How to Use Accessible Transit

Mobility Aid Guidelines

To board the bus with your wheelchair or mobility aid, your dimensions should not exceed the following:

• Length: 122 cm (48 in.)

• Width: 61 cm (24 in.)

• Weight: 273 kg (600 lbs.) combined weight, including the transit rider and mobility aid.

These dimensions include all add-ons such as bumpers, wheel bars, and baskets. Some four-wheel scooters that are within the required dimensions have a turning radius that is too wide for our conventional bus fleet. 

Boarding the Bus

• You can enter facing forwards or backwards.

• Ensure you have the ability to maneuver your mobility aid safely and effectively. You may have to make a U-turn once you enter the bus.

• Mobility aids must be safe, in good repair, and include an effective braking system.

• An attendant must accompany you if you will require assistance to enter or exit the bus. Once on the bus, bus operators may assist wheelchair customers with wheelchair securement.

While we hope to soon make every bus stop along our routes accessible, at this time some stops are not properly set up for safe entering and exiting with a mobility aid. To find the nearest accessible bus stop to your starting point or destination, we encourage you to use the Trip Planner tool or call Customer Information (604.953.3333).

Bus Stop Accessibility for Customers with Sight Loss

All bus stops across the TransLink system are equipped with signs in braille and tactile lettering. The signs include the following information:

• Bus stop ID and bay number if applicable

• Bus routes serving the stop

• Customer Information phone number

In addition to braille and tactile signage, tactile walking surface indicators are installed at all bus stops on TransLink owned property. This includes most SkyTrain stations and bus exchanges. These tactile indicators, consisting of raised elongated bars, are mounted on the ground in order to be felt underfoot and provide wayfinding to the bus ID pole, as well as the front door of the bus when it pulls up.

Real-time text-to-audio bus information can be found at stops along the R6 RapidBus route, as well as at UBC Exchange and Phibbs Exchange. The button to activate this feature is located on the bus stop information panel and is marked with the word “info” in both braille and raised lettering.

Mobility Aid Restrictions

Our community shuttles can fit a maximum of two mobility aids with the following dimension and weight restrictions:

• Length: 122 cm (48 in.)

• Width: 61 cm (24 in.)

• Weight: 363 kg (800 lbs.) combined weight, including the transit rider and mobility aid.

These dimensions include all add-ons such as bumpers, wheel bars, and baskets. Some four-wheel scooters that are within the required dimensions have a turning radius that is too wide for our community shuttles. 

Boarding the Community Shuttle

Conventional Shuttles

• Look for the lift, located near the rear of the bus on the same side as the sidewalk.

• Enter the lift backwards, with your body facing towards the sidewalk.

• Once the lift brings you into the shuttle, please move into the accessible seating area facing the front of the bus and lock your brakes.

• The operator will attach securement belts to prevent your device from moving during travel. These securements must be in place before the shuttle starts moving.

Low-Floor Community Shuttles

• Enter using the front door ramp facing either forwards or backwards.

• Once the lift brings you into the shuttle, please move into the accessible seating area facing the front of the bus and lock your brakes.

• The operator will attach securement belts to prevent your device from moving during travel. These securements must be in place before the shuttle starts moving.

Entering the SkyTrain Station

• All of our stations are equipped with elevators for people using wheelchairs or other mobility devices.

• If you require an elevator for your travel, we recommend checking TransLink Alerts or call Customer Information (604.953.3333) before you make your trip to make sure the elevator you need isn’t undergoing maintenance and repairs.

• Please do not use wheelchairs or scooters on escalators, under any circumstances.

• Your mobility aid will need to fit through our fare gates. The standard gates are 62 cm (24 in.) wide and the accessible gates are 107 cm (42 in.) wide.

Station Assistance

For customers needing assistance at a station, our SkyTrain or Canada Line Attendants offer:

• Sighted guide inside our stations

• Assistance tapping fare media at the fare gates

• Assistance boarding the train for those with a mobility device or who require extra time to do so

For help on the Expo and Millennium Lines, please call 604.520.5518 on the day of your trip, at least 10 minutes before arriving at a station, to ensure there is an attendant available to assist you.

For help on the Canada Line, please call 604.247.5703 to request assistance, directions, or to use the accessible washroom (which we keep locked for security reasons).

Boarding the SkyTrain

• Doors with a wheelchair symbol on the exterior mark where to enter a SkyTrain with a mobility aids.

• Once inside, there will be wheelchair space provided.

• Some cars have a flip-up seat near the wheelchair space that can be raised to accommodate mobility aid.

Entering the SeaBus Terminal

• At Waterfront Station, there’s an elevator located at the north end of the skywalk to access the SeaBus terminal.

• Terminals are equipped with double-wide doors (3.65 m), which provide plenty of room for mobility aids of all sizes.

• All SeaBus terminals have graduated ramps to allow you to board the SeaBus.

Station Assistance

SeaBus attendants are available at our terminals and on board ferries to assist with directions and boarding information. If you require special assistance – such as help navigating ramps or entering/exiting the SeaBus – please ensure you are accompanied by a personal attendant. For more information, please contact Customer Information at 604.953.3333.

Boarding the SeaBus

• As you start to board the SeaBus, proceed cautiously. As the tide changes, the ramp grade leading up to the SeaBus will change, as well.

• Terminal doors 2 and 5 are designated for priority boarding and wheelchair accessibility.

• Once on board, position your mobility aid in one of the following spots:

• inside the doors to either side,

• in an aisle, or

• in front of a vacant seat.

• Don't forget to lock your brakes.

West Coast Express (WCE) commuter rail service between Mission and Vancouver is fully accessible to people with wheelchairs or other mobility aids.

Boarding the WCE

• A maximum of two mobility aids are allowed per train car.

• Board the train from the special raised section of the platform — here, the conductor can help you safely enter the train car.

• Once on board, position your mobility aid in one of the two wheelchair spaces.

• You’ll find an accessible washroom in most train cars.

Station Assistance

For customers needing assistance on WCE, Station Attendants are on site to assist customers who need it. 

For details, or for accessibility information about a specific station, please contact WCE Customer Service. If you think you might require assistance please call 604.488.8906 prior to your trip.