B-Line Proposal


Next Steps

TransLink’s implementation of the RapidBus service to Park Royal is not expected to be completed until April 2020, after which Council has directed staff to examine options for extension into our town centre.

For information on the implementation of the RapidBus program, please visit:

TransLink RapidBus Program

Potential Expansion of the North Shore B-Line Past Park Royal

On March 11, 2019, Council resolved:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT staff be directed to:

1. Work with TransLink, the owners of Park Royal Shopping Centre, and the Squamish First Nation to identify possible alternative alignments / bus layby locations for a B-Line terminus option at Park Royal Shopping Centre (recognizing the District has no jurisdiction over Squamish Nation lands including the south side of Park Royal Shopping Centre, and lands under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure);

2. Identify other potential options for a B-Line service extending beyond Park Royal Shopping Centre that would:

a. Avoid routing adjacent to schools;
b. Not require any restricted-access bus lane in the Ambleside or Dundarave business districts as agreed by TransLink;
c. Minimize the loss of on-street parking; and
d. Minimize impacts to residential neighbourhoods;

3. Convene a meeting(s) with Council, TransLink representatives, and Blue Bus staff to review detailed design plans for traffic improvement measures (excluding restricted access bus lanes) that could yield transit efficiency gains for local (Blue Bus) service and generally improve traffic flows along Marine Drive through Ambleside;

4. Identify order-of-magnitude costs and potential sources of funding for improvements/options identified in this resolution; and

5. Report back to Council with their findings on the above and the public consultation results, within 30 days, recognizing that this may only be an interim report at this time, to allow Council to decide next steps, and the appropriate subsequent public consultation.

Correspondence from TransLink regarding the potential expansion of the B-Line past Park Royal


Next Steps

TransLink’s implementation of the RapidBus service to Park Royal is not expected to be completed until April 2020, after which Council has directed staff to examine options for extension into our town centre.

For information on the implementation of the RapidBus program, please visit:

TransLink RapidBus Program

Potential Expansion of the North Shore B-Line Past Park Royal

On March 11, 2019, Council resolved:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT staff be directed to:

1. Work with TransLink, the owners of Park Royal Shopping Centre, and the Squamish First Nation to identify possible alternative alignments / bus layby locations for a B-Line terminus option at Park Royal Shopping Centre (recognizing the District has no jurisdiction over Squamish Nation lands including the south side of Park Royal Shopping Centre, and lands under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure);

2. Identify other potential options for a B-Line service extending beyond Park Royal Shopping Centre that would:

a. Avoid routing adjacent to schools;
b. Not require any restricted-access bus lane in the Ambleside or Dundarave business districts as agreed by TransLink;
c. Minimize the loss of on-street parking; and
d. Minimize impacts to residential neighbourhoods;

3. Convene a meeting(s) with Council, TransLink representatives, and Blue Bus staff to review detailed design plans for traffic improvement measures (excluding restricted access bus lanes) that could yield transit efficiency gains for local (Blue Bus) service and generally improve traffic flows along Marine Drive through Ambleside;

4. Identify order-of-magnitude costs and potential sources of funding for improvements/options identified in this resolution; and

5. Report back to Council with their findings on the above and the public consultation results, within 30 days, recognizing that this may only be an interim report at this time, to allow Council to decide next steps, and the appropriate subsequent public consultation.

Correspondence from TransLink regarding the potential expansion of the B-Line past Park Royal

CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.

Post your question about the proposed B-Line here and staff will post the answer publicly.

Personal information entered in this form is collected pursuant to section 26(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act for the purpose of augmenting and diversifying civic engagement (your username, question, and the District’s response to your question will be made public).  If you have any questions about the collection and use of this information please contact Legislative Services, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday excluding statutory holidays, at 604-921-3497 at Municipal Hall, 750 17th Street, West Vancouver BC V7V 3T3.

  • If West Vancouver Council approves the implementation of the B-Line and traffic congestion increases dramatically (if possible), what mediation plans would be considered? What metrics would be used to determine the extent of increased traffic congestion?

    WJW asked about 5 years ago

    TransLink and the DWV will be monitoring the performance of the B-Line service (indeed, all bus routes using this corridor), as well as any subsequent traffic impacts. 

  • Please share the data showing boardings and alightings in Dundarave, Ambleside, and Park Royal by Bus line taken (eg. 250, 250a, 253, 255 etc). Also, how many unique passengers are riding these lines? This can be ascertained from unique identifiers of the compass cards.

    durutticolumn asked about 5 years ago

    This table provides a breakdown of the boardings/alightings by route in Ambleside/Dundarave and Park Royal. It reflects the data from this link

    As this data was produced using our automated passenger counts, it is not possible to determine the number of unique passengers or their destinations. 

    For example, passengers boarding the 250 in Ambleside or Dundarave may continue to Vancouver, or, transfer to the 239 at Park Royal to continue to North Vancouver.

    Route

    Ambleside
    Dundarave

    Park Royal

    239

       0

    2147

    250

       4993

    4569

    251

       224

    235

    252

       131

    172

    253   

       813

    691

    254

       12

    562

    255

       1305

    1212

    256

       134

    213

    257 

       98

    1550

    258   

       102

    101


    Grand Total

       7816

    11451

    One way TransLink monitors passengers activity on the network is by looking at passenger journeys. Passenger journeys are trips completed within the 90-minute fare window that includes a boarding, alighting and any potential transfers. 

