5833 replies to this topic

[Nparker]

What was the subject of this thread again? 

[Mike K.]

The West Shore is where the workers are and where they are settling in large numbers (Victoria’s population may be larger but consider the volume of retirees or people nearing retirement). The poll, with over 1,000 responses, was 74% in favour of moving offices to the West Shore.

The solution to the congestion issue is pretty straight forward: provide the jobs where the workers are and your commuting problems are abated.

[LeoVictoria]

Westshore population: 55,000
Victoria population: 85,000

Victoria also way easier to get to for more people outside of Victoria due to busses + cycling + proximity.

People putting down office space aren’t stupid. They build where the demand is and pretty easy to see why the demand is where it is.

Langford commercial will grow slowly, but will always be quite small in relation

Edited by LeoVictoria, 29 April 2018 - 06:20 PM.

[Mike K.]

The West Shore has a population of 80,000. By 2025 that population will surpass 100,000.

[Mike K.]

Improving infrastructure between Victoria and the West Shore is a two-way affair. What benefits West Shore commuters also benefits folks driving counter to the rush hour flow.

 

The only choke point from Sidney to Langford is McKenzie which will be fixed next year. The bus lanes along the TCH and highway improvements benefit east and west traffic.

 

Public transit from the peninsula relies on a single bus route. Amending that route, or expanding services to the West Shore, is a very simple change.

[dasmo]

The solution to the congestion issue is pretty straight forward: provide the jobs where the workers are and your commuting problems are abated.

This ain’t China!

[Mike K.]

The single biggest infrastructure issue in the region is West Shore -> Victoria commuter traffic, but some of you are opposed to alleviating that problem with the only tangible, long-term solution which is providing jobs where these commuters are coming from. Why build highways when you can accommodate people where they live, right?

 

But here's the thing. We've gone on ad nauseum about amalgamation on this forum. A whole decade's worth of pro-amalgamation chatter, in fact, where we've even drawn up new municipal boundaries or concluded that a single region is what's in the best interest of all (aka the Halifax model).

 

So if we're gung ho about amalgamation, and if amalgamation means the entire region would be known collectively as Victoria, wouldn't that mean that institutions like provincial ministries would have free reign over situating work places within ...Victoria? Selkirk Waterfront certainly isn't within the legislative precinct.

 

Let's let that sink in for a moment.

[Nparker]

At this point I am wondering how long this thread will stay off-topic....

[dasmo]

Yes, just start a “Langford is the new core” thread and let games begin!

[Mike K.]

For every off-topic post you made in this thread the rest of us get 50.

[LJ]

It doesn’t have to be provincial, it could be federal.

It could be municipal, Langford is going to need a bigger city hall sooner rather than later.

Victoria started out as a fort and grew organically around that. Same thing will happen eventually on the Westshore. At least the downtown core of Langford is mostly multi family dwellings already.

[Mike K.]

Yes, just start a “Langford is the new core” thread and let games begin!

 

Surely we can agree that a couple of office buildings on the West Shore would be a good thing, no? Langford will never be or overcome downtown Victoria, but why can't it be a secondary employment node? That would be massively positive for the whole region.

[Mike K.]

It could be municipal, Langford is going to need a bigger city hall sooner rather than later.

Victoria started out as a fort and grew organically around that. Same thing will happen eventually on the Westshore. At least the downtown core of Langford is mostly multi family dwellings already.

 

They are indeed at-capacity. A six or seven-storey municipal building with two levels of commercial office space could be the turning point, for sure.

[dasmo]

Surely we can agree that a couple of office buildings on the West Shore would be a good thing, no? Langford will never be or overcome downtown Victoria, but why can't it be a secondary employment node? That would be massively positive for the whole region.

It completely can. But - will it? is what we are debating....

[Mike K.]

For sure! There’s going to be 100,000 people living out on the West Shore well within a decade. That’s enough of a population to sustain a relatively diverse employment base.

[dasmo]

As Leo pointed out, Langford is not located centrally and is difficult to get in and out of for a larger portion of the population. The core and the peninsula (which has the ferry link and the airport) is almost 300,000 people right now. The peninsula is actually a much better spot for a “secondary employment node” than the Westshore. It’s easy for all those people to get to and is much closer to the transportation links to the rest of the world....

[Mike K.]

The West Shore is being groomed as the satellite hub. There’s a reason why the McKenzie Interchange is going forward, why a new connector to Sooke was built, why bus lanes are going in, why BC Ferries is looking to a sea-based connector, and why business is looking to the West Shore for employee retention. It’s all coming together as part of a decades-long plan.

The peninsula made its biggest mistake by rejecting Costco and it has taken a hard line anti-development stance ever since. Had it not done so its future would have been very different, but even then due to ALR restrictions Langford was always viewed as the satellite hub.

[Sparky]

The peninsula made its biggest mistake by rejecting Costco and it has taken a hard line anti-development stance ever since. 

 

Seriously? 

 

The "peninsula" is made up of 6 distinct electoral districts (counting First Nations lands) . Each with it's own unique characteristics and political visions for the present as well as the future.

 

I personally don't think that whatever discussions that might have taken place regarding the decision of not to build a Costco store will go down in history as being the "tipping point" of the peninsula's future.    

[RFS]

Seriously?

The "peninsula" is made up of 6 distinct electoral districts (counting First Nations lands) . Each with it's own unique characteristics and political visions for the present as well as the future.

I personally don't think that whatever discussions that might have taken place regarding the decision of not to build a Costco store will go down in history as being the "tipping point" of the peninsula's future.

They dont build. End of story

[Sparky]

^ I'm sorry, I don't understand. Could you elaborate please?