2241 replies to this topic

[RFS]

I think if you started a provincial party that had a platform of only two points you could win a handful of seats. Feel free to take this and run:

Platform
1. Expand and/or find an alternate route to the Malahat
2. Replace the Massey tunnel.

You'd likely get my vote, as I'm not impressed with anyone else out there right now.

I have always said a third party with a platform of 1) new, bigger highways in lower mainland 2) make BC ferries free for everyone would win in a landslide

[Mattjvd]

I have always said a third party with a platform of 1) new, bigger highways in lower mainland 2) make BC ferries free for everyone would win in a landslide

That would be such a mess, think the ferries are busy on long weekends now? 

[thundergun]

Revised platform. 

 

Platform

   1. Expand and/or find an alternate route to the Malahat

   2. Replace the Massey tunnel.

 

[Mike K.]

Province says they will be releasing a plan for the Malahat within the next few months. They say whatever solutions are implemented will be "expensive."

 

Hmmm...

[rjag]

Province says they will be releasing a plan for the Malahat within the next few months. They say whatever solutions are implemented will be "expensive."

 

Hmmm...

 

Why do I think it will be underwhelming?

[shoeflack]

Calling it now. They're going to restart passenger rail service on the E&N and toss a few of these onto the end of the passenger cars and call it a day.

 

[FogPub]

BC Ferries (other than Port Hardy-Prince Rupert) - free for passengers, bicycles. Small fee for vehicles with BC plates, based on length of vehicle and route being sailed.  Significantly bigger fee for vehicles with out-of-province plates, again based on length and route.

 

Then apply that same rationale for all the interior cross-lake ferries that are currently free.

 

 

Hey, I can dream, can't I?

[RFS]

BC Ferries (other than Port Hardy-Prince Rupert) - free for passengers, bicycles. Small fee for vehicles with BC plates, based on length of vehicle and route being sailed.  Significantly bigger fee for vehicles with out-of-province plates, again based on length and route.

 

Then apply that same rationale for all the interior cross-lake ferries that are currently free.

 

 

Hey, I can dream, can't I?

buck-a-beer, free ferries, no tolls + better and bigger highway, easy win

[tjv]

Province says they will be releasing a plan for the Malahat within the next few months. They say whatever solutions are implemented will be "expensive."

 

Hmmm...

And they spent how much on the Sea to Sky Highway, untold billions on skytrain expansions and several billion dollar plus bridges in Vancouver (Port Mann, Golden Ears, and 1 other I think?)

 

Oh and Victoria gets a new McKenzie interchange.  Big woop, that's like chump change.  Time to start spending money in Victoria and not a few pennies here and there

[Mystic-Pizza]

Build an underwater Tunnel HIghway from North Saanich to say Maple Bay or Crofton.  That way it's secure, sealed in, would not be dependent on weather etc.

[Bingo]

Build an underwater Tunnel HIghway from North Saanich to say Maple Bay or Crofton.  That way it's secure, sealed in, would not be dependent on weather etc.

 

A bridge would be billions cheaper.

[RFS]

And they spent how much on the Sea to Sky Highway, untold billions on skytrain expansions and several billion dollar plus bridges in Vancouver (Port Mann, Golden Ears, and 1 other I think?)

Oh and Victoria gets a new McKenzie interchange. Big woop, that's like chump change. Time to start spending money in Victoria and not a few pennies here and there

Well they do have about 10x the population so 10x the money does make sense

[rjag]

Well they do have about 10x the population so 10x the money does make sense

 

And an economy 100x the size that is dependent on proper infra 

[Mike K.]

Our infrastructure is literally at the breaking point.

The Malahat has closed several times in recent weeks. Sooke Road has closed twice over the last week, with a massive closure yesterday that forced people to take the 3.5 hour detour which itself is a very dangerous road due to poor conditions and speeding drivers. Wilkinson Road was closed yesterday during rush hour, Otter Point Road was closure two days ago. And on it goes.

It’s absolutely terrifying to realize just how many communities and how many people are affected by these closures and it’s time for solutions. The south Island has been put through enough BS stemming from a serious lack of infrastructure upgrades.

[rjag]

Our infrastructure is literally at the breaking point.

