Why are TransLink buses green now?
Why are TransLink buses green now?
Hey Metro Vancouver! As some of you might have noticed, new buses have been arriving to the fleet only, they look a little different than existing buses!
As we get ready for the launch of four new B-line bus routes in late 2019, we’re working on ways to improve the service for our customers. One of the things we’re doing is colour-coding our bus services so you, our customers, can easily spot them from a distance!
Over the next year or so, we’ll receive over a hundred 60-foot, articulated buses from our New Flyer manufacturer, all with a splash of green and blue, like in the photo above.
What are we doing with the new buses in the meantime, you might ask? As they arrive, they’ll be added into service on the existing network, which will be about 2 – 5 buses per week, as needed.
If you’re looking to spot one of these buses on the system, you’ll need a keen eye as all of the new buses will be temporarily wrapped until the launch of the new B-Line routes in late 2019.
We’ll have more information in the new year about all of the ways we’re improving the customer experience for B-Line customers. Stay tuned!
Make sure you hit that follow button on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter so you can stay up-to-date with service information, and to share cool transit nuggets!
Author: Tanushree Pillai
Does this mean that TransLink will be increasing spare ratios, so that buses in the RapidBus livery won’t go out on local artic routes like the #49 and vice-versa?
Why blue and green? This looks way too much like other express bus services in other cities. If we are talking B-Lines, wrap them in orange.
If you go on Instagram or Flickr and look at images my many people, such as @yvr_transit_kid, you’ll see they’re slashing B Line branding and replacing it with “RAPIDBUS”
Presumably now that the new branding for the RapidBus/B-Line is predominantly green, bus stops all along each route will also have to be updated from orange routes to green routes?
That’s only two routes, each of which AIUI would be getting re-numbered as part of the RapidBus re-branding. (There’s only ten numbers in the 9x series, and we’ll have more than ten RapidBus routes within a decade.)
Hi Mike!
Stay tuned because we will have more info in the new year! ^tp
May I ask for an exact number of “green machines” we’ll be receiving?
Also, will these buses be making appearances on non-B-Line routes? i.e. 49, 145, 620, etc.? Or are they only strictly for B-Line routes?
Hi there! We will receive 110 buses. We don’t have details at this time except that they will go into service where they are needed – as they arrive. ^tp
I cannot agree with this. Having many colours on transit is cool, but the B-lines should have an orange liverly.
The transit busses in LA are color coded as well. It makes it way easier to see what kind of bus it is. It also has the type written above the front door
This is stupid. The B-Line is a well established brand that Vancouverites know well. “rapid Bus /rapid ride” is a bland branding that is over used across North America and unimaginative. Temporarily wrapped? That seems like a waste environmentally, as they aren’t easily recycleable.
“B-Line” has become a Vancouver institution as well known as BC Place. Everyone and anyone knows it to be THE frequent and reliable bus routes in the region. What overpaid marketing expert decided to rebrand something that has worked so well for the past 20 years?
This am saw 18011 waiting to go through the truck wash in
Port Kells.
I’m not keen on renaming to rapidbus. B-line is well known here and has a good reputation. This is like rebranding SkyTrain to metro.
The bus colours don’t reflect the line colour on the map so that could be confusing, unless that is changing to green.
Is TransLink going to do something about numbering? The 90 series is too limited. How about letters?
The original b-line was a play on words. The B represented Broadway as in Broadway Line, and the play on words is bee line means straight and fast. When it launched with BC transit there was a imagine of a bee next to the word b-line on the side of the dedicated buses.
The number 99 was picked simply because is was a limited stop bus along Broadway (9th ave) and followed the route of the 9 trolley bus.
Hi David!
About the numbering – we will have more info in the new year. Stay tuned! ^tp