385 replies to this topic

[VicHockeyFan]

From 2006 to 2015 the Capital Region’s population grew by 35,212 people, but there were 49,700 more vehicles added to our roads.

 

 

People love cars more than ever!  Let's face it, nobody takes the bus if they do not have to.

 

http://www.cheknews....ulation-285154/

[rjag]

On the topic of speed cameras on the Malahat. I think its interesting that on other forums such as Local Governance 2.0 of FB that the prevailing attitude from local politicians is for cameras and more enforcement. There is also a lot of 'no more new roads' and 'LRT/Rail' etc. Basically a war against the auto. Yet while declaring this war, they and their predecessors have for the past 25 years blatantly endorsed the massive build out of housing in the outer communities with little more than lip service to the potential gridlock scenario we see unwrap before our eyes. And their response is...' its Single Occupant Vehicles' problem without even considering the cascading effect of the negative attitude towards improving infrastructure and forward looking thinking. 

 

Now the attitude is, its the fault of all those folks living out there and they should suck it up or take a bus....yet there are no easy transit solutions. The arrogance and ignorance of some of the contributors is astounding...meanwhile as they all sit around and lecture, there are thousands of folks who just want some proper leadership and planning. That Goat track we call Highway 1 is 60 years old and there is an obvious need for a 2nd arterial road and upgrading to feeder roads such as Wilkinson and McKenzie etc....but...bikes and buses will solve it all.....not. 

 

https://www.facebook...505869339184948

 

So as an aside I have to ask, is this becoming a Left VS Right thing when it comes to personal mobility?

 

(I posted the link to the FB page and urge you to join and contribute as its become an echo chamber where a few contribute and of those they seem to do a lot of self congratulatory comments) 

[Coreyburger]

(I posted the link to the FB  Vibrant Victoria page and urge you to join and contribute as its become an echo chamber where a few contribute and of those they seem to do a lot of self congratulatory comments) 

I fixed your comment for you

[rjag]

I fixed your comment for you

hehe Corey, you are the lone left voice in the vv wilderness!!! Touche!!!

 

So can you respond to my thought about this becoming another polarized left-right thing? We all want to have less gridlock around our region, our population is simply going to keep expanding and its placing a load of pressure on infrastructure. 

[Coreyburger]

hehe Corey, you are the lone left voice in the vv wilderness!!! Touche!!!

 

So can you respond to my thought about this becoming another polarized left-right thing? We all want to have less gridlock around our region, our population is simply going to keep expanding and its placing a load of pressure on infrastructure. 

 

Population is going to keep expanding. Where they are and how they move is under control - we can choose a denser core with better transit, walking and biking. That kind of city will have less gridlock without adding more highways (which given the population growth and demand from the West Shore, would quickly fill up).

[Bingo]

Population is going to keep expanding. Where they are and how they move is under control - we can choose a denser core with better transit, walking and biking. That kind of city will have less gridlock without adding more highways (which given the population growth and demand from the West Shore, would quickly fill up).

 

E&N....HELLO

[On the Level]

Population is going to keep expanding. Where they are and how they move is under control - we can choose a denser core with better transit, walking and biking. That kind of city will have less gridlock without adding more highways (which given the population growth and demand from the West Shore, would quickly fill up).

^ This is why you will never see a unified transit system in the CRD. 100,000+ people are being told that the solution to a huge issue is "ride a bike" or "live in the core".

Beyond the ideology of the statement, does anyone truly believe that transplanting 100k people into the core is a viable option? I mean really...

What those solutions imply and communicate is that it isn't a problem for downtown and therefore it isn't a problem. Oh...and by the way, we need to control the transportation infrastructure you have available to you to use as we see fit for downtown.

[VicHockeyFan]

Ya, whoever says adding lanes will not work and they will quickly fill up... sigh.  By that logic all our roads and highways should be just 2 lanes.  That would be the same, more or less, traffic as now?

[rjag]

I have no problem with the statement, if its based on the reasonable assumption that we have a good network of arterial routes....thats not the case though

[Mike K.]

