It's all conceptual at this point, with no government funding secured, but plans for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Surrey are motoring ahead.
TransLink has launched public engagement and announced BRT station locations on a 19-kilometre stretch of King George Boulevard and 152 Street, from Semiahmoo Town Centre north to Surrey Central SkyTrain Station.
Bus Rapid Transit would bring dedicated bus lanes, rail-like stations and “signal priority” at intersections.
Back in 2023 the Surrey corridor was among three BRT priority routes identified by the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation for more planning and engagement, along with Langley-Haney Place and Metrotown-North Shore.
Now, would-be BRT riders can rank features most important for them, to help TransLink advance BRT planning.
The transportation authority has targeted up to nine corridors for Bus Rapid Transit over the next 10 years.
"These BRT projects are currently unfunded," noted a news release sent Thursday, Jan. 16. "TransLink is working to secure funding for BRT implementation from all levels of government through future Investment Plans. Once funding is secured, TransLink estimates that BRT construction can be completed within five years."
In Surrey, the King George Boulevard BRT route has 12 planned stations at Surrey Central and King George Stations, 96 Avenue, 88 Avenue, 80 Avenue, 76 Avenue, 72 Avenue, 64 Avenue, South Surrey Park & Ride, 32 Avenue, 24 Avenue and Semiahmoo Town Centre.
Key destinations include SkyTrain stations, Surrey Memorial Hospital, Bear Creek Park, Newton Town Centre and South Surrey Park and Ride.
During peak hours, service would operate every five minutes, "reducing travel time by 40 per cent to approximately 40 minutes," down from an hour, according to a post on translink.ca, on the Bus Rapid Transit Program page.
TransLink estimates King George BRT would provide rapid transit access to approximately 130,000 residents and 60,000 jobs that are within walking distance of the planned station locations.
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke calls BRT "a game-changer" for residents and how they move around the city.
"As the fastest growing city in the region, it is crucial that our rapid transit system is enhanced," Locke says in a TransLink news release. "Currently, the R1 Rapid Bus on King George Boulevard has the highest ridership per service hour of all rapid buses and is the 7th busiest bus route in Metro Vancouver. BRT will create a vital link between City Centre all the way to South Surrey. With our projected growth to one million residents within the next 20 years, I am thrilled that Surrey will be among the first cities to implement this innovative transit solution.”
An online survey ends Feb. 9 on translinklistens.ca/bus-rapid-transit-program. Open houses are at Newton Recreation Centre on Jan. 25 (noon to 4 p.m.) and Surrey City Centre Library on Feb. 4 (3-7 p.m.).
On Youtube, Bus Rapid Transit is explained in a five-minute video posted by TransLink. Other videos on the channel profile BRT systems in San Francisco, Brazil and York, Ontario.
