Transportation Progress Report -- Chapter Draft

From Common Energy UVic

This is not the most current version of the transportation working group. For the most current version, please go to Transportation Progress Report - April - 2007. Thank you.

Contents 1 Introduction 2 Section 1: Transportation Infrastructure 3 Section 2: Institutional Infrastructure 4 Section 3: Individual Transportation Use

[edit] Introduction

Transportation choices have a major impact on greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Capital Regional District's 2004 greenhouse gas inventory, 53% of emissions are transportation related.^[1] However, reducing GHG emissions is only one factor in taking transportation beyond climate neutral. Designing a high quality, low impact transportation system also involves many other factors, such as integrated land use planning and community design.

If CE is to have the necessary impact on transportation-related emissions, it will have to examine both the public transportation system and UVic issues, such as the University's vehicle fleet, student and faculty air travel, transportation education, and individual transportation choices.

This two page summary addresses these issues, and is divided into three main sections: Transportation Infrastructure, Institutional Transportation Use, and Individual Transportation Choices.

[edit] Section 1: Transportation Infrastructure

As a society, we need to move away from our dependence on fossil fuels, and thus gas-powered automobiles. Apart from concerns about peak oil and CO2 emissions, the construction and improvement of arterial roads inevitably leads to more traffic and increased congestion. (See for instance http://www.transact.org/report.asp?id=185) CE supports public spending for the construction and maintenance of infrastructure and services that will provide the region with a quality transit system, such as more bike paths, improved bus service, and Light Rail Transit. Improving the transportation infrastructure involves working both with the University and with various levels of government. Municipalities are responsible for local roads and bike paths and provide funding for transit from property taxes. As municipal governments cannot provide all the funding, senior levels of government contribute to transit via the gas tax. The Victoria Regional Transit Commission (VRTC) manages the regional bus system.

One necessary service improvement is for buses earlier in the morning, when many support staff need to travel to UVic, and later in the evening, when students are returning from social activities.

Actions:

• CE plans to lobby the VRTC to speed up the implementation of two new proposed routes, the 12 Kenmore and the 13 Cadboro Bay. The VRTC has recognized that the areas served by these routes “are currently beyond a reasonable walking distance to transit service” (VRTC, 2006) and that “most people are most likely to choose public transit as a travel alternative if it is available within 200 metres” (VRTC). The two new routes would service roughly 13,700 people. Currently there is no direct bus route lining UVic and Gordon Head, which is an especially popular neighbourhood for UVic students.
• Secondly, CE will lobby the VRTC for greater capacity bike racks on buses, especially on new buses. Sportworks Innovative Product Manufacturing, and perhaps other manufacturers, make bike racks that have a capacity to hold three bikes. As Victoria’s climate allows for cycling almost year-round, greater capacity could result in more people cycling and busing.
• Thirdly, CE will start to engage the community about Light Rail Transit (LRT) by sponsoring a public lecture series and distributing promotional materials.

Proposals:

• Facilitate non-partisan all candidates’ forums on transportation issues. We expect that LRT will be an issue in the next municipal, provincial, and possibly federal elections.
• Advocate for more transit funding at the provincial and federal levels, specifically via the gas tax. In the long term, CE supports LRT on Douglas Street, along McKenzie Avenue to UVic, up the Saanich Peninsula, and to the Western Communities.
• Advocate for bus service earlier in the morning and later in the evening.

[edit] Section 2: Institutional Infrastructure

There are several ways that CE can work with the University to improve institutional transportation. As the University is directly responsible for its institutional operations, CE hopes to work closely with the appropriate University offices on several initiatives, including improving services for cyclists and creating alternatives to frequent faculty and graduate student air travel through state-of-the-art video and teleconferencing facilities on campus. Air travel is a major contributor to greenhouse gases; in his recent book Heat, George Monbiot explains that there is no viable way to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 80% from current emissions by 2050 without stopping or drastically reducing air travel (Monbiot, 2006).

Currently, all undergraduate and graduate students receive a UPASS for roughly one fourth of the normal cost; with staff, faculty and administration eligible for monthly bus pass subsidies. A universal bus pass for the entire UVic community would be visionary and effective in increasing the use of public transit and reducing demand for parking on campus. Raising parking fees would also discourage the use of individual automobiles, but in order to be fair, fees would have to be a "tiered" so that parking fees are proportional to salaries.

The University's vehicle fleet includes many conventional gas and diesel powered vehicles. Replacing them with more CO2 efficient vehicles would both reduce the University's carbon footprint and serve as an example to the community. Please see the Energy section for information on energy alternatives.

Actions:

• Facilitate the coordination and construction of a bike kiosk. A kiosk, designed to act as a service station for cyclists on campus, has been in the Facilities Management's plans for over a year, but has yet to be implemented. The Graduate Students’ Society has approved the kiosk.
• Lobby the UVic Undergraduate Students' Society (UVSS) to approve the bicycle kiosk and to handle the day-to-day operations of the kiosk.
• Collaborate with UVic to reduce the amount of faculty air travel, primarily through the promotion and use of tele- and video-conferencing services wherever possible.
• Advocate for the installation of more teleconferencing facilities, and for training staff and students to use these services effectively.

Proposals:

• Campaign for a campus-wide Universal Bus Pass (UPASS).
• Advocate for UVic to gradually convert its vehicle fleet to hybrid and electric vehicles.
• Advocate for a tiered parking payment system.

[edit] Section 3: Individual Transportation Use

Education is a powerful tool for changing behaviour. Education about the risks of smoking have reduced a habit that was ubiquitous in Canada twenty years ago to a fringe activity. We believe that a combination of increased education and new incentives for using options other than single occupancy vehicles will lead members of the University community to make more environmentally sound transportation decisions.

Actions:

• Work with SPOKES, UVic's bicycle bursary program, to increase student and faculty awareness of SPOKES, and increase the program's capacity by helping with recruitment of more mechanics and volunteers.

Proposals:

• Make a proposal to New Student Orientation (UVic’s student orientation program) for including in the student orientation package a brochure (to be produced by CE) describing the personal, societal and environmental benefits of alternative transportation.
• Promote awareness of carpooling and car sharing options in Vict