Province to invest in amenities, housing near transit hubs

The B.C. Government is planning on bolstering housing, community amenities and services near transit stations and bus exchanges.

Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, tabled Bill 16 Tuesday, which proposes changes to the Transportation Act allowing the province, through the B.C. Transportation Financing Authority, to acquire land to build these projects near transit hubs.

“Public transit isn’t just about getting people from A to B, it’s also about building greener and more liveable communities,” said Fleming.

“We will increase the level of affordable housing and services that are integrated into our significant investments in transit.”

The amendments will give the B.C. Transportation Financing Authority the ability to acquire and improve land to support the development of housing and community amenities near any public transit system stations or exchanges.

Currently, the financial authority is able to purchase land for transportation projects, but cannot acquire additional properties to facilitate transit-related development.

The province says these changes will allow housing to be built in mixed-use developments as well as community amenities such as child care centres, shops and commercial services, schools and educational facilities, health care centres, public gathering spaces and recreation centres.

The transit-oriented developments would be located within an 800-metre radius of transit stations, allowing for easy access to public transit.

The province, through the B.C Transportation Financing Authority, will deliver these projects by working with local governments and partners.

The government said the legislative changes will support current and future investments into public transit while also addressing key government priorities such as creating jobs, building new housing, reducing costs for families and meeting the CleanBC climate change targets.