Extensive planning and public engagement occurred 1.5 years. Early works construction started in early 2022. Building construction will begin in 2023.
What role does handyDART play in the community?
handyDART is an accessible, door-to-door shared transit service for people with permanent or temporary disabilities that prevent them from using fixed-route transit without assistance from another person. For those with disabilities that prevent them from driving, handyDART provides independence and ability to attend appointments, complete errands and socialize.
In Greater Victoria, over 40,000 people use the service and 50% are over the age of 65.
Why was this location selected?
The View Royal location is centrally located and near main roadways that connect all corners of the Greater Victoria area, including growing demand in the western communities. Service is growing in all Greater Victoria municipalities; therefore, this location will help us to serve customers efficiently over the long term.
This site utilizes provincially owned land that avoids significant land purchase costs making it more cost-effective than locating in other areas of the Region. This contributes to maintaining affordability of transit services for Greater Victoria residents. There is high demand across Greater Victoria for increased transit service, and this new location facilitates the expansion of handyDART and the conventional transit system.
This project allows us to better meet the needs of people that have no or limited transportation options and will be designed to accommodate what is needed to provide improved service for the next 25 years.
Project Design
Who is led the project design?
A local inter-disciplinary team consisting of Morrison Hershfield, DAmbrosio architecture + urbanism, and Murdoch de Greeff landscape architects led the design. Stantec was the Qualified Environmental Professional on the project and Aqua-Tex Scientific advised on stream restoration initiatives. The design was informed by extensive public engagement.
What is planned for the site?
The site design, renderings and project overview are available here
Where will the building located?
A number of important features are located on this property, specifically, Craigflower Creek, the Galloping Goose Regional Trail, a CRD water main and the BC Hydro Transmission Tower. As a result, there were only two suitable building locations. Responsive to public input, the building will be located adjacent to the highway, the furthest possible distance from neighbouring properties. The entrance and exit is off West Burnside Road.
What will be built on the site?
The main one-storey building will include offices, operator dispatch and maintenance facilities. Other elements include parking, an enclosed wash bay, electric charging infrastructure and a temporary gas fueling station. The building is 2,380 square metres in size.
What are the guiding principles for the design and sustainability of the site?
1) Indigenous consultation: Consult with Indigenous groups in the spirit of reconciliation and include Indigenous knowledge, perspectives, and participation in the project.
2) Sustainable design: Use the redevelopment of this site as an opportunity to repair and restore the ecological function of this part of the Craigflower Creek watershed, and design a site and building that can achieve LEED Gold.
3) Improved pedestrian and cycling experience: Introduce new or improved accessible connections for people who walk and cycle, including new sidewalks and potential realignment of the Galloping Goose Trail.
4) Neighbourhood integration: Respect the qualities of the host neighbourhood by designing a site, building and landscaping that integrate well and enhance the neighbourhood. Consider and mitigate potential visual, safety and other impacts of the development on the surrounding area.
5) Good neighbour: Build responsive relationships within the local community and First Nations to inform various elements of the redevelopment and on-going communications.
6) Effective and reliable service: Design a site that supports expansion of a sustainable, fully electric handyDART service that improves access to transit for people with permanent or temporary disabilities that prevent them from using fixed-route transit without assistance from another person.
How many employees will be on-site?
There will approximately 19 employees working on site during the day to support dispatch, customer service and vehicle servicing. On opening day, there will be about 60 drivers (to match our opening day target of 60 buses). Drivers and buses are largely not on-site during the day as they are serving customers across the region.
How will Craigflower Creek be protected?
Stantec Consulting provided Qualified Environmental Professional services to meet the requirements of the Town of View Royal Environmental Development Permit application. Their assessment determined Craigflower Creek setbacks and environmental mitigation requirements.
All development is setback 30 metres from Craigflower Creek. No construction will occur in this area.
