Vancouver partnering with TransLink for bus-priority measures on corridors with worst bus delays

THE City of Vancouver said on Thursday it is taking additional steps to keep the city moving during the region’s economic recovery. Following several successful road-reallocation initiatives aimed at supporting residents and businesses during the pandemic, the City is partnering with TransLink to pilot bus-priority measures on corridors with the worst bus delays.

“It’s critical people have efficient options for getting around the city as the economy recovers,” said Lon LaClaire, General Manager of Engineering Services. “These measures will help ensure transit remains a good option for the tens of thousands of people who use Vancouver buses every day to get to their jobs and to access businesses and essential services. By ensuring transit remains a reliable option, we can better manage road congestion at a time when supporting the movement of people and goods has never been more important.”  

This fall, with funding from TransLink, bus-priority measures will be implemented on four key corridors that have had some of the region’s worst bus delays for several years. The corridors include Granville Street, Robson Street, Main Street and Kingsway, and 49th Avenue.

The low-impact, temporary measures include:

* Extending sidewalks/curbs at bus stops to reduce the need for buses to merge in and out of traffic, increasing sidewalk space and freeing up curb space for more parking. 

* Small changes at intersections to reduce delays to buses and other vehicles.

* Creating bus lanes to give priority to buses over regular traffic, parking and curbside access.

“These are some of the many important changes to transit that our regular riders will see as they continue to return to the system,” said Kevin Desmond, CEO of TransLink. “In collaboration with residents, businesses and community stakeholders, these bus priority initiatives will help improve the reliability of buses, support economic recovery and give transit and our cities the best chance of thriving.”

Many cities across North America are rolling out bus-priority measures to improve trip times for customers to ensure bus travel remains a reliable option for residents. Vancouver’s pilot will run for a year so staff can monitor the impacts and benefits, and collect feedback from citizens and businesses, before making decisions about possible permanent changes.

More information about the temporary bus-priority projects can be found at vancouver.ca/improve-bus.