Monday January 13, 2025 | SAANICH, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Step by step, development of the Uptown transit hub is coming along.
A contract has been awarded for the completion of the Ravine Way Transit and Active Transportation Improvements at the Uptown Mobility Hub. This hub will become the region’s principal RapidBus exchange and route connector.
Windley Contracting Ltd. of Nanaimo was awarded the contract in fall 2024. Construction is underway. The project is expected to be completed in summer 2025.
New bus stops & dedicated bus lanes:
Construction of a new roadway, active transportation and transit infrastructure will include four new bus stops with shelters (two of which will be on the Trans-Canada Highway) and dedicated bus lanes.
The project will also improve pedestrian safety and active transportation surrounding the hub by improving crosswalks and intersections, and creating new multi-use pathways to build connections to the adjacent Galloping Goose Regional Trail network.
Shifting to the bus:
Major improvements to the Uptown area of Saanich will make it easier for people to choose transit to get around Greater Victoria, says the Ministry of Transportation and Transit in a news release today.
“As this area gets increasingly busy, we know people who live in and around Victoria count on connections that get them to and from home, work and school – quickly,” said George Anderson, parliamentary secretary for transit.
“These improvements, along with our plans for the transit-oriented development at Uptown, will create a hub that delivers fast travel, easy connections and better livability for everyone.”
Part of increasing housing supply & livabiliy:
These improvements support the future transit-oriented development in Saanich announced by the Province in April 2024. The improvements are designed to increase housing supply, promote sustainable transportation options and enhance overall livability, the BC Ministry says.
The federal government also weighs in: “A connected, sustainable, and inclusive community is the cornerstone of a thriving, livable future,” said Harjit S. Sajjan, federal Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada, on behalf of Nate Erskine-Smith, federal Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.
“These improvements will enhance the reliability of transportation services, prioritize pedestrian safety and improve access to jobs and essential services, paving the way for a more sustainable and efficient future across southern Vancouver Island,” said Sajjan in today’s news release.
Funding was announced in September 2024:
Funding for the Uptown Mobility Hub was announced in September 2024, with the Province investing $15.5 million and the federal government investing $4.5 million through its Public Transit Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
South Vancouver Island strategy:
The work will connect all transit services in the region and follows other transit and active-transportation improvements, such as the Highway 1 Bus-On-Shoulder-Lanes project, the Colquitz Bridges Widening project and BC Transit’s transit-priority lanes in the Six Mile area of View Royal – making for easier, continuous and faster travel between communities.
The Uptown Mobility Hub is another step forward in the Province’s South Island Transportation Strategy, which focuses on improving the sustainability and resiliency in southern Vancouver Island communities through highway, transit and active transportation improvements.
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NEWS SECTIONS: TRANSPORTATION