Burrard Peninsula Area Transport Plan

Area Transport Plans are an opportunity for TransLink to work more closely with local governments, Indigenous Nations, stakeholders, and the public to develop plans for enhancing transit service and infrastructure, while also addressing aspects of cycling, walking, driving, and goods movement.

Area Transport Plans are informed by and help to advance the goals and objectives outlined in Transport 2050 and the 10-Year Priorities. Together, these plans establish the region’s long-term transportation vision, overall goals, targets, policy direction, and investment priorities.

To view current and past plans, visit our Area Transport Planning page.

• Phase 1: Issues and Opportunities (2023): During this phase, we will ask people about how they travel in the area and study how the area and transportation network might change in the future. We will also look at how people are currently using the transportation network and see what’s working and what isn’t. This will help us understand where we can make improvements.
  
  

• Phase 2: Priority Actions (2024): During this phase, we’ll develop a range of recommended actions that will help to improve how we move throughout this sub-region. This will include actions relating to the transit network, cycling and walking, as well as driving and goods movement. Towards the end of 2024 we’ll ask for feedback on these actions and how to prioritize them.
  
  

• Final Plan and Adoption (2025)

To make sure we understand the local area and its needs when planning the regional transportation network, TransLink divides Metro Vancouver into smaller parts called sub-regions. These have changed over time as the region grows and develops.

The Burrard Peninsula has seen a lot of growth since the last area transportation plans were completed. Today, many of the routes that serve the Burrard Peninsula study area travel across municipal boundaries. To better understand the needs of our growing transportation network, TransLink decided to combine the sub-regions of Burnaby and New Westminster with Vancouver and UBC. Together these municipalities and traditional and unceded territories of Indigenous Nations form the BP ATP study area.

TransLink has an important job that goes beyond just buses and trains. We are in charge of planning and managing the transportation system for the whole Metro Vancouver area.

This means we have to think about different ways people travel, like walking, biking, and driving. We partner with local governments to invest regional funding in things like making better routes for walking and biking, building bridges, and making sure the roads in the Major Road Network are well-maintained. TransLink's goal is to make sure goods and people can move around the region easily and safely.

The vision of Access for Everyone comes from TransLink’s new Regional Transportation Strategy for Metro Vancouver: Transport 2050. Imagine a future where every person in Metro Vancouver – no matter who they are, where they live, or how they choose to get around – can easily connect to the places that matter most.

To create an accessible and affordable transportation system that is fair, just, and inclusive, we need to take steps to reduce barriers that people face. As part of Transport 2050, this includes improving transportation options to, from, and on Indigenous reserve land through TransLink’s First Nations Transportation Program.

As part of the planning process, we will seek feedback from a broad range of stakeholders including the general public and residents of the communities that make up the study area. We will also engage directly with Indigenous Nations with traditional and unceded territories within the study area, as well as our municipal partners and other levels of government. 

TransLink cares about fairness, diversity, and inclusion. We want to make sure that communities who have historically had little voice, like seniors, youth, people with low income, persons with disabilities, new Canadians, and urban Indigenous communities, are included in the discussions and planning process.

While municipal transportation plans  are developed for neighbourhoods or a single municipality, Area Transport Plans are developed for multiple municipalities. 

ATPs give us a chance to connect the bigger regional plans with the needs and goals of each local area. They help us make sure that transportation planning and investments fit well with what each community wants and needs.

It depends on what needs to be done. TransLink is responsible for some of the important actions or priorities mentioned in the plan, for example developing a new bus route or increasing frequency on a busy route to meet growing demand.

For other recommended actions, like building new or upgrading existing routes for walking and biking, it's the job of the local municipality or other agencies, like the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, to make those things a reality. TransLink supports these projects through our Municipal Cost Share Program, which contributes 50-100% of eligible capital costs for infrastructure upgrades that improve mobility options for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.