Re: “Don’t mess with parking success,” editorial, Jan. 10.
There seems to be pressure to build a new parkade in downtown Victoria because the current ones are full much of the time.
Victoria taxpayers do not need another large capital project that will benefit mostly suburban drivers. Local and provincial politicians should be lobbying the federal government to finance light-rail transit between downtown Victoria and Langford, or beyond.
Bike lanes and bus lanes will not persuade drivers to get out of their cars; light rail has been successful in many cities in that respect. The time is now, because, in a year or two, federal deficits will grow so large that programs will be cut back.
In the meantime, to ensure that people can access downtown, city parkades should reserve more spots for short-term parking, rather than for commuters.
Kenneth Mintz
Victoria
