Email from Linda Jeaurond Re: Climate Action and Foodland Access
Letter from a resident supporting both the expansion of transit and the regional foodlands access program.
From: mrs linda jeaurond Sent: Tuesday, May 7, 2019 10:47 AM To: Mayor And Council Email mayorandcouncil@viewroyal.ca Subject: Mayor and council
Dear Mayor and Council,
I’m writing today regarding two items on your May 7th council meeting agenda.
First:
Re 9.1 Correspondence For Action
a) Letter dated April 29, 2019 from Mayor Helps, City of Victoria, Re: Climate Action Through a Major Expansion of Public Transit Ridership
The City of Victoria’s grand vision for public transit has the potential to improve our quality of life in View Royal, in addition to delivering meaningful climate action.
Traffic congestion was chosen by local residents as the most important issue in our recent Community Satisfaction and Engagement Survey. Traffic flow and safety were also of concern.
Public transit and “transit-supportive development and policies” are recommended in the recent extraordinarily dire climate change call to action from the medical community:
Excerpt
e. In recognition of the significant (25% in 2016) and growing contribution of the transportation sector to Canada’s overall emissions, and fine particulate air pollution Call to Action on Climate Change and Health related premature deaths (1,063 yearly in Canada), identify how those emissions will be slowed and reduced over time giving consideration to alternative fuels, electrification of vehicles, public transit, active modes of transportation, transit-supportive development and policies and telecommuting
https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/2019-Call-to-Action-Feb-5-2019-FINAL.pdf
And interestingly, although there doesn’t appear to be a lot of research on free transit, this small 2012 MIT study notes that 30% of commuters gave up their full-time parking permits after a brief free transit trial.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0967070X12001345
https://miovision.com/blog/converting-commuters-with-public-transit/
If 30% of this region’s commuters parked their single occupancy cars we could expect our roads and our lungs to last a whole lot longer. And think of the message we would be sending to the world: transformative change is possible.
Secondly,
Re 9.1 Correspondence For Action
c) Letter dated April 24, 2019 from Chair Plant, Capital Regional District Board, Re: Assessment of Local Government Interest in a Regional Foodland Access Program
I agree with this CRD proposal. We should focus on protecting farmland in addition to natural green spaces. Our climate is changing and we need to have a functioning food security plan in place as soon as possible.
Thank you for considering my input,
Regards
Linda Jeaurond, 254 Ardenlea Place Victoria BC V9B5P3