2245 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

From Jack's article:

Yet had the Conservatives really wanted to fund a McKenzie overpass, they could have done so already.

Instead, they chose to contribute $10.5 million to the Pat Bay Highway's $24-million McTavish interchange, which will open in April.

The McTavish work was funded not because it was atop the priority list, but because it ticked the right boxes. Not only was it in an area represented by two cabinet ministers -Gary Lunn federally and Murray Coell provincially -but it qualified for economic stimulus funds by being a "shovel-ready" project with money from a third party, in this case $3 million from the Victoria Airport Authority.

I don't think it's as simple as saying "they could have done so already." Who, exactly, was pushing for the interchange in the last round of stimulus funding? Saanich wasn't at the plate, the CRD wasn't at the plate and Liberal Keith Martin had nothing to say on the matter.

At the airport the plan for the interchange had been properly thought through and regardless of who the MLA or MP was, the project was a strong candidate for stimulus funds. After all, the Johnson Street Bridge, in a strong NDP riding, was awarded $21-million.

PS... anyone remember the crazy bus-only overpass at McKenzie and HWY1 that was proposed a year or two back?

[amor de cosmos]

the difference between this interchange & the one at mctavish is the one at mctavish was built within the existing right-of-way. at mckenzie/admirals/hwy1 on one corner there's a church & on another there's a park leased to saanich but owned by the PCC, which might have a lot to do with why it's taking longer. I know north of a certain intersection on blanshard (& vernon) hwy17 is in the provincial govt jurisdiction & I'm sure there's a similar deal for douglas/hwy1. so if it's going to happen at all I can see it taking a lot longer than the one at mctavish.

[my2cents]

This is my riding, i can't say I would base my vote on something like this issue. I can't say driving the crawl is really all that bad, I use to even deliver pizza in it two years ago.

Same. This is my riding as well, and that intersection can be a huge pain. Fixing it would be great, but it's not enough for me to vote for Troy. Regardless of seeing his smiling face numerous times on my daily drive

[Bernard]

All the land needed for the interchange is already owned by the province. It was acquired when there were plans to go ahead with the interchange.

[Mike K.]

^right. It's a shovel ready project and has been for quite some time.

[amor de cosmos]

...ok then. I didn't think it got that far along before.

[Bernard]

As far as I know, the design details and construction timetable are not done.

[Bingo]

Jack Knox: Interchange, Johnson Street Bridge, Malahat ... We're still going nowhere fast on transportation

Let's recap the month in transportation so far:

- The spanking new McTavish interchange proves to be a carnival ride that spins drivers dizzy before spitting them out like a bad relationship. (Gary Lunn's motto: "Right candidate, wrong overpass).

- In the blink of an eye, Victoria's Blue Bridge goes from carrying trains to potentially buckling under the weight of a bicycle.

- The E&N passenger rail service is stopped in its tracks by, well, its tracks.

- View Royal (civic motto: "Langford? Not our problem") embarks on more roadwork.

- The cork gets stuck in the Malahat bottleneck for 22 hours before finally being popped free (suggested headline: "Duncan cut off from civilization").

Read more: http://www.timescolo...l#ixzz1Jyph6lfi

[sebberry]

I still want to see a HWY1/McKenzie interchange of some sort, but I want it to be part of a much bigger transportation plan incorporating LRT/Streetcars/Trains, etc... because before you knwo it, we'll be hitting our foreheads repeatedly with out palms wondering why we left something out. Like a bus station at Uptown.

[Mike K.]

- The spanking new McTavish interchange proves to be a carnival ride that spins drivers dizzy before spitting them out like a bad relationship. (Gary Lunn's motto: "Right candidate, wrong overpass).

- In the blink of an eye, Victoria's Blue Bridge goes from carrying trains to potentially buckling under the weight of a bicycle.

- The E&N passenger rail service is stopped in its tracks by, well, its tracks.

- View Royal (civic motto: "Langford? Not our problem") embarks on more roadwork.

- The cork gets stuck in the Malahat bottleneck for 22 hours before finally being popped free (suggested headline: "Duncan cut off from civilization").

There's nothing wrong with the airport interchange, the bridge closure was inevitable, a gasoline truck accident closing a highway is standard practice and View Royal is upgrading its road, just like any other municipality upgrades its roads.

[UrbanRail]

I still want to see a HWY1/McKenzie interchange of some sort, but I want it to be part of a much bigger transportation plan incorporating LRT/Streetcars/Trains, etc... because before you knwo it, we'll be hitting our foreheads repeatedly with out palms wondering why we left something out. Like a bus station at Uptown.

I agree with u on that.

Uptown = transit unfriendly

[Bingo]

I sense that it will be a long time before we can agree on if and when Light Rail or the E&N options will be viable.

We have a rough idea what the cost and time to build an interchange at McKenzie and the TCH would be by looking at time and costs for the misplaced interchange at McTavish Road.

I believe it is time to build an interchange in the next few years to ease the time wasting, fuel wasting crawl on the Trans-Canada Highway. The interchange could easily be designed to provide space for LRT to pass through, should we ever get to that point.

[jklymak]

^ Yes, and then everyone would want an exchange at Admirals as well.

[Bingo]

^ Yes, and then everyone would want an exchange at Admirals as well.

??? Admirals is a continuation of McKenzie at the same intersection in question.

[jklymak]

^ ha ha, so it is. sorry! Meant Tillicum.

[Bingo]

^ ha ha, so it is. sorry! Meant Tillicum.

Tillicum is a much simpilar fix.

You could probably level off the hill on Tillicum on the north side and then tunnel under the TCH to connect the south side. Tillicum would only have a right turn lane onto the TCH heading north and a right turn lane onto the TC heading south. You eliminate the left turn lanes and drivers would have to plan ahead to access the Highway elsewhere.

[Bernard]

So everyone is aware, if I have not said this before, the province already owns all the land needed for an interchange at TCH/Mackenze-Admirals.

I would also dig down Mackenzie at Burnside so Burnside could go over it on a bridge. single lane on and off ramps have the space needed at that location.

[splashflash]

The Liberals could play their cards well by:

• immediately building the two interchanges,
• delaying the LRT until the effects on traffic congestion could be monitored. Buses would be sped up at the intersections and queue-jumpers and bus lanes (lrt convertible?) would make transit more efficient.

Christy Clark could claim that the Liberals are at least starting to move on Vancouver Island projects (along with the E & N study/$ 7 million). Also, the hugely costly lrt could be delayed and likely moth-balled. Clark would have a wedge issue, taking on the Victoria NDP who are split against the interchanges. The interchanges (at least Mackenzie) would alleviate congestion because traffic is dispersed beyond this choke-point, not just moved to a single grade-level interchange down the road as prominent NDP representatives in the area keep repeating.

The Clark-style consultative style of government works at times, but the project put forward by BC Transit is so irresponsible, she would be better to over-ride it and move forward with the above suggestion alone (wholly provincially funded).

[Bernard]

The highway interchange is a purely provincial government decision. There is nothing Saanich could say about it because the province already has all the land. There is no need to consult with anyone.

[Schnook]

The Liberals could play their cards well by...(wholly provincially funded).

Aye. There's the rub. The economic downturn that we face is so scary that NOTHING is liable to go forward for many years, even if knee-jerk 'Simply-Squeeze-The-Taxpayer-A-Little-Harder' types get their way.