Two West Shore municipalities are working together to get commuters moving.
The Town of View Royal and the City of Colwood announced Friday that they are working with B.C. Transit as well as the Victoria Regional Transit Commission (VRTC) to come up with concepts and cost estimates for a possible rapid transit corridor along Island Highway between Colwood Corners and the on-ramp of the Trans-Canada Highway just past Six Mile Road.
“With travel time and congestion in the Capital Region increasing, it is important to make public transit a realistic option for people,” Colwood Mayor Carol Hamilton said in a statement. “That will only happen if buses can move people faster than cars on major routes.”
The planning will outline possible options including bus lanes, queue jumping lanes, preferred park and ride locations, traffic light co-ordination strategies, and cost details.
“The VRTC is committed to working with our partners in Greater Victoria to improve transit services,” added Susan Brice, board chair and a Saanich councillor. “The work being conducted here is about taking what we have heard from the public and bringing it to reality.”
On the West Shore, a key focus is adding additional park and ride capacity in the community. A study will be conducted to help identify potential sites that meet the location and physical design requirements.
“In addition to creating a seamless experience for users, collaboration increases efficiency, maximizes resources and strengthens inter-municipal relationships,” said View Royal Mayor David Screech.
Improvements to transit on Island Highway have been ongoing since 2010 with a number of studies and planning done.
Hamilton, who is also a member of the VRTC, noted how critical a transit corridor will be.
“Having an implementation plan for rapid transit on the Island Highway will support our work with provincial partners on a rapid transit network along Highway 1 between the West Shore and downtown Victoria.”
