TransLink unveils three new bus rapid transit routes in Metro Vancouver

TransLink has identified the first three bus rapid transit routes coming to Metro Vancouver.

According to the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation, the three new “priority corridors” will be King George Boulevard from Surrey Centre to White Rock, Langley Centre to Haney Place, and Metrotown to the North Shore.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) “is a high-frequency rapid transit service with dedicated bus lanes and rail-like stations.”

Mayors’ Council Chair Brad West says the three new corridors are part of the first phase of the 10-year Access for Everyone Plan.

“The three new corridors being announced today had been selected to maximize people’s access to rapid transit based on ridership potential, future housing and population growth projections, as well as strong support from mayors to bring these projects to their communities. Simply put, these rapid transit projects … will help us unlock housing potential and keep up with record-setting population growth,” he said Thursday.

West says the B.C. government’s plan to densify housing near transit hubs across the province “underscores the urgency to expand our transit system.”

“From a regional standpoint, each of these corridors will provide major improvements to residents in need of better transit,” West said.

BRT corridor timeline

The Mayors’ Council says it will now be “stepping up” engagement with municipalities to “nail down a concept design.”

“From there, we’ll start to do engagement with the public in the spring, summer of 2024. As we get into 2024, we’ll start to engage the public as we have that alignment, to really discuss and get their feedback. It’s so important to us to get public feedback to understand how this will impact people’s lives, right? This transit expansion is going to be such a game changer for the region, I think it’s going to help a lot of people,” explained TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn.

“From there, we’ll in 2025 likely move, once we have an agreement on that pending funding, we’d moved to procurement stage and then likely construction, potential service rolling out in 2027.”

Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Rob Fleming says the BRT plan comes “at an incredibly good time for TransLink,” adding these BRT corridors and other future plans will help the province deliver on its housing goals.

“We also want to anchor the BRT plan that is under discussion today to new legislation that we passed as a government around transit-oriented development. We have to make smart investments in our transportation network that also meets the goals of providing more affordable housing choices for people in this region and that’s what we aim to do,” he said.

səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) Chief Jen Thomas says “safe, quick, and reliable transit” is critical to the Tsleil-Waututh community, “to keep us connected to the wider community and to transport us to and from work and school.”

Squamish Nation Chairperson Khelsilem echoed the importance of transit, noting BRT through the North Shore “presents a unique chance to enhance the quality of life for all residents, including the Squamish People, who have been an integral part of this region for nearly 400 generations.”

“Establishing a dedicated Bus Rapid Transit link from Park Royal to Metrotown promises improved accessibility to essential services, job opportunities, and community resources while alleviating congestion,” Khelsilem said. “The long-awaited prioritization of the North Shore is a welcome development, and the Squamish Nation looks forward to collaborating with local, regional, provincial, and federal governments to work together to create shared benefits for all our communities.”

Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke’s says she’s “absolutely thrilled” that King George Boulevard has been identified as one of the first three corridors.

She says with millions of people travelling on buses along the busy road, the BRT corridor will only help alleviate congestion.

“It’s common to see huge lineups and buses full to capacity during peak travel times. This high-frequency service will help alleviate significant overcrowding on our transit system and provide residents with reliable options along this very, very busy corridor,” she said, adding BRT will also help connect people to the future Surrey Langley SkyTrain extension.

Meanwhile, Maple Ridge Mayor Dan Ruimy says his community “is ready for more transit.”

“Today is an exciting step forward not only for Maple Ridge but for Metro Vancouver as a region. With 50,000 more people coming to Metro Vancouver over the next year, we need to act now to ensure everyone has access to sustainable transportation in the future,” he said.

In the past few months, the plan has been proposed to local municipalities but some have rejected it because BRT requires fully separated, bus-only lanes.

TransLink is also working on extending the Skytrain to both UBC and Langley, and is moving forward with a Burnaby Mountain Gondola up to SFU.