Central Saanich surveys residents’ thoughts on active transportation plan

Central Saanich wants to hear what residents think about its plan to improve how people walk, roll and bus around the community.

Residents are encouraged to read Central Saanich’s first Active Transportation Plan and provide feedback through an online survey. The survey input will be used to finalize the plan before it’s presented to council in the spring.

In a news release, Central Saanich said the 2019 Citizen Survey and the 2021 Budget Survey showed that active transportation is a “top priority” to the community.

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“Based on extensive public input, the Active Transportation Plan provides a course of action that reflects available resources and the community’s priorities,” the release said.

A long list of projects was assessed in order to determine priority ones that fit into the district’s financial capacity. Central Saanich said priority projects are picked based on a number of criteria, including community feedback, projected use, addressing current active transportation gaps and safety.

Active transportation is a new initiative for Central Saanich, one that doesn’t have an existing funding source but the district will continue to take advantage of funding opportunities and grants.

The survey asks residents how much they’d be willing to pay, if anything, for active transportation projects — with options including $20, $40, $60, other and not supportive of paying. Those amounts would be reflected annually through an active transportation levy on residents’ taxes.

“The community has expressed strong desire for increased active transportation infrastructure to improve community safety, support walking, cycling and transit use,” said Central Saanich Mayor Ryan Windsor.