Bus Rapid Transit was a key initiative Maple Ridge council identified in its Maple Ridge Moves strategy, and Mayor Dan Ruimy said the city has been lobbying TransLink to make it happen.
So Ruimy was excited when the announcement was made on Nov. 16, hailing it as a game changer.
READ ALSO: Maple Ridge Moves transportation plan among highest city priorities
The new bus rapid transit (BRT) line between Maple Ridge and Langley was one of three announced by TransLink.
Maple Ridge sees the BRT as a way to stimulate the city economy, provide more access to jobs, foster development and housing along the Lougheed corridor, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
BRT differs from traditional bus service in the measures taken to speed it up. There will be a dedicated bus lane, with limited stops, and signal priority at traffic lights. There will also be more frequent buses, and they will stop at railway-station style stops, with shelter for those waiting.
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 increased ridership and improved 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.
“They need to have willing partners,” said Ruimy, adding that the city has been clear they want to work with TransLink on the project.
“This is something we’ve worked hard for, and been very intentional, with all hands on deck.”
The proposed route will be from the Haney Place bus loop down the Lougheed Highway to 200th Street, and he has stated the city does not want BRT to come at the expense of vehicle traffic.
“I was very clear – we cannot afford to lose a lane on either side,” said Ruimy. He is optimistic there is room to fit in the dedicated bus lanes.
The Langley-Haney Place corridor will be 22 km long.
Ruimy said 2027 is a realistic target to see the new service operating.
Pitt Meadows Mayor Nicole MacDonald applauded the new BRT line as a green initiative that will “get people moving.”
“Anything we get for improved public transit in the region is a healthy step forward,” said MacDonald, adding it’s an important link to help people get to work, or to school, and home.
She said the next step is for a detailed design of the new route, and it’s important that Pitt Meadows, the Katzie First Nation and Maple Ridge are all kept in the loop, so “everyone communicates, and everyone benefits.”
TransLink promotes BRT as a way to quickly introduce faster transit service across the region, and the cost is $15 million per kilometer, compared with $400 million per click for SkyTrain service.
There is also a plan to upgrade the existing R3 RapidBus that connects the City of Coquitlam and Maple Ridge into a traffic-separated BRT line across the length of the Lougheed Corridor.
READ ALSO: Fast bus lines announced in Surrey, Langley, Maple Ridge, White Rock, Burnaby