Colwood is going to the voters to ask its residents about using the E&N for commuter rail. With the massive headache of the Colwood Crawl, I wouldn’t be shocked if Colwood voters go for this proposal in a big way. The kicker, of course, is the following phrasing: “are you in favour of the government of British Columbia in partnership with the federal government, providing funding to improve the rail infrastructure on the Vancouver Island…” This commits no municipal money (not that there is any to be had), but it does tell those levels of governments that they had better start listening to what people want.
What about Oak Bay? Commuter rail from downtown Victoria to Colwood/Langford really doesn’t help the average Oak Bay commuter. So why should an Oak Bay resident support such a line? Because the second rail line is always easier than the first. The first proves that the project is viable, that people will ride it and that it can be built at a reasonable price. So call your friends in Colwood and tell them that they need to vote yes for rail on November 15th.
Source: Times Colonist story