Our first fact about all that TransLink does has been making the rounds on the web this past week. The graphic above shows just how many lane kilometres TransLink is responsible. Unfortunately, we can’t reorganize these roads in the Major Road Network. They’re busy moving people and goods around the region!

You might be thinking that you’ve seen the above graphic before. Well, you’re partly right. We posted a similar image in February. The number of kilometres has been updated for this latest image. Not all the roads we manage are part of the MRN. Therefore, we’ll just have to dream of sunny spots of California rather than Mexico ;).

This first fact has been shared with local blogs along with some stories about the MRN and Kingsway written by yours truly. In case you haven’t come across them yet, here’s a snippet from each. I encourage you to read them in their entirety. Let us know what you think.

Miss 604: Macrons and Kingsway are part of your Major Road Network

Kingsway is a road unlike any other in Metro Vancouver. At first a walking trail for local First Nations, it then became a wagon road in the mid-19th century….Kingsway is also part of TransLink’s Major Road Network (MRN). The MRN is a network of major arterial roads that stretches across the region and connects people and transports goods across municipal boundaries.

Walking the north end of Kingsway you find yourself surround by all types of business and people. Coffee drinkers imbibe at coffee shops next to hair salons, eateries and various shops.

One place I stopped in was the unassuming bakery at 81 Kingsway. It was the pastel colours of macarons that caught my eye and the smell of butter that lured me through the doors of French Made Baking. Once inside, I was met by almond croissants hot from the oven and Parisian-accented English.

VancityBuzz: From trail to street, Kingsway is part of our history and the Major Road Network

Have you ever wondered why Kingsway is unlike other roads in Metro Vancouver? Why, unlike most streets in Vancouver and Burnaby, does Kingsway cut across the grid in a seemingly brazen diagonal from the northwest to the southeast?

The answer is that Kingsway is older than most roads in the region. It came into being before our cities were well established and before planners had the bright idea to make a system of roads following a grid design….

In 2012, the City of Vancouver commissioned artist Sonny Assu to design a street marker as part of Vancouver’s 125th Anniversary. What Sonny created speaks to both the collective history of the street as well as the personal history of the artist. I had the opportunity to ask Sonny as few question about his work and the street that inspired it.

What does Kingsway mean to you?

Nostalgia. With certain stretches that seem lost in time, the element of nostalgia that is inherent within Kingsway is probably the most compelling element of the road itself.

Vancouver Observer: Your Major Road Network Leads to Kingsway

If you’ve ever walked along Kingsway, you might think, like I have, of its history…

The community at Kingsway and Main is diverse. People from around the world and close to home have made this triangle of major roads their place of business. That includes Jae, owner and manager of Gene Café…

“It’s low key, there’s a good community here and there are regular customers. What Gene is today has naturally built up over the years. I really like that about this part of Kingsway. I’ve only been in Vancouver for a short time, but while I’ve been at Gene, I’ve noticed changes in the area. There are more buildings, and we’re a little busier now than we were a year ago.”

Storify: #WhatsTheLink: Major Road Network (MRN)

We also had a guessing game on our Instagram page asking you to identify different roads that are part of the Major Road Network. Check out our Storify summary to see the different photographs we uploaded!