British Columbia

TransLink proposes new bus routes for new year

With ridership on the rise, TransLink is proposing two new bus routes from Metrotown to the North Shore and Vancouver's River District.

Routes connect Metrotown to North Vancouver and River District

Ridership on the proposed new bus routes could begin as early as next year. (Maggie MacPherson/CBC)

With ridership on the rise, TransLink is proposing two new bus routes from Metrotown to the North Shore and Vancouver's River District.

"In a region experiencing unprecedented ridership growth and expecting to grow by more than a million people in the next 30 years — the needs of our customers are changing rapidly. This is a great opportunity for us to better serve our customers," TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond said in a statement.

TransLink reported record ridership in 2018 with 52 of its routes experiencing consistent overcrowding, up by 37 per cent.

The need for extra connectivity to North Vancouver and the River District was identified in TransLink's Transit Network Review in April.

If approved, the new services could start running as early as next year.

One of the proposed routes would run from Phibbs Exchange on the North Shore to Metrotown. This would be a limited-stop express service along Willingdon Avenue, connecting North Vancouver to the SkyTrain and hubs like Brentwood Station and BCIT.

A proposed bus route from TransLink would have limited stops to offer quicker trips from North Vancouver to Metrotown in Burnaby, B.C.

The second new service would connect Metrotown's Expo Line Station and the East Fraser Lands (River District).

A proposed bus route from TransLink would connect commuters in south Vancouver to the Expo Line station in Burnaby, B.C.

TransLink is asking for feedback on the proposed new routes until November 11.

The feedback survey can be found at translink.ca/networkreview.

There will also be an information session held Wednesday, Nov. 6 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the River District Neighbourhood Centre located at 8683 Kerr Street.