We had great roads two decades ago. Then some municipalities started to turn four and three lane thoroughfares into two lane streets while implementing traffic calming measures (which I don't particularly mind, but they do restrict traffic flow) and dead-ending some streets. The result? Congestion. The surprise? Only from those who've already forgotten how we really got to where we are.

 

The TCH has been congested from day one, which means it was fudged before we even had a chance to grow into its capacity. We often point to the TCH as proof that if you build it, they will come. But in our case we literally built it for those who were already here, lol.

[Mike K.]

 

[Bingo]

I'm home for the evening, but thanks for the map which I have printed out and will use some other time.

[rjag]

Fort used to be such a nice road before the bike elitists messed with it

[On the Level]

 

Mayor Carol Hamilton said establishing a policy means council won’t have “knee-jerk reactions” to traffic calming requests.

 

Under the new policy:

 

• New traffic calming requests will not be considered for arterial roads.

 

A completely opposite approach from View Royal after Screech made a complete mess of the Old Island Highway and Helmcken.  

 

http://www.timescolo...ming-1.23146530

[tjv]

Just image how much congestion could disappear by simply timing the traffic lights 

[sebberry]

A completely opposite approach from View Royal after Screech made a complete mess of the Old Island Highway and Helmcken.  

 

http://www.timescolo...ming-1.23146530

 

That seems like a level headed approach. 

 

 

Ocean Boulevard between Lagoon Road and the Lagoon Bridge is considered first and foremost a park, as opposed to a collector road.

 

I'm still annoyed at the double yellow line on Ocean Boulevard.  It makes it illegal to pass cyclists, dogs and ducks in many cases.  I've had my fair share of angry tailgaters out there.

[On the Level]

That seems like a level headed approach. 

I'd be all for a regional transit authority, but having Screech promote it is an oxymoron.  Stinks of a disingenuous agenda.

[dasmo]

We had great roads two decades ago. Then some municipalities started to turn four and three lane thoroughfares into two lane streets while implementing traffic calming measures (which I don't particularly mind, but they do restrict traffic flow) and dead-ending some streets. The result? Congestion. The surprise? Only from those who've already forgotten how we really got to where we are.

The TCH has been congested from day one, which means it was fudged before we even had a chance to grow into its capacity. We often point to the TCH as proof that if you build it, they will come. But in our case we literally built it for those who were already here, lol.

The explosion of the West Shore is what caused the traffic calming drive IMO. Now these alternative routes got busier and busier creating issues for the neighbourhoods they run through. Fair enough they would want to improve their livability over supporting commuters. (Crap design or implementation of traffic calming aside) Good thing in 50 years we will be able to build the tram link that we need now....

[Mike K.]

The growth of the West Shore is no accident. It has been planned as it is materializing for decades before you or I walked the earth (the governance report says the West Shore was recognized as becoming what it is turning into back in the early 1960’s, after all).

So the issue is we pushed growth and density away from established areas and areas that had no desire to change their built environment, and of late we’ve started impeding the ability for the people we forced to live there to move about the region in an efficient way.

It’s actually bully-like behaviour to keep on as we are, first forcing growth into the West Shore then demonizing it.

[rjag]

I have no issue with what Dasmo is saying, growth with poor planning has unintended consequences such as the gridlock we are seeing all over.

 

However, this for me, reinforces my position that politicians should not be messing with arterial roads by 'road diets' such as what went on with Fort or McKenzie by UVic and is being proposed on Cook and Shelbourne. This pushes traffic to side streets not designed for increased volumes. thereby creating more concerns for citizens and then special interest groups jump on board and blame the single occupancy vehicle. Funny thing about that, the CRD Traffic counts show no real increase in traffic volumes on these routes over the last 15 years so whats changed to cause such concern?....yup Road diets and traffic calming....

 

While some areas may have needed adjustments, not all areas need it. Cook is not dangerous, Fort was not dangerous, this is wasting money in pursuit of minority ideology.