The Crystal Garden bus depot, known as the Capital City Station, continues to run well despite initial fears that it would lead to crowding and other problems.
Buses pick up passengers from the front of the Crystal Garden building.
The depot opened July 1, 2016 with an 1,800-square-foot space that includes a waiting area and ticket services.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very much a success and the community hasn鈥檛 been impacted at all, nor has traffic flow,鈥� said John Wilson, president and CEO of the Wilson Group of Companies, which operates the depot. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a nice utilization of an otherwise underutilized building.鈥�
The new depot arrangement was approved by Victoria council after the former depot across the street was earmarked for residential development. Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said there was significant concern from the community when the depot was announced.
鈥淣ow I think it鈥檚 running seamlessly,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a great addition to that part of town. There鈥檚 Capital City Station and the B.C. Ferries 91原创or and the Capital City Cafe, so they鈥檝e really kind of filled all of those units along the Douglas Street frontage of the Crystal Garden.
Wilson said some people thought it just wouldn鈥檛 work.
鈥淭hey thought it was going to be packed with people, the sidewalks were going to be jammed up with people and it was going to be untenable for the locals to get by,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淎nd it was going to be loud and noisy.
鈥淩eally the buses pull up, they turn off their engines, load up people, fire up and go.鈥�
The way the Victoria depot operates is a sign of the times, Wilson said. 鈥淐urbside pickup is kind of where things are going, not brick-and-mortar and large lots full of buses,鈥� he said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not like an airport, so you don鈥檛 need large areas holding people.鈥�
Bus terminals still have a function in larger centres such as 91原创, Wilson said, but smaller cities such as Victoria do just fine with a different approach.