Car ownership is declining in Vancouver, according to data provided by ICBC to Business in Vancouver in 2017. More residents are choosing other ways to get around — whether it’s because of rising car ownership costs or transit has become an even more attractive option with new investments such as RapidBus service and other 10-Year Vision improvements coming online. Or maybe you have a car, but just want to find ways to reduce your carbon footprint wherever possible. We got you! Here are six ways you can explore Metro Vancouver without a car.
COVID-19 Information
Although we have restored transit service to near-regular schedules, our buses are operating at two-thirds capacity as part of our Safe Operating Action Plan to help keep the system safe for everyone. Please plan for extra travel time, be prepared to wait and consider travelling outside of the busy times on transit. As well, please wear a mask while waiting for or on transit, and practice physical distancing.
Taking transit
Our service area spans more than 1,800 square kilometres, covering Canada’s largest transit service area — by far. Public transit reaches 90 per cent of the places where people live and work in Metro Vancouver. That means if you have a place to go, TransLink will most likely be able to take you there! Visit translink.ca to plan your trip and sign up for Transit Alerts to create text message or email notifications for the transit services that matter most to you. Read more »
Thinking of spending more time outdoors with family and friends? Why not plan a cycling trip so that you explore things locally while enjoying some awesome activities along the way?
BC Parkway is a great route to take if you’d prefer a mostly flat 25-kilometre ride with scenic park views, murals and local destinations across Metro Vancouver. It extends from Vancouver to Burnaby, New Westminster and all the way to Surrey City Centre. The route offers multiple opportunities to explore vibrant neighborhoods and parks.
If you’re up for a pedal-powered adventure, we’ve prepared an epic guide along BC Parkway for you! This guide takes you from west to east, from Vancouver to Surrey.
*The BC Parkway closely parallels the Expo Line, so you can plan a multi-modal trip by biking to your end destination and hop onto the SkyTrain with your bike to head back home or whenever you feel like taking a break and commuting to your next stop. View the map here and check our Bikes on Transit page for rules on taking your bike on trains.
Transit riders will be required to wear non-medical masks or face coverings
Beginning Monday, August 24, TransLink will require customers to wear non-medical masks or face coverings while on board transit vehicles. This step is essential to ensuring customers have confidence riding transit as British Columbia’s economy continues to reopen and more people commute around the region.
“Physical distancing is not always going to be possible on transit, particularly once more riders return to the system,” says TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond. “Customer confidence is key to rebuilding ridership in the context of this pandemic and we believe this step is important to bring many of our riders back. We’ve listened to transit users who want to see face coverings made mandatory on transit vehicles.”
Platform closure will allow for system maintenance and repairs
Access to Waterfront Station’s Expo Line platform will close on Saturday, August 8 and Sunday, August 9.
Access to and from the Expo Line at Waterfront Station will be closed on Saturday, August 8 and Sunday, August 9 to accelerate maintenance work while there are fewer people on the system. Access to the Expo Line at Waterfront Station will reopen at the start of service on Monday, August 10.
More convenient schedule for customers and extra space on vessels
SeaBus 15-minute sailings increasing, starting the week of August 3.
Beginning on Monday, August 3, weekday SeaBus departures will occur every 15 minutes between 7:15 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9:15 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. on weekends. A holiday schedule will be in effect on BC Day. Currently 15-minute sailings only occur during weekday rush hours.
More than 25 quick changes could save customers time and improve regional transit
TransLink is releasing its assessment of near-term opportunities for municipal projects aimed at improving bus travel times around Metro Vancouver while also improving the overall flow of traffic during the pandemic. TransLink has identified more than 25 bus priority opportunities that could be implemented quickly with little impact on surrounding areas.
We just released the 2019 Transit Service Performance Review (TSPR)! This is basically a report card on transit service. It provides a comprehensive review of ridership and service productivity for bus, SeaBus, SkyTrain, West Coast Express and HandyDART.
You can find the full report, complementary resources, and CSV files here.
By using the data in the TSPR we can identify opportunities to reduce overcrowding, improve performance and reliability and meet the needs of our customers as the region continues to grow.
