Southern Gulf Islands Transportation Integration

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Consultation has concluded

The Capital Regional District included a referendum question on the ballot of the General Local Election in October 2022, to ask if voters support the creation of a new transportation service for the Southern Gulf Islands Electoral Area. The referendum question failed with a vote of 1,495 yes to 1,498 no.

As part of the official determination of results, the CRD confirmed and verified the accuracy of all ballot accounts, confirmed the calculation of vote tallies from the electronic tabulators and ensured the correct consolidation of total results from across all polling locations. For details, visit www.crd.bc.ca/transportation-vote

The referendum followed a thorough transportation integration planning and consultation process at the community level. Thank you to all who participated, shared ideas and provided feedback along the way. The Southern Gulf Islands Active Transportation Plan was developed in tandem with the integration plan, using separate grant funding from UBCM. The plan and supporting maps will remain in place as working documents to help coordinate activities at the local level.


How was the Community Consulted?

Stroller on Saturna Island The decision to ask SGI residents to vote in this referendum came after a thorough community engagement process that received very high engagement per capita by industry standards. Led by WATT Consulting Group, a specialist transit, transportation planning and engineering firm, the public consultation process was guided by Transportation Advisory Groups, made up of community members and local transportation organizations, ensuring the proposal is rooted in local experience. 

Overall, the theme heard from the public and stakeholders was that there is a need to improve transportation options on the Southern Gulf Islands. This would support the SGI in addressing climate change as well as other community goals by: 
  • Providing sustainable alternatives to single occupancy vehicles and reducing car dependency. 
  • Providing low-income populations more affordable travel options. 
  • Better enabling all islanders, especially seniors and youth, to travel safely and independently. 
  • Better connecting island communities. 

To learn more about road safety issues in the SGI, this Driftwood article discusses the first-hand experiences of cyclists in the neighbouring Salt Spring Island Electoral Area. 

You can read more details of the extensive community engagement process in Watt’s final report, the SGI Transportation Integration Plan and Appendix A- Public Engagement Summary. 

Active Transportation Planning 

Bicycles on Galiano Island

In tandem with this Transportation Integration Plan, the Capital Regional District developed a standalone Southern Gulf Islands Active Transportation Plan which was done separately as a result of a grant funding opportunity from UBCM. It builds on existing mapping work completed for Galiano, Mayne, Saturna, and the Pender Islands, including the CRD Regional Parks’ proposed spine trails and trails managed by CRD local Parks and Recreation Commissions as well local trail societies on each island. (The other modes do not have such detailed plans, and have been addressed at a higher level within the overall SGI Transportation Integration Plan.)

This AT plan is intended as a resource for groups developing active transportation in the islands. If the CRD establishes an SGI Transportation Service, the future SGI Transportation Commission can consider a strategic plan for implementation, and start exploring how to fund it with infrastructure grants from other levels of government. The maps are living documents, and the future SGI Transportation Commission will have the opportunity to update them as needed.

The Capital Regional District included a referendum question on the ballot of the General Local Election in October 2022, to ask if voters support the creation of a new transportation service for the Southern Gulf Islands Electoral Area. The referendum question failed with a vote of 1,495 yes to 1,498 no.

As part of the official determination of results, the CRD confirmed and verified the accuracy of all ballot accounts, confirmed the calculation of vote tallies from the electronic tabulators and ensured the correct consolidation of total results from across all polling locations. For details, visit www.crd.bc.ca/transportation-vote

The referendum followed a thorough transportation integration planning and consultation process at the community level. Thank you to all who participated, shared ideas and provided feedback along the way. The Southern Gulf Islands Active Transportation Plan was developed in tandem with the integration plan, using separate grant funding from UBCM. The plan and supporting maps will remain in place as working documents to help coordinate activities at the local level.


How was the Community Consulted?

Stroller on Saturna Island The decision to ask SGI residents to vote in this referendum came after a thorough community engagement process that received very high engagement per capita by industry standards. Led by WATT Consulting Group, a specialist transit, transportation planning and engineering firm, the public consultation process was guided by Transportation Advisory Groups, made up of community members and local transportation organizations, ensuring the proposal is rooted in local experience. 

Overall, the theme heard from the public and stakeholders was that there is a need to improve transportation options on the Southern Gulf Islands. This would support the SGI in addressing climate change as well as other community goals by: 
  • Providing sustainable alternatives to single occupancy vehicles and reducing car dependency. 
  • Providing low-income populations more affordable travel options. 
  • Better enabling all islanders, especially seniors and youth, to travel safely and independently. 
  • Better connecting island communities. 

To learn more about road safety issues in the SGI, this Driftwood article discusses the first-hand experiences of cyclists in the neighbouring Salt Spring Island Electoral Area. 

You can read more details of the extensive community engagement process in Watt’s final report, the SGI Transportation Integration Plan and Appendix A- Public Engagement Summary. 

Active Transportation Planning 

Bicycles on Galiano Island

In tandem with this Transportation Integration Plan, the Capital Regional District developed a standalone Southern Gulf Islands Active Transportation Plan which was done separately as a result of a grant funding opportunity from UBCM. It builds on existing mapping work completed for Galiano, Mayne, Saturna, and the Pender Islands, including the CRD Regional Parks’ proposed spine trails and trails managed by CRD local Parks and Recreation Commissions as well local trail societies on each island. (The other modes do not have such detailed plans, and have been addressed at a higher level within the overall SGI Transportation Integration Plan.)