    As passengers are not required to tap off when exiting a bus, TransLink does not necessarily know the destination of passengers who end their journey on a bus. We use an algorithm to successfully infer the bus alighting locations for approximately 85% of all bus boardings based on the user’s next transfer or next boarding location.

    Therefore, all passenger journey data is likely to be an under-approximation as it does not include trips with individuals with missing destinations that are not inferred. Only data that have complete journey start and end locations (actual or inferred) are included in passenger journey data. Also, passengers that don’t interact with the system (fare evaders, children under 5, etc.) are also not captured in the data set.

    Our passenger journey data shows there are nearly 10,000 unique passenger journeys in West Vancouver each day. 

    Roughly 2,100 West Vancouver transit trips are destined to North Vancouver each day, and 4,800 are destined for the City of Vancouver.

    Of the trips to/from North Vancouver, about half are travelling to/from Park Royal and the other travel west of Park Royal. 

    The increase in capacity that the B-Line is intended to attract new ridership, and the proportion of North Vancouver trips are expected to increase as the quality of service increases.

  • I don't understand why a combined figure of boarding and alightings is used to justify bus space. Is it possible to explain the demand it in terms of "leave load"? If you have this, could you supply it please? Thank you

    Lulujack asked about 5 years ago

    Boardings and alighting figures were provided to demonstrate that transit is an important part of the West Vancouver transportation system. These figures provide insights into the type of activity we should expect within a community. 

    Leave load provides important insights into how many passengers travel through a particular area, but it may not indicate where passengers start or end their trip.

    Slide 11 on TransLink’s presentation to West Vancouver Council on January 7th provides a measure of bus utilization on the corridor. It shows the leave load for eastbound customer and arrive load for westbound customers on an average weekday at 5 key intersections on Marine Drive in West Vancouver. 

    Data Source: APC Passenger Count Data – Sept to Dec 2018 – Average daily Leave/Arrive Load (Mon – Friday)


  • You state there are no proposed changes to bus routes west of Park Royal, yet the plan states: "Allows efficiency gains to be reinvested in additional local service". So, how would efficiencies be realized without alteration to the existing capacity on the 250A, 250, 251,252,253,255,258?

    William asked about 5 years ago

    The proposed business access and transit lanes have the potential to reduce the operating costs of existing service by improving reliability and reducing delays caused by congestion. 

    We’ve committed to reinvesting any operational savings back into the services these savings come from. 

    The current service proposal does not include changes to existing local service, as the full extent of the savings would not be realized until after the launch of the B-Line. 

    TransLink would consider the best use of potential savings and implement any new service as part of our quarterly service change.

  • If Park Royal is selected as the western terminus of the Bline, how would a 60" articulated bus manage the the turnaround? What would the path through the shopping centre look like?

    Rick asked about 5 years ago

    Detailed design of the turnaround path has not yet been completed. 

    This would be undertaken if West Vancouver Council determines that Park Royal is their terminus of choice

  • Has there been any estimates made on the impact of greenhouse gas emissions changes in West Vancouver as a result of adopting the B-Line proposal in its entirety, over time? Please also provide the assumptions used for such an estimate. If an estimate does not exist, why not?

    durutticolumn asked about 5 years ago

    TransLink generally uses two tools to measure the impact our vehicles have on air quality: 

    1: The California Air Resource Board Mobile Emissions Inventory - which is approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and,

    2. A USEPA tool called Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES). 

    These tools measure the release of particulate matter and greenhouse gases in a variety of conditions. Unlike greenhouse gas emissions, the effects of particulate matter are felt at the local level. 

    As such, diesel engines are required to meet strict engine standards for the release of particulate matter to protect human health. The actual impact on air quality will vary depending on the condition, but generally speaking, an articulated diesel hybrid releases one-quarter of the particulate matter of a large sedan (SUV) and about three times the carbon dioxide. 

    Considering the much larger passenger capacity of an articulated bus (i.e., 110 people), the per person emissions of the B-Line are considerably lower than a personal vehicle. 

  • Does Translink have any data that shows how many of the 7,816 boardings and alightings to/from Ambleside and Dundarave were specifically to/from North Vancouver vs Downtown?

    William asked about 5 years ago

    Roughly one-quarter of all West Vancouver transit trips are destined to North Vancouver and half are destined for the City of Vancouver. 

    Of the trips to North Vancouver, about half are travelling from Park Royal and the other half originate west of Park Royal. 

    The increase in capacity that the B-Line would provide is intended to attract new ridership, and the proportion of North Vancouver trips are expected to increase as the quality of service increases.

  • When will rsukts of community consultation and surveys be known

    Politics asked about 5 years ago

    The consultation closes on February 28, 2019. A consultation summary report is expected to be available by the end of March.

  • Are there any considerations for allowing carpools and electric vehicles to use the designated bus lanes?

    ehuster asked about 5 years ago

    A representative from TransLink responded to this same question at a stakeholder meeting. Those stakeholders in attendance heard that experience with allowing carpools in transit priority lanes, similar to an HOV lane, are not being considered here. This is because past experience has demonstrated that this negates any benefit for transit priority measures.

  • Is there an underlying reason why questions and answers have not been posted for over a week?

    William asked about 5 years ago

    Thank you for your question. There have been a much higher than usual volume of enquiries and it is taking longer than expected to obtain responses. In some cases, questions have been referred to TransLink for a response, and they are also experiencing a higher than usual volume of questions.

    Thank you for your patience.

Page last updated: 31 Jan 2020, 11:05 AM