A record 30,000 passengers rode the Evergreen Extension last Friday and new bus route changes rolling out next week could push ridership numbers even higher, according to TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond.
During a visit to the Coquit-lam Central Station Wednesday morning, Desmond highlighted for reporters the Dec. 19 service changes, which he said will improve connections to the SkyTrain line.
“I think it is a game changer here in the Tri-Cities,” Desmond said. “[Evergreen] is a fantastic way to get back and forth, and with these bus changes on Dec. 19, it is going to be even more convenient for people.”
Twenty-two routes are expected to change as a result of the opening of the six-station Evergreen Extension and TransLink is encouraging commuters to go to translink.ca/tripplanner to see how the new schedule will affect them.
One of the big changes involves the 143 bus, which currently runs between Coquitlam Central Station and SFU’s Burnaby Mountain campus but will now operate between SFU and the Burquitlam SkyTrain Station.
Changes are also coming to the 160, which has long been a major route for Tri-City residents heading to downtown Vancouver. After Dec. 19, the bus will act as a connector to the Evergreen Extension and north Burnaby, and will terminate at Kootenay Loop, just west of Boundary Road in Vancouver. Riders heading downtown from the Tri-Cities are encouraged to take SkyTrain, which TransLink says will save 15 minutes on their trip.
But while the new rapid-transit extension is expected to save time for commuters, it will cost more for those accustomed to taking the bus.
The entire bus network is one zone while the SkyTrain system operates on three zones, meaning a trip to Vancouver that cost $2.75 on the bus will work out to $5.50 on the SkyTrain.
Desmond addressed the issue Wednesday, saying TransLink will be monitoring the situation.
“We will see how that plays out,” he said, adding he believes commuters will prefer SkyTrain to the bus because “you get a nice quality service” that is “really going to be worth the dollars.”
TransLink will also be closely following the impact Evergreen has on West Coast Express ridership numbers in Port Moody and Coquitlam.
Desmond said he sees SkyTrain and West Coast Express complementing each other, giving riders in the Tri-Cities more ways for getting to and from Vancouver.
“It provides a really good option,” he said. “If you miss a train, if you leave late or leave early, you can take SkyTrain.”
@gmckennaTC
