Updates and behind the scenes information around our environmental initiatives, projects and programs, including wildlife mitigation, biking, Adopt-a-Highway and more.
If you have travelled BC Highway 3 lately, you might have noticed some special looking signs and equipment being installed at the side of the road. What’s the scoop? Well, because deer, elk, and moose can sometimes wander onto B.C.’s highways and have the potential to cause serious crashes, we are piloting two new high-tech wildlife detection systems on Highway 3 to help keep both motorists and wildlife safe. How do they work? When large animals approach the highway,...
Wild animals love British Columbia. Of course they do – it’s varied terrain makes it a haven for beasts and creatures of all shapes and sizes. Both small and large species, from the gigantic moose to the night-crawling raccoon, pose potential hazards for drivers, and vise versa. A large animal can make a serious impact, while a smaller animal can startle a driver into swerving and losing control of their vehicle. It’s our job to prevent animals and drivers...
Most jobs discourage playing with toys. But when it comes to maintaining the many amphibian crossings on Vancouver Island, only a mini monster truck will do. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure modified a remote controlled truck to inspect the small highway underpasses that offer amphibians and small mammals safe passage from one side to the other. The culverts are too small for ministry workers to crawl through for inspections, so they use this four-wheel-drive “culvert crawler” for the...
“It’s cold out.” “I’m tired.” “I don’t want to get to work all sweaty.” It’s easy to come up with excuses NOT to bike to work. Until you’ve tried it, that is. That’s part of what Bike to Work Week, which runs annually the last week of May, is about — encouraging newbies to try commuting from a saddle while celebrating the benefits that can only be understood with experience. This year (2015), Bike to Work Week runs...
The Transit Minor Betterments Program is improving how British Columbians get around in a major way. Ministry staff partner with local governments, BC Transit and TransLink to identify and deliver between 30 and 40 transit infrastructure upgrades every year. Some projects are small, others are big – but all go to providing people with better access to this affordable and environmentally friendly mode of transportation. “Overall, we’ve delivered more than 150 projects over the last seven years,” says the...
Keeping motorists and wildlife separated on BC highways is a big job, but the safety of the travelling public is our first priority. That’s why we are excited about the recent installation of two ungulate guards at Exit 256, Kingsvale on Highway 5 (the Coquihalla). What the heck is an ungulate guard you ask? Let us explain. “Ungulate” is the scientific name for any animal with hooves (such as a deer, cattle, pigs, horses) and an “ungulate guard” is...
Have you ever wondered what the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is doing to support green initiatives across the province? Look no further. In celebration of Earth Day we gathered some of our favourite green projects for you. We don’t think green for just one day out of a year, we work all year long to make sure sensitive ecosystems and wildlife are protected. That includes turtles… …and toads… …and caribou… and let’s not forget about bears, moose, deer,...
When some kids from the Cowichan area were asked if they wanted to monitor toads and other amphibians on the move near highways, they jumped on it! The kids leapt at the chance to test road survey kits, developed by the Young Naturalists’ Club (YNC) of BC, when they learned that efforts to observe and record amphibian travel could potentially lower the number of frogs, toads, salamanders and newts that are killed on B.C. highways. We supplied the Cowichan...
Vehicles have come a long way since power steering and automatic transmissions were the newest exciting features. Now we have talking GPS systems… rear-view cameras… instant hovercraft capabilities (OK, just kidding about that last one). Technology is changing the way we travel, and it’s important the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure adapts. Why not take advantage of innovations that allow for more efficient, and greener, modes of travel? The latest technology to get a boost is Net Zero...
March is National Engineering Month, a celebration of all Canadians who invent, design, build, maintain and improve. What better time to reflect on our own Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure engineers? There are approximately 230 staff members in our Engineering Branch, representing four areas of expertise. Each type of engineer is vital for building and maintaining highways that are safe, reliable and have a minimal impact on the beautiful environments they run through. So, without further ado, here is...
