Maple Ridge council unanimously endorses next stage of rapid bus corridor

Maple Ridge council has unanimously endorsed the next stage of TransLink’s proposed Langley-Haney Place Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, backing what officials called a “transformational” investment aimed at reshaping how people move through the city and across the region.

The May 12 decision supports the project’s 30 percent concept design and directs city staff to continue working with TransLink and the Ministry of Transportation and Transit as the project advances toward detailed design.

Mayor Dan Ruimy said seeing dedicated transit systems firsthand in other cities convinced him of the project’s potential benefits.

“I was in Montreal recently. It’s mind boggling, because Montreal has really got a ton of congestion,” Ruimy said. “You have the buses on the side traveling free. And it was just amazing to see.

“This is the way that a lot of countries are going because it’s economical and it moves people quickly.”

The proposed 22-kilometre bus rapid transit line would be the most significant TransLink investment in the city’s history, running between Carvolth Exchange in Langley and Haney Place, with 13 stations along the corridor, including five in Maple Ridge. It is one of three BRT lines being planned for the region.

Dedicated centre-running bus lanes are planned along much of Lougheed Highway, while buses would operate in mixed traffic through some constrained sections near downtown Haney.

Sarah Ross, TransLink’s vice-president of transportation planning and policy, told council the project is expected to become the busiest bus route in Maple Ridge once operational.

“In the peak this service will run every 10 minutes. So convenient. You don’t need to look at a schedule, just go out, get on the bus,” Ross said. This bus rapid transit will deliver fast, frequent and reliable transit along one of our most important north-south corridors – a very important connection,” Ross said.

Ross said dedicated bus lanes along more than 60 percent of the corridor are expected to cut end-to-end travel times by more than 50 percent, making transit travel times comparable to driving.

The proposed design maintains two general traffic lanes in each direction along Lougheed Highway while introducing centre-running transit lanes separated by medians.

Some mid-block left turns would be restricted, though left turns at signalized intersections would remain.

“There’s also going to be active transportation along the corridor to make sure that there’s continuous access and pathways for people who walk and cycle along the corridor,” Ross said.

According to TransLink, 85 percent of respondents during recent public engagement said they believe the BRT line would improve transportation along the corridor. TransLink said 775 Maple Ridge residents participated in surveys, open houses and outreach efforts earlier this year.

Ross emphasized the project itself is not yet fully funded.

Detailed design is expected to continue through 2027, with construction funding needing to be included in a future TransLink investment plan.

Coun. Sunny Schiller described the project as a major shift for Maple Ridge’s future transportation network, particularly as the community continues growing.

“I really do see this as a transformative project and shifts the way people can realistically move through our community,” Schiller said. “I see this delivering less traffic. It’s easier access to jobs and services, and it’s a more sustainable way to travel.”

Schiller also highlighted the impact expanded transit could have on younger residents and families struggling with transportation costs, which are the second highest in Metro Vancouver.

“Providing this level of a transit system and removing the need for a car, for insurance, for gas – that makes a really big difference.”

Coun. Jenny Tan said preserving two traffic lanes in each direction helped address concerns residents may have had about congestion impacts while still modernizing the city’s transportation system.

“We know that Maple Ridge is changing,” she said. “This represents a cornerstone in that vision to really modernize.”

Coun. Korleen Carreras noted the project remains in an early design phase and said further work will continue between the city, TransLink and the province to refine details and minimize disruptions during eventual construction.

“Our hope is, again, that everyone’s going to work together and that we limit the disruptions as much as possible in the community,” Carreras said.

The city report states the BRT project is intended to support Maple Ridge’s long-term growth objectives, improve transit access and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging more transit-oriented development and reducing reliance on private vehicles.