Re: B次元官网网址楾ime to move on from impossible dreamB次元官网网址� (Your Letters, PQB B次元官网网址, Nov. 25)

In a recent letter to the editor, John OB次元官网网址橞rien suggest that we move on from the B次元官网网址渋mpossible Vancouver Island rail dream.B次元官网网址�

In his view the recent survey conducted by the Island Corridor Foundation (ICF) was not well publicized, resulting in a low return rate and that those that responded had a vested interest in the corridor or were friends of the ICF.

The survey was widely publicized across multiple social media platforms, advertised in print and electronic newspapers, and it was even picked up as a news story in the same paper Mr. OB次元官网网址橞rien chose to send his letter. The survey garnered close to 3,000 responses, well above the required 1,000 needed to provide a statistical margin of error of 3 per cent.

We are very confident that the survey reflects the views of Islanders and 89 per cent of Islanders said they would support rail if it met their needs. The fact that this does not agree with Mr. OB次元官网网址橞rienB次元官网网址檚 personal view does not make it a B次元官网网址渨ishful belief statementB次元官网网址� nor does it make it invalid.

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He notes that $15 million was committed to rail in 2012 however that funding was never received and has never been spent. The ICF is a fully self-funded, non-profit charity and receives no money from any level of government.

I am pleased Mr. OB次元官网网址橞rien would welcome a modern and efficient rail system as that is exactly what we are working toward. No one at the ICF is B次元官网网址渢oying with a restart using an old, dilapidated Budd circa 1962 diesel polluting cars.B次元官网网址�

Lastly, he would like us to B次元官网网址渄ivest ourselves of this impossible dream and concentrate on essential road improvements.B次元官网网址�

We have been concentrating on road improvement for years, and despite those efforts, the province estimates that by the year 2038 it will take two hours and 24 minutes to travel from Mill Bay to Victoria. The growth of motor vehicles on the Island is outpacing population growth.

Putting more vehicles into an already congested and constricted road system is not going to resolve our growing transportation issues it is going to exasperate them.

Larry Stevenson

Chief Executive Officer

Island Corridor Foundation