Improving Metro Vancouver bus efficiency up for debate
Posted July 30, 2020 7:24 am.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Making bus travel a more efficient and attractive option to get around Metro Vancouver could become a reality as the TransLink Mayors’ Council gets ready to debate a new report on the matter.
Over the past month or so, TransLink staff have looked at some of the slower bus routes in the region and tried to come up with ways to cut down on travel times for transit users and improve the system’s operating efficiency.
“Improving travel times for bus customers is critical to both increasing transit ridership and decreasing bus operating costs, as described in the ‘Bus Delay Due to Congestion’ staff report (October 25, 2019) and associated ‘2019 Bus Speed and Reliability Report,'” the report reads.
It adds TransLink and Metro Vancouver cities have started taking steps “to address bus delays ” on many of the 20 corridors identified by the report as priorities.
It also cites the “current moment”, amid decreased roadway traffic, as an opportunity to accelerate efforts outlined in the report.
The assessment looks at a few areas of improvement, saying “Dozens of near-term bus priority opportunities have been identified.”
Among the proposed changes are ways to create better spacing between bus stops to prevent stopping-and-starting by the buses currently in service, as well as expanding times and locations where bus-only lanes can be expanded.
These would be along the same routes being flagged for expanded rapid bus services throughout the region.
The report stresses, however, that TransLink is not proposing the removal of parking spaces in “retail precinct” or shopping districts, keeping in mind how that could impact already-struggling businesses amid the pandemic.
“These near-term bus priority opportunities in fact include many potential winwins to support transit customers as well as increase space for walking, parking, or other potential street
uses such as patios,” the report notes.
It also talks about the expansion of “bus bulbs” which are, essentially, expanded sidewalk spaces leading to the bus stops themselves.
The report suggests looking at expanding bus efficiency is important to find a cheaper and more effective way of moving people around Metro Vancouver, given the cash-crunch that TransLink has found itself in recently due to the pandemic.
