All 13 of Greater Victoria’s mayors have sent out a coordinated letter to Premier John Horgan and Minister of Transportation & Infrastructure Claire Trevina, according to a press release on Wednesday morning.
The letter outlines two main requests: the activation of the train on the E&N rail line between Victoria and Langford, and the completion of Bus Rapid Transit lanes along Highway 1 to Westshore.
The mayors conceded that further consultation is necessary to expand the train service beyond Langford in order to honour the wishes of First Nations communities.
However the letter argues that delaying the activation of service between Victoria and Langford could potentially cause the province to lose federal funding, and further lead to continued congestion in the area.
It also calls for the swift completion of Bus Rapid Transit lanes to the Westshore, and cites the success of the portions of the lanes that have already been completed as proof of their necessity.
The mayors have requested the province to commit to both requests in February’s budget in order to “get moving people in the CRD”.
“The impacts of inadequate transportation infrastructure on the Langford to Victoria corridor are dramatic,” said Mayor Fred Haynes, District of Saanich.
“It negatively impacts our quality of life, reduces family time, damages the performance of our economy and adds to GHG emissions. Provincial leadership is respectfully called for.”
The 2019 Provincial budget will be revealed by Finance Minister Carole James on February 19th.
Here is the letter:
