Improving road safety in Saanich is the focus of the district’s updated active transportation plan, which was endorsed by council this week.
But with 96 actions designed to build on walking and cycling networks, and improve high-risk crossings, the key is figuring out how to pay for it all.
The plan, which was first adopted in 2018, sets out a map for the next five years, outlining a series of projects to improve the networks and infrastructure already in place.
“Saanich has come a long way in terms of creating walkability, cyclability and building out a walking and cycling network, with the goal of making our roads safer and easier to get around for all road users,” Mayor Dean Murdock said in an interview.
“With this new generation of the active transportation plan, now we’ve established a really strong foundation — how do we continue to build on that?”
Murdock said it’s now about completing trails, connecting neighbourhoods to major centres, connecting trails to transportation hubs and improving walking infrastructure.
“It’s no secret Saanich’s neighbourhoods are largely areas where there’s not a lot of good sidewalks. And in some places, it’s not safe to be walking on our roads,” he said.
The 96 actions include building new sidewalks, expanding bike networks to better connect within the district and region, creating trails, improving intersections and crosswalks, working with B.C. Transit to improve transit, ensuring more bike parking and end-of-trip facilities, and improving signs.
But with so many things to do, not everything can be done at once.
A Saanich staff report noted costs associated with the ongoing implementation have been rising year after year, while capital costs for construction of new infrastructure and rebuilding old infrastructure have increased by nine per cent each year since 2018
The report noted that while Saanich council increased funding by $2 million annually for quicker implementation of the plan, that money has been absorbed by the increased costs.
“So we’re not getting any farther ahead,” said Murdock, noting the full implementation of the plan is now expected by 2050. “We want to be able to deliver those things much more quickly.”
To that end, staff are expected to report back later this year on options to move more quickly and ways to pay for it.
Murdock said it’s not sustainable to heap the added costs onto the district’s annual operating budget, which would translate into large tax increases.
“So how do we assure that as we approach these things, that we’re doing them in a disciplined way, and that means prioritizing those investments,” he said.
A number of councillors noted during discussion Monday night that the majority of feedback from the public on the plan is about the need to move faster.
“It’s incredibly frustrating to see our dollars not go as far,” said Coun. Colin Plant. “As much as I wish I could snap my fingers and we would have active transportation everywhere in the district, It’s going to take a lot longer than anybody around this table wants.
“It’s a constant balancing act between developing active transportation as quickly as we need it while also sustaining the many other programs that we have. And if people would like to have more active transportation, please write me and tell me what they would like to have less of.”
Murdock said council has indicated its preference is to focus on road safety, identifying high-risk crossings and corridors, and making improvements to reduce the potential for serious injuries.
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