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1. Do you support re-aligning municipal and regional transportation plans and investments to meet the provincial government’s CleanBC target to “reduce distances travelled in light-duty vehicles by 2030 compared to 2020?
Yes.
2. Do you support making the default speed limit 30 km/h for streets without centrelines, as Saanich has already committed to doing?
Yes. I also support exploring speed reductions on other roads in problem areas.
3. Do you commit to budgeting sufficient funds to accelerate the Saanich 2018 Active Transportation Plan?
Yes.
4. Do you support using neighbourhood-wide traffic calming to create low traffic neighbourhoods with much lower traffic volume with quick build materials?
Yes. Over the past few years I have worked to pilot road murals as a method of traffic calming (as well as community building and placemaking).
5. How would you support making walking safer and more enjoyable in Saanich?
We’ve all seen streets in Saanich with inadequate or non-existent sidewalks, or sidewalks interrupted by trees, telephone poles, or damaged pavement that makes them unusable or unsafe for people with more limited mobility. One of my major focuses in this campaign is on making Saanich streets safe and accessible for all residents. If elected, I will work to establish an Accessibility Advisory Committee to inform policy decisions with the lived experience of Saanich residents whose needs are not met by our current road infrastructure. I am also a proponent of proven and innovative traffic calming measures. Streets are part of our public commons, and everyone should be able to use them safely, whether they walk, cycle, roll, ride, or drive. Piloting innovative traffic calming measures like curb extensions, chicanes, and road murals allows us to measure their success before expanding them throughout our communities. This is something I have already put into action with my leadership on the Falaise Crescent Road Mural pilot project.
6. Do you support building a network of all ages and abilities (“AAA”) bike and roll routes throughout Saanich?
Yes. If we want to encourage active transportation as a realistic alternative to motor vehicles, we need to ensure that bike and roll routes are accessible to all, not just experienced cyclists. It is important that AAA bike and roll routes be safely designed, with adequate space for users to safely share the routes. Connecting and improving existing infrastructure should also be a priority.
7. Do you support welcoming people who use wheelchairs and mobility scooters to use all ages and abilities (AAA) bike and roll routes?
Yes. An ongoing problem in Saanich is inadequate, interrupted, or non-existent sidewalks, which can be challenging to use even for people who do not use mobility aids. Ensuring that we have well-designed AAA bike and roll routes that can be used by wheelchair and mobility scooters is an important option to make Saanich more accessible, and will also make sidewalks safer for slower-moving pedestrians like children and seniors. The Galloping Goose and Lochside trails are much-loved and heavily used for commuting and recreation, but many sections of these trails are narrow, making it difficult for people to share them safely. I will push to make these trails safer by widening them in key areas, adding lighting to improve evening access, and improving signage where trails intersect with roads.
8. Do you support rapidly completing 24/7 bus lanes along McKenzie to UVic for BC Transit’s proposed RapidBus route, as well as similar measures along all proposed RapidBus routes in Saanich?
Yes. Decreasing reliance on individual motor vehicles requires us to make public transit a reliable, efficient, appealing, and accessible alternative. Approaches to UVic already see high levels of traffic congestion during the school year, and parking on campus can be limited and expensive for students and staff. Making public transit a priority will decrease those traffic and parking pressures, ensure that students and staff have safe and reliable transit options to and from campus, and decrease the climate impacts of commuting.
9. With the court-imposed deadline of March 14, 2023 to keep the Island Rail Corridor intact, how would you support modern rail service for Vancouver Island?
I would love to see a modern rail system and this is something that we should be working towards. This means keeping the Island Rail Corridor intact and working with higher levels of government to begin exploring rail development on the island. I would use my position on the CRD to support the beginning of these projects.
10. Do you support making transit fares more affordable, both by reducing the cost of passes and individual fares and free or discounted passes for youth, seniors, and people living on low incomes?
Yes. Encouraging ridership is one of the most important ways to build a strong and resilient public transportation system, and we can do that by reducing ridership costs.
11. Do you support removing the requirements for off-street vehicle parking from new and infill developments while adding requirements for car share, EV charging, bike and other micromobilty parking, as well as expanding accessible parking?
Unfortunately, our current public and active transportation networks do not currently meet the needs of all residents. I am very supportive of reducing off-street vehicle parking requirements for new and infill developments while adding requirements for alternative transportation options and accessible parking, but while we work to expand and improve our public and active transportation networks we do need to ensure that there is housing available that meets the needs of individuals for whom public and active transportation is not yet a viable option.
12. How would you activate and bring more people into public spaces within Saanich, including sidewalks, public squares, streets and parks?
Saanich residents often want to engage in projects to connect neighbours and beautify communities, but do not know how to get started. I will work to hire a social planner who can help guide residents, neighbourhood associations, and other organizations through municipal systems to help make beautiful projects happen. This would be someone whose job it is to wake up every morning and ask “how can we build community in Saanich.” We can also foster community-building and the activation of public spaces in the District by improving and diversifying Saanich’s community grants program. At a basic level, we also need to improve road safety with lower speed limits and traffic calming measures to ensure that people feel comfortable and safe in Saanich’s public spaces.
13. Do you support adding substantively more accessible public bathrooms across Saanich?
Yes. If we want to foster community spaces where people can spend time outdoors or exploring community spaces, we cannot expect people to rely on private businesses to meet the need for basic infrastructure like accessible public bathrooms.
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