BC Transit says $13.2 million worth of upgrades are coming to the Old Island Highway in Colwood and View Royal.
The funding comes from all three levels of government, with the federal and provincial governments providing nearly $5.3 million each and BC Transit contributing $2.6 million.
The funding will be used to create new bus lanes and bike lanes along parts of the highway, as well as queue jump lanes along Wale Road in Colwood.
BC Transit says once the project is complete, commute times will be shorter for transit users and cyclists.
Other project features include creating wheelchair ramps along intersection crossings, new crosswalk signs, new street lighting and traffic signals, and road painting and sidewalk widening.
“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,” said Erinn Pinkerton, president and CEO of BC Transit in a release Wednesday.
The new project is part of the overall West Shore RapidBus strategy that launched earlier this year.
“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,” said Pinkerton.
SEE ALSO: ‘Allandale pit’ in Colwood to be home of new BC Transit distribution centre
Adam Chan
