RapidBus (TransLink)

Last updated

RapidBus
TransLink Rapidbus 19018 Commissioning.jpg
Overview
System TransLink
Operator Coast Mountain Bus Company
Began serviceJanuary 6, 2020 [1]
Routes6
Stops75
Route map

RapidBus (TransLink) RapidBus highlighted in green

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RapidBus is an express bus network with bus rapid transit elements in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Contents

History

On November 23, 2016, the Mayors' Council and TransLink's board of directors approved the first phase of the 10-Year Vision, which included provisions for new B-Line routes (later rebranded as RapidBus) which began service in January 2020. [2] In July 2019, TransLink announced that all future B-Line routes would officially be launched under new "RapidBus" branding and that the 95 and 96 B-Lines would also transition to that branding, leaving route 99 as the only remaining B-Line. [3]

The first wave of routes using the RapidBus branding consisting of the R1 King George Blvd (the former 96 B-Line), the new R3 Lougheed Hwy, the new R4 41st Ave (replacing the 43 express service along 41st Avenue), and the R5 Hastings St (the former 95 B-Line) launched on January 6, 2020. [4] [1]

The R2 Marine Drive launched on April 6, 2020, after construction delays, replacing the former 239. [5] The R6 Scott Rd launched on January 2, 2024, for service in Surrey and Delta. [6] [7]

Features

Bus stop with real-time arrival information near Waterfront station Bus stop near Waterfront station, Vancouver (20200613 143940).jpg
Bus stop with real-time arrival information near Waterfront station

RapidBus routes

Phase 1

RouteLaunch dateTerminiConnectionsStops
R1 King George Blvd September 2, 2013 (as 96 B-Line) Guildford Exchange Newton Exchange
  • Translinkbuses.svg Newton Exchange
  • Translinkexpo.svg Surrey Central
  • Translinkexpo.svg King George
  • Translinkbuses.svg Guildford Exchange
12
R2 Marine Dr April 6, 2020 [5] Park Royal Exchange Phibbs Exchange
  • Translinkbuses.svg Park Royal Shopping Centre
  • Translinkseabus.svg Lonsdale Quay
  • Translinkbuses.svg Phibbs Exchange
10
R3 Lougheed Hwy January 6, 2020 Coquitlam Central station Haney Place Exchange
  • Translinkmillennium.svg Translinkwce.svg Coquitlam Central
  • Translinkbuses.svg Haney Place
8
R4 41st Ave September 4, 2000 (as 43) UBC Exchange Joyce–Collingwood station
  • Translinkexpo.svg Joyce–Collingwood
  • Translinkcanada.svg Oakridge–41st Avenue
  • Translinkbuses.svg Dunbar Loop
  • Translinkbuses.svg UBC Exchange
17
R5 Hastings St December 19, 2016 (as 95 B-Line) Burrard station SFU Exchange
  • Translinkexpo.svg Burrard
  • Translinkexpo.svg Translinkcanada.svg Translinkseabus.svg Translinkwce.svg Waterfront
  • Translinkbuses.svg Kootenay Loop
  • Translinkbuses.svg SFU Exchange
16

Phase 2

RouteLaunch dateTerminiConnectionsStops
R6 Scott Rd January 2, 2024 [7] Scott Road station Newton Exchange
  • Translinkexpo.svg Scott Road
  • Translinkbuses.svg Scottsdale Exchange
  • Translinkbuses.svg Newton Exchange
13

Future phases

RouteLaunch dateTerminiConnectionsStops
Lions Gate TBD Stadium–Chinatown station Lynn Valley Centre
  • Translinkexpo.svg Stadium–Chinatown
  • Translinkexpo.svg Granville
  • Translinkcanada.svg Vancouver City Centre
  • Translinkexpo.svg Burrard
  • Translinkseabus.svg Lonsdale Quay
Victoria DriveTBD Downtown Harrison Loop
  • Translinkexpo.svg Translinkmillennium.svg Commercial–Broadway
White Rock TBD Newton Exchange White Rock Centre
  • Translinkbuses.svg Newton Exchange
  • Translinkbuses.svg South Surrey Park and Ride
  • Translinkbuses.svg White Rock Centre
Coquitlam to Langley TBD Coquitlam Central station Langley Centre
  • Translinkmillennium.svg Translinkwce.svg Coquitlam Central
  • Translinkwce.svg Maple Meadows
  • Translinkbuses.svg Carvolth Exchange
  • Translinkbuses.svg Langley Centre
R2 Extension to Metrotown [8] TBD Metrotown station Park Royal Exchange
  • Translinkbuses.svg Park Royal Shopping Centre
  • Translinkseabus.svg Lonsdale Quay
  • Translinkbuses.svg Phibbs Exchange
  • Translinkmillennium.svg Brentwood Town Centre
  • Translinkexpo.svg Metrotown

