Construction underway for new 41 B-Line
TransLink has announced the construction of a new high-frequency 41 B-Line service from Joyce–Collingwood SkyTrain Station to the University of British Columbia is now underway.
It will launch in January 2020 and serve commuters along 41st Avenue in Vancouver — the second-busiest transit corridor in the region after Broadway.
The 41 B-Line will run every three to six minutes during rush hour with the capacity to carry up to 4,400 people every hour. It is expected to expand the corridor's transit capacity by 33 per cent, according to TransLink's estimate.
41 B-Line will replace 43 bus route
"Right now, 40 to 60 per cent of people travelling on 41st Avenue between Dunbar and Granville Street during rush hour are on buses," said Sarah Ross, director of system planning at TransLink.
And on each weekday, TransLink estimates there are around 36,000 bus boardings on the street's current routes — 41 and 43.
The new B-Line will replace the current 43 express bus service and add improvements. It will operate more frequently on extended hours — running from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Expect new parking restrictions
The City of Vancouver is also changing the street to enhance the B-Line services. It plans to add bus-priority lanes, new left and right turn bays at key intersections and convert some parking lanes into travel lanes.
The city says the changes won't cause congestion for traffic in general.
"The 41st B-Line aligns with the city's congestion management strategy to support our economy, promote access to local businesses, and continue to use our limited street space more efficiently," said Lon LaClaire, director of transportation with the City of Vancouver.
The 41 B-Line is also expected to ease the commute for some 40,000 UBC students who, according to UBC's estimates, don't live on the UBC campus.
The 41st Avenue service is one of three new B-Lines launching around Metro Vancouver beginning early next year. Construction for the Lougheed Highway B-Line between Coquitlam and Maple Ridge and the Marine Drive B-line on the North Shore is slated to begin in June.
