Vegan and vegetarian-friendly restaurants in Metro Vancouver to visit on transit

While veganism might be a quintessential Vancouver thing, there are options outside of Vancouver that are transit-friendly!

Let’s be honest, vegan-friendly and vegetarian restaurants are hot right now. While veganism might be a quintessential Vancouver thing, there are options outside of Vancouver as well.

With this post, we aim to bring you some vegan-friendly, as well as vegan options in Metro Vancouver that are easily accessible by transit.

Remember, these are just a sampling and we are by no means experts. So, please let us know of other transit-friendly vegan/vegetarian spots we missed. We’d love to try them!

Note: Restaurant timings, menu, and prices may be subject to change. Check each restaurant’s website for exact details.

1. Meet Restaurant (Main St, Yaletown & Gastown)

Location: 4288 Main Street, Vancouver
Transit: Buses 3, 25

Their award-winning menu strikes a chord when it comes to comfort food. The restaurant claims more than half its patrons are meat-eaters trying their hands at vegan options. Try their sweet-chili cauliflower deep fried in beer batter and glazed with a chili ginger sauce.

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#seoulbowl #meetonmain

A post shared by Deneen (Murphy) Cook (@deneen_believes) on May 29, 2018 at 12:41pm PDT

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Fall Service Changes means 6,000 more spaces on transit for our customers!

We’re adding more service hours across Metro Vancouver to help reduce overcrowding.

We hear ya — the transit system is busy!

Last year, Metro Vancouver led Canada and the United States in transit ridership growth with 407 million boardings, and the growth trend has continued into this year.

That’s why we’re adding more service hours across the region to help reduce overcrowding as part of our Fall Service Changes, which begin on Monday, Sept. 3!

We’re adding 100 more trips every day and 6,000 more spaces for our customers — made possible through new investments available through the 10-Year Vision.

More than 20 routes across the region are receiving improvements thanks to this new funding. Among them:

• 23 Beach/Yaletown/Main Street Station
• 25 Brentwood Station/UBC
• 43 Joyce Station/UBC
• 100 22nd Street Station/Marpole Loop
• 319 Scott Road Station/Newton Exchange
• 555 Lougheed Station/Carvolth Exchange

We are also improving several routes as part of the updated Southwest Area Transport Plan, which was finalized in July:

• 104 Annacis island/22nd Street Station
• 401 Richmond-Brighouse Station/One Road
• 406 Richmond-Brighouse Station/Steveston^*NEW*
• 408 Richmond Brighouse/Ironwood/Riverport ^*NEW*
• 410 Richmond Brighouse Station/22nd Street Station
• 418 Richmond-Brighouse Station/Kingswood (formerly C98)

For full details and maps, please visit translink.ca/servicechanges. Stay tuned to The Buzzer blog over the next two weeks as we take a deep dive into other notable changes.

Nearly 250,000 annual bus service hours related to the 10-Year Vision have been added since the start of Phase One. The 10-Year Vision means more transit, better roads, safer cycling and pedestrian access — for everyone.

And we’re just getting started! In June, an investment plan for Phase Two of the 10-Year Vision was approved, unlocking $7.3 billion in new funding. This is the largest investment in transit and transportation in Metro Vancouver’s history!

Know before you go! Plan your trip using our Trip Planner at translink.ca/tripplanner.

Author: Allen Tung

9 epic transit-friendly places to get ice cream in Metro Vancouver

9 epic transit-friendly places to get ice cream in Metro Vancouver

There is no place like Metro Vancouver when it comes to the ice cream scene. With new shops popping up across the region, you won’t have to look far to get a cold, sweet treat on a hot summer’s day!  High-end ice cream has become a staple in our culinary realm, with shops like Earnest and Rain or Shine setting the bar high. Whether you’re looking for good old-fashioned ice cream or curious to try something new, The Buzzer blog’s got you covered with 9 epic transit-friendly ice cream shops!

