until the mayor and council let us know the local state of emergency is over.

[sdwright.vic]

I had a situation last week where I was going to bus downtown with the kids but when I realized the 9 and 7 year olds were both full fare, there and back went from a $5 trip to $15. I just stayed home. If I could have, I would have drove. Fares certainly influence decisions.

So if you couldn't have afforded two children, maybe you should have only have had one?

Edited by sdwright.vic, 21 February 2019 - 06:43 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

three “haves” missing in that one sentence.

[sdwright.vic]

^Happy now?... the just of the point was still there...

[Victoria Watcher]

while i agree with sunday pay parking in general and the free parkades makes sense it's a bit surprising how little thought and engagement has gone into this.

 

• may 1 - with no public feedback period
• no plan for public education - we've had free sundays since 1882 it's a big change.  signage?  fine grace period?
• a $600,000 conservative revenue estimate - did we request a "conservative" estimate or helps just says it is one?
• no price plan or schedule for bct bus passes

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 21 February 2019 - 07:03 AM.

[rjag]

 

while i agree with sunday pay parking in general and the free parkades makes sense it's a bit surprising how little thought and engagement has gone into this.

 

• may 1 - with no public feedback period
• no plan for public education - we've had free sundays since 1882 it's a big change.  signage?  fine grace period?
• a $600,000 conservative revenue estimate - did we request a "conservative" estimate or helps just says it is one?
• no price plan or schedule for bct bus passes

 

 

CoVs approach to costing under Ms Helps and Mr Fortins tenure has usually involved a set of darts and a dartboard

[spanky123]

and what are the numbers of kids who actually do take city transit to school? i'm sure it's a relatively small amount of kids vs the total number of kids within the district

 

Has nothing to do with making it easier for kids to get to school. Not only are few kids outside of walking distance as you point out, you would have to be on or near a transit route to take advantage of distance savings anyways. It is about giving 15-18 year olds free transit followed by the right to vote. Might as well intro the young' uns to the concept of vote buying at the earliest age!

 

What bothers me even more is that we have a CoE parking employee on this forum who generously provides us information yet even he/she seemed to be unaware of how this program was rolling out. The suggestion was that parking would be discounted on Sundays when the Mayor now claims it will be regular price. We know the Mayor didn't bother to consult with the public on this but it sounds like she didn't even consult with her own staff.

[spanky123]

I had a situation last week where I was going to bus downtown with the kids but when I realized the 9 and 7 year olds were both full fare, there and back went from a $5 trip to $15. I just stayed home. If I could have, I would have drove. Fares certainly influence decisions.

 

True although has you driven and paid for gas/maintenance and parking downtown arguably it would have cost you more than the $10 anyways.

[spanky123]

 

while i agree with sunday pay parking in general and the free parkades makes sense it's a bit surprising how little thought and engagement has gone into this.

 

• may 1 - with no public feedback period
• no plan for public education - we've had free sundays since 1882 it's a big change.  signage?  fine grace period?
• a $600,000 conservative revenue estimate - did we request a "conservative" estimate or helps just says it is one?
• no price plan or schedule for bct bus passes

 

 

So if the free bus passes fall through for some reason does that mean that we will go back to free Sunday parking?!

[rjag]

So if the free bus passes fall through for some reason does that mean that we will go back to free Sunday parking?!

 

Are you fricking kidding? They will soak this for everything its worth and use the money to hire more (insert 1 or more) climate bike poverty consultants for their manufactured emergency