The Victoria Regional Transit System is one of the largest transit systems in British Columbia, connecting communities across Greater Victoria.
What makes it unique? It’s governed by the Victoria Regional Transit Commission (VRTC)—established under the BC Transit Act. The Commission makes regional decisions on service levels, fares, and local funding, while BC Transit manages and delivers service on its behalf.
The system keeps the region moving through close partnerships with local municipalities, the Capital Regional District, Indigenous Nations, the Province of British Columbia, and others. Together, we help connect residents, workers, students, and visitors to jobs, school, health care, recreation, and essential services across Greater Victoria.
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How transit works in Victoria
The Victoria Regional Transit System runs on a unique governance model set out in the BC Transit Act.
Service is delivered through a partnership between the VRTC, BC Transit, and the Province of British Columbia, in consultation with local governments, the Capital Regional District, and Indigenous Partners.
VRTC
The VRTC shapes transit in Greater Victoria by:
- Identifying regional priorities and transit needs
- Approving service levels, fares, fare policies and local funding
- Supporting long-term transit planning and future growth
- Advancing land use, transportation and infrastructure planning that supports transit
- Working with BC Transit to explore service improvements, expansions and new infrastructure
BC Transit
BC Transit plans, manages, and delivers conventional transit service on behalf of the Commission. We also provide expertise in planning, fleet, infrastructure, operations, and customer service. Custom transit (handyDART) service is operated by Transdev Canada.
Province of British Columbia
The Province supports the system through operating and capital funding, legislation, and provincial transportation policy.
Governance and funding
The Victoria Regional Transit System is funded through a mix of passenger fares, a regional motor fuel tax, property taxation, and provincial contributions.
The VRTC sets the local funding requirement and decides how local investments are used across the system.
Where the funding comes from
- Passenger fares help cover the cost of running transit
- Regional fuel tax is collected on fuel sold within the Capital Regional District and dedicated to transit investment
- Property taxation provides stable local funding for transit operations and improvements
- Provincial funding supports both operating costs and capital investments like buses, facilities, exchanges, and customer infrastructure
This shared-funding model balances local decision-making with provincial support. It lets the region invest in transit that reflects local priorities while tapping into BC Transit’s province-wide expertise and purchasing power.
Supporting regional growth
Transit helps Greater Victoria grow, supporting new housing, a stronger economy, and progress on climate goals.
The transit system is shaped by long-term planning that identifies future service, infrastructure, and investment priorities. Improvements roll out over time through collaboration between BC Transit, the Victoria Regional Transit Commission, local municipalities, the Capital Regional District, Indigenous partners, and the Province.
Investing in reliable service
Reliable transit takes ongoing investment in:
- Buses and other transit vehicles
- Bus stops and shelters
- Exchanges and service hubs
- Transit-priority measures, like bus lanes and signal priority
- Operations and maintenance facilities
- Customer information and technology systems
These investments keep transit safe, accessible, and dependable for everyone across the region.