Over the past decade, growth in the West Shore area has been contributing to significant increases in vehicle traffic coming into Victoria. In response, BC Transit, working with the Victoria Regional Transit Commission, has sought to improve rapid transit linkages into Victoria from the West Shore.
Ongoing RapidBus Projects
Several projects are underway around the region that will help advance RapidBus corridors, including the following projects:
Island Highway:
The design for upgrades to construct transit priority improvements along the Island Highway between the interchange with Highway 1 and 6 Mile Road and Atkins Road in the Town of View Royal and at the Wale Road intersection in the City of Colwood. Now that the design is complete, the business case for funding approval will be reviewed and if approved, a funding request will be submitted.
Highway 1 Bus Priority Planning:
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is advancing planning work along the Douglas Street/Hwy 1 corridor to support existing BC Transit initiatives. This includes exploring transit priority treatments that align with the Victoria Transit Future Plan and the South Island Transportation Strategy.
RapidBus Stations:
Victoria and Langford are finalizing agreements for a RapidBus Station assessment to develop concepts and costs for the development of RapidBus stations on the Westshore line to support the implementation of that route. Colwood is still in discussions for a similar agreement.
UVic Transit Exchange:
The project design is underway and construction is expected to start in Summer 2022. Find out more about the project on the UVic Transit Exchange project page
Westshore Transit Priority Study:
Detailed design planning will begin for the advancement of transit priority concepts for Sooke Road and Goldstream Avenue. A plan will be developed that includes working with local government staff to develop a design that is agreeable to all stakeholders and is ready for tendering and construction.
Uptown Mobility Hub Planning:
There are two planning initiatives underway to advance the Uptown Multi-Modal Hub:
Transit Priority – work is advancing to develop transit and active transportation priorities and improvements to serve near-term goals that will align with the future development of the Uptown site. The plan includes a proposal for bus only lanes on Ravine Road, RapidBus stations on Highway 1 and expanded bus zone capacity on Carey Road.
Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Plan – A study is underway for a preliminary concept design of a multi-modal hub with TOD. The objective is to establish a concept design to advance to Saanich, the Victoria Regional Transit Commission and the Ministry for approval. The study will include estimated costs, land implications and commercial feasibility of preferred concept design. Future steps may include a development proposal, stakeholder engagement, and preparing a business case.
McKenzie Corridor Study:
The contract was awarded to McElhanney for the McKenzie RapidBus Corridor Study which is in the early stages of developing a RapidBus Corridor Plan for McKenzie Avenue with Saanich. The plan will include options to provide transit priority, stations and improve active transportation.
Highway 14 Connie Road to Glinz Lake Road Realignment and Park & Ride:
The Highway 14 realignment includes a new Park & Ride near Connie Road and new transit stops with bus pullouts to improve safety and passenger amenities are under construction.
Highway 17 Mt Newton Cross Road Transit Queue Jump Lanes
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, as part of the South Island Transportation Strategy, identified the Highway 17 (Pat Bay) at the Mt Newton Cross Road Intersection as a priority location to enhance transit and pedestrian facilities. This intersection provides ridership access to residents of the Tsawout First Nation, Central Saanich and North Saanich.
A construction contract has been the awarded to Milestone Equipment Contracting. Work is anticipated to start in February 2022, with a targeted completion in the late summer of 2022.
Victoria Bus Lane Priority Project
Douglas Street Bus Lanes Construction is complete on the southbound Douglas Street bus lane extension project and have created faster, easier commutes for people who live and work in the Greater Victoria area.
The latest extension runs from the south end of the Highway 1-Burnside Road overpass to Tolmie Avenue, a mirror of the northbound extension project completed in December 2018.
The southbound priority bus lane has completed the two-way corridor between Fisgard Street and the Highway 1-Burnside Road overpass. Priority bus lanes provide more reliable and timely service, as it’s easier for buses to remain on schedule along the corridor.
The southbound Douglas Street bus priority bus lane expansion, reaching from Tolmie Avenue to Hillside Avenue, was completed in November 2018 and are in effect both northbound and southbound between Fisgard Street and Tolmie Avenue.
The priority lanes are meant for buses, including those run by BC Transit and private tour companies. Motorists are allowed to enter the priority bus lanes only if making a right hand turn within the block.
Watch for these signs along the Douglas corridor:
The bus priority lanes operate as follows:
Northbound:
24/7 between Pembroke Street and Tolmie Avenue
3-6 p.m. only between Fisgard Street and Pembroke Street
Southbound:
24/7 between Tolmie Avenue and Kings Road
6-9 a.m. only between Kings Road and Fisgard Street
The priority lanes, an infrastructure project designed in partnership with the City of Victoria, shorten travel times for passengers, increase the reliability of public transit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Encouraging more transit use also lowers the number of vehicles on the road, helping to reduce congestion. The Douglas Street corridor currently supports as many as 1,700 vehicles per hour during peak travel times.
The fine for being in a priority bus lane is $109.
Rapid transit is designed to improve travel time, reliability, passenger comfort and convenience along an exclusive right-of-way. A rapid transit system provides frequent, high-capacity service that runs all day, every day.
Rapid transit is not a substitute or replacement for local bus service or commuter rail, which perform different functions. Local bus service operates in mixed traffic and has more closely-spaced stops. Commuter rail connects distant centres during peak commuting hours.
