On my rides to Royal Roads from Victoria, I see people getting their exercise daily - taking advantage of the safety offered by car-free, (mostly) paved routes. This initiative to connect the communities of the Southern Island in an environmentally friendly way, is a fantastic example of a sustainable community planning (SCP).
Here are some of the ways in which the Goose ties into SCP:
1. Ecological imperative: It could be argued that the Goose project is an exercise in meeting climate change imperatives. Yes, there would still be cyclists commuting between communities on the S. Island regardless, but how many people walking, biking, skating etc. are doing so, only due to the safety offered by having a car free zone? My guess is many, and for every person taht walks/rides to work or school, that is one potential vehicle that is not emitting GHG's into the air. The initiative to create the Goose, could be seen as an act of Stewardship - an anthropocentric motivated act of "managing" the environment through preservation. Although there was some impacts in creating it (the paving etc.), the net result is a decrease in indirect impacts to nature through excess vehicle use (oil spills, emissions, wreckage, tires in landfill etc.).
2. Social imperative: The presence of the Goose drastically improves the "liveability" of the region. It creates a free transporation route for those who can't afford buses and cars. It also offers a peaceful area for cyclists/walkers to take their dog without the stress of being run over, inhaling noxious fumes, or being bombarded with noise pollution. I see the Goose as a conduit, connecting people in the area with each other and nature. For myself, the morning rides are an exercise in physical fitness, meditation, and social bonding with the "regulars" that I see each day. It is a lift to the spirit to get a "hello" from someone whose name you don't even know, but this is a common occurence.
3. Changing community structures: The goose has undoubtably changed the face of Victoria, making it a more desirable place to live, as well as becoming a template in sustainable transporation supports and initiatives. How did this come about? Because a person or group of people had a utopian vision, that was convincing enough to get buy-in from the community.
...speaking of Utopian Vision, i would like to end these blog sessions off with a little Utopian Vision of my own...an inspiration that occurred to me while riding in to Royal Roads on the Goose.
The S. Island has a serious transportation problem, which is being met with overall ignorance on the part of the municipalities. More feeders and connectors only displaces the traffic halt for commuters comig from Colwood/Langford etc., and yet here we are, still pouring money into more roads. LRTs are a great initiative, but they also suck up a lot of energy, some of which comes from coal fired generators bought and sold on the energy market. What we need is a mass commuting system that has low energy requirements while meeting the commuting needs of the people (teleworking and shorter workweeks aside - both of which I'm keen as mustard).
What if the CRD were to create a new design for people transport, inspired by the gondollas that lift people up ski hills. Here are the basic points of my vision, all of which a engineer or physicist would probably rip to shreds in minutes, but hey...it all starts with a dream
- Cable and pulley run, light weight "cars" transporting propel between Victoria, Colwood Metchosin, Sooke.
- Each Car holds 8 people.
- the line runs over top of the goose, effectively creating a "roof" protecting cyclists from the rain
- Heat from the cyclists rises up and warms the cars.
- Series of stops along the route, like a subway
- When boarding a car, you must board one that will only stop at specific route, therefore you have to wait for enough passengers that also want the same stop
- Passengers must walk up a very high set of stairs to board their car (boarding stations are much higher than the actual cable run). This is a buildup of potential energy
- Upon filling the car with 8 people, the car then descends downward towards the run, feeding into the energy grid from the heavy gravity-run descent.
- Upon reaching communal destination, people unload at the cable-level, car (which is light again) is pulled up to the higher "loading" section, only to be weighed down again by a new group of riders - feeding into the system again. Because car is lighter when rising for re-load, there is an oveall net gain.
- External power requirements much lower thatn traditional skytrain/tram/LRT
- Only Elderly and handicap can use elevator to get to top.
For a really great sustainably minded group that promotes alternative transporation, please visit:
http://www.best.bc.ca/
I have truly enjoyed this blogging process....I hope you have enjoyed my rants!!!!
Cheers!!
No comments:
Post a Comment