483 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

No kidding! Great idea.

I know several fisherman who will he using that bus to get to their boats. Saves the wife having to do four trips.

[Victoria Watcher]

Victoria transit users cannot visit Duncan or Nanaimo and return the same day, and people in those communities cannot reach most Victoria airport or Swartz Bay ferry connections by bus. Because service is inconvenient and expensive, transit carries less than one per cent of travellers over the Malahat.

 

In contrast, between Sooke and Victoria there are 43 daily buses with $2.50 fares. Because service is frequent and affordable, buses serve 22% of that corridor’s peak period trips.

 

Achieving that ridership level between Victoria and Duncan would help solve Island Highway traffic problems, saving tens of millions of dollars annually in traveller and government costs.

Why is transit service so good on some corridors and bad on others?

 

Because Sooke and Victoria are both in the Capital Regional District, making it easy to plan transit connections, but Victoria and Duncan are in different districts, and the province has no standard process for planning and funding interregional transit connections.

 

Currently, interregional bus improvements require years of planning and 50% local funding. That is unfair and inadequate; it forces local governments to subsidize non-resident travellers and underinvests in non-drivers.

 

The province recently applied a much lower “enhanced” cost-sharing rate for new Highway 16 bus routes, in recognition that the traditional funding model is unsuitable for long-distance bus services, but has not offered this for Vancouver Island routes.

 

To increase fairness and reduce traffic problems, our organization, Better Island Transit advocates for more frequent and affordable Vancouver Island bus services.

 

Specifically, we request at least hourly service on the 66 (Duncan to Victoria) and 70 (Duncan to Nanaimo) routes, with $5 maximum one-way fares, so travel between central and south Vancouver Island becomes much more convenient and affordable. Both the Capital Regional District and Cowichan Valley Regional District transit boards support this proposal, but implementation will require additional provincial funding.

 

 

https://www.timescol...transit-9236075

[Nparker]

Duncan and communities further north are not part of the CRD and have no reason to expect the same service as within the capital region.

[aastra]

Methinks a bridge across the inlet would have addressed many of these considerations.