Victoria: Route 53 Service Change
Consultation has concluded
June 28 2021 Service Change
On June 28, 2021, a new schedule will be implemented in the Victoria Regional Transit System. As a part of this change, Route 53 Colwood Exchange / Langford Exchange via Atkins will be re-aligned and extended to terminate at the Victoria General Hospital rather than Colwood Exchange.
This change was proposed in the completed Burnside/Tillicum Local Area Transit Plan and the nearly completed Esquimalt/View Royal Local Area Transit Plan. Engagement results from both plans indicated a high level of support for changes to Route 53.
Keep reading to learn all about the upcoming change. Based on public feedback, a decision was made to maintain service to the west end of Goldstream Avenue.
Get involved by:
- Asking us a question about the upcoming changes to Route 53
- Making a comment to let us know how you feel about the upcoming changes
What are we changing?
- Service will begin/terminate at Victoria General Hospital rather than Colwood Exchange
- Year-round service will be provided to Thetis Lake Regional Park
- Select trips will provide service to/from downtown
Transfer opportunities will be available along the Old Island Highway.
Why are we changing it?
This change will improve access to Victoria General Hospital, local services and employment at Eagle Creek, and provide year-round service to Thetis Lake Regional Park.
Select trips that will operate to/from downtown will provide a commuter service for residents of Langford and Colwood.
Who's Listening
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Senior Transit Planner
I live near Mill Hill, work at VGH, and love to go to thetis lake in the summer, so this route will be ideal for me and my growing family.
As a car-less student, I appreciate Thetis Lake access by bus, especially with year round service.
Would love a regular service to the thetis park entrance all year round - will need a regular bus schedule while living in new apartment buildingat the park entrance which means I can sell my car and use bike and bus instead.
I catch the bus at stop 101712 and I'm worried the change will mean less service.
I support the changes to bring the bus into Thetis Lake Park year round. With housing in the area it will allow residents a more convenient option for access to transit. A direct route to groceries and services in Victoria or Langford will allow residents to have options of how they address transportation.
West end service is a must. It’s an extra 5 mins added to the route to service and help a lot of people. It is the ONLY bus that goes that way, people living down there have no other option but to walk 25-30 mins to the 50 at Peatt rd. Such an inconvenience if it was to be discontinued.
I live on Nursery Hill Drive. I welcome the changes you are making to Route 53. It means that I don't have to walk to Island Highway to go downtown or to U of Vic as Vic General has transfer options to these two places. Better still is the possibility that I could take Route 53 all the way downtown. I know there are many people in my neighbourhood who work at Vic General Hospital. this would be great for them. As you know, this neighbourhood is expanding with developments next to Thetis Lake. Those residents will now be much closer to a bus route. The ability to take a bus from downtown to Thetis lake will perhaps ease the parking congestion here in the summer and more importantly provide car less city urban dwellers the chance to enjoy the hikes and swimming at Thetis Lake.
This is an exciting new route plan, presenting many opportunities to better serve parts of the Victoria Region which are currently underserved. In the past, BC Transit has often used ‘routing variants’ to provide lower levels of service to certain parts of a route. Examples include the Gorge bus, which had two variants, the Gorge-Obed, and Gorge-Admirals; the Oak Bay route, which diverged at Monterey Avenue, going to Willows or South Oak Bay; and the Quadra bus, which, once it was extended past Beckwith, had 3 variants; via Royal Oak, via Emily Carr, or via Chatterton Way.
Perhaps, instead of eliminating service to the north end of Goldstream Avenue, there could be a route variant, serving this small area once per hour or less. Other options to consider: via McCallum Road to/from Leigh Road: via Burnside to Helmcken to Watkiss Way (and perhaps reverse : VGH to Watkiss Way to Helmcken to Burnside, and on to Atkins etc: possibly incorporating Watkiss Way north of Burnside, perhaps as a replacement for the #22 variant.
I am strongly in favour of year-round service to Thetis Lake Regional Park. As a trail runner, I use the park year-round. The park is busiest in the summer but lots of walkers/hikers/mountain bikers use it in all seasons. Having bus service on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays is important - bus routes that could be used to access popular parks that only run on weekdays are not helpful (eg. 64 East Sooke). There are also new rental apartments at the edge of the park that I'm sure would benefit from regular bus service, especially if there was regular service to to VGH and downtown.
It sounds great to me another bus i can count on, in a couple of weeks i will be living on sooke rd
The year round service to Thetis Lake is an amazing way of connecting the community to an outdoor healthy safe environment. This will decrease congestion issues in the parking lot and make the park more accessible to people without vehicles.
Please do not discontinue the West-end of Goldstream loop. An old gentleman with a cane hops on the bus at that location 5-days a week for medical appointments. It would be sad to see him lose that part of the service. The rest of the route is very quiet.