A joint investment of more than C$13.2 million (US$9.7 million) between the government of Canada, government of British Columbia and BC Transit will support transit improvements along the Old Island Highway in Colwood and View Royal.
Funding will construct dedicated transit and bike lanes along portions of the highway in View Royal and queue jump lanes at Wale Road in Colwood. Project funding will also widen sidewalks, create wheelchair ramp cuts at intersection crossings and install crosswalk signage. Further road enhancements include intersection configuration improvements, painting and the installation of new street lighting and traffic signals.
Once complete, the infrastructure upgrades will improve transit travel times for commuters and facilitate access to public transit. The upgrades are the next step in supporting ongoing RapidBus improvements through the West Shore and support larger implementation goals for the program throughout the region.
“Projects like today’s support our shared vision of a greener, better connected British Columbia. The transit improvements along the Old Island Highway will make RapidBus service more accessible while improving safety and efficiency for all highway users. We will continue to invest in projects that help lower emissions and make it easier for Canadians to get to their destinations," said Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage Taleeb Noormohamed.
"We’re committed to providing better, more affordable, more efficient transit for people and our partnerships with the federal government are key to achieving this goal. The improvements made possible with this funding are an important part of our plans to expand our recently launched RapidBus commuter from the West Shore to downtown Victoria," said British Columbia Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Rob Fleming.
The Government of Canada is investing C$5.2 million (US$3.8 million) in the project while the government of British Columbia is investing C$5.2 million (US$3.8 million) and BC Transit is contributing C$2.6 million (US$1.9 million). The government of Canada’s funding comes from the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
The government of Canada is investing C$14.9 billion (US$11.73 billion) over the next eight years in reliable, fast, affordable, and clean public transit. This includes C$3 billion (US$2.36 billion) per year in permanent, predictable, federal public transit funding, which will be available to support transit solutions beginning in 2026-2027.
Since 2015, the government of Canada has invested more than C$24.8 billion (US$18.6 billion) in transit projects across the country, providing Canadians with cleaner and more efficient commuting options.
Under the Investing in Canada Plan, the government of Canada is investing more than C$180 billion (US$133 billion) over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes and Canada’s rural and northern communities.
“These bus priority and queue jump lanes will help move our customers more quickly through areas along the Old Island Highway and prioritizes public transit over single-occupant vehicles. When we launched our Blink RapidBus line in April, we committed to building more dedicated bus lanes to make the service faster and more convenient and this funding helps us deliver on that promise," said Erinn Pinkerton, president and CEO for BC Transit.
