BC Transit is seeking feedback from downtown business and land owners over plans to utilize Douglas Street or a combination of Douglas and Blanshard or Douglas and Government streets for rapid transit operations from the west shore to downtown Victoria.

The survey, available only to businesses and landowners with operations or property near the aforementioned corridors, aims to quantify what impacts the business community expects from the removal of on-street parking, on-street loading zones and dedicating traffic lanes for transit use would have on operations and access to businesses and buildings.

Douglas Street, already a busy transit corridor, is planned to become a rapid transit gateway according to BC Transit's rapid transit plans. Photo © by VibrantVictoria.ca.

BC Transit’s plans include 24-hour, 365-day frequent service between the west shore, the new Uptown development and downtown Victoria.  New transit stops could include aesthetic improvements to streetscapes and widened sidewalks.

In 2008 BC Transit released plans for a dedicated bus rapid transit busway corridor between downtown Victoria and Uptown along Douglas Street.  The affected business community heavily objected, citing concerns over access to businesses due to traffic flow changes and elimination of access points to business properties.  BC Transit ultimately scrapped the busway plans and moved ahead with a more cohesive rapid transit plan that is nearing completion.

To stay up to date on the latest news and announcements affecting the Victoria Regional Transit System and BC Transit, refer to VibrantVictoria.ca discussion forum’s dedicated transit discussion thread here.  To stay up to date on the latest news affecting the rapid transit study in the Victoria region, click here.

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