Cancelled RapidBus routes

Fraser Highway

Proposals for a Fraser Highway B-Line were made in 2018 along with what would become the Marine Drive, Lougheed Highway, and 41st Avenue RapidBus routes. [9] However, a decision was made in December of that year to cancel the proposed route (which would have been rebranded as RapidBus) [3] in favour of a revision of service on routes 502 and 503 in the short term, and an extension of the Expo Line from Surrey to Langley Centre in the long term. [10]

R7 Richmond – Metrotown station

This line was cancelled in October 2023 following the rejection of a proposed route by Richmond's city council. The R7 route would have roughly followed the existing 430 route via Bridgeport Road, the Knight Street Bridge, and 49th Avenue. [11]

Bus rapid transit lines

TransLink intends to implement 9 bus rapid transit (BRT) lines in the coming decade, including 3 that will be upgraded from RapidBus, contingent on funding from senior levels of government. [12] The lines will feature all-day frequent service with limited stops, near-continuous dedicated lanes and signal priority at major intersections, high-capacity buses with all-door boarding. [13] The lines will have "rail-like" stations with next-bus departure screens, transit maps and weather protection. [13]

Future phases

RouteLaunch dateTerminiConnectionStops
King George Boulevard [14] TBD Guildford Exchange White Rock
  • Translinkbuses.svg Guilford Exchange
  • Translinkexpo.svg Surrey Central
  • Translinkbuses.svg Newton Exchange
  • Translinkbuses.svg South Surrey Park and Ride
  • Translinkbuses.svg White Rock Centre
Langley to Haney Place [14] TBD Haney Place Exchange Langley Centre
  • Translinkbuses.svg Haney Place Exchange
  • Translinkbuses.svg Carvolth Exchange
  • Translinkbuses.svg Langley Centre

Possible BRT lines

Metrotown to North Shore

On November 16, 2023, TransLink made an announcement detailing three priority rapid transit corridors, including the Metrotown to North Shore corridor. The announcement called for an "immediate" extension of the R2 RapidBus past Phibbs Exchange to Metrotown station, as well as the prioritization of a BRT line. [15] However, several sources, including a page on TransLink's website, indicate that BRT on this corridor is only a possibility and that other rail-based modes are also being considered. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Millennium Line</span> Rapid transit line in Metro Vancouver, Canada

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canada Line</span> Rapid transit line in Metro Vancouver, Canada

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metrotown station</span> Metro Vancouver SkyTrain station

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coast Mountain Bus Company</span> Bus transit services operator in Metro Vancouver

Coast Mountain Bus Company (CMBC) is the contract operator for bus transit services in Metro Vancouver and is a wholly owned subsidiary of the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority, known locally as TransLink, the entity responsible for public transit in the region. The buses form part of the integrated transit network of the Lower Mainland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brentwood Town Centre station</span> Metro Vancouver SkyTrain station

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">98 B-Line</span> Former express bus service in Metro Vancouver, Canada

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">99 B-Line</span> Express bus service in Metro Vancouver, Canada

The 99 B-Line is an express bus line with bus rapid transit elements in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It travels along Broadway, a major east–west thoroughfare, and connects the University of British Columbia (UBC) to Commercial–Broadway station on the SkyTrain system. It is operated by Coast Mountain Bus Company and funded by TransLink.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marpole Loop</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">R4 41st Ave</span> Express bus service in Metro Vancouver, Canada

The R4 41st Ave is an express bus route with bus rapid transit elements in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Part of TransLink's RapidBus network, it replaced the 43 Express that travelled along 41st Avenue, a major east–west route that connects the University of British Columbia (UBC) to the SkyTrain system's Oakridge–41st Avenue station on the Canada Line and Joyce–Collingwood station on the Expo Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R5 Hastings St</span> Express bus service in Metro Vancouver, Canada

The R5 Hastings St is an express bus service with bus rapid transit elements in Metro Vancouver, Canada. Part of TransLink's RapidBus network, it travels along Hastings Street, a major east–west route, and connects Simon Fraser University to the SkyTrain system's Burrard station on the Expo Line in Downtown Vancouver. It replaced the 95 B-Line route on January 6, 2020.

