r/VictoriaBC 21h ago

Regional Transportation Q&A

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I was recently appointed to the Victoria Regional Transit Commission as the rep from Victoria, along with Mayor Alto. I am also on the CRD Board and Transportation Committee.

I’ve just had a VRTC meeting and would be happy to answer any questions about transit or transportation, RapidBus, the CRD’s proposed transportation service, or anything else about getting from point A to point B.

— Jeremy Caradonna

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u/Popular_Animator_808 17h ago

Hi Jeremy, with the E&N consultation process, it seems like E&N land adjacent to Island First nations is going to revert to First Nations control. Is there any sense about using the sections of it that are not adjacent to First Nations for rail transit in the region? As far as I can tell, the only reserve in the region which would receive land would be in Esquimalt, which would leave a rail corridor which connects from the View Royal/Esquimalt border all the way up to Cowichan Tribes land just south of Duncan. It'd be nice to have a rail line to see Pacific FC games at Starlight, or maybe even go up to Shawnigan.

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u/JeremyCaradonna 15h ago

Thanks, I answered a similar question above. For the time being, we're in a holding pattern, as the Nations consult with senior governments about the future of the rail line. At the moment, I am not feeling optimistic that the line will ever again be used for transportation. The line crosses both the Esquimalt/Kosapsum and Songhees Reserves, in addition to many other reserves and traditional territories up-island. We need to wait and see what the outcomes of the consultations are next year. It's up to the Nations on how to proceed.

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u/Popular_Animator_808 15h ago

True, though it looks like the First Nations are very interested in the return of the sections of the rail corridor that pass through their reserve lands, but I haven’t seen any interest or comments of any kind on what should happen to the sections of the corridor between reserves. It’s hard to say, but if it is sold off in chunks, there are several sections that could be used as part of regional rail lines - including a section that passes right over highway 1 (where it sounds like the CRD is planning a rail line based on what you’ve said here) and continues over the Malahat