B.C. Transit analysis has found light rail to be the best option over conventional transit or rapid buses in dedicated lanes. But light rail is the most expensive to build. "We must have the province and the feds in," Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin said at the transit commission meeting. "They have to be in to make this project a reality. If they are in, we will make this project a reality."

In an interview, commission chairman Chris Causton said so far it has been impossible to secure $15 million for the E&N railway corridor, never mind $315 million each from both the federal and provincial governments to share in the cost for light rail.

The province and federal government are under pressure from Vancouver Island communities to cough up $7.5 million each to help fix the badly damaged E&N rail track.

The recommendation for light rail technology has been endorsed by the Capital Regional District and now the transit commission. Next it needs approval from the B.C. Transit Board, scheduled for May 26. Any recommendation will be submitted to the province on June 1.

Approval by the CRD board and transit commission was required to allow B.C. Transit to go to senior governments to determine what funding is available.

The recommendation from the commission includes developing a capital and operating funding plan for the light-rail project and pursuing funding options from federal, provincial and local governments.

B.C. Transit staff have been directed to prepare a plan for interim improvements to transit services and infrastructure that would support or benefit the establishment for light rail.

High-occupancy vehicle lanes, for example, could improve traffic flow now while preparing the road for light rail.

Under B.C. Transit's long-term vision, all parking on Douglas Street south of Hillside Avenue would be eliminated and the two eastern lanes would be dedicated to light-rail rapid transit. The plan has the line running through Saanich and Colwood into Langford.

The transit commission will meet B.C. Transportation Minister Blair Lekstrom on May 31 to talk about governance and funding issues, for example, how to prioritize the region's capital projects.

This month, some CRD directors said the magnitude of the light-rail project highlighted the need for a change in regional transportation planning that would bring transit planning under CRD control.

"We are going to have to decide what is [priority] one, two, three, four," Causton said. "The CRD needs to get down and say what are the top five priorities," Fortin said in agreement.

Sewage treatment has been provincially mandated and both provincial and federal funding commitments have been secured. That means the highest priority light rail transit could have on the priority list is No. 2.

Referring to a detailed report by B.C. Transit on light rail, Causton said the estimated travel time for the light rail transit from Victoria to Langford would be about 40 minutes. The trip must be faster, possibly by reducing the number of stops, to entice passengers, he said.

The commission was split over a possible nonbinding plebiscite in each of the capital region's 13 municipalities, run in conjunction with November's municipal elections, to give the seven-member transit commission a better mandate to decide whether to move ahead on light rail.

ceharnett@timescolonist.com