Bus Priority Projects

The City of Richmond and TransLink are working together to extend the southbound left turn lane at Great Canadian Way and Bridgeport Road. This extension is expected to benefit an additional 6,000 transit riders and further enhance the efficiency of the transit system.

TransLink, in partnership with the City of Surrey, introduced a southbound Business Access and Transit (BAT) lane along 152 Street between 96th and 98th Avenue. 152 Street is a key north-south corridor in the South of Fraser served by routes 320 and 375. This BAT lane allows buses to bypass traffic, making trips quicker and more reliable while also preserving curbside business access.

In collaboration with the City of Vancouver, TransLink introduced bus lanes along 49th Avenue, between Oak and Cambie Street, for both Eastbound and Westbound buses. These improvements are expected to help peak hour buses arrive on time for riders on 49th Avenue, one of the most delayed bus routes in Metro Vancouver.

TransLink, in partnership with the City of North Vancouver, has completed significant improvements to the R2 Marine Drive RapidBus service, including an extension of the eastbound transit lane from Queensbury Avenue to Gladstone Avenue. These enhancements will save eastbound travelers up to six minutes during peak hours, benefiting approximately 40,000 monthly riders. In addition, over 200 meters of separated bike lanes were introduced, contributing to a more connected and sustainable city. This project is a key step in TransLink's broader strategy to build towards improvements in the RapidBus network.

TransLink and the Ministry of Transportation Infrastructure (MOTI), have successfully completed a bus transit improvement project along the Hwy 99/Bridgeport corridor. This project adds 8.4 kilometers of bus-on-shoulder lanes, widens Hwy 17A by 350 meters, and introduces a 154-meter Bridgeport Bus-Only Ramp. These enhancements will significantly reduce travel times for eight bus routes (311, 351, 352, 354, 601, 602, 605, and 620) during peak hours and include a multi-use pathway near Hwy 99 and Patterson Road for cyclists and pedestrians. These upgrades benefit 16,000 daily transit users, and are part of a broader initiative to improve bus travel times to enhance the overall transit experience in the region.

The City of Burnaby and TransLink have collaborated to install a northbound bus lane on Willingdon Avenue, a major intersection that connects riders in Burnaby to key destinations. This bus lane allows buses to bypass the northbound queue to reach Brentwood Station Bay 1, a stop that connects routes 130, 136, and 222 to other bus routes and the Millennium Line. In this segment, westbound right-turning traffic from Lougheed Highway no longer blocks bus access, reducing delay for bus passengers waiting for and commuting along the three bus routes.

The 80 Marine Drive Express is an express bus route connecting the River District to Marine Drive Station in Vancouver. Operating on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., the route stops at key intersections on Marine Drive at Kerr St, Elliott St, Victoria Dr, Knight St, Fraser St, and Main St. This service not only provides a direct link to the SkyTrain’s Canada Line for River District residents, but also complements the existing 100 (22nd Street Station / Marpole Loop) and 31 (River District / Metrotown Station) routes.

The introduction of the 80 Marine Drive Express was made possible with travel time savings from the Bus Stop Balancing program. This program involves the consolidation of stops to improving travel times and reliability across several Vancouver routes. The program has saved about 6 minutes per round trip on routes like the 4 (Powell / Downtown / UBC) and the 7 (Nanaimo Station / Dunbar), allowing for service optimization with fewer buses. These savings have been reinvested into launching the new 80 route, demonstrating the importance of bus stop balancing not just for operational efficiency, but also for expanding service in growing communities like the River District.

Looking ahead, Marine Drive is identified in Transport 2050 as a future RapidBus and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor, and the 80 route is a key step in building ridership in preparation for these long-term transit improvements.