Opinion: Senakw RapidBus needed from Arbutus Station to downtown Vancouver

Opinion: RapidBus route needed from Arbutus Station to downtown Vancouver to serve Senakw

Artistic rendering of Senakw and the Burrard Street Bridge's new bus station. (Revery Architecture/Squamish Nation/Westbank)

In a decade from now, all 11 towers of the Senakw project will fully rise and take prominence in Vancouver’s landscape, creating a new urban node at the south end of the Burrard Street Bridge.

The landmark development will generate over 6,000 secured purpose-built rental homes to accommodate as many as 9,000 residents — all within a highly concentrated area on Squamish Nation’s reserve anchored around the bridge and at the water’s edge. Senakw’s potential total population will be equivalent to about 20% of the entirety of the West End neighbourhood’s population.

Odds are there will be high occupancy rates in these buildings, given that extraordinary structural housing affordability issues are putting the rental housing market into overdrive. Rental housing is increasingly the only housing option within the realm of affordability for a growing proportion of residents.

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Senakw’s overall unit size mix is 2,688 studios, 2,046 one-bedroom units, 874 two-bedroom units, and 472 three-bedroom units. Roughly 4,800 units will be set aside as market rental homes, while the remainder of approximately 1,200 units will be below-market units. Based on the expected range of rents and unit sizes, it is almost certain that these rental homes will help fill the dire housing needs of post-secondary students, young working professionals, and young families.

The transportation demand at the south end of the bridge will steadily grow in incremental surges, with each of the four phases generating roughly 1,500 rental homes, including about 300 below-market rental units in each phase. The first phase under construction on the west side of the bridge will reach completion in 2025/2026, and this will be followed soon after by the completion of the second phase in 2027/2028, the third phase in 2029/2030, and the fourth phase in 2032/2033.

senakw squamish nation vancouver september 2022

September 2022 artistic rendering of the refined detailed design of Senakw: perspective looking east. (Revery Architecture/Kasian/Tandem Studios/Squamish Nation)

September 2022 artistic rendering of the refined detailed design of Senakw: perspective looking northwest from Granville Street near West 4th Avenue. (Revery Architecture/Kasian/Tandem Studios/Squamish Nation)

September 2022 artistic rendering of the refined detailed design of Senakw: perspective looking south from the North False Creek seawall. (Revery Architecture/Kasian/Tandem Studios/Squamish Nation)

But Senakw’s population critical mass paints a part of the picture of the transportation demand that can be expected. Perhaps more important is the type of transportation demand from a project that will provide just under 900 vehicle parking stalls for all residential and commercial uses, reinforcing a very car-light neighbourhood — effectively greatly increasing the likelihood that residents and workers will largely depend on alternative modes of transportation.

Under the Services Agreement supporting Senakw between the Squamish Nation and the City of Vancouver, it is noted that the First Nation has committed to funding a range of major on-site transportation infrastructure improvements.

Senakw will expand the area’s bike lane network by building new bike lane routes and improving the City’s existing routes. This includes building pedestrian and cyclist pathways on both sides of the bridge to provide a direct, seamless active transportation connection between Senakw and the bridge’s existing pedestrian and cyclist pathways.

This will, ambitiously, increase the utility of Senakw’s vast on-site secured bike parkade facilities — the underground levels will contain nearly 4,500 bike parking spaces.

Adjacent to the new pathways linking to the bridge from Senakw’s ground level, the southern end of the bridge deck will be widened on both sides to accommodate space for a special TransLink bus stop, with artistic renderings showing a large bus shelter structure and a long pull-over bus lane to maintain two general vehicle traffic lanes in each direction. This BRT-like bus station will be long enough to accommodate multiple 60 ft, three-door articulated buses.

Site plan of Senakw, with the bus transit hub on the Burrard Bridge highlighted. (Revery Architecture/Westbank/Squamish Nation)

Artistic rendering of Senakw’s bus transit hub on the Burrard Street Bridge. (Revery Architecture/Westbank/Squamish Nation)

While the capital investments towards public transit infrastructure improvements have been noted, there is little public information on the potential new and improved services that will serve the newly created infrastructure.

As part of its 10-year priorities for service expansion and improvements, TransLink has indicated it is hoping to invest $118 million between 2026 and 2033 in increasing services reaching First Nations reserves across Metro Vancouver. The exact types of potential service improvements are unclear at this time.

“TransLink is working with Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and the City of Vancouver to ensure that the Sen̓áḵw development is served well by transit and connected to the regional transportation system,” a TransLink spokesperson told Daily Hive Urbanized upon inquiry.

“TransLink will continue working with both local governments as well as senior government to help fund service expansions like this one through the 10-year Access for Everyone Plan.”

It is important to ensure adequate bus services are ready as Senakw-induced ridership demand grows and to avoid repeating the delays that were experienced with the River District in the East Fraserlands, which did not see its first direct bus route until 2020. New and/or improved services would also see ridership from Concord Pacific’s adjacent redevelopment of the former Molson Coors brewery and the area’s densification as a direct result of the Broadway Plan.

There are some permutations of new and/or improved bus services that we think should be contemplated to help serve Senakw. Here are some ideas:

1. New RapidBus route from Arbutus Station to downtown

TransLink should consider creating a new RapidBus route between SkyTrain’s future Arbutus Station and downtown Vancouver via the Burrard Street Bridge, which would effectively directly serve Senakw.

