BC Transit celebrates opening of new handyDART center in View Royal

On March 28, BC Transit celebrated the opening of the new handyDART center in View Royal, B.C. A joint investment of more than C$83.5 million (US$53.4 million) was made by the government of Canada, the province of British Columbia and the Victoria Regional Transit Commission for the project. 

BC Transit notes the new handyDART center is the agency’s first leadership in energy and environment design (LEED) gold standard building, an internationally recognized benchmark for green, sustainable building performance. BC Transit says the new center will help bring 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.  

“This new facility is a vital investment in the future of public transit in Greater Victoria. It means more reliable service, better access to handyDART and a transit system that keeps pace with our growing communities. Our government is committed to making transit more accessible and dependable for the people who rely on it every day,” said Canada’s Parliamentary Secretary of Transit George Anderson. 

According to BC Transit, the new facility positions the agency to expand handyDART ridership in Greater Victoria to meet the expected growth in demand as the region’s population ages and grows. It also allows the agency to utilize several properties in Saanich, including the former handyDART location, to create a five-acre site for a future Saanich Transit Center, which will support the agency’s future fleet of electric buses that are needed to meet local service demands and allow for the expansion of the Victoria Regional Transit System. The agency notes Transdev Canada, handyDART's operators, will soon move in with handyDART service, and it is expected to start operating out of the new facility in mid-April.  

“This new, central location in View Royal will allow BC Transit to not only operate handyDART more efficiently, but also expand this important service across the region. The partnerships established while building the handyDART center represent a collaborative effort that reflect the outcomes and goals of both the community and BC Transit by creating a modern operations facility and an environmental rehabilitation project in one,” said BC Transit President and CEO Erinn Pinkerton. 

“We’re excited that, right here in Greater Victoria, BC Transit’s first LEED Gold building in the province achieves a high standard of sustainable design and operations. The Victoria Regional Transit Commission appreciates working alongside our funding partners in all orders of government to support the expansion of transit services in the Capital Regional District,” said Victoria Regional Transit Commission Vice Chair Marianne Alto. 

The government of Canada will contribute C$21.8 million (US$15.2 million) for the project while the government of British Columbia will contribute C$40.1 million (US$28 million) and the Victoria Regional Transit Commission will contribute C$21.6 million (US$15.1 million).