Update: As of 11 a.m. on Tuesday (April 5), TransLink says the problem has been resolved.
TransLink’s R2 RapidBus has been making appearances in Ambleside, but there’s no need to reach for a pitchfork or a Compass Card.
A bump in the road at Park Royal has sent bus drivers on a two-kilometre detour.
In 2019, West Vancouver council voted unanimously to terminate the bus’s West Van service at Park Royal, due to community blowback from the original plan for bus rapid transit extending through Ambleside and Dundarave. At issue was the addition of bus lanes and the loss of some street parking.
In the last week, residents have noticed the articulated buses continuing on past Park Royal, then turning left onto 13th Street before making a right on Bellevue, a right on 14th Street and another right back onto Marine Drive before heading east again.
“There has been a temporary modification to the turnaround point for R2s at Park Royal. Our buses normally turn around on mall property before re-entering service, but there is a pothole in the way, so we’ve temporarily re-routed the turnaround for empty R2s before they go back into service. This change started on March 27 and was precautionary to avoid possible damage to our buses,” a statement from TransLink spokesperson Dan Mountain read.
But, whether it’s viewed as an incursion into hostile territory or an excursion to a desirable destination, it won’t last long. Mountain said the transit authority is working with Park Royal to get the pothole fixed, at which time they’ll resume their normal route.
“All stops are being served with normal service and no customers are onboard for this new turnaround loop since it happens after the westbound terminus and before the R2 re-enters eastbound service,” Mountain’s statement continued. “The only difference is that some people may see empty out-of-service RapidBuses in places they aren’t normally.”
The R2 entered service in April 2020. It runs from Phibbs Exchange to Park Royal and back, with service every eight minutes during rush hours – a capacity of 1,650 people per hour.
