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[Trans Canada Highway] The Malahat


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#41 Holden West

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Posted 17 April 2007 - 09:30 AM

^O.K., that beats what I was going to say about the Greek highway system.
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#42 Mike K.

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Posted 25 April 2007 - 08:17 AM

Bunch of nonsense regarding tolls and the ridiculous radar concept. Tolling the national highway and the only route out of Victoria is the Coalition's idea of a great plan?

Malahat Drive toll, photo radar seen as funding boosts for transit

By Rudy Haugeneder
News staff
Apr 25 2007

Cash raised by introducing photo radar and a highway toll on the Malahat would go a long way towards paying for a light rail transit system from downtown Victoria to Duncan, according to LRT advocates.

And it would get motorists to obey speed limits on the problematic stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway, says Sonja Young, a spokesperson for the Malahat Coalition.

Slowing down traffic would also reduce gasoline consumption and slash the amount of greenhouse gasses cars pump into the atmosphere, she said.

She complains that the recent provincial Malahat Corridor study “is seriously flawed and purposely misleading.”

The coalition wants Transportation Minster Kevin Falcon to note the study doesn’t reflect the government’s throne speech concerns about greenhouse gas emissions and urban sprawl and its stated desire to put sustainable transit back on the agenda.

“Regretfully, the Victoria and Duncan open houses in late March confirmed the coalition’s worst fears that Stantec Consulting’s $250,000 study will promote highway expansion and urban sprawl,” Young said in a news release. Four of the five options urged highway widening, expansion or new construction through pristine wilderness and stands of rare old growth forest, she said.

Another option, an express bus service between Duncan and Victoria, “offers only minor reduction in daily commuter traffic,” said Young.

The study has “serious omissions,” she said.

It doesn’t include greenhouse gas emissions from 22,000 vehicles that use the corridor daily, or the “drastic impacts on wildlife, damage to salmon streams and the destruction of old growth Douglas Fir.”

The new highway construction alternatives recommended in the study “will stimulate real estate development between Victoria and the Cowichan Valley, and promote further urban sprawl,” she said.

“This runs in the face of the stated facts that the current highway won’t reach capacity for another 20 years and is safer than any comparable B.C. highway.”

Young said the coalition is confident that transferring the required $200 million highway investment towards rail “would make it a fully functional commuter rail line all the way to Courtenay and Port Alberni.”

Coupled with small feeder buses, she said the rail could move thousands of people by day and freight by night —- with greater safety and reliability than the highway, and with much less environmental impact.

The coalition is a group of Island residents and organizations promoting sustainable solutions through alternative transportation options that will also protect the environment.

mailto:reporter@goldstreamgazette.com

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#43 van-island

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Posted 26 April 2007 - 04:24 PM

Unfortunately I think that the only way to nudge ourselves towards increased rail use and away from cars has to come from the federal and provincial governments through increased laws and taxes on cars which make taking the train more attractive financially and time-wise.

In addition to increased taxes on not only gas but car use itself (here in Japan municipalities tax you simply for owning a car) our government needs a comprehensive plan to make rail a priority for getting places. As the taxes on car use go into place, the revenue should be put into the implementation of rail, rather than "re-invested" into highways.

Tolls are a good idea. They would send a message of: You choose to use a mode of transportation with enormous costs to society, both financial and environmental. You will be made to pay your share of these costs.

#44 Mike K.

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Posted 26 April 2007 - 04:58 PM

Beyond the extremists (I'm not calling you an extremist, van-island), few, including those who already support transportation alternatives and public transit (like myself), would find an extra hand in our pockets particularly fair in light of multi-billion expenditures Victorians are helping fund for Vancouver's infrastructure upgrades.

However, should the MOT decide to build an alternative inland route that rerouted some traffic off the Malahat I would have no problem tolling that sucker to kingdom come.

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#45 hungryryno

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Posted 26 April 2007 - 07:00 PM

Tolling the Malahat is not that bad an idea even if it is the only access (ignoring the Port Renfrew route of course).

In the San Francisco Bay area, ALL major bridges are toll bridges (in one direction at least)... and the entire toll on the Golden Gate Bridge, for example, goes directly to transit.

If all toll revenue went directly to intercity rail, or a regularly scheduled transit service 7 days / week, then is a toll really such a bad idea between Cowichan / Nanaimo regional districts and the CRD.

As for people against photo radar, there is a simple solution to avoiding a ticket in the mail - DON'T give the machine a reason to take that picture!!!

#46 Galvanized

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Posted 26 April 2007 - 07:17 PM

I found an interesting photo off a First Nations website: http://www.firstnations.de/development.htm?06-1-coast-salish-1.htm



"Along the Malahat Drive, near Victoria BC. " Photo: tourist postcard, c. 1920
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#47 Mike K.

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Posted 26 April 2007 - 07:46 PM

That's a great photo, Galvanized. Did we really drive on the "other" side of the road back then or is that just indicated on the post card for whatever reason?

