Why Scott Road?
Scott Road is one of the busiest corridors south of the Fraser and Route 319 is the second fastest growing bus in the region. The current 319 route is the The 7th busiest bus route in Metro Vancouver (2019) .
We know congestion is increasing in our region. From 2015-2019 a roundtrip on the 319 was 10% slower. The corridor is also the sixth worst in the region in terms of person-delay.
Buses on the corridor compromise of 1-2% of all vehicles on the corridor, yet move 24-42% of the people.
What changes will you make to local bus service?
Route 319 will remain in place, at a reduced but still frequent all-day local service. Route 319 customers will benefit from the street changes we’re making and experience shorter travel times. The 12 other routes that run on a portion of the corridor will also benefit.
How are you improving the Scott Road Corridor?
Safety for all road users: We want to improve safety on the corridor for all road users. This means adding new pedestrian crosswalks, supporting safer driving speeds, and making intersections safer.
Customer experience and accessibility: We're upgrading our bus shelters and stop locations to enhance your ride. This means real time updates, text-to-audio at stops, and other accessibility features.
Pedestrian & cycling comfort and convenience: Where possible, we’re making walking and cycling better. This means new paths, new crosswalks, improved sidewalks and lighting.
Bus travel time savings: To make the RapidBus faster, we’re making changes to the streets to improve travel times. This includes bus lanes, queue jumps, and in-lane bus stops.
Traffic flow and goods movement: Scott Road is an important driving connection for personal vehicles, for goods movement and industrial vehicles. The street designs we’ve developed present minimal impact to drivers. In some cases we even improve traffic flow and travel times for people in motor vehicles.
Access to businesses and residences: Scott Road is an important commercial corridor, with accesses to businesses throughout. While some driveways may need to be adjusted, the majority of accesses are unchanged.
Landscaping: The RapidBus project will include landscaping elements along the Scott Road and 72 Avenue corridor. This includes identifying locations for additional trees, shrubs or other greenery as part of R6 construction. In the case where a tree has to be removed for construction, two trees would be planted to replace it. These are typically planted in the central median of the road, or in the planting strips beside the sidewalk. An overall Corridor Greening Plan is also being developed.
How will the RapidBus connect with other bus routes?
The proposed R6 RapidBus route does not enter Scottsdale exchange to ensure faster and more reliable travel times. The R6 will not loop behind the mall or go around the bus loop and will therefore be able to provide a more direct service. Customers can still connect easily to other local routes at other shared stops on Scott Rd and 72nd Ave.The route details will be confirmed through the planning and design process.
By stopping at 72nd and Scott Rd instead of Scottsdale Exchange, RapidBus will provide convenient access to major destinations such as the Guru Nanak Gurdwara or the Scottsdale Centre mall as well as Strawberry Hill.
When will this route be in place?
The R6 Scott Rd RapidBus is anticipated to be launched in late 2023.
Will truck traffic or general vehicle traffic get worse on the Scott Rd. corridor as a result of transit priority?
The proposed transit priority on the corridor will be built by creating additional lanes. The traffic analysis conducted does not show any significant changes in congestion. In some cases the additional transit priority will help reduce congestion in certain areas.
