BC Transit is hoping its new handyDART centre will tackle both environmental and service capacity challenges.

To be located at the corner of Burnside Road West and Watkiss Way in View Royal, the new facility will replace the existing centre on Glanford Avenue in Saanich which is far overcapacity, according to Levi Timmermans, director of infrastructure management at BC Transit.

B次元官网网址淲e have buses parked in driverB次元官网网址檚 driveways. WeB次元官网网址檝e rented the parking lot across the street, we have two maintenance bays. So weB次元官网网址檝e done everything we can with the existing site, but we canB次元官网网址檛 expand the service,B次元官网网址� he said.

The new site is forecast for completion in late 2024 and will have far more space for handyDART buses, allowing for over 100 vehicles from the current centreB次元官网网址檚 capacity of around 50. After the View Royal siteB次元官网网址檚 completion, the Saanich yard will be used for regular BC Transit buses, with a capacity of 75 to 80 buses. A project to increase capacity there is in the early planning stages, Timmermans said.

B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檒l allow us to then go to the next phase for the region and say, B次元官网网址榃eB次元官网网址檙e good, we can grow transit for many, many years to come.B次元官网网址� That location is really strategically located for transit, itB次元官网网址檚 nice and central to the city.B次元官网网址�

Construction of the new centre also seeks to address environmental challenges in the area. A stream connecting to Craigflower Creek, which runs through the property, is being realigned to run behind the handyDART centre.

B次元官网网址淲hen we took over the site, the creek area on the property was, I would say, subpar,B次元官网网址� Timmermans said.

On Thursday (May 19), around 130 students from nearby Eagleview Elementary helped plant nearly 500 riparian plants of varying species along the banks of the creek. In total, 8,000 plants are set to be planted at and around the handyDART centre. Timmermans said the new path for the creek would slow down the flow of the water, potentially allowing for the return of salmon.

The transit organization consulted with local Indigenous nations about how to improve the creek. The adjacent Galloping Goose Regional Trail is also being altered to lessen the slope coming up to the transit centre and will potentially be reopened next month.

ALSO READ: BC Transit opens new avenue for user feedback through online platform

ALSO READ: BC Transit riders in Greater Victoria to be hit hard by Thursday cancellations