Last week, a group of public transit agencies from across Canada met in Ottawa to call on the federal government to institute what the CBC called a "new deal" for transit funding.

The ask was to develop a more sustainable cost-sharing model for public transit, particularly in the light of the compounding crises affecting how communities move people around. The news came on the same day as a newly announced high-speed rail system that would connect Quebec City and Toronto, something that transit advocates have been pushing for for years. All of this got me thinking about how we move people around, and why the only seemingly-acceptable answer to that question is "cars."

Now, of course, I know the answer to why that is. It is because of decades of lobbying, advertising and promotion of cars as a way to get personal and individual freedom. In western society, we have made cars the coolest thing going. They are the symbol of everything people value in our society, to the point where many would risk their lives for their cars, and risk the lives of other people outside of their cars in order to drive them.

But I would postulate here that relying on only one form of transportation for our entire system is pretty short-sighted, and changing that system would have benefits that range much farther than just our commutes.

I know cars have a place. I have two of them. I use one to get to work; it's electric and is perfect for bopping around the Valley for whatever little errands I need to do. The other is gas, which has more range and more off-road capability, and makes it great for exploring the Island. I also need to use my car for work, so as much as I would love to explore other methods of getting to and from work, I do need to have the ability to quickly leave the office and cover breaking news. It's part of the deal for us journalists.

But for the past few weeks, I've been sitting in traffic going over the Fifth Street bridge, watching people walk or cycle past me, wishing I could join them.

Before taking on this line of work, I was a hard-core bike commuter. I would ride my bike in Edmonton through snow storms, I had the studded tires, heavy mitts, ski helmet, all of it. I loved it. I loved the freedom of being able to just stop on a whim, I loved how the world felt when I was going through it at a more human pace, I was healthier than I am now, more active and more social. I would also be able to breeze by gridlock traffic and often get to destinations faster than if I had driven my car.

Anyway, enough waxing poetic about how bikes are good. I could do that all day. The real reason I'm writing this is because I think we need to diversify our transportation options. Yes, Courtenay has a bus system, but we all know it could be better. The main way to do that is to dramatically increase the number of buses we have, to have it so that you don't even have to think about the wait for the bus because there's going to be another one coming by in a few minutes.

Yes, Courtenay has bike lanes, but everyone who rides a bike here knows that they could be improved. For example, the stoplight at Cliffe and Fifth doesn't detect bicycles. That means either someone on a bike has to get off, walk over to the button and push it, or wait until a car comes, then make way for the car to drive up to the stop line so it can trigger the sensor. And that is only if the driver is comfortable doing that. I've waved many drivers forward, letting them know I was okay with them being that close to me, but they've refused. That means we both have to wait until I get impatient enough to awkwardly walk over to the crossing button. That's only one of the grievances I have. I live in east Courtenay, and riding anywhere past the Lewis Centre is a death-defying act, since the bike lanes all but disappear after that.

What would happen if we put some money into these systems? I like to imagine a future where multi-modal transportation is everywhere. For the smallest of trips, most people will be able to walk. For longer trips of up to 5 km (which is currently the distance of most car trips), people can ride their bikes or e-bikes. For longer trips, the bus is ideal, especially if you can bring a bike on.

Cars can handle anything longer than that, and it's even better if they're electric. Then — I figure that since I'm dreaming, I might as well go big — a high-speed rail system will give everyone the chance to move freely around the Island, and even further. Improving our transit and transportation systems would have innumerable benefits, ranging from improving housing, bringing more business to communities, lowering emissions, and what I think is the best reason to do it: building a sense of community.

I believe it was Tom Flood, a road safety advocate who said it best: "Bicycles deliver the freedom that auto ads promise."

These days, I'm happiest when I take my cargo bike on errands. I ride on the bike lane, stop at the library, pop into the community garden, and then pick up a few groceries. The whole time I'm outside, among my community. I'm not watching it go by behind a windshield. I see people, I hear things happening, and I'm able to interact with the world around me. Besides, every time I ride my cargo bike I get a ton of compliments.

There is a lot more to say on this topic. In the next few weeks, I'll talk about it more. But for now, the take away is this: we need a "new deal" for transportation, and it could make the way we live our lives a lot better.