1. Buckets Ice Cream

Location: 3330 Main St, Vancouver, BC V5V 3M7
Hours: 1 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Transit: 3

This cozy, family-run shop specializes in liquid-nitrogen ice cream, made in-house and to-order! Offering a variety of tasty flavours (vegan included), you can enjoy your ice cream in many forms. Their ice cream sandwiches are on point! We’d recommend Le Norm. For something really different, try a house-made Kombucha float!  You can always grab a ready-to-go pint or order an ice cream pie with your choice of a waffle, Oreo or vegan and gluten-free date and nut crust.

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Hope everyone is making every memory count this weekend! Thanks for including us in an important turning point 📷@graciouslydelicious . . . We are open 1-10pm tonight and 1-9pm on Monday . . . . . . . . #bucketsicecream #icecream #icecreamshop #liquidnitrogen #liquidnitrogenicecream #vancouver #mainstreet #mountpleasant #rileypark #yvr #yvrfoodie #yvrfood #yvreats #vancityeats #604foodie #vancityfoodies #vancouverfood #eatcouver #districtlocal #dailyhivevan #narcityvancouver #nomsmag #wafflebowl #mango #veganoptions

A post shared by Ice Cream, Catering & Events (@bucketsicecream) on May 20, 2018 at 11:47am PDT

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Lace up your runners for the 34th annual Vancouver Sun Run

On Sunday, April 22, an estimated 40,000+ will lace up their runners and join Canada’s biggest start line for the 34th annual Vancouver Sun Run. To help start your Sun Run on the right foot, we’re adding service to help get you to the event.

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TransLink leads the charge launching new electric-battery bus trial

At TransLink, sustainability is very important to us and we are always exploring innovative ways to reduce carbon emissions while providing efficient travel for our customers. That’s why we’re excited to announce our partnership with Natural Resources Canada, Metro Vancouver and BC Hydro to bring four fast-charging electric-battery buses to the region starting in 2019.

Read more »

How TransLink prepares for winter

While the seasonal calendar says it’s fall, Mother Nature has a sneaky way of saying otherwise. Preparations are well underway to ensure that we’re doing our best to stay one step ahead of the inclement weather.

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Canada Day Weekend Holiday Service for #Canada150

Photo: Julius Reque/Flickr

Saturday July 1 marks Canada’s 150th anniversary of Confederation!

SkyTrain, SeaBus, and bus will all be running on a Sunday/Holiday schedule with additional service to help you get to and from your Canada Day celebrations.

Beginning at 4 p.m., access to Waterfront Station will be modified to ensure customer comfort and safety during crowded periods. The Howe Street entrance will become exit only. SkyTrain staff and Transit Police will be on hand to redirect customers to the Cordova Street entrance.

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The Transit Network Review Report is here!

Back in February, we asked you, our riders and neighbours to weigh in on some proposed new bus routes in Silver Valley, Clayton Heights and Morgan Creek communities as well as changes to the 159 and 169 in Port Coquitlam–South Coquitlam.

Read more »

Links and Tidbits – April 28, 2017

Links and tidbits is our semi-regular roundup of interesting fodder about transportation from the last few weeks or so. If you have links to contribute, put them in the comments, or email us.

»   A peek into the past as Rome’s latest subway dig unearths ancient artifacts.

»   Check out some of these rents near busy NYC subway hubs. Can anyone say STICKER SHOCK?!

»   Public transit = the great equalizer, connecting people from all walks of life!

»  Major #TBT for the TTC when the Yonge Line opened in 1954!

»   Meet the innovative musician who makes every second count on NYC’s subway.

»   Toronto gets comic-fied with a special nod to the TTC!

»  Good samaritans to the rescue on transit.

»  Being nosy on the subway was no problem for James “Smelly” Kelly.

»   Need some tips to make your commute more enjoable? Here are 11 ways to boost your transit ride.

