Metro Vancouver will be getting 25 bus stations as part of two of the new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems TransLink is planning.
TransLink has released station locations for two of the three new routes.
The King George Boulevard BRT will run north-south in Surrey from Surrey Central Station to Semiahmoo Town Centre in south Surrey (near White Rock). Meanwhile, the Langley-Haney Place BRT will run from Haney Place in Maple Ridge to Willowbrook on the border of the two Langleys.
The King George Boulevard BRT is getting 13 stations, while the Langley-Hanley Place BRT will have 12.
The third route in the first phase of TransLink's BRT system will connect Park Royal in West Vancouver with Metrotown in Burnaby. Those stations have yet to be revealed.
Public feedback is needed at this stage regarding the 25 proposed new bus stations.
"Members of the public are being asked to rank which features will be most important for them, which will help TransLink advance BRT planning," reads a press release from TransLink.
A survey is now active on TransLink's website.
Bus Rapid Transit system remains unfunded
The BRT system aims to reduce travel times across Metro Vancouver.
"Once BRT is implemented, customers will save over 20 minutes in each direction, bringing end-to-end travel time down to approximately 40 minutes on average," estimates TransLink in the press release.
While TransLink is moving forward with the BRT plan, it's still unfunded.
"TransLink is working to secure funding for BRT implementation from all levels of government through future Investment Plans. Once funding is secured, TransLink estimates that BRT construction can be completed within five years," states the transit provider.
The BRT system was first unveiled in 2023 with three routes; in addition to the two routes above, plans have been drawn up for another route between Metrotown in Burnaby and Park Royal in North Vancouver, using the Second Narrows Bridge. Public engagement on that project is expected later this year.
Over the next 10 years TransLink wants to set up nine different BRT routes around Vancouver. Other routes identified include Hastings Street, Lougheed Highway, and Richmond Station-Metrotown.
While new to Vancouver, BRT systems have been around since the 1970s. They are high-capacity, reliable bus routes that operate with fewer stops, often right-of-way or dedicated lanes, signal priority at intersections, and enhanced stations; in some ways, they're akin to a tramway on the street with busses.
"By introducing BRT, our region is following in the footsteps of communities that have successfully leveraged their systems to improve transit reliability, shorten travel times, reduce congestion, support economic development, and build new housing," reads Translink's webpage on BRT.
