The SeaBus is about to get a major boost in service levels during peak travel times.
Starting Sept. 3, TransLink will offer SeaBus sailings every 10 minutes during the morning and afternoon weekday rush hours, from 7 to 9:30 a.m. and again from 3 to 6:30 p.m.
It’s a first for regular service since the 2010 Olympics, when TransLink ran three SeaBuses at one time.
“The SeaBus is an increasingly popular way to commute between downtown Vancouver and the North Shore, with approximately 20,000 boardings each weekday,” said TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond in a press release. “With SeaBus ridership growth of around six per cent each year, these extra sailings will help to meet customer demand.”
TranLink has been piloting 10-minute service during Friday evenings, adding an extra 20 sailings to help service the City of North Vancouver’s Friday Night Market.
The mythical “third SeaBus” has long been on the North Shore’s wish list from TransLink and the 10-minute service is being made possible by funding approved in Phase 1 of the TransLink Mayors’ Council plan. But, it won’t be the shiny, new Burrard Chinook making the crossing. The new SeaBus is still in the possession of the shipbuilder and will soon be undergoing sea trials. Instead, the Burrard Beaver, which is usually treated as a spare when other vessels are undergoing maintenance, will be rotated into regular service.
“This means if extended maintenance is required on TransLink vessels, rush hour schedules could revert to 15-minute sailings,” the release stated. “Every effort will be made to minimize this impact and ensure reliability consistent with SeaBus’ exceptional on-time performance record.”
North Vancouver-Lonsdale NDP MLA Bowinn Ma said she expects the increased service will be well received, especially by people who arrived on time for a sailing but found themselves “locked out” because the SeaBus was at capacity.
“The reality is, over the years, the SeaBus has almost become a victim of its own success,” she said. “Whereas, previously, we would only see lockout loads happen when one of the bridges went down, we’re actually seeing them now more at a regular basis. So those extra sailings are not coming too soon.”
In 2017, there were 80 lockouts, according to TransLink. In 2018 there 285, of which 203 were during rush hour, the majority on Fridays.
And Ma added, almost everyone knows the sting of rushing to the SeaBus only to see the timer counting down from 14:30, and being forced to contemplate what they could have done to arrive just 30 seconds earlier.
“I think that’s a very ubiquitous experience for people on the North Shore,” she said.
As part of the sea trials, commuters will likely soon spot the Chinook “job shadowing” close behind SeaBus vessels in regular service, to see how it handles on the water.
“The Burrard Chinook will be examined under varied conditions to ensure TransLink’s performance expectations are met. The Burrard Chinook has passed builder sea trials in the Netherlands,” a statement from TransLink read.
City of North Vancouver Mayor Linda Buchanan welcomed the announcement and said it would make public transit a more attractive option.
“This is wonderful news for the region and particularly those commuting to and from the North Shore,” she said.