»   Naomi Watts just cruising around on New York’s transit system. Snapping pics people snapping pics of her!

»   A first (to my knowledge!) as Berlin declares subway stations as historic monuments!

»   The Weeknd is paying homage to his hometown of Toronto in a new video with his co-star, the TTC subway!

»  Suprise – Subway rave! Would this ^^ delight or deter you?

»  What does it mean to rely on public transit? Read these people’s stories.

»  Who owns transit data? Most transit agencies have open source data but Germany chooses not to do this. Where do you stand?

»  10-year-old goes from selling napkins in Cairo subway to launchin his own art exhibition.

»  Subway seat urinal or urinal subway seat? Art. It’s subjective!

»  What beautiful Moscow subway car art. These are reproductions of 78 notable Russian artists’ works showcased on their public transit.

»  Finally, please enjoy these awesome “slow-tv” GIFS of NYC subway from 1905-1980s.

Author: Adrienne Coling

From Rails to Rubber: A look back at the region’s transition from streetcars to buses

April 20, 1955 Print Buzzer

Today marks the 62nd year since the last streetcar ride in Vancouver! We’re definitely a bus region nowadays whether they be conventional diesel, hybrids or trolleybuses, but it wasn’t always that way.

Metro Vancouver used to have interurban rail and urban streetcars connecting and moving the Lower Mainland until April 24, 1955 when we said goodbye to Vancouver streetcars with a fitting send-off at the PNE.

To know where you are, is to know where you’ve been. So, let’s take a quick look at the major milestones that transitioned our region from rails to rubber!

Transit Timeline

1889 – Laying Vancouver’s streetcar rails

Constructing streetcar tracks on Powell St.

1890 – First electric streetcar in Vancouver

The beginning of transit in Metro Vancouver

First streetcars quick facts!

• 4 wheeled
• open sides and front
• Bench seating
• Ran at 6 m.p.h
• Originally made to be horse-drawn

Two lines:

1. Down Westminster Avenue (now Main St) from 1st Ave to Powell.
2. Along Powell and Cordova from Campbell Ave to Granville St.

1891 – Interurban tram line opens connecting New Westminster and Vancouver
1905 – Construction of North Vancouver tracks
1922 – Rebuilding of doors on streetcars when the rule-of-the-road switch from left to right.
1923 – First BCER bus on Grandview Highway route

1927 – Two-car “trains” were introduced on major routes

Two-car streetcar “trains” ran on main Vancouver routes from 1927 to the late 1940s

1945 to 1955 – Streetcar rails removed

Removing streetcar tracks on Broadway near Cambie

1946 – Streetcars start to be replaced with buses
April 22, 1955, 3:30 am – The last official revenue streetcar went out of service
April 22, 1955 – Last streetcar route replaced with trolley bus
April 24, 1955 – Last streetcar (free!) ride and No. 53 display at the PNE
1958 – The end of interurban service

“If the next 65 years are anything like the last, there will be lots to keep us busy – whether it’s streetcars or helicopters!”

– The Buzzer, April 20, 1955

Although the vehicles have changed, the impact of public transit and transportation continue to mould our present and future!

Thanks for coming along for the ride down the tracks of our transit history.

Have a hankering to see a streetcar today? Just head to the Old Spaghetti Factory in Gastown to see the No. 53 or cruise by East Broadway at the Kingsway and….. tada a lovely little streetcar replica!

A nod to transit years gone by

You can also view the special Rails to Rubber 1955 edition of the Buzzer and read more about our streetcar past here.

Author: Adrienne Coling

Bus Route Buzz: New Westminster

Attention New Westers! …. New Westminsterians? Sappers?

Well, let’s just say if you live, work or take transit in and around New Westminster, this Bus Route Buzz is for you!

As a reminder, many of our Spring Service Changes bus improvements are made possible by the 10-Year Vision and part of a three-year roll out of bus expansion to reduce crowding, improve service frequency and capacity issues as well as expanding routes into underserviced areas. You can view upcoming changes to the bus network as a part of this plan here.

