The Provincial Government announced its new $14 Billion transit plan for British Columbia, some of which has been previously announced or funded. The announcement can be found here.

Of particular note for Victoria and Langford/West Shore residents was the plan for new “RapidBusBC” service from Douglas Street to Langford. While many in the area had been hoping for a rail-based rapid transit service from Downtown to the West Shore, BC Transit envisions a fleet of dedicated, high-efficiency, high-capacity buses with dedicated, and in some cases, separate lanes – enabling the buses to offer point-to-point rapid transit service, seamlessly integrating with existing transit infrastructure.

Note the **OVERPASSES** at Admirals and Mackenzie… wonder if THAT would ever happen…

The other picture show the much-contended Douglas Street bus lane corridor proposal, already causing havoc with local business owners.

Don’t hold your breath on these proposals, however – the plan is for next decade… 2020-2030.

You can read the whole transportation plan here.

However long it takes, at least it shows initiative on the part of the government to make transit more efficient and to increase ridership to make it easier to get around in the region. As the West Shore and beyond continue to grow, commuting time will become an increasingly important issue for home owners and real estate consumers.

-Tim Ayres – Sooke and Langford Real Estate Expert