RapidBus (TransLink)

RapidBus is an express bus network with bus rapid transit elements in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

RapidBus
Overview
System	TransLink
Operator	Coast Mountain Bus Company
Began service	January 6, 2020[1]
Routes	5
Stops	63

History

On November 23, 2016, the Mayors' Council and TransLink's board of directors approved the first phase of the 10-Year Vision, which included provisions for new B-Line routes (later rebranded as RapidBus) which began service in January 2020.[2] In July 2019, TransLink announced that all future B-Line routes would officially be launched under new "RapidBus" branding and that the 95 and 96 B-Lines would also transition to that branding, leaving route 99 as the only remaining B-Line. The first wave of routes using the RapidBus branding – consisting of the R1 King George Blvd (the former 96 B-Line), the new R3 Lougheed Hwy, the new R4 41st Ave (replacing the 43 express service along 41st Avenue), and the R5 Hastings St (the former 95 B-Line) – launched on January 6, 2020.[3][1] The R2 Marine Dr launched on April 6, 2020, after construction delays, replacing the former 239.[4]

Features

Bus stop with real-time arrival information near Waterfront station

• All-door boarding
• Shelters and benches at stops
• Tactile pads
• Real-time information
• Information panels at stops
• On-board route diagrams
• Transit priority measures on streets to improve travel times
• Custom exterior bus livery
• 20% softer seats compared to standard conventional buses

RapidBus routes

Phase 1

Route	Launch date	Termini		Connections	Stops
R1 King George Blvd	September 2, 2013 (as 96 B-Line)	Guildford Exchange	Newton Exchange	Surrey Central King George Guildford Exchange Newton Exchange	12
R2 Marine Dr	April 6, 2020[4]	Park Royal Exchange	Phibbs Exchange	Lonsdale Quay Park Royal Shopping Centre Phibbs Exchange	10
R3 Lougheed Hwy	January 6, 2020	Coquitlam Central station	Haney Place Exchange	Coquitlam Central Haney Place	8
R4 41st Ave	September 4, 2000 (as 41st Ave Express)	UBC Exchange	Joyce–Collingwood station	Oakridge–41st Avenue Joyce–Collingwood Dunbar Loop UBC Exchange	17
R5 Hastings St	December 19, 2016 (as 95 B-Line)	Burrard station	SFU Exchange	Waterfront Burrard Kootenay Loop SFU Exchange	16

Future phases

Route	Launch date	Termini		Connections	Stops
Scott Road	2021	Scott Road station	Newton Exchange	Scott Road Scottsdale Exchange Newton Exchange
Richmond to Expo Line	2021	Richmond–Brighouse station	Metrotown station or 22nd Street station	Richmond–Brighouse Bridgeport Metrotown / 22nd Street
Lions Gate	2024	Stadium–Chinatown station	Lynn Valley Centre	Stadium–Chinatown Granville Vancouver City Centre Burrard Lonsdale Quay
Victoria Drive	2024	Downtown	Harrison Loop	Commercial–Broadway
Willingdon Avenue	2024	Metrotown station	Capilano University Exchange	Metrotown Brentwood Town Centre Kootenay Loop Phibbs Exchange Capilano University Exchange
White Rock	2024	Newton Exchange	White Rock Centre	Newton Exchange South Surrey Park and Ride White Rock Centre
Coquitlam to Langley	2024	Coquitlam Central station	Langley Centre	Coquitlam Central Maple Meadows Carvolth Exchange Langley Centre

Cancelled RapidBus routes

• Fraser Highway[5]

See also

• List of bus routes in Metro Vancouver

External links

• TransLink

References

1. "RapidBus is Coming!". youtube.com. TransLink. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
2. "Phase One of the 10-Year Vision Backgrounder" (PDF). tenyearvision.translink.ca. TransLink. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
3. "RapidBus Program". translink.ca. TransLink. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
4. "R2: Marine Dr". translink.ca. TransLink. Archived from the original on February 8, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
5. "Mayor's Council On Regional Transportation Public Meeting Agenda Revised: December 11, 2018" (PDF). TransLink. December 13, 2018. p. 91. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 19, 2019. Retrieved December 19, 2019.