Rapid transit use rising
Stats on new express bus line show increased ridership
Ridership is increasing on TransLink’s express bus line from Langley to New Westminster via the Port Mann Bridge — suggesting commuters are adjusting to taking rapid transit.
Monthly ridership on the 555 bus from Carvolth Exchange near Walnut Grove to Braid SkyTrain Station has grown from 23,000 to more than 38,000 since the route launched in December, said TransLink’s Derek Zabel.
The numbers peaked in January, at more than 39,000, but declined slightly in February and March due to the shorter month, and spring break.
The statistics reflect a shift around transportation habits that is starting to take root in the suburbs, Zabel said.
“Any time you do introduce a route it’s going to take people time to figure out really if it’s something that they want to do,” said Zabel. “A lot of the customer comments that we had since it started up in December is ‘ hey, this is actually pretty quick.’ ”
Zabel said there is still room to grow on the route, which has a capacity of 3,000 passengers per day and takes advantage of a dedicated bus lane on the new bridge, which officially opened in December. He said there is often standing room available on coaches at peak hours and ample room on buses heading in reverse peak directions.
“It’s meeting our expectations right now,” he said. However a stop along the route at 156th Street in Surrey, which was initially promised and then dropped by TransLink, is no closer to becoming a reality.
Zabel said one reason for the increasing ridership on the bus route may be reluctance of drivers to pay the toll on the Port Mann Bridge.
“It’s just another option for them, it’s a toll- free way of getting across the bridge.” Traffic has declined slightly on the Port Mann in the first three months of operation after the bridge opened, according to Transportation International Corp., the company responsible for the bridge.
Three million vehicles crossed the bridge in December, down from 3.3 million the year before. January and February also saw modest declines, with 2.9 million and 2.7 million trips respectively, compared with three million and 2.9 million for those months last year.
Greg Johnson of Transportation Investment Corp. said in an email the numbers are consistent with projections.
“In the first few months, we’re expecting that drivers will try out the various options, and it will take some months for traffic patterns to normalize.”