Policy & Positions Manual

Policy Priority Area - Transportation

Island Transportation Strategy (2009)

Vancouver Island transportation planning is dominated by municipalities who manage the infrastructure within their boundaries. The Regional Districts have varying roles in transportation. An overall plan for the island would provide valuable input to all levels of government and ensure that when infrastructure spending is considered, strategic projects for the Island are given equal consideration to municipal projects.

Vancouver Island is heavily reliant upon efficient transportation links to facilitate a prosperous economy and a good quality of life for residents. The island has a robust tourism industry as an economic backbone, with a rapidly growing high tech industry. Each of our major industries relies upon a high level of efficiency and options in transportation connections.

The entirety of Vancouver Island would benefit from an integrated transportation plan, with more efficient connections to, and between, communities on the Island. Business organizations from across the Island cite the need for considerable improvement in the movement of people and goods around the Island. However, the most beneficial means of achieving that goal for the benefit of the whole Island are not easily identified as each community is responsible for its own transportation planning with the province holding responsibility for the highways in between.

In order to fully benefit from the economic opportunities of the future, Vancouver Island needs to coordinate its transportation strategy. The province can take a lead role in creating economic vitality by facilitating a study that would identify the transportation gaps to the Island and amongst Island communities.

Some of the strategies to be considered in this study would include:

  • an integrated Island freight strategy designed to limit the environmental impact of moving freight at the same time as making the system more efficient. An integrated strategy would make greater use of rail and container mixed with trucking. A road transportation strategy setting priorities for major road projects and their economic opportunities is required; and
  • the development of island airports should be considered as an intra-island transportation option

THE CHAMBER RECOMMENDS

That the Provincial Government commission an Island-wide transportation study, identifying service gaps and opportunities for economic advancement through transportation development.