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Nelson Transit Exchange
The new $2.4M Victoria Street transit exchange connects the West Kootenay region to Nelson’s downtown, helping improve access to commercial, retail, medical and work offices. The exchange enables more frequent, regularly scheduled, and better-aligned routes, helping residents and visitors reach destinations across the region more easily. It also enhances access to healthcare, jobs, education, and public amenities—directly supporting regional mobility and sustainability goals.
- Five bus bays with the potential for an additional bay to support future transit demands;
- Bus shelters with bench seating to protect customers from weather elements;
- Improved streetlighting and bus shelter lighting for increased safety;
- Bicycle racks and garbage cans;
- New sidewalks along Victoria Street;
- An accessible public restroom near the Nelson Public Library;
- Wayfinding signage to assist pedestrians, cyclist, and transit customers in and around the exchange.
The exchange aligns with a number of goals outlined in the 2023-2026 Strategic Plan, the Nelson Next climate action plan, and the RDCK’s Rural Mobility Working Group—providing residents and visitors with a future-thinking, sustainable transportation hub. The Victoria Street Transit Exchange was completed in summer 2025, with funding from the Government of Canada, Province of British Columbia, City of Nelson, and the Regional District of Central Kootenay.
Why Public Transit?
This project supports multiple priorities across the region, including those identified in the RDCK Rural Mobility Working Group, such as:
- Reduces emissions by encouraging a shift away from personal vehicle use;
- Supports low-carbon commuting and accessible transit for youth, seniors, and non-drivers;
- Aligns with Nelson's vision for climate-resilient infrastructure;
- Integrates transit with active models like walking and cycling.
- Improving transportation access to healthcare, employment, education, and public services;
- Enhancing connections between rural electoral areas and municipal transit networks;
- Supporting multimodal integration, including cycling, walking, and transit.
- Located beside the Nelson Public Library—a summer cooling centre and year-round gathering space;
- Public washrooms support longer wait times and increase accessibility;
- Enhanced lighting and signage improve comfort and safety for all users.
- Reduces pressure on limited downtown parking;
- Alleviates traffic congestion at key intersections;
- Centralizes transfers and improves route predictability.
The City of Nelson and BC Transit invested in the Nelson & West Kootenay transit systems based on the Transit Future Service Plan, a 25-year strategy to improve transit service and advance the City’s planning initiatives. A need was identified for a new and expanded downtown transit exchange to support increased transit service levels and proposed revisions to the transit network, notably for additional bus capacity to accommodate the increasing transit ridership in the West Kootenays.
The 2017 Downtown Urban Design Strategy identified a preferred location: the 300 block of Victoria Street. It provides an opportunity to invest in public realm improvements, revitalize the streetscape, bring more people to this area of the downtown, and reinforce the relationship between transit, active pedestrian areas, and land use patterns, while still retaining some street parking.
The relocation of the transit exchange from Baker and Ward created room for more street parking on Ward, creating at least eight new parking stalls. This was primarily achieved by converting parking on the west side of Ward Street, south of Baker Street, into angled parking. While there are no longer bus stops at Ward and Baker, new bus stops are proposed for Baker Street at Josephine, just one block over.
BC Transit presented the final design for the new Victoria Street Transit Exchange in February 2024. The design has achieved SAFE (Security Achieved through Functional Environmental Design) Certification. The City of Nelson was successful in federal and provincial grant procurement for this project, and was responsible for providing only 20 per cent of the investment required.
In December 2020, a letter was sent to 38 businesses, tenants, and property owners on and around the 300-block of Victoria Street to discuss this project and seek feedback. In January 2021, six representatives attended an online meeting with the City and BC Transit. In February 2021, 145 people responded to the City's survey asking people to identify their preferred design option. The results of the engagement were presented to City Council at the March 23, 2021 Committee of the Whole meeting.
- To reduce impacts on existing commercial uses, the transit exchange location was adjusted so that it clusters transit services close to Stanley Street.
- In response to concerns about the proposed public washroom location, the washroom will be installed at the opposite end of the transit exchange, on the corner of Stanley Street at Victoria Street by the library and police station.
- We heard concerns about reduced parking stalls and are looking into replacing many of the parking spots in the surrounding area. All parking on the southeast corner of Kootenay Street at Victoria Street will be retained and made standard size.
- In response to concerns about losing the loading zone, a loading zone has been added with potential for short-term parking, including brief pick up and drop offs.
- In light of feedback about the proposed crosswalk location, the mid-block crosswalk has been removed.