In the constrained Uptown area of Saanich, the Ministry of Transportation and Transit (MoTT) faced a complex challenge: how to advance regional RapidBus service on a provincially controlled highway while improving safety, access, and livability within a rapidly redeveloping urban centre. The Highway 17/Ravine Way corridor plays a critical regional role but sits at the heart of a growing community.

ISL led a collaborative planning and design process that brought MoTT, BC Transit, the District of Saanich, utilities, agencies, and the public into a shared conversation, often with competing mandates. Early workshops surfaced tensions between highway standards, transit reliability, active transportation safety, and local access, enabling the team to build a shared vision for how a constrained corridor could better serve all users.

That vision shaped a solution supporting immediate transit priority while remaining compatible with long‑term redevelopment and transit‑oriented development (TOD). By aligning near‑term improvements with future plans, transit‑priority infrastructure was delivered years earlier than anticipated.

ISL carried the project from planning through detailed design, tender, and construction‑phase support. This continuity preserved design intent, reduced risk, and ensured people‑centred decisions were realized on the ground. Completed in 2025, the first phase of the Uptown Mobility Hub demonstrates how sustained collaboration can advance regional mobility while strengthening local communities.

Delivering a transit-first corridor required cross-jurisdictional cooperation. ISL worked with the District of Saanich, MoTT, BC Transit, utilities and the public to align provincial, municipal and transit priorities:

• RapidBus Enabled: With BC Transit and MoTT, ISL designed signals, lane geometry and operations to prioritize buses and avoided a projected five-year delay to RapidBus implementation. Reallocating one traffic direction to transit required analysis and agency alignment, resulting in reliable service.
• People and Equity: Pedestrian and cyclist needs guided decisions. For a highway-focused client, this shifted priority from motor vehicles to active modes, improving efficiency and safety. Best practices such as accessible crossings, tactile warning surfaces for vision loss, and protected cycling infrastructure were integrated into a MoTT highway project. Refined intersection geometry and signalization reduced conflicts, supporting low-carbon travel and better air quality.
• Continuity to Construction: One consultant team from planning through construction enabled ISL to anticipate regulatory change, manage risk, and protect design intent. A custom GIS and drone-based platform enhanced coordination and construction oversight.
• Aligning Perspectives: During planning, multi-jurisdictional differences were addressed through regular Technical Advisory Group and committee meetings, balancing policy with local context to support safety and long-term adaptability.

The Uptown Mobility Hub translates collaboration into real change. Transit is more reliable, safety is clearer for all users, and long‑standing conflict points were resolved through modernized transit exchange design and direct implementation of Road Safety Audit findings. Aligned with provincial TOD policy, the project establishes a people‑centred foundation for Uptown’s growth, delivered through close partnership among provincial, municipal, transit, and community stakeholders.