If you’ve ever been on a rerouted or detoured bus in Metro Vancouver, you have been a part of the handiwork that is Coast Mountain Bus Company’s (CMBC) Special Events team. Special Events is a small but mighty team of three, responsible for event specific route changes for roughly 220 bus routes from Horseshoe Bay to Mission.

The team is an integral part of making events such as the BMO Marathon, Pride Parade, and Honda Celebration of Light a success.

Tony Liew, Operations Logistics Advisor with Special Events keeps busy making sure everything always runs according to plan.

“It’s like a chess game. So basically, I have to determine how I can accommodate everyone. I have to fit all the pieces in,” he explained. 

Tony has been working with special events for 12 years and says it’s no walk in the park. 

“There are so many different factors [when planning route changes]. We have to take into account any construction that has road closures, holes dug up,” he said. “I have to assign supervisors to go wherever they need… organizers need to know where to put up barricades, when not to block us, when to clear it so we can switch from one route to another.”

Large events can be a challenge for the special events team but the outcome of their operations is certainly worth it.

“It’s very rewarding when everything runs smoothly.”

Want to learn more about reroutes that may impact your commute? Check out translink.ca/alerts for more information.