The Value of Investing in Canadian Downtowns - International ...

Connectivity
Greater Victoria has one of the highest mode splits,
favouring transit, cycling, and walking in Canada. The
downtown is well connected, tightly knit and visually
appealing, making walking or cycling a very attractive
option. The City has been investing in bicycle lanes to
further increase the attractiveness of cycling.
Additionally, the bus service in Victoria has some of
the highest rates of ridership in the country.
Alternative modes of transportation contribute to
mobility and help limit congestion in the core.
Johnson Street Bridge, 2010
A connectivity challenge for the downtown is that its
main bridge (known as the Johnson Street Bridge) is
starting to decay and needs replacing. This bridge
was built almost a century ago (1924) and is the only
connection across the harbour to the downtown core.
Plans are in motion to upgrade this bridge, which will
be important for downtown to maintain its strength
into the future.
It is also important to highlight that Victoria is on an
island and, thus, interregional connectivity is critical to
future success. There are many flights, float planes,
helicopters and ferries that connect Victoria on a daily
basis to Vancouver and Seattle (both about a 100km
away) and Port Angles, Washington. More
specifically, a 2006 study identified that the Victoria to
Port Angeles ferry, the Coho, contributed $124 million
to the Victoria economy annually. In addition water
taxis operate along Victoria Harbour, with seventeen
pickup and drop off points. 21
Sea Planes
‘H20’ Water Taxi
21
H20 Taxi (2012). Victoria Harbour is your Shortcut.
http://www.h2otaxi.com/
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