TransLink is now Canada's first public transit system with braille signs for all bus stops
Over 8,400 bus stops across Metro Vancouver now have braille signs to provide individuals who are blind or partially sighted with pertinent public transit information.
TransLink announced this week it has finally completed the installation project, which first began in late 2021.
These additional signs attached to bus stop posts provide information written in both United English Braille and raised tactile letters, with specific details on the bus stop ID numbers, bus routes serving that bus stop, bay or bus stop indicators, and the customer information phone number.
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According to TransLink, it is now the first public transit system in Canada to provide braille signs for all bus stops.
Additionally, for added assistance and safety, TransLink has installed tactile walking surface indicators at bus stops on property it owns or leases, such as bus exchanges.
“A great transit system is one that’s accessible for everyone,” said TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn in a statement. “We’re proud to have worked with our partners to be the first to deliver braille signage and tactile walking surface indicators to help all our customers get to their destination.”
Braille sign at a bus stop. (TransLink)
When TransLink first announced the braille sign and tactile indicator project in 2019, the cost of the installation was pegged at $7 million.
TransLink has also been expanding the use of real-time, text-to-audio, next-bus technology at bus stops, including all RapidBus stops across the region and every stop at the UBC bus exchange.
Earlier this year, it tested the new use of NaviLens, a smartphone app-based tool, for providing passengers with navigational audio and sensory cues to identify their bus stop and the exact point of pick-up.