To restore the ecological health of the site, the onsite seasonal stream was moved to the western, and southern edge of the property, creating over an acre of restored and protected streamside habitat. The stream now connects to Craigflower Creek, and provides new amphibian habitat and potential rearing habitat for Coho salmon and other juvenile fish.
Environmental monitoring will occur before, during and after construction. Aqua-Tex Scientific is the environmental monitor, independent of the construction contractor that is overseeing construction activities. Each contractor on-site also has their own environmental monitor.
Where will employees park?
Employees park in the spaces vacated by handyDART vehicles that are actively out providing service to the region.
Several phases of public engagement informed the design and site planning. Work started in early 2022 and will complete in late 2024.
Permitting and Approvals Process
What is the Town of View Royal’s role in this project?
BC Transit has a memorandum of understanding with the Town of View Royal, committing to follow the spirit and intent of all of the Town of View Royal’s environmental development processes, permitting and bylaws for 2401 Burnside Road. In addition to several public realm improvements, such as sidewalks and landscaping, BC Transit has provided $150,000 to the Town of View Royal for local community amenities. Approximately 1.5 acres of land along Watkiss Way has also been provided to the Town for a public park. The Town will lad public consultation on planing for the park space.
What permits are required and what bylaws must be followed?
In addition, the project will adhere to Provincial and Federal project requirements and approvals.
The Environmental Development permit was approved by the Town of View Royal.
Cost and Budget
What is the cost of this project?
The overall project budget is $83.5 million.
How is the project being funded?
In october 2023, BC Transit is receiving additional funding to support the electrification of the new handyDART operations and maintenance facility centre currently under construction in the Town of View Royal. The decision to fully electrify the new handyDART centre requires an additional investment of $51 million since the project’s initial announcement in 2019, bringing the overall project budget to over $83.5 million.
Read more about the scope and budget increase here
Neighbourhood Considerations
What is happening on the north side of Burnside Road?
Burnside Road was widened to create a dedicated turn lane into the property. This will ensure that traffic flow on Burnside Road is not impacted by handyDART buses turning left into the site. The sloped clearing on the north side of Burnside Road accommodates the widened road and watercourse protection measures as a small watercourse runs alongside the road. 800 native plants and 12 Douglas Fir trees replaced the thicket of invasive blackberries removed. The landscape plan is available Burnside Landscaping Plan
A new covered bus shelter was installed on Burnside which reduced the distance (by approximately a quarter of a kilometre) that folks need to walk for transit service. Service commenced in January 2023. The bus services Westhills and Langford Exchange.
What type of building will be built?
BC Transit is committed to designing a state-of-the-art building and site that minimizes impacts to neighbours and the environment. The building will apply sustainable building design and construction techniques aligned with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold rating. The main building will include West Coast design elements to respond to the neighbourhood character and context.
Office areas will meet Step 3 of the BC Energy Step Code, which is up to 40% more energy efficient than base 2018 BC Building Code. The one-storey building is approximately 2,1300 square metres.
The site will also meet SAFE (Safety Achieved Through Functional Environmental Design) principals.
What type of foundation will be used for the buildings?
The first step is constructing the foundation for the main building and two accessory buildings. This work requires installing foundation piles. Pile-supported building foundations are necessary to suit the geotechnical conditions of this site.
Pile installation commenced in March 2023 and completed in May. It will occur between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Mond The work was expoected to take approximately 10 weeks but was completed in within eight weeks.
This was the most disruptive phase of construction.
How will noise be mitigated?
BC Transit commissioned an initial noise study completed in April 2018 that anticipated diesel vehicles for the site. BC Transit has confirmed the fleet will be only gasoline and electric, which are quieter overall than diesel vehicles and do not require stationary idling as part of maintenance activities. A new noise study was completed in 2021 and is available under Technical Studies which also noted nominal noise impacts as a result of the operations. The facility will be nestled against the highway and the streetscape landscaping around the site will also assist in mitigating noise impacts.
