The Government of BC has introduced changes to the Transportation Act to allow the Province to make strategic land acquisitions around transit hubs.
The purpose is to build housing and community amenities to serve people near transit stations and bus exchanges.
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Rob Fleming tabled Bill 16 today.
"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."
We know transit isn’t just about getting from A to B it’s about building greener, more livable communities. That’s why we’ve introduced legislation to boost Transit Oriented Development that creates affordable housing, job centres & services as part of the public transit system. pic.twitter.com/cCH4TcYLA4
— Rob Fleming (@Rob_Fleming) April 5, 2022
The changes are being made through the BC Transportation Financing Authority, which has been only able to purchase land for transportation projects until this point.
However, the lack of ability to acquire additional property to facilitate transit-related developments has made it challenging to shape growth around transit hubs.
Once the Transportation Act is amended, it will allow for housing to be built in mixed-use developments, along with child-care centres, commercial services, schools, recreation centres and more.
“Housing and amenities development is meant to maximize the amount of residential, business and leisure space and other amenities in close proximity to public transport,” the Province explained in a release.
“This promotes the development of livable, compact communities making it convenient for pedestrians, cyclists or people who use mobility aids to access the nearest transit hub.”
Known as transit-oriented developments, these community hubs are typically located within 800 metres of transit stations.
The Province said that delivering housing near transit hubs has been proven to increase transit ridership.
A great example is Marine Gateway in Vancouver, located near Cambie Street and Southwest Marine Drive, which has contributed to a 35% increase in ridership at the Marine Drive transit station.
