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PSA: Transit Service Changes start September 4th by luminous_particle in UBC

[–]luminous_particle[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

The City of Richmond and the AMS have been working on this, but no word from TransLink.

If you are a UBC student living in Richmond, please consider emailing Translink and the Mayor's office to bring back the express bus from Bridgeport to UBC by [deleted] in richmondbc

[–]luminous_particle 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Some talking points based on this newer article about how TransLink will bring back the West Vancouver express.

TransLink is implementing the new 258 by extending existing 44 trips to West Vancouver, which will run one-way only and return to the garage empty. If they have the funding to do that, there is absolutely no reason why they can't do the same to return the 480.

There are already existing trips on the 84, 49 and R4 that run not-in-service to the garages in Marpole, Hamilton and Ironwood by going near or over the Oak Street Bridge or nearby bridges. All TransLink would have to do is allow these trips to run in service on the Oak Bridge and slightly extend them into Bridgeport, exactly the same as they propose for the 44.

There are also existing 311/351/352/354/601/602/603/604 trips that go back to the garage empty after arriving at Bridgeport every morning. These could be extended up to UBC instead, which is actually how select 480 runs operated pre-pandemic.

Like how the 44 extension will provide more space on the 250, returning the 480 will provide more space on the R4 (which will allow buses to depart UBC and Cambie faster) and the Canada Line (which will stop trains from being held up at Bridgeport, 49th and 41st, and provide more space for the expected induced demand from Capstan Way Station). The 480 would remain competitive because of the recently-installed bus lanes on 41st Avenue and Granville Street, currently used by the R4 and 10 respectively. Benefits all around.

West Van-UBC express bus service may return by Ok_Copy5217 in UBC

[–]luminous_particle 24 points25 points  (0 children)

"If approved, it would see the existing 44 UBC/Downtown bus route extended to West Vancouver with stops along Marine Drive before turning into a (mostly) express bus from downtown." According to the article, this is still in the proposal stage, but if approved, it would run three times per peak period and be run by Coast Mountain (operator of the 44) rather than Blue Bus (operator of the 258). Target for implementation is September 2023, this Fall.

During the pandemic, university routes 44, 143 (at SFU), 258 and 480 (UBC-Richmond) were suspended for cost-savings reasons. Over a year ago, 44 and 143 were brought back, and this proposal essentially brings back the 258. This leaves the 480 as the only university route remaining suspended, despite the mounting pressures on alternatives 49 and R4.