$31 million expansion for TransLink's Port Coquitlam bus depot

TransLInk's Port Coquitlam Transit Centre. (Google Maps)

New funding from the federal government will enable the long-planned expansion of TransLink’s Port Coquitlam Transit Centre to proceed.

This week, the federal government announced $13 million in funding towards the $31.2 million project, with TransLink covering the remainder of $18.2 million.

This bus depot for storing and maintaining hundreds of TransLink buses is located immediately east of downtown Port Coquitlam — wedged between the new Port Coquitlam Community Centre and the Canadian Pacific railyard.

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“This transit centre will be a modern facility for bus operators and accommodate additional buses that is required to meet the growing demands on our transportation infrastructure. I am thrilled that it is here in our city and look forward to the many positive benefits it will bring,” said Brad West, who is the Chair of TransLink’s Mayors’ Council and the Mayor of Port Coquitlam, in a statement.

The project will expand the facility’s capacity to operate and maintain a larger and more diverse bus fleet, including double-decker buses and the expansion of battery-electric buses. This particular facility will be one of TransLink’s initial major facilities for maintaining and charging battery-electric buses.

Specific improvements under the current project include a new building for administration, training, and parts storage, and the redevelopment of a portion of the existing storage surface parking lot into a new maintenance area for double-decker buses, standard 40-ft buses, and 60-ft articulated buses.

The former paint booth will be converted into several service spaces, including two platform bays for standard and future battery-electric buses, a tire bay, and a shuttle bay.

Additionally, the existing open-air bus washer will be replaced with a new enclosed cleaning bay and crew building.

Other improvements will be made to the fuelling station, parking layout, and utilities and mechanical equipment to accommodate future fleet expansion.

translink port coquitlam transit centre bus depot 2

TransLInk’s Port Coquitlam Transit Centre. (Google Maps)

“This funding will help modernize the existing facility to accommodate infrastructure that is in tune with TransLink’s planning for the future,” said TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn.

“As our region and its needs grow, TransLink has to constantly innovate and expand to meet this demand. The newly renovated Port Coquitlam Transit Centre will be a fine addition to TransLink’s existing infrastructure and we thank the federal Government for making this a possibility.”

Earlier this week, the Mayors’ Council approved the first phase of TransLink’s expansion plan over the coming years, including $1.4 billion for expanded bus depots. This includes the expansion of existing bus depots, and the acquisition of new significant tracts of land and the construction cost for building new additional bus depots.

The first of the new additional bus depot projects will be the Marpole Transit Centre dedicated for 300 battery-electric buses, which will be located next to the Canada Line bridge in South Vancouver. This project, which has been repeatedly delayed, is now expected to cost $300 million by the time it opens in 2027.

This added bus depot capacity is needed in order to accomplish the doubling of bus services across the region over 10 years, including the new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes, and make a major initial transition towards a battery-electric bus fleet.

TransLink estimates bus depot capacity needs to increase by nearly 90% or an increase of 2,000 additional bus spaces by 2035. Currently, TransLink has a bus fleet size of over 1,500 vehicles.

marpole transit centre vancouver translink electric battery bus

Artistic rendering of the future Marpole Transit Centre for battery-electric buses, located next to the Canada Line bridge in South Vancouver. (TransLink)

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