Transit in this region

One of the reasons people keep telling me we need the LRT is because the existing bus system on Douglas is not able to deal with the volumes of traffic any longer, that the system has maxed out and is failing.

I am close enough to the Douglas corridor that I often am on it or pass over it.  I see little evidence that the buses are overloaded.   When I ride on the buses from downtown to my home I can not think of a time I have not been able to get a seat.  I have asked around of the people I know that use the #50, #60, #30/31 or the #70 and no one has been passed by because of a full bus.

So where does the system seem to be maxed out?   Getting people to and from UVic.   I heard a lot from my niece last year how often she would have a #26 pass her by because it is full.  I understand that on the #14 route from downtown to UVic there is often a morning problem with buses being full.

Looking at the sort of traffic demand for the buses, it seems to me the transit change this need is for some better express buses to UVic.   Something like the Vancouver B-Line buses, one to go from downtown to UVic via Fort and Richmond, the other to go Douglas and Mackenzie.    That would seem to solve the most urgent public transit needs in this region.