As for people against photo radar, there is a simple solution to avoiding a ticket in the mail - DON'T give the machine a reason to take that picture!!!


...or don't let that thief who just stole your car cross the speed limit otherwise you're stuck with a bill. Ditto for anyone else driving your car who speeds past the camera and stiffs you with a bill.

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#48 van-island

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Posted 27 April 2007 - 01:20 AM

Beyond the extremists (I'm not calling you an extremist, van-island), few, including those who already support transportation alternatives and public transit (like myself), would find an extra hand in our pockets particularly fair in light of multi-billion expenditures Victorians are helping fund for Vancouver's infrastructure upgrades.

However, should the MOT decide to build an alternative inland route that rerouted some traffic off the Malahat I would have no problem tolling that sucker to kingdom come.


Before you know it I'll be flipping cars and burning them... :wink:

Seriously though, I don't think the Malahat should be tolled, as long as there is no alternative. I also agree that any (probably very expensive) alternative should be tolled to hell.

Basically the system in Japan is that any highway without stoplights and intersections is tolled, and heavily. This is a good distinction I think, and would be a good criteria to apply to any new highways in BC.

(as you can see I'm rather impressed with the way the Japanese do things!)

#49 renthefinn

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Posted 02 May 2007 - 11:34 PM

I say we toll the malahat but leave the Port Renfrew option untolled. Think of the money I could make on property up that way!

#50 UrbanRail

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Posted 20 September 2008 - 09:57 AM

Well here is an update on the BC Transit website concerning the Malahat Connector bus service.

http://bctransit.com...ns/mal/?p=1.txt

The forecasts regarding ridership and how many cars will be taken off the road seem to be small, 312 cars off the road each day.

Edit:
I would also support a toll, if the money went to funding alternative modes like commuter rail on the E&N and better connecting transit bus services.

#51 Rex250

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Posted 03 April 2009 - 08:15 PM

if they are going to toll the mallahat they better make it a freakin expressway... at least!

#52 UrbanRail

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Posted 03 April 2009 - 08:51 PM

if they are going to toll the mallahat they better make it a freakin expressway... at least!


Malahat may eventually have tolls, but it will never become a freeway.

#53 sebberry

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Posted 06 April 2009 - 04:33 PM

Using photo radar to generate sustainable revenue for bus service is in itself proof that photo radar does NOT work to make roads safer by lowering speeds.

If photo radar worked, everyone would drive slowly and there would be no money generated from it. To plan a budget around photo radar generated income shows that the government outright expects that it will fail to slow down drivers.

#54 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 17 August 2010 - 07:21 AM

So on Sunday we had traffic jams for all the returning cars. It's already a crawl on Friday afternoons and very busy on Saturday mornings.

Seriously, the home-grown tourism industry is missing the boat, with thousands and thousands of locals heading up-Island for their recreation every weekend.

Slow Sunday on the Malahat

Traffic volume, not accidents, responsible for crawl, police say

By David Karp, Times Colonist August 17, 2010


Southbound traffic on the Malahat highway into Victoria Sunday evening slowed to a crawl, and even to a complete stop at times.


Read more: http://www.timescolo...l#ixzz0wsR1K78e
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#55 Mike K.

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Posted 17 August 2010 - 08:32 AM

This is news?

I've been stuck in similar situations plenty of times returning from up-Island on a weekend.

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#56 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 17 August 2010 - 08:36 AM

So can't we get some kick-ass weekend destinations from Sooke to Port Renfrew, so there is not this mass exodus?
<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#57 Mike K.

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Posted 17 August 2010 - 09:17 AM

I doubt it's as simple as that.

People are heading up to the lakes, the cities and whatnot. It's not like everyone is going to a resort.

In fact we wouldn't even notice the volume if we had more than one route in and out of the CRD. Or a larger highway, for that matter.

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#58 sebberry

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Posted 17 August 2010 - 09:25 AM

Commuter rail for all the people who plug it up getting to and from work would help ease congestion for those using it for pleasure use.

You're not going to take commuter rail to Costco or to go camping, but you can take it to get to and from work.

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#59 G-Man

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Posted 17 August 2010 - 02:51 PM

So can't we get some kick-ass weekend destinations from Sooke to Port Renfrew, so there is not this mass exodus?


East Sooke Park
French Beach
China Beach
Surfing in Jordon river
Sombrio Beach
Juan de Fuca trail
West Coast Trail
Botanical Beach
Fairy and Lizard Lake
Back Route to Cowichan

I am sure I have left out lots.

#60 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 17 August 2010 - 02:53 PM

East Sooke Park
French Beach
China Beach
Surfing in Jordon river
Sombrio Beach
Juan de Fuca trail
West Coast Trail
Botanical Beach
Fairy and Lizard Lake
Back Route to Cowichan

I am sure I have left out lots.


Are there any lakes out that way with good camp sites on the shore or nearby?
<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

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