With new faces around the Capital Regional District board table, there is optimism the region may finally get a regional transportation authority.
The board will next month consider a recommendation from its transportation committee that the CRD start engaging with the region’s municipalities, electoral districts and transportation agency partners to determine the appetite for regional governance on transportation.
“The major benefits [of a transportation authority] will be that we can speak with a unified voice instead of 13 or 14 different opinions on what the priority is for transportation in our region,” said Saanich Mayor Dean Murdock, chair of the transportation committee.
The last time the board attempted to establish a regional transportation authority was in 2018, but that fell apart when the West Shore pulled its support.
Opponents worried their priorities might be overshadowed by those of the core municipalities and that a new CRD service would only add bureaucracy and cost. Only five of 13 area municipalities supported the idea, with those in support arguing a new transportation authority would enable the identification of regional transportation priorities and allow local governments to speak with a unified voice to senior governments when seeking funds. The difference this time seems to be new directors around the board table who are willing to work together.
“I remain very optimistic the CRD will develop a way to have a more co-ordinated approach to transportation planning and co-ordination,” said CRD board chair Colin Plant, who also sits on the transportation committee. “We are designing and implementing a process that should help us get there during this board term.”
The transportation committee unanimously endorsed advancing the initiative to the board to approve an engagement program with the region.
Murdock said the region’s residents want local governments to work better together to create better transportation options, so people can get around more easily. He noted the key goals are to ease congestion during peak travel times, reduce emissions and support higher rates of walking, cycling and transit use.
The idea is to gradually increase levels of regional authority, starting by bringing planning for the transportation network together with regional trails. The next level would give the CRD tools to raise and administer funds and attract more funding to the region, which would lead to establishing a new authority that would make decisions about service levels and investment.