For seasonal Service Changes that happen four times a year, click here.

We heard you!

153 Braid Station/Coquitlam Central Station

• We’re adding more service during peak periods to reduce crowding and pass ups.
• Service every 12-14 minutes from 6-9 a.m. and from 3-6 p.m.

410 22nd Street Station/Railway

We’re increasing service to better meet the needs of our riders! Many will experience shorter wait times for buses and between transfer connections, as well as  less crowding on buses and reduced pass ups.

• Weekday AM peak improvements:
  • We’ve added additional service from 6-9 a.m.
• Weekday PM peak improvements:
  • We’ve added additional service from 2:30-7 p.m.
• Saturday improvements:
  • We’ve added additional service from 1:30-4 p.m. and 10 p.m. to midnight.
• Sunday improvements:
  • We’ve added additional service from 10 p.m. to midnight.
    

Community Shuttles

C3 Quayside/Victoria Hill

• Extended service on weekdays and weekends to run every 20 minutes from 9 p.m. to midnight.
  

C4 New Westminster Station/Uptown

• Extended service on weekdays and weekends to run every 30 minutes from 9 p.m. to midnight.

C9 New Westminster Station/Lougheed Station

Effective April 3, 2017

• The C9 New Westminster Station/Lougheed Station now permanently travels through the Fraserview neighbourhood via Cumberland and Richmond streets.

For all the route and frequency changes, visit translink.ca/servicechanges.
Have a question for #DenisThePlanner? Use the hashtag on Twitter!

Author: Adrienne Coling

Surrey Central buses are on the move!

Calling all Surrey Central bus loop users!

Starting Monday, April 10, Bay 12 will temporarily close for construction of a new entrance at Surrey Central Station. As a result, the 502, C71 and C73 will change pick up and drop off locations.

What you need to know:

**Update May 11, 2017**

• Stop move: The 502 Langley Centre/Surrey Central Station will move to Bay 6 (stop #55714) Bay 9.
• Stop move: The 503 Aldergrove/Surrey Central Station will move to Bay 6
• New stop: The C71 Surrey Central/Scott Road Station and the C73 Guildford/Surrey Central Station will move to a new drop off and pick up location at Bay 15 (stop #60153) in front of SFU on 102nd Avenue, or board at Bay 5A.
• Stop move: The C71 and C73 will pick up SkyTrain passengers connecting to the bus at Bay 14 (stop #61787).

You can learn more about the Surrey Central Station upgrades on our website.

Not sure where to go? We’re here to help!
Look for signage at the bus exchange, tweet us @TransLink or call 604.953.3333.

Author: Jessica Hewitt

The Transit Network Review is back and we want to hear from you!

The Transit Network Review is part of an ongoing process where TransLink takes a look at the transit network to identify service changes that will better meet the needs of customers and increase ridership.

With the 10-Year Vision in full swing, providing service improvements across the network in the coming months and years, we have an opportunity to deliver on more and better services for our riders, across Metro Vancouver.

The last review was in 2015 where we went out to the public for extensive consultation resulting in 12,000 completed surveys leading to 85 service changes.

The majority of these changes were implemented when the Evergreen Extension opened in December 2016.

Now, we’re back again looking at different service areas – Silver Valley, Clayton Heights, Morgan Creek communities, as well as Port Coquitlam-South Coquitlam.

Focus for the 2017 Review:

• Delivering Service in new areas
  • Proposed transit network changes that will provide new service to areas that do not currently have service, or have limited service, including:
    • Proposed new 733 Bryant/Haney Place/Pt Haney Station
    • Proposed new 741 Anderson Creek/Haney Place/Pt Haney Station
    • Proposed new 372 Clayton Heights/Langley Centre
    • C53 Cranley/White Rock Centre
    • 354 White Rock South/ White Rock Centre/Bridgeport Station
• Improving existing routes to better connect to key destinations
  • Develop options to improve the 159 and 169 routes.

