MLA Ravi Parmar claims that the $85 million of federal and provincial money just spent to widen Sooke Road “will allow folks in the region to move around safely and more effectively.” But this very expensive project seems to have made traffic worse, not better. Nobody should be surprised by this result, you can’t build your way out of congestion with wider highways.
Automobile-dominated sprawl combined with highway expansion would be a nightmare for Sooke, and the whole region. It is also the exact opposite direction set out in the provincial climate action plan, which includes a target of 25% less traffic (vehicle kilometers travelled) in 2030. It is also contradictory to the provincial housing plan’s focus on locating new housing in areas with good transit.
The #61 Sooke route has been downgraded from double-decker to standard buses. It is now often so overcrowded that I and my family members have to stand most or all the way to Sooke. This trip takes well over an hour when traffic is bad. It is no wonder that people choose to drive, making traffic congestion and the climate crisis worse and worse.
I hope that the provincial NDP government will pay attention to their own excellent climate and housing plans and invest in better transit instead of more highway expansion boondoggles.
Mike Strong
Sooke