Re: Commuter rail considered during interchange build (Gazette, Aug. 3).
I would like to offer an additional option for our commuter light rail in the CRD, during the construction of the Mackenzie overpass.
Road-rail vehicles have been around since the 1930s. The last true attempt to create a road-rail bus was in the 1970s.
I am certainly not an engineer, but it would seem if we can create self-driving cars, we certainly can create a commuter bus that can drive both on the road and the rails.
My suggestion would be buses in the morning getting on the E &N rail on Station Avenue at the current Transit hub in the Westshore.
Rail into town, get off the rail and drive back by highway to the Westshore against the rush hour traffic. That way, the track is used as a one way corridor and we could have buses traveling down that rail every 10 minutes.
In the afternoon, the rail line would reverse and rail buses would travel back out to the Westshore, then drive back to Victoria via the highway, against rush hour traffic.
Such frequent service would certainly accommodate both commuting workers and students travelling to our university and college campuses.
Have our decision-makers seriously considered this option to see if it is financially feasible?
Rob Martin
Colwood councillor