Get involved!

You can get involved two ways: complete the online survey or attend one of our open houses.

The survey will run from February 14, 2017 until March 6, 2017.

You can find more information about the Transit Network Review at translink.ca/networkreview.

Author: Adrienne Coling

Better bus connections are coming for West Coast Express riders!

Attention all West Coast Express riders!

Some of the bus schedules that connect to the West Coast Express were changed on December 19 as part of our regular service changes.

Since that time, you’ve reached out by phone, email, Twitter and other channels to tell us that the changes to some routes made for tight connections between bus and West Coast Express.

We are listening and we’re making changes to reflect the feedback!

Starting Monday, January 30, 2017 the schedules of the following routes will change:

171 Fremont trips departing Coquitlam Central Station weekdays at 6:57 a.m. and 7:27 a.m. will now leave 2 minutes earlier at 6:55 a.m. and 3 minutes earlier at 7:24 a.m.

171 Coquitlam Central Station trips departing Fremont and Dominion weekdays at 7:20 a.m. and 7:50 a.m. will now leave 2 minutes earlier at 7:18 a.m. and 7:48 a.m.

172 Riverside trips departing Coquitlam Central Station weekdays at 6:54 a.m. and 7:24 a.m. will now leave 2 minutes earlier at 6:52 a.m. and 7:22 a.m.

172 Coquitlam Central Station trips departing Dominion and Fremont weekdays at 7:10 a.m. and 7:40 a.m. will now leave 2 minutes earlier at 7:08 a.m. and 3 minutes earlier at 7:37 a.m.

180 Moody Centre Station trips departing from Lougheed Station weekdays between 6:18 a.m. until 8:05 a.m. will now leave 2 minutes earlier.

180 Lougheed Station trips departing from Moody Centre Station weekdays between 5:42 a.m. until 7:32 a.m. will now leave 2 minutes earlier.

182 Moody Centre Station/Belcarra All weekday trip times have been adjusted to better reflect conditions and to connect with the West Coast Express.

184 Moody Centre Station trip departing from Panorama at Lansdowne weekdays at 6:20 a.m. will now leave 5 minutes earlier at 6:15 a.m.

185 Lansdowne trip departing Coquitlam Central Station weekdays at 6:05 a.m. will now leave 5 minutes earlier at 6:00 a.m.

In some cases the bus will arrive earlier than it does today so be sure to check Trip Planner or Bus Schedules for specific route schedules.

Thank you to those who have let us know about these issues! If you continue to have connection problems, let us know by calling 604-953-3333 or by filling out our Customer Feedback Form.

For more details on the schedule changes, visit our Alerts Page.
Have bus route or transit planning questions for #DenisThePlanner? Comment below!

Author: Adrienne Coling

Bus stop changes at 29th Avenue Station

Route 16 and 33 bus stops will temporarily move as of January 24.

TransLink will be upgrading the 29th Avenue Station Exchange to improve customer access, safety and security.

During this upgrade work, temporary traffic patterns and bus stop location changes will occur.

Until mid-February, the regular stops for the 16 and 33 buses will be moved outside the bus loop.

The number 16 bus bay has been relocated to north side of 29^th Avenue.

The number 33 bus bay has been relocated to south side of 29^th Avenue.

The upgrades for this exchange will include:

• A new bus bay to allow all buses to pick up and drop off within the bus loop.
• Improved lighting, glass shelters and lower profile landscaping to make the bus loop more visible and safer.
• Three new crosswalks to improve safety and access tot he bus loop and station.
• New bus stop ID poles with braille and tactile strips to meet accessibility standards and better direct customers.

The entire project is set to wrap up Summer 2017.

For more information about upcoming bus stop changes at this station,
call Customer Information at 604.953.3333 or visit translink.ca/alerts and click the alerts tab.

Author: Adrienne Coling