BC NDP candidates Bowinn Ma, Susie Chant and Sara Eftekhar announced a campaign promise to bring a new rapid transit line to the North Shore. The project will begin with a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line stretching from Park Royal to Metrotown. Bus Rapid Transit differs from the existing RapidBus lines in that they are entirely separated from traffic.
In a press release, BC NDP said that as work happens on the new Bus Rapid Transit, the party will also move forward with the future expansion of rapid transit to either light rail or Skytrain in consultation with the Mayors’ Council and communities.
“A new rapid transit line between Park Royal and Metrotown means that people will have more choices about how they get on, off, and around the North Shore,” said BC NDP candidate Bowinn Ma, of North Vancouver-Lonsdale. “This new high-efficiency service will help get people where they’re going faster, and sooner as we also drive forward with work on longer-term expansion, like fixed light rail or Skytrain.”
Before construction on the new Bus Rapid Transit line begins, a new BC NDP government will work with TransLink, local governments, and First Nations to find ways to increase bus service between Park Royal and Metrotown. The press release states it would also expedite the work to extend the R2 Marine Drive RapidBus from Phibbs Exchange to Metrotown, providing all-day service with higher-capacity articulated buses and enhanced stop amenities.
“People in West Vancouver are frustrated by congestion,” continued Sara Eftekhar, BC NDP candidate in West Vancouver-Capilano. “So we’re taking action to relieve that congestion. This new service will help people spend less time on the road and more time with their families.”
Given the complexity of the corridor, a new BC NDP government would work with TransLink and the Mayors’ Council to immediately begin the required work.
“I’ve called the Lynn Valley home since 1988, and my kids grew up here. Traffic is a real challenge,” continued Susie Chant, BC NDP candidate in North Vancouver-Seymour. “A new rapid transit line will help ease the congestion on our roads and bridges so that we can all spend less time stuck in our cars and more time with the people we love.”
Does “entirely separated from traffic” mean taking one of the traffic lanes to dedicate to buses? Or will separate lanes be installed?
This all sounds very nice, but what is needed (in my humble opinion), and needed now, is expanded 2nd narrows bridge deck space. The current bridge should be twinned with an eye toward dedicating space for transit/cycles, etc. Traffic could also be split based on destination as is done at Port Mann bridge.
Myself and many others feel that all of the improvements so far all too often are falling flat, somewhat ineffective because this ‘big picture’ component was left out of the hwy. 1/cut rebuild and design.
A twinning of the bridge would also allow for an eventual rebuild of the Iron Workers structure, something that is coming no matter what.
For me, common sense says first things first, do what should have been done, additional deck space is needed now!
Fully agree.
lol. The ndp really will say anything & everything in their desperate attempts to get re-elected. Translink just said that they will be suffering a $600million deficit & service will have to be drastically cut back. You can’t make this stuff up. The ndp have had 7 years to fix the transportation issues and now, facing an election that is too close to call, they are promising the moon. 🤦♂️
We are ALL prisoners of a poor transit system on the North Shore. And, when the Mators’ Council meets, the Minutes never show any discussion re the North Shore. We know solutions are hard and long in fulfilling. Let’s see a comprehensive plan in 2025 and implemented 2026 at the latest. We have all had enough!
These sort of pie-in-the-sky ideas are floated every few years, usually by politicians who are not engineers.
Where would a new crossing go? There are only two narrows in the harbour, for good reason. Anyone take a depth map of it? Burrard Inlet is a fjord, and that depth makes it great for ships, but not a great for building anything across the middle, either above or below. The right of ways need to be protected for a future replacement of both bridges, but developers are also trying to crowd that space (By the way, it’s Squamish land, so whatever happens, they have a veto.) If you want a chill down your spine, go back into the archives of the LGB refurbishment or replacement decision in the 1990’s and see how hard a task replacing / upgrading the smaller bridge actually is. If you want nightmares, imagine what the North Shore will be like when (not if) they finally replace the Ironworkers bridge. Whatever people might wish, they will have to bow to the geographic and engineering realities of building around a deep & busy harbour with only two natural narrows.