The new Burnaby RapidBus route was launched on Monday, with promises it will be even faster than the previous express bus that ran east-west along Hastings Street.
The R5 Hastings Street runs between the Burnaby SFU campus and Burrard Station in Downtown Vancouver. This route allows SFU students to go between the Burnaby and Vancouver campuses.
"The best way to get more people on transit is to offer fast, reliable and frequent service that people can count on," said TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond during a rainy press conference at the Coquitlam Central Station bus loop Monday morning. "RapidBus is that service."
According to TransLink officials, a combination of fewer stops, all-door boardings and infrastructure improvements are used to speed up the routes.
There are also queue jumps at intersections and dedicated bus lanes for large sections of the routes, making it easier for the 60-foot articulated vehicles to make their way through rush-hour traffic. All of the stops have shelters with digital signage that lets riders know when the next bus is coming.
More RapidBus routes are in the works depending on new funding, but it's unclear if any of these will be set up in Burnaby.
- With additional reporting by Gary McKenna
