What’s TransLink planning for service over the next few years
What’s TransLink planning for service over the next few years
TransLink is proposing the largest bus service expansion in seven years and if approved, the changes could start rolling out in just as early as September 2025.
The 2025 Investment Plan, which goes to a joint vote by TransLink’s Board of Directors and the Mayors’ Council on April 30, would increase service on up to 50 routes to address overcrowding, launch new transit options in underserved areas, and improve HandyDART and West Coast Express service.
We asked for you to provide your input on this proposed plan and from April 10 to April 24.
Here’s what’s on the table:
More buses, less overcrowding
Transit hasn’t kept pace with Metro Vancouver’s booming population. This plan changes that, with the biggest service increase since 2018. Priority areas include south of the Fraser, particularly Surrey and Langley where ridership is growing fastest.
There would also be more HandyDART service and more capacity on existing West Coast Express trips as ridership growth continues.
New or improved service in growing areas
The proposal includes 40 new or improved routes, expanding access to transit-oriented developments, industrial areas, and communities with limited or no service.
Highlights include:
- New service for industrial hubs like Gloucester, Tilbury, and Campbell Heights
- A new peak-only route for 68th Ave Crosstown and extended hours of operation on two routes: Harbourside and 88th Ave
- A new service area in Central Royal Oak
- Seven seasonal routes connecting riders to parks and beaches: təmtəmíxʷtən/Belcarra Regional Park, Campbell Valley Regional Park, Centennial Beach, Golden Ears Park, Minnekhada Regional Park, Stanley Park, and Terra Nova Rural Park
Faster connections with rapid transit
We plan to extend the North Shore’s R2 Marine Dr RapidBus from Phibbs Exchange to Metrotown by 2027. This will make it easier for people living in the North Shore to connect to the SkyTrain.
The extended RapidBus route will allow us to deliver improved service sooner, while we design the future Metrotown–North Shore BRT route.
We’re also working on advancing design on the King George Boulevard, Langley to Haney Place, and Metrotown to North Shore BRT routes.
Better roads, faster buses, safer cycling
As Metro Vancouver’s transportation network, TransLink is more than just transit. We also fund roads and bridges, as well as cycling and pedestrian infrastructure.
The plan includes increased funding for deteriorating roads across the region and more investment in walking, biking, and bus priority infrastructure, by increasing the funding for the Major Road Network.
So, where will you go with more transit?
To say a lot has happened over the last seven years is understatement.
We had a global pandemic that upended how we do things.
Metro Vancouver’s population has surged to 3 million and there have been minimal increases to bus service.
So where will you go with more transit? To see friends or family? To that new job? To enjoy the outdoors? Or maybe, somewhere off the beaten path that’s uniquely yours?
This plan is just the beginning. It sets the stage for long-term improvements through the Access for Everyone plan and Transport 2050.
Our goal is to make transit trips faster and more reliable for you.
We need a commuter train to the Fraser Valley!!!
The genius, who must have been an agile, very young inexperienced person who had no idea of what older folks can and can’t do, decided several years ago, to stop our White Rock/South Surrey bus which took us from our area, to downtown to Broadway. Many of us took the bus to go to Stanley Theater, or walk a few blocks to the hockey game arena, grab a cab for a few $$ to visit friends at VGH. Many, many of us no longer go to Vancouver. We don’t drive on the extremely busy highway 99. We don’t have energy to go to the bus hub, to then walk and wait standing up for the sky train. Then get pushed and bumped while we search for a seat. So many of us no longer go to Vancouver. Our lives have extremely narrowed. It was a cruel and thoughtless decision.
One day the thoughtless person or group will be old and will understand how selfish that decision was.
I had an appointment with a surgeon in Vancouver. All my friends don’t drive on highway 99. I had to take a cab. $120.00 to get there and another $120.00 back home.
If you really want to do a goodwill act, bring back our bus that took us to Broadway.
We definitely need to extend night bus service at Horseshoe Bay terminal to match the ferry service schedule. We notice the route 250 bus to Horseshoe Bay arriving at Horseshoe Bay on weekdays and Saturdays approximately 12:50 a.m. and returning to garage after finishing the run at Horseshoe Bay terminal bus stop #54556. It would be perfect idea to extend the bus service on this particular route bus taking the ferry passengers and some ferry workers who arrive at Horseshoe Bay terminal from Nanaimo to Park Royal or even to Vancouver with a direct/non-stop service before going back to the garage. These passengers could continue on their journey from Park Royal to other destinations with R2 rapid bus from Park Royal or the route 250A bus from Park Royal to Vancouver.