Category Archives: Transportation

Transportation

BC Ferries CEO speaks to Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce about navigating through growing pains

By Sidney Coles, Capital Daily, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A sense of optimism and ambition marked BC Ferries CEO Nicolas Jimenez’s update to members of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce and other regional stakeholders on Tuesday morning. It also served as a report card and warning that expensive changes and subsequent fare increases are definitely on the horizon. 

By 2028, a 30% fare increase will be necessary just to stay at its current levels of service, he said. The increase represents a necessary shift in BC Ferries’ priorities around fleet and infrastructure upgrades.

Continue reading BC Ferries CEO speaks to Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce about navigating through growing pains →
Cost of Climate Change, Transportation

The Quadra Project – Flying Into the Future

Boeing, an American builder of aircraft, estimates that the increasing demand for flying will require 44,000 additional commercial planes during the next 20 years. These new planes will be added to the current fleet of about 25,500 presently serving the flying public. Of course, Boeing expects to build a generous portion of these planes, while competing with Airbus and a rising Chinese aviation industry.

Continue reading The Quadra Project – Flying Into the Future →
Transportation

Next Steps for the Cortes/Quadra Transportation Study

There were a number of next steps connected to last summer’s Cortes/Quadra Transportation survey.

Kate Maddigan, Economic Development Officer of The Cortes Community Economic Development Association (CCEDA) explained, “I haven’t publicly said the final report is complete because I really wanted to put some attention into just making it shorter, like a briefing on that final report, rather than having people read the whole thing. Having said that, the recommendations, which is what I always skip to if I have to read a final report, are pretty straightforward. If I was to summarize the whole thing, I would just say these are the next steps and this is what those people who participated said they wanted.” 

Continue reading Next Steps for the Cortes/Quadra Transportation Study →
Transportation

Four Years Later: DIY E-trike Meets Builder’s Needs

In 2019 and 2020, Cortes Currents ran a series of articles about e-bikes on the island, interviewing owners about the pros and cons of their electric-assisted rides. One of the featured bikes was quite unusual: an electric sidecar cargo trike, designed and built by local resident Gabriel Dinim.

It’s now four years later, and Currents checked in with Gabriel about his DIY personal EV. It has been his primary transportation for the last four years, and he’s quite satisfied. We asked him whether he’s ever found the trike inadequate and needed to borrow a car:

The only time I’ve borrowed a car, was when I had to go to the clinic for early blood work and they had to measure the cortisol — and I didn’t want to arrive there all stressed out from riding. And it was cold — so I borrowed a car to do that. Aside from that, No…

I mean, I did borrow a car sometimes to move firewood around — which I could do with the bike, but it takes so many trips, you know. I can put 80, 90 pounds of firewood in the bike. But it’s so much easier to borrow a van and put a thousand pounds of firewood in it and just transport it.

Otherwise, yes, it’s met all of my needs. In the winter, too, I’ve ridden in two, three below zero. Just long johns, wool pants — just lots of gear.

Continue reading Four Years Later: DIY E-trike Meets Builder’s Needs →
Community, Housing, Politics, Transportation

Area C Director’s Report: Official Community Plan meeting on Read Island + more

From the desk of Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney

Hello, In this report is news on two recent meetings, the first Official Community Plan meeting at Surge Narrows and a recent SRD-SD72 Liaison Committee meeting, as well as a link & reminder about the Area C Active Transportation survey.

Continue reading Area C Director’s Report: Official Community Plan meeting on Read Island + more →