TransLink Launches New Rapid Bus Line

TransLink’s R6 Scott Road RapidBus line launched, providing faster and more frequent bus service for Surrey and Delta residents, as well as Kwantlen Polytechnic University students.

The R6 will provide space for 20% more riders on the busiest bus corridor south of the Fraser River.

Customer travel time is now up to 10 minutes faster in each direction between Scott Road Station and Newton Exchange, due to bus speed and reliability improvements.

Answering Ridership Growth

Surrey and Delta’s transit ridership is part of the fastest growing area in Metro Vancouver, where bus boardings are exceeding 2019 ridership levels by 16%.

The R6 Scott Road RapidBus will help accommodate strong demand in Metro Vancouver’s fastest growing area for transit ridership, while the agency continues to seek funding for the Access for Everyone plan to substantially address overcrowding issues.

“The R6 RapidBus will save Surrey and Delta customers up to 20 minutes and provide much-needed relief on the busiest bus route south of the Fraser River,” said Kevin Quinn, CEO at TransLink. “Ridership in places like Surrey and Delta is growing faster than any other part of the region and it’s essential that transit services keep up as Metro Vancouver’s population grows.”

The R6 is TransLink’s largest service expansion since 2020 and is the sixth RapidBus throughout Metro Vancouver.

It features:

• Fewer stops and all-door boarding.
• Articulated buses with more capacity.
• Bus priority lanes along the corridor to keep buses separated from congestion.
• A center-median bus boarding area at Scott Road and 72nd Avenue to speed up boardings and bus travel times.
• Improved bus stops with live next-bus digital signage and audio information available for customers who are blind or partially-sighted. (These signs will finish installing in the coming months. Temporary bus stop signs are in place in the interim.)

TransLink Features and Plans

Community art has been installed throughout the corridors by three local artists. This includes a mosaic for the median center-island bus boarding area, as well as bus shelter art at the stops located outside of Kwantlen Polytechnic University and at Scott Road and 72nd Avenue.

Street changes have also been implemented to enhance safety. This includes adding new crosswalks, protected left turn lanes, signal improvements, and allowance for making U-turns at selected locations.

Route 319 will continue to run alongside the R6, serving each local bus stop between Newton Exchange and Scott Road Station. The R6 will operate between 5 a.m. and 1 a.m. every day of the week, and both the R6 and the 319 will maintain 15-minute service or better all day. During peak hours, the R6 will arrive every seven and a half minutes and the 319 will arrive every ten minutes.

The $33 million investment was delivered jointly by TransLink, the City of Surrey, and the City of Delta. It was paid for through the Mayors’ 10-Year Vision, of which the Government of British Columbia contributed 40% of all capital costs.

TransLink plans to upgrade this route to bus rapid transit (BRT) and will continue to alleviate overcrowding through the Access for Everyone ten-year plan, should the plan receive funding.