For Immediate Release                             August 3, 2007

Malahat Corridor Report: No Need for Highway Expansion Through Goldstream and Sooke Hills Parks – Wilderness Committee Sighs with Relief

Environmentalists let out a sigh of relief yesterday, as the final report of the Malahat Corridor Study was released. The two year study by Stantec Consulting, commissioned by the BC government to look at transportation options along the Malahat Corridor north of Victoria, states that the existing Malahat Highway is safe enough and has enough capacity for existing traffic volumes that it does not require any major construction fixes for at least a decade.
The study’s interim recommendations, released in the summer of 2006 and the spring of 2007, originally proposed various highway expansion options through the old-growth forests of Goldstream Provincial Park and the Niagara Valley in the Sooke Hills Wilderness Regional Park, while greatly downplayed the effectiveness of public transit and commuter rail options. The Wilderness Committee worked to educate and mobilize hundreds of citizens to let their voices be heard during the 2006 and 2007 public input processes.

Not only would new highway construction/ expansion rip through the old-growth forests of Victoria’s most beloved parks, threatening species at risk and extremely high-profile salmon runs, it would also "supercharge" suburban sprawl in adjacent communities (ie. new, faster highways result in new suburbs), ultimately putting more cars on the road and increasing greenhouse gas emissions.

The BC government has now stated they will support a commuter bus service along the Malahat, but so far has not committed to supporting a regular commuter train service along the existing E&N Railway. Over time, as residents become aware of and familiar with public transit options, and if the frequency of trips and the number of pick-up locations is increased, the ridership of buses and trains will also increase.

"We assume that the BC government will now shelve any highway expansion plans along the Malahat in light of this study. Also, the BC government should be commended for finally supporting public transit along the Malahat. We hope they will also support a commuter train service, too. And of course they should scrap their Gateway Project of massive highway, bridge, and port expansion plans in the Lower Mainland", states Ken Wu, Campaign Director of the Wilderness Committee's office in Victoria. "In this new era of vastly expanded environmental and climate change consciousness among voters, many new greener policy options are moving their way into existence, while many bad policies are being stifled. At the least, two of Victoria’s most beloved parks are safe for now."

Contact:
Ken Wu, Campaign Director, Wilderness Committee, Victoria