Given the significant impact of COVID-19 on our ridership in 2020, we are now facing an entirely new set of circumstances. While the data provided by the report is less relevant for immediate planning purposes, the 2019 TSPR will be instrumental as we map out our blueprint for ridership recovery in 2020 and beyond. Read more »
Don’t let the lack of a car stop you from exploring our beautiful capital city, Victoria, this summer because you can easily take public transit to get there! You can visit Tourism Victoria‘s website for all the city has to offer.
In total, the trip from Vancouver to Victoria will take you about four hours, so plan accordingly whether you’d like to do a day trip or spend an entire weekend there. You’ll be riding with BC Transit, BC Ferries and TransLink, so there will be three separate fares.
Check list before you go
A face covering for all styles of transportation
$5 in coins for your BC Transit fare – $2.50 in coins to pay the fare for the bus ride from the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal to downtown Victoria, and another $2.50 for the return trip. Alternatively, you can purchase a BC Transit DayPASS for $5 for unlimited travel for the entire day on any route! You can find all fare details at bctransit.com/victoria.
For a trip from downtown Vancouver, it’s a two zone fare, which means you’ll need a Compass Card with at least $6.90 in Stored Value, or $8.50 in cash to cover a return trip.
There will be an amazing line-up of events from all-ages family events to educational opportunities to dance parties, starting on Monday, July 27 through Sunday, August 2. Check out their 2020 event lineup! All will be live streamed to their Facebook, YouTube and Twitch pages. The virtual Vancouver Pride Parade begins on Sunday, August 2 at 1 p.m.
Customers returning to transit can now make full use of the revamped Nanaimo Exchange. The refurbished bus exchange now offers several new and improved features to enhance the customer experience such as a new plaza to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety and public artwork highlighting the history of the station.
The upgrades include:
New bus shelters, benches, and landscaping to provide more space
A new plaza to reduce crowding and improve customer flow
Enhanced lighting and sightlines to increase safety
A new layout to simplify pedestrian, cyclist, and bus flow
Improvements to BC Parkway in and near the Exchange
A public art piece illustrating historical sites and events on our transit network
TransLink’s opening the doors to the Vancouver Transit Centre bus depot to dozens of Guide and Service Dogs-in-Training. The new recruits will be familiarized with several buses repeatedly, in order to accelerate their training. This is important given their training schedule has fallen behind due to COVID-19.
“COVID-19 has been a real challenge for everyone and I’m pleased to support the training of Service and Guide Dogs in any way we can,” says Coast Mountain Bus Company President Michael McDaniel. “I hope this training can help get trained Guide and Service Dogs to the people who need them as quickly as possible.” Read more »
Trolleybuses have been a part of Metro Vancouver’s transportation network for more than 70 years!
The very first was a Canadian Car Brill T-44 , which hit the roads on August 16, 1948, after the streetcar network was decommissioned in a “rails-to-rubber” conversion.
Like all other buses at the time, it was a high-floor bus, which meant you had to walk up a flight of stairs to board. As the fleet renewed and expanded over the years, they were all high-floor buses because the low floor, which is common today, didn’t exist.
It all changed on July 20, 2005 – 15 years ago – we were handed the keys to a prototype low-floor trolleybus at Stanley Park.
Truck Route Planner to optimize travel patterns for Metro Vancouver truck operators
TransLink and the Government of British Columbia are releasing the Truck Route Planner, an online tool to help commercial vehicle operators plan their trips. This tool is the first of its kind in Canada to plan truck routes with a holistic picture of the region’s commercial vehicle network.
Longest escalators in Metro Vancouver replaced as part of station overhaul
The newly upgraded Granville Station is set to reopen with six new escalators to improve customer experience. Three of the new escalators are the longest in Metro Vancouver with over 500 steps in total. Two entrances at Granville and Seymour streets will also reopen.
Starting on July 17, customers travelling through Granville Station will have access to:
Six new escalators with enhanced safety, durability, and reliability
New wayfinding signage and monitors displaying the next arriving trains
Granville Station’s main entrance from Granville Street
Granville Station’s Seymour Street entrance and staircase
Transit is coming back to life and we’re excited to welcome more of you on the system in the upcoming months! Our ridership has been always diverse 🐶🙋♂️👩🦆 and in the past some of our special furry friends, both real and illustrated ones, have made an appearance on the system.
Join us for a walk down the memory lane for some of the most memorable fluffy appearances. Read more »
