R6 Scott Road RapidBus

Scott Road is one of the busiest corridors south of the Fraser and Route 319 is the second fastest growing bus route in the region. The current 319 route is the 5th busiest bus route in Metro Vancouver (2021).

We know congestion is increasing in our region. From 2015-2019 a roundtrip on the 319 was 10% slower. The corridor is also the sixth worst in the region in terms of person-delay.

Buses on the corridor comprise only 1-2% of all vehicles on the corridor yet move 24-42% of the people.

At 110 percent of pre-pandemic levels, ridership south of the Fraser River is exceeding pre-pandemic volumes and is growing faster than the rest of Metro Vancouver.

The R6 Scott Road RapidBus will help keep up with the rapidly growing demand for transit in Surrey and Delta and bring more convenient and reliable service to the Scott Rd. corridor.

The overall construction window for the project is March through late 2023. However, construction activities will occur in different segments of the corridor at different times. Work in any single location is not expected to exceed 6 weeks.

All day lane closures for extended durations will be required to construct the works along Scott Road and 72 Ave. One lane of traffic is expected to remain open in each direction. Overnight intersection closures and work on weekends may be required to facilitate intersection construction, such as signal installations, paving and line-painting.

Typical hours of construction work are:

• Monday to Friday: 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

• Weekends: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

TransLink will ensure that all work will comply with City of Surrey and City of Delta bylaws and granted bylaw variances.

The construction includes approximately 9 km of new dedicated bus lanes and other roadway re-allocation that require shifting of lane markings and in some cases, the curb location or alignment of centre medians. In some locations, bus priority measures at bus stops and intersections will be built. At all RapidBus stops themselves, new concrete pads and shelters will be installed, along with a bus identification pylon which includes real-time schedule information.

For the blocks on Scott Road between 86th and 88th avenues, TransLink is coordinating with Metro Vancouver as they complete construction of the Kennedy Newton Water Main Project. This work is expected to commence in December 2022 and continue through Spring 2023.

The R6 RapidBus was identified as a key initiative in TransLink’s 2022-2031 10-Year Investment Plan. The $33 million capital improvements are paid for through the Mayor’s 10-Year Vision which the Government of British Columbia contributed 40 per cent of all capital costs.

There will be impacts to traffic patterns along Scott Road and 72 Avenue. These impacts will change throughout the construction window as the work is undertaken in various locations along the corridor.

Lane closures may be in effect for both northbound and southbound traffic; however, one lane in each direction will be maintained at all times.

Our goal is to keep traffic moving safely and efficiently throughout the construction period.

To ensure the safety of residents and construction crews and to reduce project impacts in the community, TransLink will:

• Advertise detour routes in advance

• Notify residents and businesses of temporary driveway and access closures in advance

• Ensure ongoing access for emergency services to properties and businesses at all times

We urge drivers to pay attention to changing signage, traffic cones/barriers, and follow the instructions of flag persons near these construction sites.

We are working in multiple areas on the Scott Road corridor to minimize the overall impact to the community, reduce construction costs, and keep the project on track for an early 2024 service launch.

We have planned our construction schedule with the expectation that we will not be working in any single location along the Scott Road corridor for more than six weeks. To further reduce overall construction impacts, we are coordinating with Metro Vancouver who are operating on an accelerated schedule and will reinstate the road to the R6 design as they complete the construction of the Kennedy Newton Water Main Project.

With this accelerated and coordinated construction approach, we can deliver this project quickly while staying within Vancouver’s construction season (late spring, summer, and early fall), and give the Scott Road corridor back to the community as soon as possible.

Impacts to individual properties will vary depending on the location and proximity to construction. TransLink will notify individual residents and businesses of temporary driveway and access closures in advance.

TransLink will notify individual residents and businesses of temporary driveway and access closures in advance. We will work with individual property owners to maintain at least partial site access (one lane) at all times to minimize disruption to business activities.

The short-term construction impacts are a long-term investment to improve transportation in Surrey and Delta.

