Double-decker buses are coming to Route 351 next month, TransLink officials announced.
In a news release issued Tuesday (Aug. 25), spokesperson Dan Mountain said the new vehicles will serve the route’s busiest section as of Sept. 7.
They “will provide more space for customers and reduce pass-ups on the 351,” the release states.
Three additional changes also taking effect Sept. 7 are the result of “extensive consultation,” the release adds: Route 351 (Bridgeport Station/White Rock Centre) will terminate at White Rock Centre instead of Crescent Beach; a new Route 350 (Crescent Beach/White Rock Centre) will serve customers travelling between Crescent Beach and White Rock Centre; and Route 352 (White Rock Centre/Bridgeport Station) will start and end at White Rock Centre, operating on 16 Avenue instead of 144 Street, 20 Avenue and 148 Street “to provide customers in that area with a one-seat ride to or from Bridgeport Station.”
Hours of service along that latter route will also be extended in the morning or evening, the release adds.
Double-decker buses were first announced for Metro Vancouver routes in March 2018, with a new fleet promised to hit the streets by mid-2019.
READ MORE: Double-decker bus project moves ahead for Metro Vancouver
READ MORE: Proposed TransLink changes could bring double-decker buses to South Surrey
READ MORE: Double-decker pilot project wraps up in South Surrey/White Rock
A pilot project that had the buses operating on busy routes heading out of South Surrey/White Rock was conducted between late November 2017 and January 2018. At its conclusion, TransLink officials described public response as “fantastic.”
In April 2019, TransLink asked for feedback on introducing the vehicles – which seat double the passengers of a standard bus – to the popular 351 route, as part of its 2019 Transit Network Review.
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