Competing transportation interests

“ingress – egress - regress?” 

By Marg Gardiner

Proposed changes to street use and dedicated access to shared public space along the Belleville Boulevard and Government, Superior and Douglas streets would affect how James Bay residents come and go from our community, if implemented as presented.

The “Perfect Storm” of competing interests includes BC Transit, Biketoria, cruise-line Wilson’s transportation (including tourist, cruise and inter-city operations), other tourism interests (bus and non-motorized), special events, and the vehicular and pedestrian needs of James Bay resident and businesses.

The Storm threats are egress/ingress difficulties at Superior-Douglas with Transit buses going both directions along the narrowest parts of Superior and Douglas, a bus canyon on Government Street between the RBCMuseum and the Legislature, downgrading of the Belleville boulevard from Pendray to St Ann’s, and bus-domination of the entrances to the Museum and Crystal Gardens.

These competing interests would be but the start, as other commercial interests could rightly demand similar access to public land, namely our streets, curbs and sidewalks. Residents of James Bay, and employees coming to James Bay, would be paying the cost, in lost time and other quality of life impacts.

Background:

BC transit chose Douglas as the main corridor into Victoria from the region. As Transit expands, it desires to change its terminal (bus layover areas). Current layovers are on Government (bus-bays by the Legislature), Fairfield Road, and sub lay-over locations on Toronto and Erie streets.

Last April, Transit submitted a proposal to the City that had a new lay-over location north of Belleville, in the Humboldt Valley area. City staff objected, concerned about nearby resident impacts. Around that time, select commercial operators approached Transit with plans to piggy-back onto Transit needs, creating a bus terminal precinct on Douglas by Crystal Gardens.  

Given the City’s objection to the initial plan and the request of the private sector bus operators (referred to by the City as Wilson’s Transportation), Transit proposed an expansion in James Bay, on the east side of Government St. between the Legislature and Museum. 

BC Transit Proposal:

Transit buses using both sides of Government as a lay-over location, would travel in both directions along Government, Superior, Belleville and Douglas, around the museum block. Currently buses circle the museum block in a counter-clockwise direction. The proposal would have other buses circling the block, clockwise. Changes at the Douglas/Superior Helm’s Inn corner would include removing the pedestrian crosswalk ‘bulb’, a tree, and relocating of a hydro pole (cost: $50,000). A bus stop would be placed on Douglas at Thunderbird Park.

Biketoria:

While the debate over single or double dedicated lanes on routes from the region into downtown was widely covered through the media, the extent of the routing through residential communities was not.

Biketoria chose a dedicated curb-lane along Belleville. The small print is that thousands of vehicle movements are to be diverted off Belleville to other streets. Neither James Bay residents nor businesses, including those operating out of the Belleville Terminal and hotels, were consulted. 

JBNA requested a charrette, followed by broader consultation. Superior Street may (or may not) be the better street for dedicated bike lanes. Consultation was requested of the Biketoria team in October and November, and of Mayor Helps on November 10.

Dedicated bike lanes along either Belleville or Superior would constrain traffic along Superior.

Commercial Bus precinct proposal:

Commercial operators using the Greyhound Bus terminal must vacate in May, 2016. They propose a “Downtown Precinct” for commercial inter-city and select tour operators, through access to public curbside and sidewalk space. Requested Douglas space is alongside the entrance to Crystal Gardens. Inter-City clients, with luggage, would compromise pedestrian space on Douglas. Traffic lanes on Douglas will be constricted as bus activities consume lanes.

Wilson’s Transportation leads this proposal. Missing from the December presentation given to the City was the location(s) where the commercial buses intend to lay-over and/or turn-around. While Transit stops are of short duration, inter-city and tour layovers can range from 30-90 minutes, to hours.

Other Commercial bus operators have also shown interest in having their own dedicated curb and sidewalk space.

Cruise-related transportation:

50% growth in cruise-ship passengers is anticipated over the next 5-10 years, compounding transportation overload on Douglas and Superior/Belleville.

The much larger post-Panamax ships carry 50% more passengers per ship. As these ships alter itineraries to include the Alaska run, bus fleets will expand. These buses tend to use Douglas Street coming and/or going from Ogden Point.

Increased James Bay transportation needs:

Victoria’s Official Community Plan calls for residential areas to absorb population increases totaling 8,000. James Bay will have absorbed its increase within the next decade. Over 625 residences were built or have been committed (2011 to 2019). Additionally, the employment sector within James Bay will rise, with more than 1000 employees settling into Capital Park between 2017 and 2019.

James Bay Resident Concerns (expressed at January Meeting):

James Bay should not bear the burden of a terminal for the region.

Walkability will be reduced: removal of the sidewalk “bulb” at Superior /Douglas reduces safety for pedestrians, making this pedestrian-unfriendly intersection more unfriendly; the bus canyon along Government makes that street less pedestrian friendly.

JB residents are proud of the RBCMuseum and want to see it thrive. Jack Lohman, CEO, RBCMuseum, wrote to the City regarding his concerns, stating the Museum: “will lose de facto 50% or our visitor parking”. The Museum would be circled by buses, reducing the attractiveness of its entrance.

The proposed Thunderbird Park bus stop could be problematic, hindering traffic flow and detract from the park.

James Bay depends greatly on the Douglas-Belleville-Government-Superior collection of streets for resident and business vehicular egress from residences/businesses to beyond. The pinch-point of Superior and Douglas, already a bottle-neck, would be further strained.

The Belleville Boulevard leading to St Ann’s Academy is an historical area, a necklace of pearls. It would be compromised with the ambiance and green-space lost to buses.

The proposal goes against the City’s avowed principles of greening and placing pedestrian considerations as the highest transportation consideration by bringing buses where we should be walking and biking.

The siting of a commercial bus terminal at Douglas and Belleville would anchor these buses in James Bay.

During the December presentation to Councilors, staff stated that other sites for the commercial terminal were not suitable. Rationale for rejection of sites in the Rock Bay - Pembroke area was not provided (perhaps the cost of private land lease?).

Transit is important to our community, but should not be taking away from walkability, especially near the harbour and important public institutions and facilities such as the Museum and Thunderbird Park, the Legislature, and Crystal Gardens. 

Transit needs to do more, to explore more possibilities, and to consult via the neighbourhood land-use groups. Transit wants to use land it owns near Uptown as a major layover hub – in the future. Could not that initiative start now?

The commercial terminal should be moved to the northern end of downtown.

The Perfect Storm needs to be dispersed.

Letters/suggestions should be sent to:

Victoria Regional Transit System, Manuel Achadinha, President & CEO- manuel_achadinha@bctransit.com

City of Victoria Councillors: councillors@victoria.ca   Mayor Lisa Helps: mayor@victoria.ca

Victoria Regional Transit Commission: Chair, Councilor Brice of Saanich - susan.brice@saanich.ca, Mayor Lisa Helps and Councillor Alto, Mayor Atwell of Saanich - mayor@saanich.ca, Mayor Finall of North Saanich - afinall@northsaanich.ca, Mayor Desjardins of Esquimalt - barb.desjardins@esquimaltcouncil.ca, and Mayor Hamilton of Colwood - mayor@colwood.ca

Link to the Council video feed, City staff report and the BC Transit submission:

http://victoria.ca.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=628