RapidBus (TransLink)

Express bus service in Metro Vancouver, Canada

RapidBus

Overview
System| TransLink
Operator| Coast Mountain Bus Company
Began service| January 6, 2020[1]
Routes| 5 (1 under construction)
Stops| 63

RapidBus is an express bus network with bus rapid transit elements in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

## History[edit]

On November 23, 2016, the Mayors' Council and TransLink's board of directors approved the first phase of the 10-Year Vision, which included provisions for new B-Line routes (later rebranded as RapidBus) which began service in January 2020.[2] In July 2019, TransLink announced that all future B-Line routes would officially be launched under new "RapidBus" branding and that the 95 and 96 B-Lines would also transition to that branding, leaving route 99 as the only remaining B-Line.[3] The first wave of routes using the RapidBus branding - consisting of the R1 King George Blvd (the former 96 B-Line), the new R3 Lougheed Hwy, the new R4 41st Ave (replacing the 43 express service along 41st Avenue), and the R5 Hastings St (the former 95 B-Line) - launched on January 6, 2020.[4][1] The R2 Marine Dr launched on April 6, 2020, after construction delays, replacing the former 239.[5]

## Features[edit]

Bus stop with real-time arrival information near Waterfront station

* All-door boarding
* Shelters and benches at stops
* Tactile pads
* Real-time information
* Information panels at stops
* On-board route diagrams
* Transit priority measures on streets to improve travel times
* Custom exterior bus livery

## RapidBus routes[edit]

### Phase 1[edit]

Route  | Launch date  | Termini  | Connections  | Stops

|
|
|
|

R1 King George Blvd | September 2, 2013 (as 96 B-Line)  | Guildford Exchange | Newton Exchange |

* Newton Exchange
* Surrey Central
* King George
* Guildford Exchange

| 12
R2 Marine Dr | April 6, 2020[5] | Park Royal Exchange | Phibbs Exchange |

* Park Royal Shopping Centre
* Lonsdale Quay
* Phibbs Exchange

| 10
R3 Lougheed Hwy | January 6, 2020  | Coquitlam Central station | Haney Place Exchange |

* Coquitlam Central
* Haney Place

| 8
R4 41st Ave | September 4, 2000 (as 43)  | UBC Exchange | Joyce–Collingwood station |

* Joyce–Collingwood
* Oakridge–41st Avenue
* Dunbar Loop
* UBC Exchange

| 17
R5 Hastings St | December 19, 2016 (as 95 B-Line)  | Burrard station | SFU Exchange |

* Burrard
* Waterfront
* Kootenay Loop
* SFU Exchange

| 16

### Future phases[edit]

Route  | Launch date  | Termini  | Connections  | Stops

|
|
|
|

R6 Scott Road | Early 2024[6] | Scott Road station | Newton Exchange |

* Scott Road
* Scottsdale Exchange
* Newton Exchange

| 13
Lions Gate  | 2024  | Stadium–Chinatown station | Lynn Valley Centre |

* Stadium–Chinatown
* Granville
* Vancouver City Centre
* Burrard
* Lonsdale Quay

Victoria Drive  | 2024  | Downtown  | Harrison Loop  |

* Commercial–Broadway

White Rock  | 2024  | Newton Exchange  | White Rock Centre |

* Newton Exchange
* South Surrey Park and Ride
* White Rock Centre

Coquitlam to Langley  | 2024  | Coquitlam Central station | Langley Centre |

* Coquitlam Central
* Maple Meadows
* Carvolth Exchange
* Langley Centre

R2 Metrotown to North Shore extension  | TBD  | Metrotown station | Park Royal Exchange |

* Park Royal Shopping Centre
* Lonsdale Quay
* Phibbs Exchange
* Brentwood Town Centre
* Metrotown

## Cancelled RapidBus routes[edit]

### Fraser Highway[edit]

Proposals for a Fraser Highway B-Line were made in 2018 along with what would become the Marine Drive, Lougheed Highway, and 41st Avenue RapidBus routes.[7] However, a decision was made in December of that year to cancel the proposed route (which would have been rebranded as RapidBus)[3] in favour of a revision of service on routes 502 and 503 in the short term, and an extension of the Expo Line from Surrey to Langley Centre in the long term.[8]

### R7 Richmond – Metrotown station[edit]

This line was cancelled in October 2023 following the rejection of a proposed route by Richmond's city council. The R7 route would have roughly followed the existing 430 route via Bridgeport Road, the Knight Street Bridge, and 49th Avenue.[9]

## Bus rapid transit lines[edit]

TransLink intends to implement 9 bus rapid transit (BRT) lines in the coming decade, including 3 that will be upgraded from RapidBus, contingent on funding from senior levels of government.[10] The lines will feature all-day frequent service with limited stops, near-continuous dedicated lanes and signal priority at major intersections, high-capacity buses with all-door boarding.[11] The lines will have "rail-like" stations with next-bus departure screens, transit maps and weather protection.[11]

### Future phases[edit]

Route  | Launch date  | Termini  | Connection  | Stops

|
|
|
|

King George Boulevard[12] | TBD  | Guildford Exchange | White Rock |

* Guilford Exchange
* Surrey Central
* Newton Exchange
* South Surrey Park and Ride
* White Rock Centre

Langley to Haney Place[12] | TBD  | Haney Place Exchange | Langley Centre |

* Haney Place Exchange
* Carvolth Exchange
* Langley Centre

## Possible BRT lines[edit]

### Metrotown to North Shore[edit]

On November 16, 2023, TransLink made an announcement detailing three priority rapid transit corridors, including the Metrotown to North Shore corridor. The announcement called for an "immediate" extension of the R2 RapidBus past Phibbs Exchange to Metrotown station, as well as the prioritization of a BRT line.[13] However, several sources, including a page on TransLink's website, state that BRT on this corridor is only a possibility and is not confirmed.[12]

