Saanich, British Columbia, March 6, 2019—Investing in efficient public transit infrastructure is essential to creating livable sustainable communities where people spend less time in traffic and more time with their families.
Today, the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, on behalf of the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and the Honourable Claire Trevena, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure for B.C., announced funding for the construction of a new southbound bus-only lane along the Highway 1/Douglas Street corridor in Saanich.
The new lane will provide exclusive access for buses between the Burnside Bridges and Tolmie Avenue. Once complete, this lane will complement the northbound bus-only lane that was funded through the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund and completed in December 2018, establishing a system of continuous bus lanes in both directions along Highway 1/Douglas Street, between the McKenzie interchange and downtown Victoria.
This new lane will significantly reduce transit times and improve commutes while increasing passenger safety and reducing harmful emissions resulting from gridlock.
The Government of Canada is providing $4,920,000 to this project through the Investing in Canada infrastructure program while the Government of British Columbia is providing $11,080,000.
"Investing in public transit infrastructure is vital to keeping pace with the changing needs of residents and getting them where they need to go more easily. This new southbound bus lane will significantly improve travel times and ease congestion along this busy corridor while supporting the growth and development of the city's public transit network in the years to come."
The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, on behalf of the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
"This new southbound bus lane is another step towards getting people moving more efficiently along the Highway 1/Douglas Street corridor. Not only will it save time for people taking transit, but it will help reduce congestion for people driving by moving buses from the travelling lanes."
The Honourable Claire Trevena, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure for B.C.
"We are so grateful to be working as partners with all levels of government to build on the momentum of the recent northbound priority bus lanes project along Highway 1, as well as the southbound Douglas Street lanes. Each of these projects is contributing to our overall goal of bringing our customers in and out of the West Shore more efficiently."
Susan Brice, Chair, Victoria Regional Transit Commission
Quick facts
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Through the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities.
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$28.7 billion of this funding is supporting public transit projects, including $5 billion available for investment through the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
