Highway 1 Bus on Shoulder McKenzie to Colwood

This project will create new bus-on-shoulder facilities between the McKenzie interchange and the Colwood (terminating at the Island Highway intersection) to make transit an easier, faster and more desirable option for people commuting in southern Vancouver Island.

Improving this section of road will ensure a continuous and functional rapid bus system. 

This project aligns with the South Island Transportation Strategy’s goal to construct more bus lanes along highways and other inter-regional service corridors and to develop the Rapid Transit Corridor along Highway 1.

This work connects to improvements currently being made to the Colquitz Bridges Widening project and transit improvement work that BC Transit is completing from the Six Mile area to View Royal. It will create a more reliable transit service for all users on this route from downtown Victoria to the Juan de Fuca Bus Exchange. The section between McKenzie and Colwood is prone to traffic congestion. Dedicated bus lanes will ease congestion along this busy route and keep riders moving, especially in peak travel hours – saving commuters time, fuel and money while improving reliability. 

This project will include:

• Converting and widening 3.7 km between the McKenzie and Colwood Interchanges on Highway 1
  • 3.7 km of new dedicated outbound (westbound) bus-on-shoulder facilities
  • 3.1 km of new dedicated inbound (eastbound) bus-on-shoulder facilities
• Widening ramps to provide priority access to bus stops at interchanges
• Installing roadside barriers, additional signage and warning flashers
• Constructing a new bridge on the Galloping Goose Trail for pedestrians and cyclists crossing Craigflower Creek
• New rapid bus stops at the Helmcken Interchange eastbound and westbound intersections

Project cost

Total project funding is $95 million, with the Government of British Columbia contributing $67 million in funding and the Government of Canada contributing $28 million in funding.

Status

The project is expected to go to tender in fall of 2024.

Schedule

Work is anticipated to start in early 2025 and be completed by late fall 2027. 

Project objectives

The project will provide two completely dedicated bus on shoulder facilities from the McKenzie Interchange to the Colwood interchange.

With an exclusive facility on the shoulder of Highway 1, busses are removed from the general-purpose traffic stream and congestion, and riders are more assured to arrive at their destinations at scheduled arrival and departure times.

As traffic and congestion grows on Highway 1, rapid transit will continue to be able to travel on the shoulder bus facilities to avoid congestion and strengthen connections between communities.

Bus stops and stations are being designed to accommodate accessibility and active transportation needs for all travelers.

Benefits

 This project will:

• Provide BCTransit commuters with an easier trip between work and home
• Make transit an easier, faster and more desirable option for people
• Ensure a continuous, reliable and functional rapid bus experience

Environmental benefits

Reducing travel time and increasing ridership is expected to save over 400 tonnes of CO² emissions per year. That would be equivalent to taking over 100 single-occupancy vehicles off the road annually.

This reduction amount will increase dramatically as BC Transit electrifies the Victoria Regional Transit fleet. Additionally, restoration of a Beaver Pond downstream of the Galloping Goose trail pedestrian bridge will provide offsetting measures for the bridge’s impact on riparian vegetation.

Dedicated bus on shoulder facilities

RapidBus is designed to deliver consistent and frequent bus service, limiting stops to high passenger volume areas. This project will accelerate RapidBus implementation, making transit for the South Island faster and more reliable. These lanes will:

• Allow the RapidBus service to use the shoulders along designated areas of the highway to travel
• Support all buses that travel along the route
• Prioritize buses over single-occupant vehicles

Save time

Dedicated facilities can reduce delays for buses considerably, resulting in reduced travel times and increased reliability. Dedicated bus facilities will

• Allow buses to bypass congestion between West Shore and downtown – especially in areas prone to congestion during peak travel hours
• Make taking the bus an even easier choice, so people can count on getting to their homes and work as quickly as possible
• Help improve travel times up to approximately 20 per cent over current travel times, saving up to five minutes
• This is in addition to the 20-minute savings the existing bus lanes between downtown Victoria and Tillicum Road along Highway 1 have already provided
• With new improvements underway, including the Colquitz Bridge Widening improvement work and Highway 1 Bus On Shoulder Lanes, time savings are expected to increase significantly

Accessibility

• All conventional buses in the Victoria region have bike racks that can hold up to two bikes and they all have the necessary accessibility equipment to accommodate passengers with mobility issues
• Handydart will have access to these transit-priority lanes

Project map

• Download the project map (PDF, 10.3MB)