SGI TIP Updates May 2022

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.