In response to community feedback, BC Transit is introducing an alternative backup beeper for the handyDART vehicles. A video of the alternate beeper is available here.
How will lighting impacts be minimized?
A robust and detailed site lighting plan incorporates dark skies principles to ensure achieve both light pollution mitigation and site operational safety objectives.
How will this property affect traffic in the area?
A traffic management study was completed and is available here. Burnside Road was upgraded to include dedicated turn lanes into the property minimizing impact to traffic flow. The Town of View Royal has also made changes to signal timing and patterns to optimize the intersection of Burnside Road and Watkiss Way.
Informed by the traffic study, and consistent with other how traffic impacts are evaluated for other developments, the traffic management plan was reviewed and informed by the Engineering Department at the Town of View Royal.
Will the Galloping Goose Regional Trail be impacted?
The development of the property offered opportunity to improve the Capital Regional District’s (CRD) Galloping Goose Regional Trail. The community noted in the first phase of public engagement that they would like to see the grade and visibility of the adjacent portion of the trail improved. As a result, the trail has been straightened and the grade has been reduced, making it safer and more accessible for all ages and abilities. The trail improvements are now complete. It reopened in June 2022.
How will the property be screened visually from neighbouring properties?
Landscaping, grading and fencing will all play a role in screening the property and creating an aesthetically pleasing streetscape. The site will be fully fenced. In the most public-facing areas, the fence will be robust 8’ fence panels with a modern ornamental look. Fencing is designed for privacy, landscaping and softer neighbourhood aesthetic, while ensuring the security of the site.
What happened with the BC Hydro transmission tower?
The tower was replaced with a sleeker, more modern monopole relocated north about 70 metres on the site. The base of the tower was installed in September 2022 and the new tower was installed in December 2022. A compatibility agreement with BC Hydro outlines the activities that can occur in the BC Hydro right of way.
Will the powerlines on Burnside Road remain?
The power lines on Burnside will be buried in the spring of 2023. Once buried a new sidewalk, fencing and landscaping will be installed along Burnside Road.
Environmental Protection
How will Craigflower Creek be protected?
Craigflower Creek is an important regional asset and BC Transit is committed to its protection. The project will meet all municipal, provincial and federal environmental and community standards, and will exceed these standards wherever reasonable. The Town of View Royal environmental development permit process outlines clear expectations for riparian access, stormwater management and habitat protection.
BC Transit is working with local Indigenous Groups and streamkeepers to understand the history and work underway to protect the creek and are working closely with qualified environmental professionals (QEP) and stream restoration experts to oversee and advise on the best approach to design of measures to ensure environmental protection, mitigation and restoration.
Stantec Consulting provided Qualified Environmental Professional services to meet the requirements of the Town of View Royal Environmental Development Permit application. Their assessment determined the Craigflower Creek setbacks and environmental mitigation requirements.
All development will be set back 30 metres from the Craigflower Creek.
To restore the ecological health of the site, the onsite seasonal stream was moved to the western, and southern edge of the property, creating over an acre of restored and protected streamside habitat. The stream now connects to Craigflower Creek, through a gentle transition area to allow the new stream to access its floodplain during periods of high rainfall and provide new amphibian habitat and potential rearing habitat for Coho salmon and other juvenile fish.
A baseline assessment of the site portion of Craigflower Creek was completed and is available to streamkeepers and local agencies to inform future work and leverage grants. It is available here
in September 2022, the site became the first development on Vancouver Island to be certified Salmon-Safe by the Fraser Basin Council. This independent third-party certification process reviews the construction and stream restoration practices being implemented to ensure they protect and enhance salmon habitat. Salmon-Safe recognizes and rewards responsible, eco-friendly management practices that protect Pacific salmon habitat and enhance water quality on agricultural and urban lands.
How will stormwater be managed?
Rainwater currently flows from the highway and through the disturbed site with no treatment or containment, into Craigflower Creek. Soon, rainwater will be managed by a system of rain gardens and traditional stormwater flow attenuation to manage a 200-year rain event.
