January 16th, 2023

On November 24th, TransLink shared that the Mayors’ Council has identified the first three Bus Rapid Transit priority corridors to advance to further planning, engagement, and implementation. These three corridors include King George Boulevard, Langley-Haney Place, and Metrotown-North Shore.

The three corridors were selected based on their potential to maximize outcomes for the region (including their potential to increase ridership and improve access), future housing and development growth projections, the feasibility of implementing new transit priority infrastructure, and early support from local governments to implement infrastructure changes in their communities. The specific alignment, roadway designs, associated costs, and timelines have not yet been determined for each of the three corridors.

TransLink and local government partners will immediately begin work to develop concept designs and engage with the public on these three corridors. As these projects are currently unfunded, a business case will be developed for each corridor to be included in a future update to the Investment Plan.

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November 28th, 2023

Regions around the world have successfully implemented Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) to transform how transit riders get around. BRT is economical to deploy because it can be implemented at street level while optimizing existing infrastructure. Another key advantage of BRT is that it can often be planned, constructed, and deployed in significantly less time than rail alternatives.

The Mayors’ Council identified King George Boulevard, Langley – Haney Place, and Metrotown – North Shore as the first three corridors to advance to further planning, engagement, and implementation. The three corridors were selected based on their potential to maximize outcomes for the region (including their potential to increase ridership and improve access), future housing and development growth projections, the feasibility of implementing new transit priority infrastructure, and early support from local governments to implement infrastructure changes in their communities.

The specific alignment, roadway designs, associated costs, and timelines have not yet been determined for each of the three corridors. TransLink and local government partners will immediately begin work to develop concept designs and engage with the public on these three corridors. As these projects are currently unfunded, a business case will be developed for each corridor to be included in a future update to the Investment Plan.

King George Boulevard

Corridor length: 23 km

The King George Boulevard BRT corridor will improve transit access across the region, building on the success of the existing R1 King George Boulevard RapidBus, one of the fastest growing routes in system.

This BRT corridor will improve Surrey’s access to SkyTrain, including the Surrey Langley SkyTrain extension. It will connect key town centres and other growth areas south of the Fraser River, including: Guildford Town Centre, Surrey Centre, Surrey Memorial Hospital, Bear Creek Park, Newton Centre, South Surrey Park & Ride, and Semiahmoo Centre.

Langley – Haney Place

Corridor length: 22 km

The Langley – Haney Place BRT corridor will connect Langley Centre and Haney Place Exchange in Maple Ridge via 200th Street, the Golden Ears Bridge, and Lougheed Highway.

This BRT corridor is experiencing one of the fastest rates of population and job growth among all BRT corridors. It will provide a connection to the future Surrey Langley SkyTrain extension, and other key parts of the transit network, including: the R3 Lougheed Highway RapidBus, Carvolth Exchange and Park & Ride, improving access to Willowbrook and Langley Events Centre.

Metrotown – North Shore

Corridor length: 21 km

The Metrotown – North Shore rapid transit corridor will connect major destinations, such as Park Royal, Capilano Mall, Lower Lonsdale, Lower Lynn, Burnaby Heights, Brentwood, BCIT, and Metrotown. It will also improve connections to SkyTrain at Brentwood Town Centre on the Millennium Line and Metrotown Station on the Expo Line.

In the near term, the R2 Marine Drive RapidBus will be upgraded and extended from Phibbs Exchange to Metrotown, providing a direct express connection from Park Royal. At the same time, a longer-term rapid transit connection will be determined through the Burrard Inlet Rapid Transit Study, which will consider BRT and other rail alternatives.

More information can be found on TransLink’s BRT project website.