This AT plan is intended as a resource for groups developing active transportation in the islands. If the CRD establishes an SGI Transportation Service, the future SGI Transportation Commission can consider a strategic plan for implementation, and start exploring how to fund it with infrastructure grants from other levels of government. The maps are living documents, and the future SGI Transportation Commission will have the opportunity to update them as needed.

Consultation has concluded

  • Referendum Results

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    The Capital Regional District included a referendum question on the ballot of the General Local Election in October 2022, to ask if voters support the creation of a new transportation service for the Southern Gulf Islands Electoral Area. The referendum question failed with a vote of 1,495 yes to 1,498 no.

    As part of the official determination of results, the CRD confirmed and verified the accuracy of all ballot accounts, confirmed the calculation of vote tallies from the electronic tabulators and ensured the correct consolidation of total results from across all polling locations. For details, visit www.crd.bc.ca/transportation-vote

    The referendum followed a thorough transportation integration planning and consultation process at the community level. Thank you to all who participated, shared ideas and provided feedback along the way. The Southern Gulf Islands Active Transportation Plan was developed in tandem with the integration plan, using separate grant funding from UBCM. The plan and supporting maps will remain in place as working documents to help coordinate activities at the local level.

  • What's Happening? - June 2022

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    On June 8, 2022, the Capital Regional District (CRD) Board received the Southern Gulf Islands Transportation Integration Plan, which presents a business case for a new transportation service for the Southern Gulf Islands Electoral Area. After consideration of the plan’s recommendations, the CRD Board gave three readings to Bylaw 4484, an important step towards the establishment of an integrated Southern Gulf Islands (SGI) Transportation Service.

    The Capital Regional District will include a referendum question on the ballot of the General Local Election in October 2022, to ask if voters support the creation of a new transportation service for the Electoral Area. Voter assent is required to authorize creation of the new service. If approved, the new service would raise a maximum requisition of $675 000 or $14.10 per $100,000 of assessed property value ($0.1414 per $1,000).

    Visit the CRD Elections & Other Voting | CRD web page for updates about the referendum as details are confirmed.

  • SGI TIP Updates May 2022

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    Thank you for your interest in the CRD Southern Gulf Islands Transportation Integration project. We have now concluded our community engagement on creating a new transportation service for the Southern Gulf Islands Electoral Area.


    Check out the What We Heard-Round Two report for a summary of the input we received. Round 2 engagement took place in Winter 2022 and sought feedback on the level of support for the various funding options and the range of proposed transportation solutions. It involved an online survey and four virtual Q&A sessions (conducted over Zoom). A mail out FAQ was sent to every SGI mailbox. This mail out explained the proposals and encouraged people to fill out the survey and attend the virtual meetings. During the Round 2 engagement, 1.5k people visited the Get Involved website, and 365 surveys were submitted.

    The Round 2 Engagement found the majority of people supported a tax requisition to increase transportation solutions in the islands. Eighty-five percent of respondents to the survey indicated a desire for change from the current level of transportation service on the islands. A fully integrated transportation system was the first preference for most participants, and a semi-integrated transportation system was the second preference for most participants.

    In tandem with this Transportation Integration Plan, the Capital Regional District developed a Southern Gulf Island Active Transportation Plan that builds on existing mapping work completed for Galiano, Mayne, Saturna, and the Pender Islands, including the CRD Regional Parks’ proposed spine trails and trails managed by CRD local Parks and Recreation Commissions as well local trail societies on each island.

    This Active Transportation Plan is intended as a resource for groups developing active transportation in the islands. If the CRD establishes an SGI Transportation Service, the future SGI Transportation Commission can consider a strategic plan for implementation, and start exploring how to fund it with infrastructure grants from other levels of government. The maps are living documents, and the future SGI Transportation Commission will have the opportunity to update them as needed.


    Next steps: The CRD will receive the final report from Watt Consulting with recommendations on creating a new transportation service. The CRD Board will then be presented with the outcomes of this process and will consider whether to pursue a referendum and establishment of a transportation service in the SGI EA.


    Stay tuned for updates on this, and thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts on the proposed integrated transportation service for our islands.

  • Round 2 Survey is now closed - Thanks for your input!

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    Thank you to all who participated in our second round of community engagement.

    We are now compiling the feedback we received.

    The second phase of public engagement presented a range of transportation solutions and sought to understand the level of support for funding the various options. This project builds on a large amount of resident feedback and analysis already undertaken through past initiatives as well as this recent community engagement.

    For more information you can email TransportationSGI@crd.bc.ca.

  • Round 2 Survey and Table of Service Options & Costs

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    We are now beginning the next round of community engagement on options for service establishment that would enable a transportation function for the Southern Gulf Islands Electoral Area.

    This phase of public engagement presents a range of transportation solutions and seeks to understand the level of support for funding the various options. Feedback received will help guide the decision making of the CRD Board in terms of whether to pursue a referendum and service establishment for a transportation function in the SGI EA.

    We encourage you to review the table of service options & costs, fill out a survey, and sign up for an online Q&A session:

    Thank you for taking the time to learn about and share your thoughts on the proposed service options.

  • Engagement Data from Round 1

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    A variety of public engagement methods have been undertaken for this project from March-December of 2021; targeted outreach via virtual workshops with Transit Advisory Groups and stakeholders, outreach in person at several public events and online via this engagement site (which included interactive mapping, quick polls, a survey, and an ideas forum). During the fall outreach, a mailout FAQ was sent to every SGI mailbox to encourage people to fill out the survey.

    We have further consultation scheduled for January 2022.

    Check out this report summarizing the data we collected in the initial phases of engagement

    What We've Heard - Round 1 Report