Email from Gwyer Webber Re: Vancouver Island Rail Transit
An email providing an update on the Vancouver Island Rail Transit proposal, including an underground option to downtown Victoria and estimated travel times.
Vancouver Island Rail Transit
From: Gwyer Webber
Sent: Wednesday, July 5, 2023 9:18 AM
To: Mayor And Council Email mayorandcouncil@viewroyal.ca
Subject: Vancouver Island Rail Transit
Dear Mayor and Council,
The attached is an updated version of the Vancouver Island Rail Transit and includes an underground option to downtown Victoria.
The underground option to downtown Victoria would reduce the travel time by eliminating 7 level crossings and the average speed would increase to around 45km/hr. Travel time would be around 18 minutes from Langford to Victoria, 12 minutes from View Royal to Victoria, and 60 minutes from Duncan to Victoria.
The PDF is also available online at www.railtransit.ca .
The VLR that is being discussed will have similar travel time to an at grade LRT. The maximum speed of a rail vehicle does not matter, what is important is the average speed which includes the station stops and whether the line is in traffic or in its own right of way. The Queen St streetcar in Toronto has an average speed of 15km/hr and the canceled Surrey LRT was estimated at just under 24km/hr average speed. I have attached the average speed of some of the rail transit across Canada.
The first phase in Coventry UK is under 7km long whereas the length from Langford to Victoria is double that at 15km (BC Transit proposal) so travel time will be much longer.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Gwyer Webber
4867 Salmon Berry Way,
Nanaimo, BC V9V 1T4