BC Transit is a provincial crown corporation responsible for coordinating the delivery of public transportation within British Columbia, Canada, outside Greater Vancouver. BC Transit is headquartered in Victoria, British Columbia. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 26,377,500, or about 108,500 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.
BC Transit is the successor to the British Columbia Electric Railway, which started in 1897 and in 1961 became BC Hydro, as the BC Hydro and Power Authority.[2] In 1979, the province separated the transit authority into a separate agency called the Urban 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 formed TransLink. In the future, TransLink's jurisdiction is planned to expand into adjacent regions east and north of Greater Vancouver (see TransLink 2007 reorganization).
History
The logo of the Urban Transit Authority, the predecessor of BC Transit.Pre-2000 logoLogo used from 2000 to 2009.
In 1896, the Consolidated Railway Company was formed, taking over ten other companies engaged in electric light rail systems, or tramways, and electric lighting in Vancouver, Victoria, and New Westminster. The following year, in 1897, the BC Electric Railway was incorporated to take over the property and business of the Consolidated Railway Company. In the 1930s and 1940s, the electric streetcars and interurban trams were converted to trolleybuses and gas-powered buses, as part of the BCER's "From Rails to Rubber" program. In 1961, the province took over the BCER through the BC Hydro Act, forming the British 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: the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) was to be responsible for transit policy and planning; the Urban Transit Authority (UTA), to represent provincial government interests in public transit; and the Metro Transit Operating Company (MTOC), a separate crown 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 local tariffs, planning, and some funding.[4]
In 1999, the responsibility for the transit system in Greater Vancouver was reassigned to TransLink, which had been founded a year earlier. The rest of BC still remains under BC Transit.
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 the COVID-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]
Transit systems
BC Hydro markings on a 1964 GMC bus
The Victoria Regional Transit System, in the provincial capital of Victoria, 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 the Sunshine Coast), the municipality operates the service, while private operators are contracted to deliver the transit services elsewhere.
The Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District announced in 2017 that it was studying the feasibility of public transit connecting Tofino and Ucluelet. Feasibility studies concluded in November 2019,[10] with approval from the ACRD provided in late December 2019.[11] BC Transit began their first tests of the routes in February 2020.
HandyDART is an accessible transit service in British Columbia that uses vans or small buses to transport disabled or elderly passengers who cannot use the normal transit system.[12] 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 in Prince George, serving as a replacement to connections lost when Greyhound left western Canada.[13] 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 small interregional 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 the Cariboo, Fraser Canyon, South Okanagan, Columbia and West Kootenays. These services, while scheduled, are not listed in standard riders guides as published by local agencies.
BC 20th century BC 1780s BC 1220s BC 5th century BC 1790s BC 1420s BC 1230s BC 29th century BC 1570s BC 1410s BC 1730s BC 1070s BC 1490s BC 1510s BC 980s BC 22nd century BC 1530s BC 950s BC 1580s BC 1710s BC 1770s BC 1540s BC 24th century BC 1760s BC 1630s BC 1720s BC 1190s BC 1360s BC 1690s BC 910s BC 960s BC 1620s BC 30th century BC 1390s BC 1080s BC 790s BC 1460s BC 1090s BC 1160s BC 1140s BC 940s BC 880s BC 1130s BC 1210s BC 1180s BC 1610s BC 33rd century BC 1310s BC 890s BC 1750s BC 1370s BC 1340s BC 1290s BC 820s BC 780s BC 39th century BC 1380s BC 1640s BC 1250s BC 21st century BC 1240s…
BC 34th century BC 37th century BC 6th century BC 990s BC 920s BC 19th century BC 1480s BC 1560s BC 36th century BC 1st century BC 1330s BC 1440s BC 860s BC 31st century BC 1040s BC 1010s BC 720s BC 1110s BC 2nd century BC 23rd century BC 970s BC 28th century BC 1020s BC 1430s BC 1650s BC 1030s BC 760s BC 730s BC 1270s BC 1470s BC 830s BC 1520s BC 1320s BC 38th century BC 1740s BC 7th century BC 1660s BC 1260s BC 1680s BC 1060s BC 1550s BC 1450s BC 1590s BC 1670s BC 25th century BC 1280s BC 1050s BC 930s BC 1150s BC 1170s BC 27th century BC 35th century BC 870s BC 32nd century BC 1120s BC 3rd century BC 1300s BC (decade) 9th century BC 850s BC 1500s BC (decade) 1400s BC (decade) 8th century BC 26th century BC 810s BC 800s BC (decade) 770s BC 840s BC 1700s BC (decade) 1600s BC (decade) 900s BC (decade) 740s BC 710s BC 1100s BC (decade) 1000s BC (decade) 1200s BC (decade) 4th century BC 40th century BC 6th millennium BC 5th millennium BC 750s BC 8th millennium BC 200s BC (decade) BC Augsburg 520s BC Miss BC 1350s BC 560s BC 10th century BC 7th millennium BC 10th millennium BC 13th century BC 11th century BC Bc (programming language) BC Kalev 9th millennium BC 700s BC (decade) 100s B
