Buses would be better than a rail revival
Why is it that train proponents don’t understand the capacity constraints — and, now with the Roundhouse development, terminal location issues — that bedevil restoration of rail service?
The official proposal last year suggested ridership of about 3,500 daily — after spending over $800 million (likely more than a billion, given normal cost overruns for such projects) — all taxpayer funded.
In comparison, a single bus, properly routed, can take 100 people (cars) off the Malahat on each trip and should be able to make two trips in a rush-hour period.
Buses are flexible in routing and, therefore, totally practical, vs. a railroad stuck with exceedingly high infrastructure costs to get it running, costs that we can’t afford, given current budget deficits and local taxation levels.
Roger Love
Saanich
When will our pets get equal opportunities?
For anyone who lives in Victoria, you can’t help but notice that bicycles and public transportation are increasingly being pushed onto everyone.
When are the city and private transportation companies going to provide pet-friendly transportation, as most progressive countries do in Europe? The same applies to restaurants; most European countries allow dogs to accompany their owners.
Marielle Desjardins
Victoria
Let parents decide on feeding children
Re: “The toxic effects of advertising on our health,” commentary, March 31.
Imagine including “breast-milk substitutes” along with alcohol, tobacco, unhealthy food and gambling as something bad that people are “consuming or over-consuming.”
That’s right, parents, Trevor Hancock is coming for your baby formula. Or, he wants the government to come for it, and any advertising about it, on his behalf.
This is what someone being a Utopian with a weird puritanical streak comes up with. Not only would it be extreme authoritarian unnecessary censorship, parents will not thank him for this.
There is no such thing as “over-consumption” of formula. Some babies cannot tolerate breast milk. Sometimes breastfeeding for whatever reason is simply not possible — especially in cases of adoption or daycare.
It’s the parents’ right to be able to choose without restriction whether they use formula or breast milk. Never mind “breast is best.” FED is best.
April J. Gibson
Duncan
Municipalities make housing crisis worse
Developers profit from the high-rise construction boom and contribute substantial dollars to municipalities for green space and other wish-list items.
Lost in all this profitability are the innocent victims, i.e., tenants evicted from middle-housing homes they’ve lived in often for many years but will be demolished.
Tenants are faced with months/years of stress not knowing their ultimate fate in municipalities where finding another affordable home is almost impossible.
Tenant assistance policies currently require the developer to provide financial assistance. However, in reality, the financial support needed for today’s relocation costs ends up in a contentious conflict between tenants and developer.
Tenants without another home to go to are placed on B.C. Housing’s list and eventually may be given two choices for rehousing. If both are declined, the tenant is dropped from the list.
Sometimes, despite the location, affordability, safety, or no-pets policy, tenants just accept what is offered for fear of being homeless.
However, as happened to one elderly lady, this resulted in being moved to an unsafe downtown area where she has since been accosted and is afraid to leave the apartment.
These tenants deserve better from our elected officials. Laws need to be enacted where municipalities require developers to relocate tenants to at least equivalent housing at the developers’ expense as part of the rezoning/permitting process.
No relocation agreements would mean no development permits. Until then, municipalities are exacerbating their housing crisis.
Susan M. Woods
Victoria
Electric commuter trains could use rubber wheels
There have been many comments about reinstating the rail service up-Island to reduce auto traffic and carbon pollution in the area. Cost prohibitive.
The Great Western Rail in the U.K. is evaluating the use of fast charging batteries on part of Landon’s Underground.
Given our temperate winter temperatures and with global warming about to make our climate more temperate, has any thought been given to run battery-driven “subway type cars” between the new transportation hub planned for the Uptown area and Langford and Sidney?
These type of cars could be run on rubber wheels, like the Montreal subway, and operated on the rail right-of-way to Langford and down the middle of the Pat Bay Highway to the Swartz Bay terminal.
This would eliminate the need for rails and overhead electric power, with high-energy fast chargers at either end.
Commuters from the West Shore and the Peninsula could be car-free coming into Victoria. It would be convenient for shopping trips in both directions.
This would be an interesting research project for the university, college and B.C. Transit.
David Gray
Sidney
These are tough times for many people
Adrian Raeside’s cartoon depicting the sad reality of a senior on a fixed income was not funny.
Many people today, old and young, have to choose between eating and paying the rent. To make matters worse, the feds just gifted us with a carbon tax increase and other assorted horrors on April Fools Day. Surprise!
In order to gas up my car and buy a nice little steak, I am applying for a reverse mortgage. Wish me luck!
Cheera J. Crow
Brentwood Bay
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