Better Public Transit for Victoria Thanks to Federal and Provincial Funding

VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - July 20, 2016) - Infrastructure Canada

Safe, modern and efficient public infrastructure ensures the well-being of British Columbia communities. The governments of Canada and British Columbia are committed to supporting infrastructure that helps get people to good paying jobs and back to their families after a hard day's work.

Premier Christy Clark and Kelowna-Lake Country MP, Stephen Fuhr, on behalf of the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, yesterday unveiled details for projects totalling almost $160 million in federal and provincial funding for BC Transit projects. The funding will support new facilities, buses, and technologies that will improve safety for passengers and drivers and make taking public transit more convenient and efficient.

The Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure was in Victoria today to talk about the projects that will benefit Victoria.

For the City of Victoria, this means the addition of modern buses with improved technology, including closed circuit TV to improve the safety of passengers and drivers, real-time information for accuracy and precision, and automatic passenger counters that will enable BC Transit to optimize service delivery based on gathered data.

Victoria is also set to receive a $10 million extension to the Douglas Street northbound bus lane, from Tolmie Avenue to the McKenzie interchange project that will reduce congestion on one of Victoria's major transit routes servicing West Shore communities.

Also slated for construction is a new $5 million handyDART transit depot and maintenance facility on Glanford Avenue in Saanich that will provide additional capacity to meet rising customer needs, as well as $11 million allocated for seismic and maintenance garage upgrades for two Victoria Regional Transit Commission facilities located in Victoria and Langford.

Today's announcement follows the recent signature of a bilateral agreement with British Columbia that will result in more than $900 million being invested by the Government of Canada, British Columbia, and municipalities, in public transit projects across the province.

Quick Facts

• Federal funding for these projects comes from the new Public Transit Infrastructure Fund, part of Phase 1 of Investing in Canada that will provide over $10 billion in investments to support public transit systems, green infrastructure projects, and social infrastructure projects. Details on Phase 2 of Investing in Canada will be announced over the next year.

• BC Transit will continue to work with local governments to identify additional projects for funding consideration.

• In partnership with local governments, BC Transit provides access to public transit to more than 1.6 million British Columbians in 130 communities outside Metro Vancouver. As a result of the Province's commitment to transit in B.C., communities with as few as 1,000 people have access to transit, making BC Transit a unique service for smaller communities anywhere in Canada.

• The province currently provides the highest level of operating funding, per capita, for transit in Canada.

Quotes

"Public infrastructure connects people, supports job creation, and boosts economic development. This is why the Government of Canada is providing unprecedented funding for public infrastructure projects that will help grow the middle class and promote sustainable development and long-term prosperity in communities across the country. By financing projects like these Victoria BC Transit projects, we will build the Canada of the 21st century and ensure a high quality of life for generations to come."

Stephen Fuhr, Member of Parliament for Kelowna-Lake Country, On behalf of the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi,
Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

"Growing communities like Victoria will feel an ease in congestion with the addition of new buses and expanded service while enjoying the conveniences of modern technologies like real-time schedule information. These investments will have real, positive effects on the day-to-day lives of capital region residents."

Todd Stone, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure

"The Victoria Regional Transit Commission is very pleased to see these priority projects move forward. The investments in conventional and custom transit will support increased service levels, while the additional vehicle technology will deliver improved safety and information for our customers and operators."

Susan Brice, Chair, Victoria Regional Transit Commission

"The extension of Douglas Street bus lanes, the new handyDART facility and the modernized technology will address a number of critical needs and continue to support efficient and effective transit service in the Capital Region."

Manuel Achadinha, President and CEO of BC Transit

Associated links

Details on the 11 BC Transit projects announced yesterday in Kelowna.

To see progress on federal infrastructure investments in British Columbia: Infrastructure Projects in British Columbia.

Investing in Canada, the Government of Canada's new $120 billion infrastructure plan.

Public Transit Infrastructure Fund.

Connect with the Province of B.C. at: www.gov.bc.ca/connect.

Twitter: @INFC_eng

Web: Infrastructure Canada