Construction underway for new 41 B-Line to UBC

TransLinkhas announced the construction of anew high-frequency 41 B-Line servicefrom JoyceCollingwood SkyTrain Station to the University of British Columbiais now underway.

It will launch in January 2020andserve commuters along 41st Avenue in Vancouver the second-busiest transit corridor in the region after Broadway.

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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.

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The new B-Line will replace the current 43 express bus service and addimprovements. It will operate more frequently on extended hours running from 6a.m. to 1a.m.

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The City of Vancouver is alsochangingthe street to enhance the B-Line services. Itplans toadd bus-priority lanes, new left and right turn bays at key intersections and convert some parking lanes into travel lanes.

The city says thechanges won't causecongestion fortraffic 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.

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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.