Greater Victoria is expanding rapidly. The population in all municipalities are rising, and with that comes an increased demand on transportation. Transportation is arguable one of the most significant factors harming our community. Just ask any local resident about the Crawl, and you will most certainly hear a loud groan and some inappropriate language. The problem is that there are few alternatives to simply jumping in the car, in order to get to work on time.
Today, it takes about 40 minutes for you to make it from the West Shore down to Victoria. That's just awful, and with the current population expected to increase, projections warn it will soon take an hour and 15 minutes for you to accomplish the same feat.
Some argue for rapid transit, while others are pushing for the train to be implemented. The answer to this problem is a combination of the two options currently being presented. What we need is the train to start up again (with the tracks improved that everyone on board won't fear for their lives), and rapid transit to surrounding neighbourhoods. If the option was available for us to get downtown in 10 minutes, my guess is people wouldn't be nearly as enthusiastic to wait an additional hour. The train does this. While rapid transit could move you quickly from the West Shore to downtown as well with services to reach other areas of town.
Unfortunately, there are many hurdles to face until this can be realized. The provincial government is not on board with increasing transportation funding, while a few municipal governments aren't syncing their green methods of transportation with areas that would benefit the most from increased ridership.
In the words of Madonna, I am asking everyone, in the hopes to achieve this, "Don't just stand there, let's get to it. Strike a pose, there's nothing to it."
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