TRANSPORTATION
Transportation includes the ability to get around and transport people and goods. The capacity and convenience of transportation, such as our transit and road systems, have a big impact on quality of life.
Without transportation, there is no care
Transportation
Without transportation, there is no care
No vehicle? Scared of the diagnosis? Unsure where to begin? Maybe this is you, or someone you love.
It was Mary’s reality, too — until she found the Daily Dose Society (DDS). Now DDS is on Mary’s speed dial to help her get to clinics, physio, and hospital appointments safely, comfortably, and with dignity. Whether Mary decides to use her walker or her wheelchair, a familiar driver meets her at the door, steadies her feet, makes her laugh, and reminds her that she’s not alone. For the seasoned DDS mobile outreach team, transportation is more than just a service, it’s the glue that holds care together.
Founded in 2015, the DDS was created to bridge the gap between taxis and ambulances, offering compassionate, door-to-door, non-emergency transportation with assisted care. Since its launch, DDS has provided over 50,000 essential rides, at no cost, to those eligible on lower Vancouver Island, facing financial, physical, or mental health barriers. With a fleet of six vehicles and fourteen compassionate and friendly drivers, DDS operates on a unique service model built around reliability, assistance, and trust. As the founder and heart behind the mission says: “If you need to get there, let us drive you — with care.”
In addition to rides, DDS provides advocacy and support, helping clients access essential health, legal, and social services. Whether it’s arriving at an appointment on time, or navigating complex systems, DDS is there, assuring no one is left behind.
The Saanich Legacy Foundation proudly supports DDS as an approved partnership project. This allows DDS to receive donations, apply for community grants, and seek funding from other organizations to help sustain and grow this vital service for years to come. For more information, visit thedailydosesociety.org
Photo by: Jo-Ann Richards, Works Photography
Vital signs citizen survey grade
C+Last year's grade was C+
Transportation
Vital signs citizen survey grade
C+Sustainable Development Goals
Sustainable Development Goals
CONVENIENT ACCESS TO TRANSIT
In 2023, 85% of the Greater Victoria population lived within 500 metres walking distance of a transit stop, on par with 2021, and fourth highest of Canada’s 36 census metropolitan areas after Red Deer (94%), Montreal (87%), and Regina (86%).
Of the region’s population with convenient access in 2023, approximately 63% had after-tax income under $60,000 and 22% had after-tax income of $60,000 and over, on par with 2021.
SOURCE: STATISTICS CANADA
BIKE RIDERSHIP
In 2024, according to the Capital Regional District’s Regional Cyclist and Pedestrian Count Program, approximately:
13.5
million people travelled the Galloping Goose network in both directions on foot, bike, or micromobility device 
up from 9.7 million total users in 2021
861
average daily users up from 636 average daily users in 2021
The three busiest routes in 2024 by average daily users
3548 Galloping Goose north of Selkirk Trestle
2317 Galloping Goose south of Culduthel Road
2222 Johnson Street Bridge
In 2024, just over
10 million cyclists rode the Galloping Goose
661 average daily cyclists
The busiest route Johnson Street Bridge with 8% of total cycling volumes.
The CRD has set up 43 automated counters around the region to monitor bike and pedestrian traffic volumes. It works with partners including Victoria, Saanich, Colwood, Esquimalt, and the University of Victoria to offer a single access point for all automated counts in the region.
SOURCE: CAPITAL REGIONAL DISTRICT
Commuters in Greater Victoria are more likely to use active transportation than their national counterparts, with 18.7% of the region’s commuters mainly walking or biking to work in May 2024, compared to just 6% of Canadian commuters.
SOURCE: STATISTICS CANADA
COMMUNITY FOCUS
‘Walking School Bus’ Offers Exercise and Safety Skills
Children in Greater Victoria are boarding the Walking School Bus! Through supervised walks to school, elementary students are learning safe commuting skills while building healthy habits.
The program, in partnership with the Society for Children and Youth of BC and funded by the Province of BC, gives students a chance to start their school day with some fresh air and exercise. Both volunteers and paid leaders are given safety training to lead students on their routes.
The program is available in Langford, Sooke, Nanaimo, Esquimalt, Saanich, and Central Saanich. It will soon expand to other areas of BC and will also include a Bike School Bus program in some communities.
SOURCE: PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND SOCIETY FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH OF BC
TRANSIT USE
In 2024/25, among Greater Victoria residents:
71%used transit of whom 26% had used transit in the past 24 hours, while 32% used it more than a month ago.
Transit Users
down from 39% in 2023/24
36%
up from 14% in 2023/24
16%
Total percentages may not add up to 100% for select items. Gray segments in graphic do not reflect survey results.
Those who used transit in the past seven days made an average of 4.5 one-way trips per week, higher than the BC-wide average (3.0).
Trip Purposes
down from 21% in 2023/24
16%
Total percentages may not add up to 100% for select items. Gray segments in graphic do not reflect survey results.
Compared to a year ago, 22% of riders used transit more often, 28% used it less often (down from 32% in 2023/24), and 50% used it about the same (up from 45% in 2023/24).
Riders using transit more often cited convenience (67%), affordability (51%), and environmental benefits (40%) for their increased usage.
Riders using transit less often or about the same cited preference for a personal vehicle (57%), transit taking too long to reach destinations (50%; down from 55% in 2023/24), and preference for cycling or walking (46%) as reasons why non-riders avoid transit.
SOURCE: BC TRANSIT
THEN & NOW
Go By Bike Week is an annual celebration of cycling in the region.
Previously known as Bike to Work Week, it began in 1995 to raise the profile of commuter cycling, first as an initiative of the Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition and later managed by the Greater Victoria Bike to Work Society. Bike to Work BC was formed to bring the event to communities across the province. In 2020, the event was renamed Go By Bike Week to reflect the inclusion of a Bike to School component.
Today, Go By Bike events in the region are led by Capital Bike, formed by the merger of the two founding organizations. The original one-week event in May is now three, week-long events held throughout the year.
Participation in the region’s Go By Bike Week has grown steadily from 500 riders in 1995 to 10,000 in 2019 and now averages about 8,000 riders annually. As noted in the first Vital Signs report, over 5,250 people participated in the 2006 Bike to Work Week.
In 2024, approximately 56,148 people participated in Go By Bike events across BC, logging 2,489,265 kilometers and saving 539,682 kilograms of greenhouse gases, equivalent to 126 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles driven for one year.
SOURCE: CAPITAL BIKE AND GOBYBIKE BC
Standard of Living