We’re making transit more accessible for our customers!

West Vancouver Blue Bus is currently piloting five “low-floor” community shuttles on North Shore routes, including the C12 Lions Bay/Caulfield and the 251 Queens/Park Royal.

These shuttles, which seats 20 people and includes space for four standees and two wheelchair users, are a first at TransLink.

The low floor and ramp makes it easier for all customers, including those with mobility challenges, to board the bus. This is whether they have walkers, strollers or scooters, or simply someone with a stroller or two-wheeled shopping cart.

The ramp at the front means people in wheelchairs can board at the front simply by wheeling up the gently sloped ramp. On our typical high-floor shuttles, customers enter via the rear doors by wheeling on to a ramp and secured, before the ramp is raised to bring them up to floor level to load.

Other features of these shuttles include larger passenger windows, seat covers that are more comfortable and easier to clean and more interior space for passengers.

These shuttles are 2017 ARBOC Specialty Vehicles – Spirit of Freedom buses are built on a GM G4500 chassis and run on a Vortec 6.0-litre fuel efficient, low-emission gas engine.

Though new to TransLink, these buses are used all over North America, including Victoria. The five shuttles will be assessed on their performance from a customer perspective, and also from an operations and maintenance perspective.

Assuming this pilot is successful, our current plan is to purchase an additional nine low-floor shuttles for the TransLink shuttle fleet in 2018 and another 49 in 2019.

Have you ridden on one of these new low-floor community shuttles? Let us know what you think at translink.ca/feedback.