TransLink map shows the proposed rapid-bus future route along Scott Road and 72nd Avenue, in Surrey and North Delta.

Scott Road’s RapidBus ready to roll by 2023 with ‘faster, more frequent bus service’ in Surrey-Delta

The so-called 'R6' would run between Newton Exchange and Scott Road Station

Before the busy Scott Road corridor gets RapidBus service, TransLink wants public feedback about the proposed transit route improvements on the Surrey-Delta border.

The thoroughfare, also known as 120th Street, is home to the region’s fourth busiest route, and busiest south of the Fraser, according to the transportation authority.

The proposed RapidBus should be in service by the end of 2023, and public consultation runs until Oct. 8 on the website translink.ca/r6, which includes a survey.

Videos posted to YouTube show the R6 route and proposed transit changes.

The RapidBus route would provide “faster and more frequent bus service to customers in Delta and Surrey,” TransLink says.

The proposed route improvements include adding bus-priority lanes in addition to current vehicle lanes, signal priority and queue jumps at intersections.

The R6 would run between Newton Exchange and Scott Road Station, and would serve Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Surrey campus.

Pitched is a new mid-street “island bus hub” at 72nd and Scott Road, and opportunities for public art.

“Feedback gathered from the consultation will help finalize the proposed improvements,” notes a TransLink news release.

“The R6 would operate in addition to Route 319, which would continue to provide local service along the corridor as well.”

During peak hours, Route 319 currently takes an average of 50 minutes one way, and the R6 is projected to make the trip approximately 20 per cent faster, the authority says.

“There were over 11,000 boardings on Scott Road’s 319 route on an average weekday in 2020.

“Route 319 recovered 60 per cent of its riders in 2020 compared to 2019, which is much higher than the system-wide average.”

All RapidBus stops include real-time next-bus digital signage, real-time voice activated information, and all-door boarding.


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