TransLink unveils first 3 planned new Bus Rapid Transit routes.

TransLink has announced a trio of new routes that will anchor the planned next phase of its rapid transit expansion in the Lower Mainland.

The proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes will use higher-capacity buses that use traffic signal priority and off-board fare collection to further speed up travel.

“Bus Rapid Transit is the best possible bus service, rapid transit with traffic separated bus lanes, high frequencies and rail-like stations for boarding,” TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn said, calling the plan a transit “game-changer.”

Each of the three routes announced Thursday will link communities to existing or planned SkyTrain lines. They include:

• King George Boulevard from Surrey Centre to White Rock
• Langley Centre to Haney Place (Maple Ridge)
• Metrotown (Burnaby) to North Shore (West Vancouver)

The King George Boulevard route will connect the Surrey Central SkyTrain station to Guildford, Surrey Memorial Hospital, Bear Creek Park, Newton Centre, South Surrey Park & Ride and Semiahmoo Centre.

The Langley-Haney Place route will connect Langley Centre and the Haney Place Exchange in Maple Ridge via 200th Street, the Golden Ears Bridge and Lougheed Highway.

The Metrotown-North Shore route will connect a variety of key locations including Park Royal, Capilano Mall, Lower Lonsdale, Lower Lynn, Burnaby Heights, Brentwood, BCIT and Metrotown.

Quinn said with the new routes announced, TransLink will immediately begin planning work to flesh out the proposals.

Specific alignment, designs, costs and timelines associated with the routes have yet to be determined.



TransLink is bullish on the BRT model, in part because of its low capital cost compared with SkyTrain or light rail, and the fact routes can be built in as little as two to four years. The regional transportation and transit agency hopes to roll out nine such routes in the next decade as a part of its Access for Everyone plan — which currently remains unfunded.