Drivers on the Scott Rd corridor and customers who take the 319 will notice slower moving traffic for several months while we work to improve bus service on this vital corridor. This is well worth the investment as the R6 will give our customers much more and better service on the busiest corridor South of the Fraser; and the changes will improve Scott Road for all road users.

The proposed transit priority on the corridor will be built by creating additional lanes. The traffic analysis conducted does not show any significant changes in congestion. In some cases, the additional transit priority will help reduce congestion in certain areas.

Nearby residences and businesses can expect typical noise related to light construction such as drilling, hammering, concrete sawing, backing trucks, concrete pouring, paving. Crews will attempt to reduce noise impacts to nearby residents and businesses where possible.

All work will comply with City of Surrey and City of Delta bylaws and granted bylaw variances for noise.

Impacts to existing trees are being carefully considered, with the majority of trees along the corridor being retained or relocated. For every tree that is removed, two trees will be planted in the newly landscaped medians and other locations in the community.

Route 319 will remain in place, at a reduced but still frequent all-day local service. Route 319 customers will benefit from the street changes we’re making and experience shorter travel times. The 12 other routes that run on a portion of the corridor will also benefit from bus priority measures.

The proposed R6 RapidBus route does not enter Scottsdale exchange to ensure faster and more reliable travel times. The R6 will not loop behind the mall or go around the bus loop and will therefore be able to provide a more direct service. Customers can still connect easily to other local routes at other shared stops on Scott Rd and 72nd Ave. The route details will be confirmed through the quarterly service change process.

By stopping on-street instead of Scottsdale Exchange, RapidBus will provide convenient access to major destinations such as the Guru Nanak Gurdwara or the Scottsdale Centre mall as well as Strawberry Hill.

Route selection: The route was carefully selected to ensure they met demand, provide convenient access to key destinations and make convenient connections to other busses along the corridor.

This route connects Surrey and Delta residents to the SkyTrain, to commercial areas on Scott Road and in Newton, and to schools such as Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

Stop selection: The R6 is a limited-stop service, making it faster than local services. The R6 will stop about every 800 meters to reduce travel times. That means that destinations on the corridor are no more than a five-minute walk from an R6 stop.

Route 319 will remain in place to provide frequent local service and will benefit from the street changes we’re making and experience increased travel times. The 12 other routes that run on a portion of the corridor will also benefit from proposed transit priority measures.

• Safety for all road users: We are improving safety on the corridor for all road users. This means adding new pedestrian crosswalks, supporting safer driving speeds, and making intersections safer.

• Customer experience and accessibility: We're upgrading our bus shelters and R6 stop locations to enhance your ride. This means real time updates, text-to-audio at stops, and other accessibility features.

• Pedestrian & cycling comfort and convenience: Where possible, we’re making walking and cycling better. This means new paths, new crosswalks, improved sidewalks, and lighting.

• Bus travel time savings: To make the RapidBus faster, we’re making changes to the streets to improve travel times. This includes bus lanes, queue jumps, and in-lane bus stops.

• Traffic flow and goods movement: Scott Road is an important driving connection for personal vehicles, for goods movement and industrial vehicles. The street designs we’ve developed present minimal impact to drivers. In some cases, we even improve traffic flow and travel times for people in motor vehicles.

• Access to businesses and residences: Scott Road is an important commercial corridor, with accesses to businesses throughout. While some driveways may need to be adjusted, the majority of accesses are unchanged.

• Landscaping: The RapidBus project will include landscaping elements along the Scott Road and 72 Avenue corridor. This includes identifying locations for additional trees, shrubs or other greenery as part of R6 construction. In the case where a tree has to be removed for construction, two trees will be planted in the newly landscaped medians and other locations in the community. An overall Corridor Greening Plan is also being developed which will guide tree planting and landscaping for this project.

RapidBus vehicles are made by New Flyer. They are 60-ft long, hybrid diesel-electric buses with better fuel economy and lower GHG emissions than regular buses. All buses will be air-conditioned.

Additional articulated buses will be purchased to provide service along the Scott Rd. corridor.

The R6 Scott Rd RapidBus is expected to launch in early 2024.