RapidBus service for North Shore begins in January next year

TransLink’s new RapidBus service for North Shore and other Metro Vancouver communities will launch in January next year.

The five bus routes that commuters can catch at least every ten minutes during peak times are: 

R1: King George Boulevard (Guildford Town Centre to Newton Exchange) – upgraded 96 B-Line

R2: Marine Drive (Park Royal to Phibbs Exchange)

R3: Lougheed Highway (Coquitlam Central Station to Haney Place)

R4: 41st Avenue (UBC to Joyce–Collingwood Station)

R5: Hastings (SFU to Burrard Station) – upgraded 95 B-Line

TransLink has made the buses predominantly green with a dash of blue to make them easily recognisable. The transit agency will add two additional routes serving  Surrey, Delta and Richmond in 2021, with five more routes planned for later.

Once in service, the five routes will have the combined capacity to move 12,000 customers per hour during rush hour. Building on the successful elements of the B-Line, the new service will be faster, more frequent, more convenient and more comfortable, TransLink said.

RapidBus routes will be up to 20 per cent faster than local bus service because of priority measures including bus-only lanes, signal priority, queue jumps at intersections, fewer stops and all-door boarding.

Customers can also expect Real-time next-bus digital signage,  voice activated information, sheltered stops, and larger, articulated hybrid buses.

Meanwhile, TransLink will be doing away with the “B-Line” moniker except for Vancouver’s 99 B-Line up, which will not be retired until the opening of the Broadway Subway in 2025.

Patrick Stafford-Smith, CEO, North Vancouver Chamber, said the chamber is excited at the prospect of new transit that is rapid, frequent, reliable and accessible – bringing both employees and customers closer to our front doors.

“RapidBus will deliver greater transportation certainty and provide the backbone we need to support North Vancouver’s economic strength,” he said.