Bus Speed and Reliability

Bus bulbs are sidewalk extensions that allow buses to serve customers from the travel lane. Bus bulbs improve travel time and reliability by eliminating delays caused by merging into and out of the travel lane at bus stops.

This priority measure protects buses from reliability issues in congested periods, saving buses and transit customers between 15 to 30 seconds per stop, resulting in a 7% increase in bus speeds. Bus bulbs also create more space for waiting, walking, and physical distancing.

Like bus bulbs, bus islands create additional space for transit passengers and amenities. They allow buses to serve customers while keeping bike lanes or multi-use paths clear for people biking or walking.

Bus stop optimizing (also called bus stop consolidation) includes thoughtful removal and/or relocation of bus stops along a corridor to achieve more consistent spacing, maintain convenient access, and provide faster, more reliable service. See where we’ve implemented bus stop balancing across the region.

Bus lanes are traffic lanes that are reserved for buses and marked by signage or paint. Dedicated bus lanes are always exclusive to buses, while Business Access & Transit (BAT) lanes allow vehicles to make right turns. Peak-hour bus lanes allow for general use or parking during off-peak times.

Queue jumps lanes are short, dedicated transit lanes (similar to approach lanes) or shared turn pockets paired with transit signal priority that allow transit vehicles to bypass traffic at an intersection.

Turn restrictions limit left or right turns for general traffic to reduce delay for buses and other vehicles travelling along a corridor. Buses may be exempted from the restrictions.

All-door boarding is an operational policy that allows customers to board a bus at any open door.

RapidBus is a brand of TransLink’s bus service that improves customer experience via more widely spaced stops, all-door boarding, and extensive bus priority like queue jumps or bus lanes. RapidBus also runs with high frequency and has additional amenities at bus stops. Learn about more RapidBus.

In summer 2024:

• The relocation of certain bus stops on June 24, 2024, to maintain convenient access while reducing travel time.

• Right-turn pockets, giving drivers a place to wait for a right turn without blocking buses and other traffic.

• Extending bus lanes north of 16th Ave by one block during peak periods. The southbound bus lane will begin at 15th Avenue during the afternoon peak and the northbound bus lane will end at 15th Avenue during the morning peak.

By late 2025:

• Bus bulbs, extending sidewalks so that bus stops align with travel lanes, saving buses time from merging in and out of traffic.

These initiatives are geared at reducing overall traffic congestion in the area by improving the speed and reliability of buses and, in turn, making transit a convenient and sustainable transport choice.

The implementation phase for these updates is set to begin in June 2024, with further enhancements planned for the summer of 2025.

Resources

• Map of detailed bus stop changes for South Granville

TransLink, in partnership with the City of North Vancouver, has completed significant improvements to the R2 Marine Drive RapidBus service, including an extension of the eastbound transit lane from Queensbury Avenue to Gladstone Avenue. These enhancements will save eastbound travelers up to six minutes during peak hours, benefiting approximately 40,000 monthly riders. The $2.3 million investment, the largest since RapidBus's inception in 2020, not only speeds up transit times but also includes over 200 meters of separated bike lanes, contributing to a more connected and sustainable city. This project is a key step in TransLink's broader strategy to build towards improvements in the RapidBus network.

TransLink, and the Ministry of Transportation Infrastructure (MOTI), have successfully completed a $5.2 million bus transit improvement project along the Hwy 99/Bridgeport corridor. This project adds 8.4 kilometers of bus-on-shoulder lanes, widens Hwy 17A by 350 meters, and introduces a 154-meter Bridgeport Bus-Only Ramp. These enhancements will significantly reduce travel times for eight bus routes (311, 351, 352, 354, 601, 602, 605, and the 620) during peak hours and include a multi-use pathway near Hwy 99 and Patterson Road for cyclists and pedestrians. These upgrades benefit 16,000 daily transit users, and are part of a broader initiative to improve bus travel times to enhance the overall transit experience in the region.

In addition to these improvements, TransLink is also funding a bus-only southbound left turn at Great Canadian Way and Bridgeport Road, slated for completion in 2024. This extension is expected to benefit an additional 6,000 transit riders, further enhancing the efficiency of the transit system. By focusing on bus priority improvements along high-frequency corridors, TransLink continues its commitment to developing transit-oriented, livable communities, and improving the travel experience for a growing number of commuters in the region.

The City of Burnaby and Translink have collaborated to install a northbound bus lane on Willingdon Avenue, a major intersection that connects Burnaby to key destinations. This bus lane allows buses to bypass the NB queue to reach to Brentwood Station Bay 1, a stop that connects routes 130, 136, 222 to other bus routes and the Millennium Line. In this segment, WB right turning traffic from Lougheed Highway no longer blocks bus access, decreasing delay for bus passengers waiting for and commuting on the three bus routes.

On April 17th, 2023, Translink announced the launch of the 80 Marine Drive Express, a new express bus route connecting the River District to Marine Drive Station in Vancouver. Operating on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., the route stops at key intersections on Marine Drive at Kerr St, Elliott St, Victoria Dr, Knight St, Fraser St, and Main St. This service not only provides a direct link to the SkyTrain’s Canada Line for River District residents, but also complements the existing 100 (22nd Street Station / Marpole Loop) and 31 (River District / Metrotown Station) routes.

The introduction of the 80 Marine Drive Express is made possible with travel time savings from the Bus Stop Balancing program. This program, which involves the consolidation of stops significantly improving travel times and reliability across several Vancouver routes. The program has trimmed about 6 minutes per round trip on routes like the 4 (Powell / Downtown / UBC) and the 7 (Nanaimo Station / Dunbar), allowing for service optimization with fewer buses. These savings have been reinvested into launching the new 80 route, demonstrating the importance of bus stop balancing not just for operational efficiency, but also for expanding service in growing communities like the River District.

Looking ahead, Marine Drive is identified in Transport 2050 as a future RapidBus and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor, and the 80 route is a key step in building ridership in preparation for these long-term transit improvements.