Tri-City residents will have new ways to get around with transit fall service changes starting Sept. 6 (Labour Day).
TransLink will be adding back a train to the West Coast Express and reinstating service serving SFU and UBC.
Among the changes are plans to:
• Add back Train 4 to the West Coast Express in the mornings and afternoons
• 6:55 a.m. from Mission to Waterfront Station
• 5:30 p.m. from Waterfront Station to Mission
As well, TransLink is adding service on routes serving post-secondary institutions as students return to in-person learning:
• Route 143 SFU/Burquitlam Station serving SFU and route 44 UBC/Downtown serving UBC are being reinstated.
• Service is being increased on routes 9 Boundary/Commercial–Broadway/Granville/Alma/UBC, 116 Edmonds Station/Metrotown, 130 Metrotown/Pender/Kootenay, 145 SFU/Production Way, 222 Metrotown/Phibbs Exchange, 245 Phibbs/Capilano, and 255 Dundarave/Capilano University serving multiple post-secondary institutions
• There will be 10-minute SeaBus service during rush hours, and 15-minute service in the early mornings.
The changes reflect projected demand as offices and schools re-open with Step 4 of B.C.’s pandemic re-opening plan on Sept. 7.
However, the criteria for moving to Step 4 is more than 70% of the 18+ population vaccinated with dose 1, along with low case counts and low COVID-19 hospitalizations.
While vaccinations are above that threshold, case counts are rising.
According to the Friday, Aug. 13 provincial announcement, there were 717 new COVID-19 cases and 83.2% of all eligible adults in B.C. have received their first dose and 73.6% received their second dose.
TransLink has been monitoring how travel patterns have changed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and is using these findings to reallocate service to the busiest bus routes to reduce crowding and provide more frequent service.
These service changes are part of TransLink’s Reconnect Campaign.
TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn said in a statement that customers should feel comfortable on transit at this stage of the pandemic, “We are listening to our customers. The recently launched partnership with Transit app is another example of how we are responding.”
This tool allows customers to check how full buses are ahead of time and plan their trip accordingly.
“We want to provide customers with the service and data they need to make informed transportation choices as they return to their routines,” Quinn stated in a press release.
In addition to more service hours, TransLink is adding another 25 double decker buses to the fleet. These buses will be introduced on route 340 between Scottsdale and 22nd St. SkyTrain Station later in the fall.
For the full list of TranLink Fall Service Changes, visit our Service Changes Webpage.
TransLink adjusts service quarterly to reflect changes in how customers are using the system.
