With Greater Victoria’s population growing daily and transportation trips expected to increase by 40 percent, an additional operations and maintenance facility is needed. This will allow us to expand our fleet, keep buses running smoothly, and ensure our customers get the quality transit service they depend on. An additional operations and maintenance facility is needed to support an expanded fleet of electric buses to meet local service demands and the expansion of the Victoria Regional Transit System for the next 25 years.
Future Saanich Transit Centre
As announced in December of 2023, BC Transit plans to utilize several BC Transit-owned properties to create a five-acre site between Glanford Avenue and Commerce Circle for a future Saanich Transit Centre. The central location is well-positioned for an additional operations and maintenance facility to support increasing transit service for the Victoria Region. The location and current use of a portion of the site for BC Transit’s handyDART operations make it well-suited to transition to a fixed route operations and maintenance facility. It is industrially zoned for this use.
Site Preparation
To support the intended future development, the initial phase of work is approved and includes:
Geotechnical assessment
Archeological assessment
Environmental assessment
Building demolition
Neighbours will soon see various contractors on-site conducting site and building surveys, and conducting geotechnical and environmental drilling and sampling. Work will occur within the District of Saanich noise bylaw regulations of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Saturday.
Building demolition is expected to occur Fall 2025. More information will be provided in advance of demolition.
The unoccupied properties may be utilized at times for non-disruptive training activities by BC Transit and Greater Victoria police agencies.
Environmental Protection and Monitoring
Environmental protection is a key planning principle applied to site design and operational planning. The development will meet or exceed all municipal, provincial and federal standards for environmental protection.
McElhanney has been retained as the design consultant and Aqua-Tex Scientific has been retained as the independent environmental monitor to oversee the site preparation and planning for building demolition that will occur later this year. Environmental protection is a key planning principle applied to site design and operational planning.
Funding
Investments in public transit help Canadians get where they need to be, create new manufacturing and construction jobs, reduce pollution, and make life more affordable.
Funding for preliminary site preparation was announced in December 2023. The overall project budget for this preparatory work is $48 million. The Government of Canada and the Province of BC are both investing $19.13 million in this project, and the Victoria Regional Transit Commission is contributing $9.56 million.
Community and Indigenous Engagement
Community and Indigenous engagement will inform each phase of planning and design.
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