Driving Times to get Ridiculous (40 KPH on Route #1)

According to page 14 of the BC Provincial Government's South Island Transportation Study, the driving time for the 40 kilometer stretch of Highway One from Mill Bay to Victoria takes 43 minutes during the morning peak and as long as 66 minutes on some days.

Furthermore, With expected growth, by 2038, this same trip would take up to 87 minutes on a typical day and up to 144 minutes with variability of conditions. Even at 60 minutes, that is an average speed of only 40 KPH which one could strongly argue has staggering economic, social and environmental costs. At 144 minutes, the average speed of a vehicle will be less than 17 KPH!

Note that according to the August 25, 1912 Esquimalt and Nanaimo ("E&N Railway", now called the "Island Rail Corridor"), a longer trip to Cobble Hill trip took less than 90 minutes using steam train technology and making over ten stops PLUS climbing the Malahat grade!

The Provincial Government needs to understand that the current status quo of investing into more roads is not working and will not work in the future. Now is the time to reach out to your MLA and insist they go with common sense and invest in rail, like every sensible government in the rest of the world does. Join the VITCC today and help us bring common sense to our Island's future transportation planning.

What will our future be?

FACT: over 80% of all Island Residents support the introduction of modern rail service. Interested in helping? Join the cause today!