Maple Ridge plans transit-oriented development for future BRT line | Daily Hive

Maple Ridge planning transit-oriented development around future Bus Rapid Transit line

Lougheed Transit Corridor Area Plan. (City of Maple Ridge)

To better support the investments made by TransLink into one of Metro Vancouver’s first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines, the City of Maple Ridge is now looking to enable higher-density, transit-oriented development, including some high-rise tower development.

TransLink is proposing to build the Langley-Haney Place BRT, running north-south between Haney Place in Maple Ridge and SkyTrain Expo Line’s future Willowbrook Station in Langley Township via Lougheed Highway, Golden Ears Bridge, and 200 Street.

You might also like:

For the segment of this BRT that runs within Maple Ridge, the municipal government is currently in the process of creating major updates to the Lougheed Transit Corridor Area Plan (LTCAP), which spans 3.5 sq. km — an area generally framed by Wicklund Avenue to the north, 221 Street to the east, River Road to the south, and West Street to the west, which is the border of the Maple Ridge Town Centre Area Plan.

The BRT route and its four stops along Lougheed Highway will be used as the backbone for this new transit-oriented development densification, with stops at 203 Street, 207 Street, Laity Street, and 216 Street.

Currently, the area has strip malls, low-density residential uses, and vacant lots.

BRT’s 203 Street stop would see a higher density of offices, retail/restaurant uses, and other business spaces, such as light industrial units.

The stop at 207 Street would be the highest-density area of the entire plan, where high-rise residential towers and a mix of commercial and community uses would be permitted.

Laity Street stop would see uses that complement its adjacency to Ridge Meadows Hospital, with new uses such as commercial, medical clinics, care facilities, and apartment buildings, while 216 Street stop would see its area turned into an urban village with apartment buildings and a mix of commercial and community uses.

Lougheed Transit Corridor Area Plan Maple Ridge

Lougheed Transit Corridor Area Plan. (City of Maple Ridge)

Approximately 25 per cent of the area plan is designated for residential apartments, which also include mixed-use developments with commercial uses and/or childcare on the ground floor. Nearly half of the areas are intended for small-scale multi-unit housing or townhouses.

To create the new LTCAP, the municipal government has been working closely with TransLink and the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Transit to determine how this area plan can be aligned with the new BRT.

There will also be new pedestrian-friendly streets and enhanced greenways for walking and cycling.

“This is one of the most significant redevelopment projects in Maple Ridge’s history,” said Maple Ridge Mayor Dan Ruimy in a statement.

“Lougheed Highway is poised to become a major destination locally and regionally, bringing new housing, shopping, jobs, and infrastructure investments to support our growing community. This plan reflects what we’ve heard from residents — the need for more services, better transit options, and a shift towards a more connected and walkable city. We want the community to be part of this exciting journey and help define what this area will look like for generations to come.”

Haney Place stop, the northernmost terminus of the new BRT line, is within the separate area plan of the Maple Ridge Town Centre Area Plan, where roughly 50 per cent of the city’s population growth has occurred over the past two decades.

In addition to the new BRT to Langley, this segment of Lougheed Highway within the LTCAP will continue to be served by the existing R3 Lougheed Highway RapidBus between SkyTrain’s Coquitlam Central Station and Haney Place.

In 2023, according to TransLink’s latest annual statistics, the R3 saw a total of one million boardings, representing a 25 per cent year-over-year increase in ridership. It had averages of 3,000 boardings per weekday, 2,400 per Saturday, and 1,900 per Sunday/holiday. Among all six RapidBus routes, the R3 currently sees the least ridership.

Similarly, the Township of Langley is also planning to densify the 200 Street corridor to support BRT and potential future rail rapid transit over the long term.

Proposed preliminary concept for TransLink’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines. (TransLink)

In January 2025, TransLink indicated that after funding is secured, BRT construction can be completed within five years.

BRT combines the RapidBus/B-Line express concept with extensive physically separated bus-only lanes, traffic signal priority measures, and other bus priority measures, as well as special bus stops that resemble Light Rail Transit-like train stations with added passenger amenities and features.

The entire Langley-Haney Place BRT spans a 22-km-long route with 13 stops.

The other BRT project proposed by TransLink is the King George Boulevard BRT in Surrey, running a 19 km route with 12 stops between SkyTrain’s Surrey Central Station and Semiahmoo Town Centre.

TransLink is also considering converting the R2 Marine Drive RapidBus on the North Shore into BRT. In the meantime, it is planning a near-term extension of the R2 from its current eastern terminus to reach SkyTrain’s Brentwood Town Centre and Metrotown stations via the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge and Willingdon Avenue.

With the King George Boulevard BRT and Langley-Haney Place BRT, TransLink expects passengers will see travel time reductions of over 20 minutes in each direction, bringing end-to-end travel times down to about 40 minutes on average.

It was previously estimated that the first BRT routes could each cost between $250 million and $300 million.

translink brt bus rapid transit route map king george boulevard langley haney place

Proposed route map for King George Boulevard BRT and Langley-Haney Place BRT. (TransLink)

You might also like: