TRANSLINK on Monday delivered a major new regional transit connection three months ahead of schedule and under budget, with the launching of the R2 RapidBus extension to Metrotown.
The new R2 Marine–Willingdon RapidBus has been extended from Phibbs Exchange to Metrotown Station, via Hastings Street and Willingdon Avenue. The new route connects customers to a corridor that provides access to approximately 98,000 jobs, as well as major post-secondary institutions, town centres, shopping areas, and two SkyTrain lines.
More than 14,000 transit trips are made each weekday between Phibbs Exchange and Metrotown, showing strong demand for travel along this corridor. The new route will serve key destinations, including Park Royal, Capilano Mall, Lower Lonsdale, Lower Lynn Valley, Burnaby Heights, Brentwood Town Centre, BCIT, and Metrotown — while providing connections to SkyTrain’s Expo and Millennium lines.
The R2 RapidBus was already carrying more than 1.9 million boardings each year. Extending the route to Metrotown:
- Creates a direct connection between Park Royal and Metrotown, eliminating the need to transfer at Phibbs Exchange.
- Provides frequent, all-day service seven days a week, including buses every six to seven minutes during peak periods.
- Adds capacity along the corridor with 60-foot buses, offering approximately 50 per cent more room than standard buses.
- Improves access to major employment, education, shopping, and transit hubs across three municipalities.
Fourteen bus stops have been upgraded to accommodate larger buses and improve accessibility, including the addition of tactile walking surface indicators and accessible loading areas. Nine new Bus Passenger Information Displays (BPIDs) have been installed, providing real-time information and text-to-speech functionality for customers. Eight new stops have also been added along the route, with two new bus shelters in Burnaby.
The new R2 service replaces the #222 Willingdon Express between Phibbs Exchange and Metrotown. Unlike the #222, the R2 will provide all-day service, seven days a week, with more capacity to help address crowding along the corridor.
Route 130 will continue to provide local service, with most trips terminating at Kootenay Loop. The R2 extension does not include changes to bus priority or HOV lanes in Burnaby.
To coincide with the R2 extension, #245 service is also being increased this fall to improve transit for Capilano University students.
Launching the R2 extension ahead of schedule — and under budget — is part of TransLink’s work to deliver service funded through the 2025 Investment Plan quickly and responsibly, providing more capacity and better connections as Metro Vancouver’s population and economy continue to grow.
TransLink says this R2 extension reflects a shared commitment, made possible with support and collaboration from the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation, the City of Burnaby, the District of North Vancouver, the city of North Vancouver, the District of West Vancouver, the City of Vancouver, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam Indian Band), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation), and the Province of British Columbia.
Planning will also continue for future Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), and other possible rapid transit improvements in this part of the region. A decision on the final route option for BRT in Vancouver and Burnaby will be made in 2027.
Kevin Quinn, CEO of TransLink, said: “People rely on transit every day to get to work, school, and where they need to go. Delivering the R2 extension three months early means customers will have more direct connection across one of Metro Vancouver’s busiest corridors sooner. The extended route will connect people to nearly 100,000 jobs and key destinations across the North Shore, Vancouver, and Burnaby, demonstrating the impact we can have when we invest in better transit connections.”
Bowinn Ma, MLA for North Vancouver–Lonsdale on behalf of Mike Farnworth, Minister of Transportation and Transit, said: “The extended R2 RapidBus service provides a one-seat link between the North Shore and the SkyTrain network, giving people in North and West Vancouver a direct transit connection to the broader region. Frequent, comfortable service means more people can choose transit, taking pressure off some of the busiest routes on the North Shore. Delivering it ahead of schedule shows what’s possible when partners invest in transit together. This is a huge step forward, and there’s more to come.”
