Tri-City residents looking to bring their bicycles aboard SkyTrains during rush hour will soon be catching a break after TransLink announced it would be easing restrictions for cyclists along the Millennium and Expo Lines.
The announcement comes as ridership remains at 43% of pre-COVID levels across Metro Vancouver. However, in the region’s northeast sector, which includes the Tri-Cities, boardings are 37% of pre-pandemic levels, well below the regional average.
“This change will give customers more opportunity to integrate cycling into their daily commute with transit and will hopefully encourage more people to leave their cars at home and support more greener modes of transportation this fall,” said TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond in a written statement.
Usually, bicycles are banned on the two SkyTrain lines during weekday rush hours between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.
The new rules, which will remain in effect until March 31, 2021, are the latest in a number of temporary protocols adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and include:
- Mandatory masks on transit vehicles.
- Increased cleaning and sanitizing.
- Deploying cleaning “pit crews” to disinfect SkyTrain cars at high traffic stations.
- Limiting fare gate access at busy stations to help manage the number of customers on SkyTrain.
- Limiting the capacity on buses to approximately two thirds full.
- Installing two-metre spaced decals at some bus stops and station entranceways
- Expanding the availability of hand sanitizer dispensers, including on the RapidBus fleet, at key exchanges and more SkyTrain stations.
- Monitoring passenger loads to roll out more service at times and on routes where physical distancing is more difficult.