The SkyTrain rapid transit system in Greater Vancouver, Canada, was conceived as a legacy project of Expo 86 and was finished in time to showcase the fair's theme: "Transportation and Communication: World in Motion – World in Touch". Construction was funded by the provincial and federal governments. Vancouver had plans as early as the 1950s to build a monorail system, with modernist architect Wells Coates pencilled in to design it; that project was abandoned. The lack of a rapid transit system was said to be the cause of traffic problems in the 1970s, and the municipal government could not fund the construction of such a system. During the same period, Urban Transportation Development Corporation, then an Ontario crown corporation, was developing a new rapid transit technology known as an "Intermediate Capacity Transit System". In 1980, the need for rapid transit was great, and Ontario needed buyers for its new technology. "Advanced Rapid Transit" was selected to be built in Vancouver to showcase the Ontario project at Expo 86.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R1 King George Blvd</span> Express bus service in Metro Vancouver, Canada

The R1 King George Blvd is an express bus service with bus rapid transit elements in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Part of TransLink's RapidBus network, it travels along King George Boulevard and 104 Avenue in Surrey and connects Guildford, Whalley / City Centre, and Newton. The service replaced the 96 B-Line on January 6, 2020. It is operated by Coast Mountain Bus Company and funded by TransLink.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R3 Lougheed Hwy</span> Express bus service in Metro Vancouver, Canada

The R3 Lougheed Hwy is an express bus service with bus rapid transit elements in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Part of TransLink's RapidBus network, it travels along Lougheed Highway and connects Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows, and Maple Ridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R2 Marine Dr</span> Express bus service in Metro Vancouver, Canada

The R2 Marine Dr is an express bus service with bus rapid transit elements in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Part of TransLink's RapidBus network, it travels along Marine Drive, 3rd Street, Cotton Road, and Main Street in North Vancouver and connects major North Shore transit points Park Royal Exchange, Lonsdale Quay, and Phibbs Exchange.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Line (The Vine)</span> Bus rapid transit route in Vancouver, Washington, U.S.

The Red Line, also known as The Vine on Mill Plain, is a bus rapid transit (BRT) line in Vancouver, Washington, United States, operated by C-Tran as part of The Vine. The 10-mile (16 km) route runs from 7th Street at Turtle Place in downtown Vancouver to Mill Plain Transit Center via Mill Plain Boulevard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R6 Scott Rd</span> Express bus service in Metro Vancouver, Canada

The R6 Scott Rd is an express bus service with bus rapid transit elements in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Part of TransLink's RapidBus network, it travels along Scott Road and 72 Avenue in Surrey and connects Scott Road station, North Delta, and Newton.

References

  1. 1 2 "RapidBus is Coming!". YouTube. TransLink. July 23, 2019. Archived from the original on September 14, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  2. "Phase One of the 10-Year Vision Backgrounder" (PDF). tenyearvision.translink.ca. TransLink. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 1, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
  3. 1 2 Saltman, Jennifer (July 24, 2019). "TransLink unveils new RapidBus service to replace B-Lines". The Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on June 30, 2021. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  4. "RapidBus Program". translink.ca. TransLink. Archived from the original on July 24, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  5. 1 2 "R2: Marine Dr". translink.ca. TransLink. Archived from the original on February 8, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  6. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/translink-unveils-new-r6-rapidbus-in-surrey-1.7072835 [ bare URL ]
  7. 1 2 "R6 Scott Road RapidBus". TransLink.ca. TransLink. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  8. "RapidBus Projects | R2 Extension to Metrotown". translink.ca. TransLink. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  9. "TransLink to add 4 new B-Line bus routes by end of 2019". CTV Vancouver. March 7, 2018. Archived from the original on March 7, 2018. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  10. "Mayor's Council On Regional Transportation Public Meeting Agenda Revised: December 11, 2018" (PDF). TransLink. December 13, 2018. p. 83. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2019. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  11. Chan, Kenneth (October 16, 2023). "No BRT, no RapidBus: Richmond City Council rejects TransLink's proposed route to Metrotown". Daily Hive Vancouver. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  12. Chan, Kenneth (April 20, 2022). "TransLink to double bus service, including 9 new Bus Rapid Transit lines | Urbanized". dailyhive.com. Archived from the original on April 20, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  13. 1 2 "BRT Attributes for Metro Vancouver" (PDF). Translink. November 16, 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 17, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  14. 1 2 3 "Bus Rapid Transit". www.translink.ca. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  15. Announcing new rapid transit corridors 🚌, November 17, 2023, retrieved November 17, 2023
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