Re: South Island Transportation Strategy looks to reduce reliance on personal vehicles (Sept 28). It sounds like the provincial government plans to keep spending tens of millions of public dollars on highway expansion boondoggles in Greater Victoria, instead of immediately acting on their words about climate action and prioritizing public transit.
I took the time to read the South Island Transportation Strategy, and it states that the “Province recognizes a growing need to fundamentally shift how people move around South Vancouver Island.” It even cites the Capital Regional District’s climate emergency declaration. But there is no commitment to change what provincial (and matching federal) funds are used for.
The truth of a government’s priorities is found in its budget. And the provincial government’s infrastructure spending in the CRD goes overwhelmingly to highway expansion.
We need a “fundamental shift” of real dollars to public transit, walking and cycling. Empty words won’t build the bus lanes and new transit depot we so desperately need.
Eric Doherty
Victoria
