North Shore commuters will soon have a one-seat ride to Metrotown — and sooner than expected.
TransLink announced this week that it is fast-tracking the extension of the R2 RapidBus route to Metrotown Station, with service set to launch in September, more than three months ahead of the original schedule. The expanded route will run from Park Royal on the North Shore through Vancouver and into Burnaby, linking some of the region’s busiest destinations along a single line.
The extended R2, to be branded the Marine–Willingdon RapidBus, will travel via Hastings Street and Willingdon Avenue, stopping at key points including Lonsdale Quay, Phibbs Exchange, Burnaby Heights, Hastings Park, and the PNE, BCIT’s Burnaby Campus, and Brentwood Town Centre before terminating at Metrotown.
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According to the press release, more than 14,000 transit trips are made daily between Phibbs Exchange and Metrotown, and the current R2 already records over 1.9 million boardings per year.
The most significant change for riders is that there will be no more transfers. Passengers travelling between Park Royal and Metrotown currently have to change buses at Phibbs Exchange. The extended route eliminates that requirement.
Service frequency will also improve, with buses arriving every six to seven minutes during peak periods. TransLink will deploy larger 60-foot buses on the corridor to add capacity and ease overcrowding.
To make way for the new service, the #222 Willingdon Express — which currently runs only on weekday peak hours between Phibbs Exchange and Metrotown — will be discontinued in September. Route 130 will continue providing local service, with most trips ending at Kootenay Loop.
Construction on stop upgrades begins at the end of April and runs through the summer. According to the press release, 14 existing bus stops will be modified, two additional shelters will be built, and three new stops will be added in Burnaby to improve accessibility.
TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn said the extension addresses a corridor where demand is clear. “Extending the R2 to Metrotown will give customers a more direct trip, more service throughout the day, and more room on board where it’s needed,” he said.
The project was funded through TransLink’s 2025 Investment Plan and developed in collaboration with the municipalities of West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Vancouver, and Burnaby, along with the Musqueam Indian Band, Squamish Nation, and Tsleil-Waututh Nation.
According to the press release, planning for future Bus Rapid Transit infrastructure along this corridor will continue, though no final route decision has been made.
