The purpose of the Ministry of Transportation and Transit is to:
Create an integrated and safe transportation network that incorporates all modes of transport, including rail transit, reflects regional priorities, and provides a strong foundation for economic growth; and;
Maintain and improve the provincial highway system, ensuring the safe and efficient movement of people and goods provincially, nationally and internationally
History
The history of the ministry can be traced back to 1854 when three road commissioners were appointed to oversee the expenditure of the first appropriation of £500.
In 1858, the Department of Lands and Works was created under the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works.
In 1871, a Constitutional Act set up the Land and Works Department to locate, construct, and maintain highways and bridges.
On May 7 1908, a separate Department of Public Works was formed and placed under a Minister of Public Works.
On March 15, 1955, highways became the responsibility of the new Department of Highways and on June 30, 1976, the Department of Highways and Public Works.
On September 27, 1977, the Ministerial Titles Amendment Act was passed and the department became a ministry.
On December 5, 1978, Transportation and Communication were added to the portfolio and the title became the Ministry of Transportation, Communications, and Highways.
On November 23, 1979, the Ministry of Transportation and Highways was established.
On June 5, 2001, the name of the ministry changed to Ministry of Transportation.[1]
On June 23, 2008, the name of the ministry changed to Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.[2][3]
On November 18, 2024, the name of the ministry changed to Ministry of Transportation and Transit. The Infrastructure portfolio was moved under a newly established standalone ministry.[4]
Organization
The ministry is organized into five different departments:
Finance and Management Services Department
The Finance and Management Services Department supports the ministry's financial and administrative activities.
Highways Department
The Highways Department is the delivery arm of the ministry, responsible for planning, building operating and maintaining the ministry's transportation infrastructure, including providing information on DriveBC.[5] The department is also home to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Enforcement Branch.
To deliver its mandate, the Highways Department has several offices in communities throughout the province. The offices are organized by region and then by district:
South Coast Region
Lower Mainland District
Vancouver Island District
Southern Interior Region
Rocky Mountain District
West Kootenay District
Okanagan-Shuswap District
Thompson Nicola District
Cariboo District
Northern Region
Peace District
Fort George District
Bulkley-Stikine District
Skeena District
Infrastructure Department
The Infrastructure Department is responsible for the ministry's transportation investment plan and oversees infrastructure grant programs. It also oversees the ministry's involvement in the Evergreen Line and the marine branch, which looks after the ministry's responsibilities related to coastal and inland ferries.
Partnerships Department
The Partnerships Department is responsible for property procurement and management, project governance and corporate initiatives, operations and procurement and the Transit Branch, which looks after the Provincial Transit Plan.
Transportation Policy & Programs Department
The focus of the Transportation Policy & Programs Department is the province's surface, air and marine policy, Pacific Gateway Strategy, as well as the Passenger Transportation Branch, which supervises commercial passenger vehicles.
Ministry inventory
The ministry looks after a large number of transportation-related assets, including:
Border Crossings 53
Alberta 24
Alaska 1
Idaho 2
Montana 1
Northwest Territories 1
Washington 17
Yukon Territory 7
Changeable Message Signs 52
Culverts** 183,962
Gravel Reserve 2,744
Guardrail*** 16,375
Large Culverts (>3 m (9 ft 10 in) diameter) 652
Large Other Tunnels* (Generally >3 m (9 ft 10 in) Width) 83
Large Retaining Walls (2 m (6 ft 7 in) height) 1,090
Other Tunnels* 300
Railway Level Crossings 651
Rest Areas 174
Retaining Walls** 556
Road Tunnels (>3 m (9 ft 10 in) width) 69
Sign Structures 217
Signs** 247,493
Snowsheds 4
Total Road Kilometres 47,647 (Miles 29,606)
Traffic Signals 694
Of Note: *Includes: pedestrian/cattle/animal tunnels** Inventory currently being updated*** Count of Guardrail locations
Ferries
The Ministry of Transportation and Transit is responsible for the provision of inland ferry services on the province's rivers and lakes, although it generally contracts the operation of these services to private sector companies. The ferries provided by the ministry include:[6]
Coastal ferry services are not the direct responsibility of the Ministry of Transportation and Transit. Instead they are provided by BC Ferries.
References
^Government of British Columbia. "Order-in-Council No 565/2001". bclaws.gov.bc.ca. Government of British Columbia. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
^Government of British Columbia. "Order-in-Council No 430/2008". bclaws.gov.bc.ca. Government of British Columbia. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
^Clapp, Frank (1991). British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Highways Lake and River Ferries. B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Highways. p. 73. ISBN9780772613646.
^Government of British Columbia. "Order-in-Council No 596-2024". bclaws.gov.bc.ca. Government of British Columbia. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
