Showcase Proposals - Proposal Summaries

Background  Victoria-Langford bus rapid transit  Non-motorized infrastructure  Public outreach and education Expected benefits  Impact assessment  Partners  Cost

• Link to detailed proposal and showcase map(s)

Background

The growth management plan of greater Victoria calls for an increased reliance on transit, cycling and walking to service growth in a sustainable manner. The development of walkable town centres and multimodal transportation corridors is a vital objective for the community of 350,000 people.

The intention of the proposed showcase is to improve the competitive position of transit, cycling and walking as modes of choice, and to remove barriers to their use. It would also demonstrate how outreach and education can add value to infrastructure improvements. Steps to maximize the transferability of showcase processes and tools to other communities are emphasized throughout.

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Victoria-Langford bus rapid transit

About one-third of the region’s population and employment is found along the Douglas Street-Trans Canada Highway route that links downtown Victoria to the Langford growth centre. This important 19-kilometre transit corridor serves five growth centres and suffers from increasing levels of congestion. By implementing bus rapid transit service here, the showcase would make transit more competitive and help it meet growing demands efficiently.

This strategy would include:

• Transit priority measures such as advanced traffic signal control and queue jumps to help buses bypass congestion 
• Twelve stations along the route to enhance multimodal transfers through barrier-free design, passenger shelters, links to walking and cycling networks, and bicycle racks and lockers 
• The provision of real-time bus arrival information at stations, and through the BC Transit Web site, telephone information lines and wireless devices 
• The upgrading of 12 new double-deck buses to include hybrid diesel-electric engines 
• A distinctive visual identity and special marketing for the bus rapid transit service 

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Non-motorized infrastructure

The showcase would improve corridor- and destination-level access throughout the region for pedestrians and cyclists. New sidewalks, trails or on-road bicycle lanes would be complemented by marketing and promotion efforts to build demand.

Specific projects would include:

• The addition of cantilevered 1.5-metre bicycle lanes to the Bay Street Bridge 
• Streetscape improvements that enhance walking and cycling environments in key activity corridors 
• Off-road trails, paved shoulders and bike lanes to create new cycling links in major road corridors 
• A grade-separated overpass for the Galloping Goose Trail at Highway 1A 
• The rebuilding of an arterial road through the University of Victoria campus with bicycle lanes, crosswalks and medians 
• Traffic and streetscaping changes to turn two auto-oriented community main streets into “walkable villages” 

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Public outreach and education

The showcase would introduce the benefits of active transportation and invite area residents to try new options. Specific projects would include:

• A three-year demonstration of a special transit fare card for high school students (the S-Pass), with before-and-after measurement of travel habits and attitudes 
• Enhancements to Victoria’s successful Bike to Work Week event through improved cycling skills training, employer outreach efforts, and tools to enable replication of the event in other communities 
• Creation of workshops and manuals on trail design and development, trail integration into urban environments, bicycle lane design and bicycle parking 
• Special activities during an international cycling and walking conference to be held in 2004 
• Creation of a new annual event focused on the benefits of walking, both as a stand-alone mode and in combination with public transit 
• A demonstration of how to remove barriers that can prevent children from walking to school 

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Expected benefits 

This showcase would lead to reduced greenhouse gas emissions, including an estimated 1,000 tonnes annually due to the Victoria-Langford bus rapid transit strategy. Other benefits would include reduced air emissions, increased transit ridership, reduced delay for transit users, and healthier lifestyles for regional residents.

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Impact assessment 

Showcase impacts would be measured through a number of means including:

• Transit passenger counts and other operating statistics 
• Traffic, pedestrian and cyclist counts in corridors of interest 
• Monthly surveys of travel habits and attitudes throughout region 
• An origin-destination survey of regional residents in 2006 (most recently conducted in 2001) 
• Recorded event participation 

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Partners 

The contributing partners in this showcase would include:

• City of Victoria 
• District of Saanich 
• District of Oak Bay 
• District of Langford 
• City of Colwood 
• District of Central Saanich 
• Town of Sidney 
• Town of View Royal 
• Capital Regional District 
• BC Transit 
• Victoria Airport Authority 
• University of Victoria 
• BC Ministry of Transportation 
• Greater Victoria Bike to Work Society 
• Capital Bike and Walk Society 
• Safer School Project 
• Vancouver Island Tourism Alliance 

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Cost

The proposed showcase cost of $14.6 million is divided among components as follows:

• Victoria-Langford bus rapid transit — $8.6 million 
• Non-motorized infrastructure — $4.4 million 
• Public outreach and education — $1.2 million 
• Monitoring and communication — $0.4 million 

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Note: This information reflects the proposal as submitted by the applicant, and does not reflect the views of Transport Canada.

View the detailed proposal (PDF, 1277.04KB)	View a map of the proposed showcase (PDF, 124.12KB)