Downtown Vancouver Local Bus Service Review

Recent developments with this project

Trolley line installation

May 16, 2016 - Construction begins to install trolley lines for new bus routes

Council and TransLink decisions

April 11, 2016 - Council approved the creation of a permanent plaza at 800 Robson Street. TransLink confirmed the implementation of option 2: 05 - Denman-Burrard-Pender-Cambie, and 06 - Davie-Cambie.

• Council report (992 KB)
• Council minutes (139 KB)

TransLink's Transit Network Consultation

Spring 2016 - TransLink completed their Transit Network Consultation survey which explored the two preferred routes dependent on a decision regarding 800 Robson Street.

• TransLink's consultation survey results
• TransLink's Vancouver/UBC feedback and recommendations for West End - Downtown

Final report is complete

September 2015 – TransLink and the City have released the final summary report (7 MB) of the Downtown Vancouver Local Bus Service Review.

Phase 2 consultation is complete

June 2014 – The consultation summary of the Phase 2 consultation is now available on TransLink's website.

• Read the consultation summary (1 MB)

May 2014 – Thank you to everyone who participated in Phase 2 of the Downtown Bus Service Review. More than 300 people attended the open houses and 977 completed questionnaires. We anticipate that final results will be available for review later in 2014.

Tell us what you think about the local bus service downtown

April 2, 2014 – TransLink and the City are looking for your input on possible options for bus service in downtown Vancouver. If you're not able to attend one of our open houses (April 5, 9, 10, and 12), or would prefer to provide input in the comfort of your own home, take our online questionnaire.

The questionnaire is now closed.

Phase 2 - Open houses

April, 2013 – Share your thoughts and help inform the development of network design alternatives. Visit one of our open houses.

• Date: Saturday, April 5, 2014
  Time: 11:00am-2:00pm
  Location: West End Community Centre
• Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2014
  Time: 3:00pm – 6:00pm
  Location: Woodwards Atrium
• Date: Thursday, April 10, 2014
  Time: 3:00pm – 6:00pm
  Location: Yaletown Roundhouse – Great Hall
• Date: Saturday, April 12, 2014
  Time: 11:00am – 2:00pm
  Location: Vancouver Public Library Central Branch – Alma/Peter Lecture Rooms, 350 West Georgia Street

Or if you can't make it, fill out our online questionnaire - open until April 21, 2014.

Get the summary from our first phase of consultation

September 26, 2013 – The Phase 1 Consultation Summary Report is available. The report covers the June 17 – July 12, 2013 consultation period and includes the project context and goals, consultation methods, consultation summary, and next steps.

• Download the Consultation Summary Report (2.2 MB)

A consultation summary report is in development

June 17 – July 12, 2013 – The City and TransLink held two open houses and gathered input through an online questionnaire to inform the development of network design alternatives for local bus service in downtown Vancouver.

Thank you to everyone who came out to an open house or answered the online questionnaire. A consultation summary report will be posted later in the summer and further feedback will be collected in early 2014 on alternative network design concepts.

Tell us what you think about the downtown local bus service

June 21, 2013 – We'd like to know how you use the downtown local bus service and your experiences with the system. If you’re not able to attend one of our open houses (June 22 and 26) or would prefer to provide input in the comfort of your own home, this is your chance. Share your views in our online questionnaire. Your feedback will help inform the Downtown Local Bus Service Review.

• The questionnaire closed on Monday, July 15, 2013, at 9:00am. Thank you for your interest.

Open houses and questionnaire

May 30, 2013 – Share your thoughts with the study team and inform the development of network design alternatives. Visit one of the open houses.

• Date: Saturday, June 22, 2013
  Time: 1:00pm – 4:00pm
  Location: Barclay Manor and Heritage Square, 1447 Barclay Street
• Date: Wednesday, June 26, 2013
  Time: 3:00pm – 8:00pm
  Location: Vancouver Public Library Central Branch, 350 West Georgia Street

Or, if you can't make it, fill out our online questionnaire between June 21 – July 15.

Final report: Downtown Local Bus Service Review

• Final summary report  (7 MB)

Public consultation

Phase 2 consultation summary report

• Consultation summary report 

Phase 2 public open houses (April 5, 9, 10, and 12, 2014)

• Open house display boards  (2 MB)

Consultation summary reports

• Phase 1 report (2.2 MB)

Public open houses (June 22 and 26, 2013)

• Open house display boards  (3.9 MB)

Background documents

• Vancouver/UBC Area Transit Plan (TransLink, 2005)

Project overview and process

June 2013

Phase 1: Issues and opportunities

• Understand current issues and gaps in the downtown bus network.
• Identify opportunities that will inform the development of alternative bus network designs. 

Early 2014

Phase 2: Alternative network designs and evaluation

• Develop alternative future visions of the downtown bus network.
• Evaluate those alternatives against multiple accounts and criteria.

Spring 2014

Phase 3: Recommended network vision

• Recommended network vision.
• Articulate a common near- to medium-term vision for the downtown local bus network.

Area under review

Download a larger version of the map  (557 KB)

Work leading up to this project

Downtown Vancouver is a dynamic and evolving area where people from all over the region travel to, from, and within every day.

The downtown population has more than doubled over the past twenty years, with most of its growth occuring in the neighbourhoods east of Granville Street, such as Yaletown, Downtown South, and along False Creek.

In addition to these changes in land use and population, a number of transportation infrastructure changes have been made or proposed that offer challenges and opportunities for the downtown bus network, including:

• The Canada Line
• Exploration of the 800-block of Robson Street as a permanent plaza
• Potential changes to the Georgia and Dunsmuir Viaducts and surrounding areas
• Proposed move of the Vancouver Art Gallery and potential for a new plaza in the 600-block of Cambie Street

The Downtown Service Review will help guide decision-making at both the City of Vancouver and TransLink, and help ensure that efforts are coordinated to achieve our common goals.