The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is the

British Columbia government The Executive Council of British Columbia (the Cabinet) is the Cabinet of the Canadian province of British Columbia. Almost always composed of members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, the Cabinet is similar in structure and rol ...

ministry responsible for

transport Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land ( rail and road), water, cable, pipelin ...

infrastructure Infrastructure is the set of facilities and systems that serve a country, city, or other area, and encompasses the services and facilities necessary for its economy, households and firms to function. Infrastructure is composed of public and priv ...

and

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...

in the

Canadian province Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British Nor ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...

. It is currently led by Rob Fleming. The ministry is responsible for the planning of transportation networks, providing transportation services and infrastructure, developing and implementing transportation policies, and administering many transportation-related acts and regulations. Its responsibilities include ports, airports, public transit, ferry services, roads and cycling networks. The ministry is also responsible for the following

Crown Corporation A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is a government entity which is established or nationalised by the ''national government'' or ''provincial government'' by an executive order or an act of legislation in order to earn profit for the government ...

BC Transportation Financing Authority BC most often refers to: * Before Christ, a calendar era based on the traditionally reckoned year of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth * British Columbia, the westernmost province of Canada * Baja California, a state of Mexico BC may also refer to: ...

, BC Railway Company,

BC Transit BC Transit is a provincial crown corporation responsible for coordinating the delivery of public transportation within British Columbia, Canada, outside Greater Vancouver. BC Transit is headquartered in Victoria, British Columbia. In , the syst ...

, the Transportation Investment Corporation, the

Insurance Corporation of British Columbia The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) is a provincial Crown corporation in British Columbia providing insurance. ICBC was created in 1973 by the NDP government of Premier Dave Barrett. By law, any vehicle registered and driven ...

and the

BC Pavilion Corporation Crown corporations in Canada are government organizations with a mixture of commercial and public-policy objectives.Tupper, Allan. 2006 February 7.Crown Corporation" ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (last edited 2021 March 18). Retrieved 2021 May 1 ...

Mandate

The purpose of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is to: * Create an integrated and safe transportation network that incorporates all modes of transport, including rail transit, reflects regional priorities, and provides a strong foundation for economic growth; and; * Maintain and improve the provincial highway system, ensuring the safe and efficient movement of people and goods provincially, nationally and internationally

History

The history of the ministry can be traced back to 1854 when three road commissioners were appointed to oversee the expenditure of the first appropriation of £500. * In 1858, the Department of Lands and Works was created under the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works. * In 1871, a Constitutional Act set up the Land and Works Department to locate, construct, and maintain highways and bridges. * On May 7 1908, a separate Department of Public Works was formed and placed under a Minister of Public Works. * On March 15, 1955, highways became the responsibility of the new Department of Highways and on June 30, 1976, the Department of Highways and Public Works. * On September 27, 1977, the Ministerial Titles Amendment Act was passed and the department became a ministry. * On December 5, 1978, Transportation and Communication were added to the portfolio and the title became the Ministry of Transportation, Communications, and Highways. * On November 23, 1979, the Ministry of Transportation and Highways was established. * On June 5, 2001, the name of the ministry changed to Ministry of Transportation. * On June 23, 2008, the name of the ministry changed to Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.

Organization

The ministry is organized into five different departments: * Finance and Management Services Department ** The Finance and Management Services Department supports the ministry's financial and administrative activities. * Highways Department ** The Highways Department is the delivery arm of the ministry, responsible for planning, building operating and maintaining the ministry's transportation infrastructure, including providing information on Drivebc. The department is also home to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Enforcement Branch. *** To deliver its mandate, the Highways Department has several offices in communities throughout the province. The offices are organized by region and then by district: **** South Coast Region ***** Lower Mainland District ***** Vancouver Island District **** Southern Interior Region ***** Rocky Mountain District ***** West Kootenay District ***** Okanagan-Shuswap District ***** Thompson Nicola District ***** Cariboo District **** Northern Region ***** Peace District ***** Fort George District ***** Bulkley-Stikine District ***** Skeena District * Infrastructure Department ** The Infrastructure Department is responsible for the ministry's transportation investment plan and oversees infrastructure grant programs. It also oversees the ministry's involvement in the Evergreen Line and the marine branch, which looks after the ministry's responsibilities related to coastal and inland ferries. * Partnerships Department ** The Partnerships Department is responsible for property procurement and management, project governance and corporate initiatives, operations and procurement and the Transit Branch, which looks after the Provincial Transit Plan. * Transportation Policy & Programs Department ** The focus of the Transportation Policy & Programs Department is the province's surface, air and marine policy, Pacific Gateway Strategy, as well as the Passenger Transportation Branch, which supervises commercial passenger vehicles.

