TL;DR: TransLink proposes to cancel rt. 480 in its SW Area
Transit Plan. Details here. Input your opinion in the consultation here. Personally,
I think that the 480 has issues, but it should be optimized (routing &
service hours & frequency) instead of cut.
Today TransLink releases material and consultation related
to Phase 2 of the Southwest Area Transit Plan, which includes service change
proposals in Richmond and South Delta. While there are many great improvements such
as expanding the Frequent Transit Network (e.g.: rt. 401 (One Rd portion), 402,
601), splitting long routes (410) to improve reliability and introducing new
services for under-coveraged areas and Tweassen travellers, one item that is
also on the list is the cancellation or rt. 480 (Bridgeport Stn <> UBC)
due to “service duplication”, “decreasing ridership” and “least reliable route
in the system”.
The following are my personal opinion and observations on
this proposed item:
While it is true that these problems do exist with the 480,
it is important to recognize that
1) the Canada Line has been facing ever exacerbating
overcrowding issues, particularly during peak hours;
2) decreasing ridership on
the route is a direct result of its unreliable nature alongside improvements on
other services (e.g. 49, 43). The root problem of this route is its outdated
routing designed in the 90s to alleviate ridership on the 41. Today,
congestions through Marpole on Granville Street and Kerrisdale on 41st
Avenue are much worse, making both the travel and wait time of #480 unpredictable;
3) Without the 480, 975000 people will per year will need to try squeezing onto
rt. 43 (or future 91 B-Line) & 49, making it more difficult to board west
of Cambie during peak hours.
In fact, there have been calls for TransLink to consider
modifying #480 for years. Ever since the agency proposes to bring the long
overdue 41st-B Line to live, I’ve also been writing in to put
forward the concept of re-directing #480 onto SW Marine Drive between Marpole
Loop and Dunbar Loop. With immense development in Richmond and Marpole, and
overcrowding on the Canada Line, it is by no means that these areas will be
able to support a UBC Express – a real one, not a limited stop bus that just get
stuck at traffic.
The Proposal that I Drew up Earlier this Year
Rerouting #480 onto either SW Marine or W 49th
will improve reliability and speed, and selected trips can even be considered
extending to South Richmond with the resources freed up from the re-route and slight
reduction of frequency. While the 480 does have a weak performance during off-peak
hours, I personally believe peak hour services should be kept for those who are
looking for a one-seat ride without transferring onto already overcrowded rt.
10, 43, 3.
Anyways, consultation for the SW Area Transit Plan opens
from May 23rd to Jun 19th, if you or your friend or family ride the 480,
or any other transit service in Richmond or South Delta, please forward the
plan to them so that they can provide their input.
