Core Business Areas

The Ministry of Transportation is committed to opening up B.C. through innovative, forward-thinking transportation strategies that move people and goods safely throughout B.C., while helping revitalize our provincial economy. Ministry responsibilities fall into five core business areas.

Managing and improving the province's transportation network requires careful planning, monitoring and direction, looking decades into the future. The Ministry ensures that B.C.'s most pressing transportation needs are addressed first, so that the public's investment in transportation can bring as many benefits as possible. The Minister receives the advice of eight independent Regional Transportation Advisory Committees across the province to help identify and prioritize transportation projects.

The Ministry's major activities in this core business area include gateway and trade corridor development and investment strategies; transportation, port and airport development; development of highway and corporate policy and legislation; highway planning; capital program development and monitoring; direction and management of projects; engineering, design, survey, construction, property acquisition and expropriation for provincial highways, roads, bridges and tunnels; and development and monitoring of public-private partnerships.

The provincial government provides financial support to public transit and contracted coastal ferry services across the province. These services are vital to the economic and social health of many communities.

BC Transit is supported by annual transfers of capital and operating funding. This funding also supports transportation services for the disabled. Public transit in Greater Vancouver is funded through dedicated tax revenues provided to TransLink (Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority), which is responsible for public transit in the region. Provincial funding is also committed to new rapid transit lines in Greater Vancouver: the Canada Line connecting Richmond, the Airport and downtown Vancouver; and the proposed northeast rapid transit extension (Evergreen Line).

The Province pays performance-based service fees to British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. for the delivery of coastal ferry services. Many coastal communities rely on these connections to the rest of the province.

Highway Operations keeps British Columbia's highway network safe, reliable and in good repair in some of Canada's most challenging terrain.

Highway Operations is the Ministry's front line. Regional and district staffs provide customer service by working directly with the public, local governments, First Nations and private partners.

The Ministry's work in this core business area includes Maintenance, Asset Preservation and Traffic Operations; Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement; Inland Ferries; and Coquihalla Toll Administration.

The Ministry's highway operations are divided into three regions — South Coast, Southern Interior and Northern. Each region is subdivided into districts and maintenance areas for more efficient administration. Highway maintenance is carried out by maintenance contractors in 28 areas across the province. Ministry employees monitor and work closely with maintenance contractors to ensure they meet Ministry standards. Timely rehabilitation prevents more costly repairs. Highway Operations determines where investment would provide the most value, resurfaces roads and bridges, replaces bridges at the end of their service lives, and performs other work to extend the life of the transportation network.

The Ministry establishes and maintains effective and safe vehicle operating and equipment standards, and monitors application of these standards through the following programs: Vehicle Inspections, Dangerous Goods, National Safety Code, Commercial Transport, and Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.

Freshwater ferries are a crucial part of daily life for many communities. The Ministry provides access to inland ferries through private partners on 14 freshwater routes.

The Ministry, through the Passenger Transportation Branch, and the Passenger Transportation Board (an independent tribunal) share the regulation of commercial passenger transportation. The governing legislation, the Passenger Transportation Act, is designed to facilitate adequate public access to commercial passenger transportation (excluding public transit), public safety and a healthy economy.

This business area supports all Ministry programs through such core functions as corporate strategic planning; human resources; information systems; security; information and privacy management; and financial management.

Details linking the Ministry's Information Management and Information Technology strategy to its business objectives are available in the Information Resource Management Plan overview, which can be found on the Ministry website at: http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/publications/irmp/.

The Minister of Transportation is responsible for the following four Crown corporations of which two, the BC Transportation Financing Authority and Rapid Transit Project 2000, are addressed in this Service Plan. The other two Crown corporations publish their own Service Plans.

BC Transportation Financing Authority

The BC Transportation Financing Authority is a provincial Crown corporation continued under the Transportation Act. It owns provincial highways and provides for their rehabilitation and expansion through dedicated fuel taxes and other revenues. The Authority can also acquire, hold, construct, or improve other transportation infrastructure throughout British Columbia.

Rapid Transit Project 2000

The Rapid Transit Project 2000 (RPT 2000) completed its mandate to build the Millennium Line and closed its project office as of June 30, 2006. The Ministry is responsible for any continuing RTP 2000 administration and financial reporting.

BC Transit: http://www.bctransit.com

British Columbia Railway Company: http://www.bcrproperties.com/bcrco/index.html