Buses are the unsung heroes of our transit system, carrying over 60 per cent of our customers daily to the people and places that matter the most. With the growing congestion in our region, buses often get bogged down in traffic, resulting in millions of lost service hours. As more cars hit the road, buses suffer. Not only does this increase the cost of providing transit service, but it also reduces the amount of service we can offer.

With our region welcoming 50,000 newcomers each year, we are continuously looking for ways to make our buses faster, safer, and more reliable, collaborating with partners to find innovative solutions.

This is why we are thrilled to announce the Ministry of Transportation Infrastructure (MOTI) official launch of 9 km of bus priority improvements along the Hwy 99/Bridgeport corridor!

Exciting improvements!

This $5.2 million project has added an impressive 8.4 kilometers of bus-on-shoulder lanes, 350 metres of Hwy 17A widening, and introduced a convenient 154 metres Bridgeport Bus-Only Ramp.

An aerial view of the Bridgeport Road Bus Connection

Hwy99 Bus-on-shoulder lanes

These improvements are set to improve travel times of 8 bus routes, with a combined total of 48 trips in both directions during peak hours!

The addition of a versatile multi-use pathway near Hwy 99 and Patterson Road will offer more options for biking and walking. It’s a win-win for everyone!

A newly built cycling shelter for people crossing the Fraser River.

The results: quicker commute for 16,000 transit riders

Thanks to these bus priority improvements, peak time travel will be reduced by up to 10 minutes for the 16,000 transit users who travel along this corridor daily.

The corridor upgrades will enhance the travel experience for everyone on this vital route, aligning with regional transportation priorities to improve accessibility for all, no matter how you get around!

The Highway 99 corridor plays a pivotal role in linking the Burrard Peninsula and Canada Line to the City of Delta, Tsawwassen Ferry, South Surrey, and the City of White Rock. These corridor improvements jointly identified by TransLink and MOTI based on TransLink’s data and monitoring of delay for transit users, represent significant steps toward achieving MOTI and TransLink’s shared vision of promoting transit-oriented, livable communities.

What next?

There’s more! In addition to the Hwy 99 improvements, we are funding a bus-only southbound left turn at Great Canadian Way and Bridgeport Road, which will be completed in 2024. Currently, a regular trip to exit Bridgeport Station and head eastbound to Bridgeport Road can take up to 2 minutes or more. During peak hours, things get worse, with 20% of trips stretching close to 4 minutes.

This project will benefit an additional 6,000 transit riders potentially shaving off up to 1.5 minutes of travel time within this congested area. When we combine this with the Hwy 99 transit improvement project, this will extend the benefits to 22,000 transit riders!

Our research has shown that bus priority improvements work best at scale, and investments along high-frequency corridors make the greatest number of trips faster and more reliable – benefitting most people.

We will continue to work closely with our partners to invest in corridor-wide bus priority measures to enhance the travel experience of our customers now and in the future.