Here is a selection of recent letters and comments, and thank you to everyone who has provided feedback – it is always welcome. While the City of Victoria has extended its public engagement and survey to August 3rd, plenty of people have been weighing in with emails, and comments on the website. Our supplemental survey has over 500 downloads – it will be interesting to see how many reach City Hall, and how they are included as information to council on August 12th. [...]
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Anyone confused yet? Council plans to decide on August 12th for a $77 or $80 million replacement or rehabilitation of the Blue Bridge – that is what has been sent out to the public for survey feedback. Or they could choose to include rail, which most councillors want, but which jacks up the cost to $89 million for replacement and $103 million for rehabilitation – that without any guarantee of regional funding. The timeline is tight as a borrowing bylaw must be set by August 20th in time for a planned referendum in late November. [...] I actually laughed out loud while reading the mailer I received from the City of Victoria entitled “The Future of the Johnson Street Bridge.” It was a political document pretending to be a call for public input. The publication is replete with threats and fear-mongering. “If nothing is done to address the Johnson Street Bridge within in the next two years it will face closure,” the city threatens. Write back to city council if you want, but you should know the decision’s already been made. [...] The City must receive responses by August 3. Please complete the City’s survey, and the supplementary survey, put them together in the same envelope, and get them in the mail right away! [...] johnsonstreetbridge.org and concerned citizens felt it imperative to address council as this would be the final opportunity to speak directly to all City Councillors and the Mayor before a Blue Bridge report on June 14th, and a potential decision on refurbishment options on June 17th. [...] The City has rejected the possibility of two lanes based – on what? They have not published any document that conclusively proves it would result in ‘traffic chaos’. It is only through a thorough traffic analysis, AND an actual trial that can prove to City Council the viability of this option. [...] Victoria councillor John Luton and johnsonstreetbridge.org director Ross Crockford were on CFAX on June 8th morning, to discuss the feasibility of removing a car lane from the Johnson Street Bridge and using the space to create two bicycle lanes, as was detailed in a recent letter to Victoria’s mayor and council. Listen to the interview here: [...] The only chance for anyone to comment publicly about what should included in Victoria’s Johnson Street Bridge rehab plan, it appears, will be at next week’s council meeting, on the evening of Thursday, June 10. [...] The Johnson Street Bridge petition campaign collected over 10 000 signatures against the proposed borrowing bylaw, and one of the primary reasons voters signed was concern over transparency and public input. The week following the release of the petition results, Ross Crockford and Yule Heibel (.ORG directors) met with Mayor Dean Fortin, City Manager Gail Stephens, Director of Operations Peter Sparanese and Jaime Matten, the Mayor’s assistant, to highlight this issue and offer solutions – open the meetings of the Citizen Advisory Panel to the public, provide comprehensive minutes, and allow public input into the decision process. [...] Residents are also open minded about bridge options, and feel the City should take in a wide assessment of variables to determine the best options. That is somewhat at variance with the need to ‘get on with the job’, but clearly suggests the public is concerned City Engineering, and the bridge consultants, have not thoroughly explored all possibilities. Rail and historical consideration were also low on the list of priority considerations. [...] |
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