The governments of Canada and British Columbia invest in transit improvements in Colwood and View Royal

COLWOOD, BC, Sept. 27, 2023 /CNW/ - Today, Taleeb Noormohamed, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Member of Parliament for Vancouver Granville, the Honourable Rob Fleming, B.C. Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, and Erinn Pinkerton, President and Chief Executive Officer of BC Transit, announced a joint investment of more than $13.2 million to 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. These 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.

By investing in infrastructure, the Government of Canada is growing our country's economy, building resilient communities, and improving the lives of Canadians.

Quotes

"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."

Taleeb Noormohamed, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Member of Parliament for Vancouver Granville, on behalf of the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

"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."

The Honourable Rob Fleming, B.C. Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure

"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." 

Erinn Pinkerton, President and Chief Executive Officer for BC Transit

Quick facts

• The Government of Canada is investing $5,285,684 in this project. The Government of British Columbia is investing $5,285,684 and BC Transit is contributing $2,642,842.
• The Government of Canada's funding comes from the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
• This stream supports the building, expansion, and upgrading of urban and rural transit networks.
• Investments in public transit help Canadians get where they need to be, create new manufacturing and construction jobs, reduce pollution, and make life more affordable.
• Including today's announcement, 53 infrastructure projects or project bundles under the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream have been funded in British Columbia with a total federal contribution of more than $2.5 billion and a total provincial contribution of nearly $3.9 billion.
• The Government of Canada is investing $14.9 billion over the next eight years in reliable, fast, affordable, and clean public transit. This funding includes $3 billion per year in permanent, predictable federal public transit funding which will be available to support transit solutions beginning in 2026-27.
• Since 2015, the Government of Canada has invested over $24.8 billion in transit projects across the country, providing Canadians with cleaner and more efficient commuting options.
• Under the Investing in Canada Plan, the federal government 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.
• Infrastructure Canada helps address complex challenges that Canadians face every day—ranging from the rapid growth of our cities, to climate change, and environmental threats to our water and land.

Associated Links

Investing in Canada: Canada's Long-Term Infrastructure Plan
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/icp-publication-pic-eng.html

Public Transit Infrastructure Stream
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/pti-itc-eng.html 

Federal infrastructure investments in British Columbia
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/prog-proj-bc-eng.html 

Strengthened Climate Plan
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/climate-plan/climate-plan-overview.html 

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SOURCE Infrastructure Canada

Contacts: For more information (media only), please contact: Kevin Collins, Office of the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, [email protected]; Media Relations, Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]; Media Relations, Government Communications and Public Engagement, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, 250-356-8241; Media Relations, BC Transit, 250-880-1303, [email protected]