Email dated February 6, 2023 from L. Jeaurond, Re: OCP Restart Plan
Detailed objection to the OCP update and ATNP process, recommending updates to the Transportation Master Plan and additional 'walk workshops' for pedestrians.
From: mrs linda jeaurond Sent: February 6, 2023 11:51 PM To: Info Address info@viewroyal.ca; Mayor And Council Email mayorandcouncil@viewroyal.ca; Alison Mackenzie Sid Tobias ; Damian Kowalewich DKowalewich@viewroyal.ca; Gery Lemon John Rogers ; Mattson Ron ; drlbrown1951 Subject: For Feb 7 council meting
Dear Mayor and Council
Thank you for the opportunity to briefly address three items on your agenda. The first two appear under staff reports, the third under correspondence.
Regarding the Draft Official Community Plan Update
I’d like to respectfully object to the Staff Recommendation to move forward to the final phase. Residents were deeply dissatisfied with traffic congestion in 2019 when surveyed by View Royal, since then we have become one of the top ten fastest growing communities in the province. Traffic congestion is a health concern.
(https://www.viewroyal.ca/EN/main/discover/view-royal-community-satisfaction-engagement-survey.html)
We need to update the Transportation Master Plan - meet today’s reality while we plan for the future. It’s important to take a moment to measure the cumulative effects - eg. urban heat island effect, tree canopy loss, sensitive ecosystem loss, school capacity issues, road congestion, evacuation capacity - of rapidly increasing the population of our infamous regional pinch point.
We need to do this before we finalize an OCP ‘update‘ that risks focusing exclusively on housing, as if it happens in a silo.
Regarding the Active Transportation Network Plan Update
Secondly, regarding the Active Transportation Network Plan Update, the two bike workshops focused on wheeled transport, there were no walk workshops. Yet media reports that according “to Statistics Canada’s latest census in 2021, more than 15% of workers in Victoria aged 15-years-old and over walk or bike as their main method of daily transportation. Of that percentage, 5% are cyclists.”
More people walk than ride.
(https://www.victoriabuzz.com/2022/11/victoria-commuters-like-to-bike-or-walk-to-work-2021-census/)
If it’s not possible to add some walk workshops, perhaps you could send the report to the community advisory committees, including the new accessibility committee, and ask them to provide input.
Regarding the U-Pass funding request
Lastly, regarding the U-Pass funding request in correspondence from the City of Victoria Youth Council, I support this in principle but the program management costs might be a negative. The City of Victoria needed to hire a company to manage their bus pass procedures.
BC Transit is converting to an electronic fare system: “The electronic fare system cost $23.2-million to implement, with the federal government funding 50 per cent of the cost, the provincial government covering 40 per cent, and local governments contributing 10 per cent.”
(https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/bc-transit-delays-tap-payments-on-buses-until-2023-1.6085260)
Perhaps as they modernize their payment systems they can be encouraged by regional governments to streamline procedures and ultimately process bus passes for all municipally subsidized youth.
Kind regards,
Linda Jeaurond 254 Ardenlea place Victoria BC V9B5P3