Ministry inventory

The ministry looks after a large number of transportation-related assets, including: * Border Crossings 53 ** Alberta 24 ** Alaska 1 ** Idaho 2 ** Montana 1 ** Northwest Territories 1 ** Washington 17 ** Yukon Territory 7 * Changeable Message Signs 52 * Culverts** 183,962 * Gravel Reserve 2,744 * Guardrail*** 16,375 * Large Culverts (> diameter) 652 * Large Other Tunnels* (Generally > Width) 83 * Large Retaining Walls ( height) 1,090 * Other Tunnels* 300 * Railway Level Crossings 651 * Rest Areas 174 * Retaining Walls** 556 * Road Tunnels (> width) 69 * Sign Structures 217 * Signs** 247,493 * Snowsheds 4 * Total Road Kilometres 47,647 (Miles ) * Traffic Signals 694 Of Note: *Includes: pedestrian/cattle/animal tunnels** Inventory currently being updated*** Count of Guardrail locations

Ferries

The Ministry of Transportation is responsible for the provision of inland ferry services on the province's rivers and lakes, although it generally contracts the operation of these services to private sector companies. The ferries provided by the ministry include: * Adams Lake Cable Ferry, across

Adams Lake Adams Lake is a large, deep, coldwater lake in British Columbia, Canada; its average depth ranks 6th in the world. The southern end of the lake is approximately north of the town of Chase in the Shuswap Country region of British Columbia. Th ...

Arrow Park Ferry An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers ca ...

, across the

Arrow Lakes The Arrow Lakes in British Columbia, Canada, divided into Upper Arrow Lake and Lower Arrow Lake, are widenings of the Columbia River. The lakes are situated between the Selkirk Mountains to the east and the Monashee Mountains to the west. Bea ...

at Arrow Park *

Barnston Island Ferry The Barnston Island Ferry is a ferry that runs across Parson's Channel (on the south side of the Fraser River) between Barnston Island and Port Kells, Surrey, in Metro Vancouver. History In 1913, the Canadian Pacific Railway withdrew steamboa ...

, across an arm of the

Fraser River The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Blackrock Mountain in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia just south of the City of Vancouver. The river's annual ...

between

Barnston Island Barnston Island is an unincorporated island located in the Greater Vancouver metropolitan area of British Columbia, Canada. Most of the island is part of Metro Vancouver Electoral Area A; the remainder is Barnston Island Indian Reserve No. 3, ...

and

Port Kells Port Kells is a neighborhood of Guildford, a town center in Surrey, British Columbia. The neighborhood is located in the northeastern sector of Guildford, and is adjacent to the Fraser River and west of Walnut Grove, Langley. It has two major compo ...

Big Bar Ferry Big Bar Ferry is a cable ferry across the Fraser River in British Columbia, Canada. It is located about north of the town of Lillooet and west of Clinton. 6 km upstream from the ferry is French Bar Canyon (sometimes known as Big Bar Canyo ...

, across the Fraser River at Big Bar * Francois Lake Ferry, across Francois Lake from Francois Lake to Southbank * GladeFerry, across the

Kootenay River The Kootenay or Kootenai river is a major river in the Northwest Plateau, in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, and northern Montana and Idaho in the United States. It is one of the uppermost major tributary, tributaries of the Columbia Ri ...

Harrop Cable Ferry The Harrop Ferry is a cable ferry at Harrop Narrows on the west arm of Kootenay Lake in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. The crossing, off BC Highway 3A, is by road about northeast of Nelson and west of Balfour. Pl ...

, across the Kootenay River *

Kootenay Lake Ferry The Kootenay Lake ferry is a ferry across Kootenay Lake in southeastern British Columbia, which operates between Balfour, on the west side of the lake, and Kootenay Bay, on the east side. The MV ''Osprey 2000'' and the MV ''Balfour'' are the two ...

, across

Kootenay Lake Kootenay Lake is a lake located in British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the Kootenay River. The lake has been raised by the Corra Linn Dam and has a dike system at the southern end, which, along with industry in the 1950s–70s, has changed ...

between Balfour and

Kootenay Bay Kootenay Bay is an unincorporated community on the east shore of Kootenay Lake in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. The ferry terminal and former steamboat landing, on BC Highway 3A, is by road about north of Creston an ...

Little Fort Ferry The Little Fort Ferry is a cable ferry across the North Thompson River in British Columbia, Canada. It is situated at Little Fort, about north of Kamloops. Technically, the ferry is a reaction ferry, which is propelled by the current of the w ...

, across the

North Thompson River The North Thompson River is the northern branch of the Thompson River, the largest tributary of the Fraser River, in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It originates at the toe of the Thompson Glacier in the Premier Range of the Cariboo ...

Lytton Ferry The Lytton Ferry is a cable ferry across the Fraser River in British Columbia, Canada. It is situated about north of Lytton. Technically, the ferry is a reaction ferry, which is propelled by the current of the water. An overhead cable is su ...

, across the Fraser River at Lytton * McLure Ferry, across the North Thompson River * Needles Cable Ferry, across the Arrow Lakes at Needles * Upper Arrow Lake Ferry, across the Arrow Lakes between Shelter Bay and Galena Bay. * Usk Ferry, across the

Skeena River The Skeena River is the second-longest river entirely within British Columbia, Canada (after the Fraser River). Since ancient times, the Skeena has been an important transportation artery, particularly for the Tsimshian and the Gitxsan—whose n ...

at Usk Coastal ferry services are not the direct responsibility of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. Instead they are provided by

BC Ferries British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., operating as BC Ferries (BCF), is a former provincial Crown corporation, now operating as an independently managed, publicly owned Canadian company. BC Ferries provides all major passenger and vehicle ferr ...

References

External links

* {{Canadian Ministries of Transportation Transport in British Columbia British Columbia government departments and agencies

Public works ministries Transport organizations based in Canada