TransLink to increase bus services at the start of summer
Seasonal changes to Metro Vancouver’s public transit bus services are just around the corner.
TransLink states added seasonal service will begin starting on June 21, 2021, targeting routes that serve popular warm-weather locations.
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In total, 11 bus routes reaching beaches, lakes, and parks will see more service, including routes to Stanley Park, White Pine Beach, Buntzen Lake, Rocky Point Park, and Lions Bay.
Notable increases include frequencies of five to seven minutes on No. 19 Stanley Park/Metrotown between 10 am and 9 pm every weekday, and the service hour extension of Route 262 Lions Bay/Caulfield to 11:30 pm instead of 7 pm. Three bus routes starting from SkyTrain’s Coquitlam Central and Moody Centre stations that serve major municipal and regional parks in the Tri-Cities will see their frequencies doubled.
Here is the full list of routes that will see service improvements:
- 2 Macdonald/Downtown
- 5 Robson/Downtown
- 6 Davie/Downtown
- 15 Cambie/Olympic Village Station
- 19 Metrotown Station/Stanley Park
- 50 Waterfront Station/False Creek South
- 150 White Pine Beach/Coquitlam Central Station
- 179 Coquitlam Central Station/Buntzen Lake
- 182 Moody Centre Station/Belcarra
- 211 Seymour/Phibbs Exchange/Burrard Station
- 262 Lions Bay/Caulfield
For a full description of the service changes, click here.
Transit fares are also scheduled to increase on July 1, 2021, the first annual increase in two years after the 2020 increase was cancelled due to COVID-19.
According to TransLink, transit services are already operating near pre-pandemic levels.
Due to the pandemic, ridership on TransLink has been consistently hovering at about 40% of normal volumes since early last fall. The recovery in bus ridership has been particularly stronger than other modes.
Ridership is expected to soar over the coming months from peak travel activity, the continued relaxation of health and travel restrictions, heightened vaccination rates, the trending lower coronavirus positive case count, the expected gradual return of workers to offices, and the restart of full in-class instruction at post-secondary campuses starting in September.
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