Transporation Challenge: Saanich Climate Action

Saanich goes public with green plans
By Bill Cleverley, Times Colonist November 13, 2009

Getting people out of cars will be key to Saanich cutting greenhouse gases by a third over the next 10 years, as spelled out in its draft Climate Action Plan.

"That's certainly one of our greatest challenges," said Coun. Dean Murdock, vice-chairman of Saanich's environment committee.

Murdock, a former chairman of the Sierra Club Victoria, is optimistic B.C. Transit's proposed rapid-transit corridor could help achieve significant reductions in emissions. "That Douglas/West Shore corridor serves a very significant portion of the commuting population and a lot of that traffic travels through Saanich but also comes from Saanich."

Beginning next week, the municipality is set to host three open houses to solicit input to its draft Climate Action Plan, designed to cut greenhouse-gas emissions 33 per cent by 2020.

The plan sets short-term goals of annually increasing the kilometres of sidewalks and bike lanes, upgrading a minimum of 10 bus stops a year, developing a corporate car-pool program, increasing bicycle facilities, promoting corporate bus passes and car-share use for municipal operations. Long-term initiatives include buying two electric fleet vehicles.

Murdock said council will have to continue to guide development toward major centres and transportation hubs such as Uptown rather than allowing sprawl throughout the municipality.

"If we continue to sprawl out in the fashion that we have for the last 30 years, we're going to compound those transportation frustrations -- the congestion associated with additional traffic flow and the emissions that come from the additional vehicles."

Murdock said acceptance from the public is vital if the municipality is to achieve its emission-reduction goals.

"Those initiatives are completely meaningless if we don't have buy-in from folks who actually have to make the decisions and investments in order to achieve those targets."

Saanich's greenhouse gas emissions in 2008 were down 10.6 per cent from 2004.

The municipality's green initiatives have included installation of low-energy LED lights in traffic signals, retrofitting all municipal buildings, anti-idling programs for the municipal fleet, a program to fit the right vehicle for the right job and replacement of 12 older vehicles with hybrids.

Mayor Frank Leonard said the open houses will help take what has been an in-house initiative into the community.

"We've taken some pride to what we've accomplished as a municipality but when you boil that down, it's all municipal operations we've made great strides in. To really have an impact we need to reach out and have it be community-wide."

Open houses are planned for Nov. 19, 24 and 30 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Salvation Army Building, 4030 Douglas St.