Bo Bike, walk, take the bus

Victoria is uniquely advantaged to support active transportation, and it shows. 10% or more of our citizens bike to work regularly, more walk and our transit use is very high. It all leads to a cleaner environment and healthier population. We have the lowest rates of obesity and the best health indicators of any city in Canada – even with our high population of seniors.

I’ve been hard at work on key cycling initiatives to help people get on their bikes for some of their everyday travel needs. We’re steadily expanded our on-road cycling network; a new off-road trail is taking shape alongside the E&N, and we put together a quick response to cyclists needs at the Johnson St. Bridge when the rail bridge had to close.

Elsewhere I’ve taken the lead to develop a more comprehensive bike parking strategy to accommodate growing demand, and working with downtown business and other advocates to deliver a new aesthetic for parking racks downtown. It helps keep our sidewalks safer for pedestrians and every time someone rides to work or shopping, it leaves another space open for someone who needs to drive.

I’ve also been working to keep our greenways and Pedestrian Master Plan moving forward. Victoria is already a very walkable city but we need to fill in the gaps, keep adding to our downtown pedestrian environment to make it safer and more appealing for downtown shoppers and I’ve focused on “Safe Routes to School” initiatives to help support children and families who want to make healthy choices.

BC Transit didn’t appoint a second city representative for nearly 18 months after the last election. As soon as I was appointed, it tipped the balance in favour of extended bus service to provide a late night schedule between downtown and key destinations like the University and student neighbourhoods. It’s been an effective support for our “Late Night, Great Night” strategy that secures Victoria as everyone’s downtown entertainment district.

I’ve been a key supporter of the Transit plan for LRT. It’s something we need to move on to provide a more sustainable and efficient model for transportation in the region and will be key to attracting new development and new industry to the city’s core. Higher density downtown and plans for a new high-tech industrial zone needs better transportation options than trying to jam more cars and overcrowded buses onto city streets.

More transit oriented development is also a healthy choice – LRT will eliminate greenhouse gas emissions with electric power and reduces impacts on air quality, essential for an aging population. It’s also a positive contributor to healthy lifestyles inviting more people to add a walk to their daily travel patterns to and from home, transit and workplaces.

We can do more . . .

I’ve been working with our own planners and with many players in the development industry to support parking requirements that meet their needs and ours. We can reduce the cost of housing and commercial space by tailoring parking to use, not just a formula that says everyone needs a vehicle space. Already 22% of households in Victoria don’t own vehicles, so why should they pay for extra parking? We’re working on plans to help support car-free housing and using incentives and relaxed standards to build a sustainable transportation fund that will support transportation demand management measures like car share, transit passes, better bike parking and an acceleration of our cycling network, greenways, and pedestrian plans to build more choice into our transportation system.

More greenways
I’ve been working with our parks department and community interests to help shape better connections and greener choices for neighbourhood transportation. Opening up new trails and introducing new off-road options through connector paths and more generous pedestrian spaces will give children and families more options for safer travel by bike or on foot. We’ll need more space to for seniors with mobility challenges who may rely on chairs or walkers to help them move around.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans
We’re years away from completing our networks and we need partner funding and innovative approaches to help accelerate our work on those plans. We’ve been working with new developments to expand opportunities for residential density around downtown, where people often don’t need to drive to reach their destinations and we’ll expand our work to ensure that we get a fair return for relaxed standards so we can secure more funding to invest in these important plans.

I’m also running hard for the CRD board, where I plan to push for regional funding to better support cycling and walking. Cycling can be a regional transportation priority and walking connects us to transit, so both can be funded as regional transportation choices. We’ll need consistent standards and cross border connectivity to ensure routes reach across municipal borders and common designs make it easier for cyclists to find their way throughout the region.

Our attractiveness as a cycling and walking destination is also a key part of our tourism economy. I’ve been working to ensure an active living design for our region is marketed to a world ready for a healthy and healthier tourism sector.

Safe Routes to School
Every school needs an active travel plan, and I’m there to make sure we do our part. Safer routes that provide better crosswalks, completed sidewalks and off-road options to help children connect to their schools must be a priority. We’ve already completed much work around Margaret Jenkins with new initiatives and I’m talking with many neighbourhood activists about better links to their schools and playgrounds. We need to do more.