## See also[edit]

* List of bus routes in Metro Vancouver

## External links[edit]

* TransLink

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b "RapidBus is Coming!". YouTube. TransLink. Archived from the original on September 14, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
2. ^ "Phase One of the 10-Year Vision Backgrounder" (PDF). tenyearvision.translink.ca. TransLink. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 1, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
3. ^ a b Saltman, Jennifer (July 24, 2019). "TransLink unveils new RapidBus service to replace B-Lines". The Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on June 30, 2021. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
4. ^ "RapidBus Program". translink.ca. TransLink. Archived from the original on July 24, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
5. ^ a b "R2: Marine Dr". translink.ca. TransLink. Archived from the original on February 8, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
6. ^ "R6 Scott Road RapidBus". TransLink.ca. TransLink. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
7. ^ "TransLink to add 4 new B-Line bus routes by end of 2019". CTV Vancouver. March 7, 2018. Archived from the original on March 7, 2018. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
8. ^ "Mayor's Council On Regional Transportation Public Meeting Agenda Revised: December 11, 2018" (PDF). TransLink. December 13, 2018. p. 83\. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2019. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
9. ^ Chan, Kenneth (October 16, 2023). "No BRT, no RapidBus: Richmond City Council rejects TransLink's proposed route to Metrotown". Daily Hive Vancouver. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
10. ^ Chan, Kenneth (April 20, 2022). "TransLink to double bus service, including 9 new Bus Rapid Transit lines | Urbanized". dailyhive.com. Archived from the original on April 20, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
11. ^ a b "BRT Attributes for Metro Vancouver" (PDF). Translink. November 16, 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 16, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2023. `{{cite web}}`: `|archive-date=` / `|archive-url=` timestamp mismatch (help)
12. ^ a b c "Bus Rapid Transit". www.translink.ca. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
13. ^ Announcing new rapid transit corridors 🚌, retrieved November 17, 2023

* v
* t
* e

TransLink services in Metro Vancouver

SkyTrain
History – Lines and stations – Rolling stock

Expo Line |

* Waterfront ■■■■
* Burrard ■
* Granville
* Stadium–Chinatown
* Main Street–Science World
* Commercial–Broadway ■■
* Nanaimo
* 29th Avenue
* Joyce–Collingwood ■
* Patterson
* Metrotown
* Royal Oak
* Edmonds
* 22nd Street
* New Westminster
* Columbia ■
* Scott Road
* Gateway
* Surrey Central ■
* King George ■

| Lougheed branch|

* Columbia ■
* Sapperton
* Braid
* Lougheed Town Centre ■
* Production Way–University ■

|

Millennium Line |

* VCC–Clark
* Commercial–Broadway ■■
* Renfrew
* Rupert
* Gilmore
* Brentwood Town Centre
* Holdom
* Sperling–Burnaby Lake
* Lake City Way
* Production Way–University ■
* Lougheed Town Centre ■
* Burquitlam
* Moody Centre ■
* Inlet Centre
* Coquitlam Central ■■
* Lincoln
* Lafarge Lake–Douglas

| Broadway extension (future)|

* Arbutus
* South Granville
* Oak–VGH
* Broadway–City Hall ■
* Mount Pleasant
* Great Northern Way–Emily Carr
* VCC–Clark

|

Canada Line |

* Waterfront ■■■■
* Vancouver City Centre
* Yaletown–Roundhouse
* Olympic Village
* Broadway–City Hall ■
* King Edward
* Oakridge–41st Avenue ■
* Langara–49th Avenue
* Marine Drive
* Bridgeport ■
* Capstan (future)
* Aberdeen
* Lansdowne
* Richmond–Brighouse

| Airport branch|

* Bridgeport ■
* Templeton
* Sea Island Centre
* YVR–Airport

|

Passenger ferry and commuter rail

SeaBus |

* Waterfront ■■■■
* Lonsdale Quay ■

West Coast Express |

* Waterfront ■■■■
* Moody Centre ■
* Coquitlam Central ■■
* Port Coquitlam
* Pitt Meadows
* Maple Meadows
* Port Haney
* Mission City

Bus routes and transit exchanges

B-Line |

* 99 B-Line

RapidBus |

* R1 King George Blvd
* R2 Marine Dr
* R3 Lougheed Hwy
* R4 41st Ave
* R5 Hastings St
* R6 Scott Road (future)

Exchanges|

* Blanca Loop
* Capilano University Exchange
* Carvolth Exchange
* Dunbar Loop
* Guildford Exchange
* Haney Place Exchange
* Kootenay Loop
* Ladner Exchange
* Langley Centre
* Lonsdale Quay
* Marpole Loop
* Newton Exchange
* Park Royal Exchange
* Phibbs Exchange
* Scottsdale Exchange
* SFU Exchange
* South Delta Exchange
* South Surrey Park and Ride
* Stanley Park Loop
* Steveston Exchange
* UBC Exchange
* White Rock Centre

General|

* Coast Mountain Bus Company
* Trolley buses in Vancouver
* West Vancouver Municipal Transit

Former|

| B-Line|

* 97 B-Line
* 98 B-Line

|

Exchanges|

* Airport Station
* Matthews Exchange

Miscellaneous

Cycling|

* BC Parkway
* Central Valley Greenway

Fares|

* Compass card
* U-Pass BC

Other|

* Metro Vancouver Transit Police
* Surrey LRT

* Stations ordered inbound → outbound
* ■■■■■■■ indicate connections
* Future stations or routes italicized

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template