Improved bus service may be coming to Cloverdale, Surrey, and other communities south of the Fraser River.
TransLink is planning to increase and expand transit services in Surrey, if their new funding package passes at the end of the month. The areas include Cloverdale and a new bus route to Campbell Heights along with many other areas in Surrey.
TransLink is asking for $312 million from the Province. Other money will come in from airport surcharges and a five per cent increase in off-street parking taxes.
TransLink is also currently offering a public consultation on the transit improvements. Their 2025 Investment Plan is open for public input until April 24. Once completed, the data will be passed along and the plan will be voted on April 30.
“Following public consultation, active now until April 24, the 2025 Investment Plan will be voted on for approval by the Mayors’ Council and TransLink’s Board,” Dan Mountain, Translink media relations advisor told the Cloverdale Reporter via email.
If the Investment Plan is passed, most of the enhanced service would be focused on riders living south of the Fraser River.
“That’s where we’ve seen the largest demand and ridership growth compared to the rest of the region,” Mountain explained. “The plan would expand the amount of transit service in Surrey by more than all other areas in Metro Vancouver.”
Mountain said TransLink would add three new bus routes and increase the bus service on 20 of the most overcrowded routes in Surrey.
He added the plan would augment changes made over the past five years. He said TransLink has increased bus service in the Surrey-Langley area by more than 33 per cent. He said they also added a new rapid bus service on Scott Road in 2024. That service sees 16,000 riders each weekday, which represents 22 per cent growth over 2023.
“We know there is more work to be done,” Mountain admitted. “Surrey’s population growth drove the largest ridership increase in the region last year and Surrey continues to be our top priority for transit expansion.”
Mountain said the 2025 Investment Plan would also allow TransLink to expand its preparations for rapid transit development in Surrey.
“Construction of the Surrey–Langley SkyTrain continues to move forward, and this Investment Plan would fund planning work to advance the King George Boulevard Bus Rapid Transit route to bring rapid transit to King George residents living between Surrey Central Station and Semiahmoo Town Centre,” Mountain explained. “The King George Boulevard BRT would make King George bus service 40 per cent faster for 130,000 people while also increasing access to 60,000 job sites.”
POTENTIAL NEW ROUTES
TransLink’s 2025 Investment Plan would see the creation of three new Surrey bus routes, if the plan is passed. According to Mountain, these include:
1. Campbell Heights: A new route serving Campbell Heights Industrial area in East Surrey, in addition to the existing 531. The new route would operate between White Rock Centre and Willowbrook Shopping Centre. This is a rapidly growing industrial area and is projected to have more than 15,000 job sites over the next ten years.
2. 88th Avenue: TransLink will upgrade the existing Route 388 so that customers have access to this service all day, instead of just during peak hours. This will provide a "much better" east/west connections for customers living near 88th Avenue, will help customers connect with other bus routes throughout the day, and provide service to the Port Kells industrial area. This route will provide service along 88th Avenue between Carvolth Exchange and 22nd Street for customers in Surrey, Langley, and New Westminster.
3. 68th Avenue: TransLink will introduce a new route to serve the growing area of South Newton between Scottsdale and Newton Exchange along 68th Avenue.
20 POTENTIAL ROUTE INCREASES
In Surrey, 20 bus routes will get service increases, including:
R1 (King George Boulevard – Guildford)
301 (Newton Exchange / Brighouse Station)
310 (Scottsdale / Ladner)
312 (Scottsdale / Scott Road Station)
314 (Surrey Central / Sudbury)
321 (White Rock / Newton / Surrey Central Station)
322 (Newton Exchange / Scottsdale)
324 (Newton Exchange / Surrey Central Station)
325 (Newton Exchange / Surrey Central Station)
329 (Surrey Central Station / Scottsdale)
335 (Newton / Surrey Central Station)
341 (Guildford / Newton Exchange)
342 (Langley Centre / Newton Exchange)
345 (King George Station / White Rock Centre)
360 (Ocean Park / Peace Arch Hospital)
371 (Surrey Central / Scott Road Station)
373 (Surrey Central / Scott Road Station)
375 (White Rock / Guildford)
393 (Newton Exchange / Surrey Central Station)
501 (Langley Centre / Surrey Central Station)
SURVEY
To have your say on TransLink’s survey, visit translink.ca, scroll down to “2025 Investment Plan” and click on “Take the Survey.”
The survey closes at midnight on April 24.