The Malahat has closed several times in recent weeks. Sooke Road has closed twice over the last week, with a massive closure yesterday that forced people to take the 3.5 hour detour which itself is a very dangerous road due to poor conditions and speeding drivers. Wilkinson Road was closed yesterday during rush hour, Otter Point Road was closure two days ago. And on it goes.

It’s absolutely terrifying to realize just how many communities and how many people are affected by these closures and it’s time for solutions. The south Island has been put through enough BS stemming from a serious lack of infrastructure upgrades.

 

 

Mike, then there needs to be a wholesale change of folks that make the decisions as well as those that influence the decision makers. The idealogues that keep trumpeting 'you cant build your way out of congestion' etc dont realise the damage being done with those statements. 

 

End result is more of the same and when the populace gets screwed over like they have so many times recently with these closures, the ideologues ignore the obvious in favor of what ever anti-personal auto study is the flavor de jour. 

 

Sooke Rd absolutely needs a second route, what the heck will happen if there is a need for a mass evacuation of that route when the big earthquake hits? Not like they can drive to Jordan River to Cowichan....that road wont exist.

 

The same with the Malahat, its well past its 'best by' date and needs to be relegated to a secondary tourist route like West Saanich Rd.

 

The ideologues should focus on urban infrastructure and stop pushing their dangerous agenda onto areas such as inter-urban routes  

[Mike K.]

The whole mess is exacerbated by the Balkanized nature of the region.

 

View Royal doesn't care if it screws with everyone's commute. Victoria doesn't care if a new interchange is built on the TCH. North Saanich doesn't give too hoots that Cowichan-based commuters would benefit from a route across the inlet, and so on.

 

Everything around us related to infrastructure is buckling and nothing of substance is being done about it. Nothing.

[Nparker]

...The ideologues should...stop pushing their dangerous agenda...  

'Nuff said.

[FogPub]

The same with the Malahat, its well past its 'best by' date and needs to be relegated to a secondary tourist route like West Saanich Rd.

 

The ideologues should focus on urban infrastructure and stop pushing their dangerous agenda onto areas such as inter-urban routes  

While the Malahat's a mess to be sure, what other realistic options are there?

 

Anything spanning the inlet - bridge, floating tunnel, whatever - is a pipe dream; rendered impractical for two reasons.  1 - cost.  2 - the routes up and down the peninsula wouldn't be able to handle the added traffic (they can barely handle the ferry traffic as it is).

 

A highway along an entirely new route is going to run into watershed issues, environmental issues, and (probably) First Nations issues once any historical sites turn up before or during construction.

 

Which leaves the current route, with all its private accesses and twisty corners and cross-traffic left turns and single-lane bits.  Some of these could and should be eliminated via interchanges and frontage roads, with the highway double-decked through Goldstream and with Tunnel Hill redesigned and straightened out, but it'll never be perfect.

 

And when the idealogues focus on urban infrastructure we get bike lanes.  You sure that's what you want?

[rjag]

While the Malahat's a mess to be sure, what other realistic options are there?

 

Anything spanning the inlet - bridge, floating tunnel, whatever - is a pipe dream; rendered impractical for two reasons.  1 - cost.  2 - the routes up and down the peninsula wouldn't be able to handle the added traffic (they can barely handle the ferry traffic as it is).

 

A highway along an entirely new route is going to run into watershed issues, environmental issues, and (probably) First Nations issues once any historical sites turn up before or during construction.

 

Which leaves the current route, with all its private accesses and twisty corners and cross-traffic left turns and single-lane bits.  Some of these could and should be eliminated via interchanges and frontage roads, with the highway double-decked through Goldstream and with Tunnel Hill redesigned and straightened out, but it'll never be perfect.

 

And when the idealogues focus on urban infrastructure we get bike lanes.  You sure that's what you want?

 

Yup, you identify all the major typical objections and provide the reason why nothing gets done here and if it does its half-a$$ed.

 

The highway can run 2km parallel to the existing road and is not anywhere close to the watershed. 

 

 

It makes eminent sense to run a new highway 1-2 km West of the current road, it reduces the risk of contamination into the stream beds as well as the park. A bridge is out of the question, too many municipalities and FN land to cover as well as Federal. 

[rjag]

 

And when the idealogues focus on urban infrastructure we get bike lanes.  You sure that's what you want?

 

Thats why I said they should focus on urban infrastructure and stop pushing their dangerous agenda