 | |
| Formerly | Urban Transit Authority and the Metro Transit Operating Company |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1983; 42 years ago (1983) |
| Headquarters | 520 Gorge Road East Victoria, British Columbia |
| Locale | Province ofBritish Columbia (exceptGreater Vancouver) |
| Service area | 130 communities |
| Service type | bus service,paratransit,transportation planning |
| Fleet | 1,128 vehicles[1] |
| Annual ridership | 27.0 million (FY 2020/21)[1] |
| Website | www.bctransit.com |
BC Transit is a provincialCrown corporation responsible for coordinating the delivery of public transportation withinBritish Columbia, Canada, outsideGreater Vancouver. BC Transit is headquartered inVictoria, British Columbia. In 2024, the system had a ridership of 26,488,500, or about 100,600 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2024.
BC Transit is the successor to theBritish Columbia Electric Railway, which started in 1897 and in 1961 becameBC Hydro, as the BC Hydro and Power Authority.[2] In 1979, the province separated the transit authority into a separate agency called theUrban Transit Authority which was later restructured into BC Transit in 1983.[3]
BC Transit carries out overall planning and delivery for all of the different municipal transit systems in British Columbia. In 1999, responsibility for the management of transportation in Greater Vancouver, including public transit, was taken over by the newly formedTransLink. In the future, TransLink's jurisdiction is planned to expand into adjacent regions east and north of Greater Vancouver (seeTransLink 2007 reorganization).
In 1896, the Consolidated Railway Company was formed, taking over ten other companies engaged in electriclight rail systems, ortramways, and electric lighting inVancouver,Victoria, andNew Westminster. The following year, in 1897, theBC Electric Railway was incorporated to take over the property and business of the Consolidated Railway Company. In the 1930s and 1940s, the electric streetcars andinterurban trams were converted totrolleybuses and gas-powered buses, as part of the BCER's "From Rails to Rubber" program. In 1961, the province took over the BCER through theBC Hydro Act, forming theBritish Columbia Hydro and Power Authority as a crown corporation.[2]
In 1979, the province's Livable Region Plan led to the transfer of transit responsibilities to three agencies: theGreater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) was to be responsible for transit policy and planning; theUrban Transit Authority (UTA), to represent provincial government interests in public transit; and theMetro Transit Operating Company (MTOC), a separatecrown corporation that took over operations from BC Hydro.[4] The new structure was meant to provide local governments with more decision-making power and funding of their local systems.[3]
In 1983, BC Transit was created when the province merged the UTA and MTOC, removing the role of GVRD. Regional transit commissions were created in Vancouver and Victoria, tasked with approving localtariffs, planning, and some funding.[4]
In 1999, the responsibility for the transit system in Greater Vancouver was reassigned toTransLink, which had been founded a year earlier. The rest of BC still remains under BC Transit.
In 2000, BC Transit became one of the firsttransit systems in North America to usedouble-decker buses, which were alsolow-floor.[5]
AfterGreyhound Canada ended all services inwestern Canada, BC Transit began the operation ofBC Bus North, its first dedicatedintercity buses in Northern British Columbia, in 2018.[6]
In 2019, to address rising concerns of driver safety, the installation of driver safety doors on all buses began. The first bus with this modification was in Victoria.[7]
In 2020, during theCOVID-19 pandemic, BC Transit went to a province-wide free-fare operation and required boarding through the rear door of buses with multiple doors. This lasted just over two months, with fares and front-door boarding resuming on in June of the same year.[8]
TheVictoria Regional Transit System, in the provincial capital ofVictoria, is the only system operated by BC Transit itself. Beyond Victoria, there are regional transit systems.[9] In four locations (Nanaimo,Nelson,Powell River, and theSunshine Coast), the municipality operates the service, while private operators are contracted to deliver the transit services elsewhere.
HandyDART is an accessible transit service inBritish Columbia that uses vans or small buses to transport disabled or elderly passengers who cannot use the normal transit system.[10] This service provides door-to-door service and is available in all of the province's larger centres, as well as in many smaller communities. There are 16 custom accessible transit systems.[9]
BC Transit operates a limited intercity service with a hub inPrince George, serving as a replacement to connections lost whenGreyhound leftwestern Canada.[11] While it bears no BC Transit markings, it receives funding for operation and its scheduling, routing, and organization is guided by BC Transit.
BC Transit operates smallinterregional buses on infrequent schedules to primarily serve patients in rural areas needing access to urban centres, but makes the service available to all members of the public. The Health Connections network focuses on theCariboo,Fraser Canyon,South Okanagan,Columbia andWest Kootenays. These services, while scheduled, are not listed in standard riders guides as published by local agencies.
