BC Transit to receive additional C$51 million in funding to support electrification of handyDART operations and maintenance facility

BC Transit is receiving an additional C$51 million (US$37.1 million) in funding to support the electrification of the new handyDART operations and maintenance facility center currently under construction in the town of View Royal, British Columbia. The additional funding brings the overall project budget to more than C$83.5 million (US$60.8 million) and brings the planned facility into alignment with BC Transit’s Electrification Program and moves the province closer to Canada’s net-zero emissions by 2050 target.  

The additional investment will allow handyDART services to expand in the Greater Victoria region of British Columbia, bringing accessible, door-to-door transit service to commuters with disabilities, while also supporting the transition to a low-carbon battery electric bus fleet and the expansion of conventional bus service in the region. The supplemental funding will also account for increased inflation and construction costs since the project’s inception. 

Once complete, the center will roughly double fleet capacity for handyDART in Greater Victoria to meet the expected growth as the region’s population grows. Construction on the facility has begun and is being built to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) Gold standards, an internationally recognized benchmark for green, sustainable building performance. The center is scheduled to open in 2025.  

“A community that works for everyone is one that gives choices, options and independence to all its members. The handyDART facility being built in View Royal will help people with reduced mobility get to work, the grocery store and everywhere else they need to go and it will do it in a green, sustainable way that protects our environment. We’re working to deliver public transit to all Canadians and fund projects that make a meaningful difference in people’s lives,” said Sean Fraser, Canada's minister of housing, infrastructure and communities. 

“Today’s announcement supports our commitment to continue delivering important services to citizens while supporting a healthier environment and a greener Canada. Moving to electric transit systems creates cleaner communities, reduces our carbon footprint and supports our climate action goals,” said Member of Parliament for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast— Sea to Sky Country Patrick Weiler.    

The otal funding of more than C$83.5 million (US$60.8 million) for the project includes the government of Canada’s contribution of more than C$21.8 million (US$15.9 million), the government of British Columbia’s contribution of more than C$40.1 million (US$29.2 million) and the Victoria Regional Transit Commission’s contribution of C$21.6 million (US$15.7 million). 

In July 2019, BC Transit launched its Low Carbon Fleet Program, which aligns with the Province’s CleanBC initiative and is a core component of the strategic vision for the future of BC Transit. 

The Low Carbon Fleet Program was established to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and includes a 10-year fleet replacement strategy to replace more than 1,200 buses with electric buses. 

The government of Canada’s funding comes from the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The stream supports the building, expansion and upgrading of urban and rural transit networks. Currently, 55 infrastructure projects or project bundles under the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream have been funded in British Columbia, with a total federal contribution of more than C$2.5 billion (US$1.8 billion) and a total provincial contribution of nearly C$3.9 billion (US$2.8 billion).  

“With this additional funding, the View Royal HandyDART center is set to become a state-of-the-art, sustainable facility that will serve the Greater Victoria region’s growing population now and over the coming decades. By providing accessible public transportation options across the region, we’re ensuring people of all ages and abilities can get where they need to go safely and efficiently,” said British Columbia Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Rob Fleming.  

“This funding will help us deliver a facility that can support a future 100 percent electric fleet so we can continue operating these essential handyDART services in the most sustainable way possible. We’re thankful that this Federal and Provincial government funding will also contribute towards BC Transit’s first LEED Gold building in the province, which achieves a high standard of sustainable design and operations,” said Erinn Pinkerton, president and CEO, BC Transit.