Re: “Pam Madoff played unique role in Victoria,” and “Victoria at last has council it deserves,” letters, Oct. 24.
The first writer raises a valid point: thousands of Greater Victoria residents contribute daily to the vibrancy and sustainability of the downtown core, and yet have no input as to municipal government. Instead, they are affected by anti-car choices from mayor and council, and pilloried by supporters such as the second letter-writer. (When in the last four years has any real concern been given to the needs of those who drive, let alone “catering” to them?)
Unless it’s the desire of mayor and council that Victoria become a self-supporting bubble, inaccessible to all but those who live nearby, these questions need to be answered and the results discussed as part of the information on which mayor and council should be basing their decisions. Even without exact numbers, the answers seem obvious.
• How many drivers commute to Victoria daily and weekly?
• How much of Victoria’s workforce and customer base do they comprise?
• What are the effects of increased congestion and decreased parking on the continued feasibility of workers and customers coming downtown?
• Are there any time-efficient and convenient public-transit options available to those commuting from outside downtown?
• Can downtown employers survive with only workers who live downtown?
• Can downtown businesses survive with only customers who live downtown?
It would be refreshing if council addressed these issues in a way that made the city centre accessible to all and allowed its businesses to not just survive, but thrive.
K. E. Michelsen
Saanichton