Nine rain gardens, covering a third of an acre of the site, will capture water on site. Designed with plants and organically rich soil to filter runoff, rain gardens will clean, cool and slow the flow of water. Water will flow into the new stream channel and restored riparian area, feeding into Craigflower Creek. A series of rock weirs and pools will slow and clean the water before it enters the Creek.
A comprehensive stormwater management plan was developed and approved by the Town of View Royal.
What setbacks will be in place to protect watercourses on site?
Four watercourses were identified, and corresponding streamside protection and enhancement areas (SPEA) have been confirmed by Stantec, the Qualified Environmental Professional (QEP).
Watercourse 1 – running adjacent to the highway exit – 0 setback required
Watercourse 2 in the centre of the property – 10 metres
Watercourse 3- a small watercourse adjacent to Watkiss Way- 2 meters
Will any trees be removed?
A tree survey was completed by a professional arborist to identify significant and protected trees. Several trees were removed and two trees will be planted for each tree removed. All trees removed were recycled onsite as part of the new riparian habitat being created. Much of the perimeter landscaping including new street trees on Watkiss Way occured first to allow more time for it mature and grow during construction of the building.
What is the Salmon-Safe certification the site received?
In September 2022, the Fraser Basin Council recognized the handyDART centre as the first Salmon-Safe certified development on Vancouver Island. About 30 people attended, including local streamkeepers, neighbourhood working group members, local government agencies and BC Transit. The Fraser Basin Council recognized the contributions of the local community for setting high standards for water conservation, stormwater management and restoration of the stream that runs into Craigflower Creek.
What is the Eco-Star award that the project received?
In November 2022, the project was awarded the Synergy Foundation EcoStar Award for Leadership in Design & Construction.
The EcoStar Awards recognize outstanding environmental achievements and leadership on Vancouver Island. The awards are presented to Vancouver Island-based businesses, non-profits, academia, governments and individuals who have demonstrated exceptional environmental and social initiatives. https://www.ecostarawards.com/
Construction
What’s happening on the north side of Burnside Road slope?
The sloped clearing on the north side of Burnside Road accommodated the widened road and watercourse protection measures as a small watercourse runs alongside the road. 800 native plants and 12 Douglas Fir trees were planted in the stream channel and the slope was hydroseeded to help prevent erosion while the native shrubs and trees take root.
What should residents expect during construction?
Residents and the traveling public may experience some traffic delays and noise associated with earth-moving equipment and trucks during the course of the project. Dust control measures will be maintained at all times. Construction will occur within the Town of View Royal’s noise bylaw requirements of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
On-going communications through a variety of channels will continue through construction. You can sign up to receive project emails below.
When will construction occur?
Site clearing, and general construction activities started in January 2022 and completed in fall 2022. BC Hydro assembled the new monopole transmission tower in Novemer/December 2022. Building construction started in spring 2023 and will continue until late 2024.
What are wick drains?
Wick drains are flexible, plastic strips that help draw water out of the ground so the soils can settle prior to construction. This site has a lot of clay so the water can get “stuck” beneath the surface. Over 5,000 wick drains were installed over the site. The wicks range in depth from two feet to 40 feet, and quietly do their work over several months.
Will construction occur during daytime hours?
Construction will take place between 7am – 7pm
Who are the contractors onsite?
Contracts were awarded for the following contracts:
Environmental Monitor – Aqua-Tex Scientific
Stream restoration – Hall Constructors
Early works – streetscape, landscaping and trail realignment – Jacob Brothers
In February 2020, BC Transit established a neighbourhood working group to work closely with the project team and inform broader public engagement opportunities once a design team is in place. All minutes are available here.
You can sign up to receive project emails below.
Open houses and tours are offered periodically. Hundreds of students, stream keepers, neighbours, and professionals have toured the site, learning about the project and the stream restoration.