But a challenge with having the RapidBus route terminate at Arbutus Station is its limited space for bus movements and layovers, especially with the subway station set to become the new easternmost terminus of the truncated 99 B-Line route starting in 2026 when the Millennium Line extension opens. Arbutus Station’s bus exchange serving the 99 B-Line will already be on the smaller side for the expected demand.

R5 Hastings RapidBus buses parked outside Burrard Station in downtown Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Such a RapidBus route could potentially even have its southernmost terminus located further south along Arbutus Street within Kerrisdale at West 41st Avenue to enable a connection to the existing R4 41st Avenue RapidBus.

Another alternative is to have the RapidBus terminus located at SkyTrain’s future South Granville Station (West Broadway and Granville Street).

And as a further alternative to such an option, such a route could potentially be established as a regular, frequent local bus route instead of a RapidBus route.

arbutus station skytrain broadway extension

Artistic rendering of the SkyTrain Arbutus Station design concept, including the bus exchange for the 99 B-Line. (Government of BC)

2. Increase the existing No. 2 bus route’s frequency

A potential simpler solution is to improve the existing No. 2 local bus route, which currently runs between Dunbar Loop and SkyTrain Burrard Station via West 41st Avenue, Macdonald Street, Cornwall Avenue, and Burrard Street Bridge.

The No. 2 is already TransLink’s 14th busiest bus route (out of over 200 bus routes across the region), with about 3.2 million boardings recorded in 2022. It averaged about 9,500 boardings on weekdays, 8,100 on Saturdays, and 6,100 on Sundays/holidays.

To increase capacity, this bus route could see its frequencies increased and the usage of the longer 60 ft, three-door articulated buses.

If the Millennium Line is further extended westward to the University of British Columbia (UBC) in the early 2030s, the No. 2 will connect with the Millennium Line via its stop at the future Macdonald Station (Macdonald Street and West Broadway).

No. 2 Macdonald/Downtown bus route. (TransLink)

3. Expand the existing No. 44 express bus

Currently, the No. 44 express bus between UBC and downtown Vancouver via West 4th Avenue and Burrard Street Bridge is a weekday-only service aligned with when students are expected to be on campus. Starting last month, it makes a handful of trips to/from West Vancouver during peak hours in the peak direction.

Maintaining the existing use of the 60 ft, three-door articulated buses, the No. 44 could potentially be upgraded to help serve Senakw, with higher frequencies, extended weekday operating hours, and the introduction of weekend service.

But the continued existence of the No. 44 over the longer term is uncertain, with the Millennium Line extension reaching Arbutus in 2026 and UBC in the 2030s.

It should also be noted that the truncated route of the 99 B-Line ending at Arbutus Station starting in 2026 will be discontinued when the UBC SkyTrain extension opens in the early 2030s. As an alternative interim measure to serve Senakw, the 99 B-Line could potentially run east beyond Arbutus Station and then along Burrard Street towards downtown Vancouver in order to serve Senakw, until it is rerouted or entirely discontinued upon the opening of UBC SkyTrain.

The existing No. 84 express bus between UBC and SkyTrain VCC-Clark Station — running along Great Northern Way and 2nd/6th/4th avenues — is also likely to be discontinued in 2026 upon the opening of the Millennium Line extension reaching Arbutus.

44 express bus ubc west vancouver route translink

Route of the No. 44 express bus’ select trips between UBC and Dundarave in West Vancouver via Burrard Station. (TransLink)

4. Improve the existing No. 50 local bus

The existing No. 50 local bus route runs between Waterfront Station and SkyTrain Olympic Village Station via the Granville Street Bridge and False Creek South’s local streets. It is the primary bus route serving Granville Island.

The closest No. 2 bus stop to Senakw is located at the intersection of West 2nd Avenue and Fir Street, which is about one block away from Senakw’s easternmost edge. This is a less convenient/direct route serving Senakw, and it does not make use of the major investment in building a bus station on the Burrard Street Bridge.

Alternatively, a new additional bus route could be created to directly serve Senakw, with the route overlapping with a portion of the No. 50. Such a new bus route could start at Burrard Station and end at Olympic Village Station — via Burrard Street Bridge and West 2nd Avenue, before continuing on the same path taken by No. 50 towards Olympic Village Station. This would also provide more ways to reach Granville Island and help reduce the attraction’s reliance on car transport for accessibility.

Within the Services Agreement, the Squamish Nation has set aside a small parcel of land on the easternmost edge of the reserve for a station of the potential future City-spearheaded streetcar line to directly serve Senakw. Additionally, under the terms of the agreement, they will fund and conduct a detailed feasibility study for a streetcar line before the completion of the first phase of Senakw. Such a streetcar line would run along the False Creek South railway right-of-way (reactivating the same route taken by the temporary Olympic Line streetcar) to at least reach Olympic Village Station — essentially replacing a segment of the existing No. 50 bus.

The Services Agreement also promises improved transportation by water.

At Senakw’s northernmost edge, a new passenger ferry (water taxi) stop will be constructed on the seawall, next to Cultural Harmony Grove or at an upgraded Burrard Civic Marina. It is assumed that such a ferry stop would be served by Aquabus and/or False Creek Ferries.

As well, the First Nation is also pursuing a future additional passenger ferry service between Senakw and the First Nation’s Mosquito Creek Marina — just west of Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver.

Artistic rendering of Senakw’s streetcar line station. (Revery Architecture/Westbank/Squamish Nation)

Artistic rendering of Senakw’s water taxi (passenger ferry) stop. (Revery Architecture/Westbank/Squamish Nation)

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