Letter: Cancelling the 480 — a simplistic solution for underlying problems

On May 23, TransLink released phase two of the Southwest Area Transit Plan (SWATP), which includes proposals and consultation of transit service changes in Richmond and South Delta for the next decade. One of these proposals involves cancelling the 480 bus line, which runs between Bridgeport Station at Richmond and UBC. 

In the Southwest Area Transit Plan, TransLink claims that they propose to cancel the route because it “duplicates with other services, [has] declining ridership, the lowest on-time performance in 2015, and [faster alternatives].”

Is TransLink correct in their claims? Yeah, their points are very valid. The 480 is slow and unreliable, which is why many are taking other buses, like the 49 instead.

Table 2: Comparing Service Performance of #41, #43, #49 and #480

Who’s still taking the 480?

There must be reasons why 975,000 people continued to stick to the #480 in 2015. The Canada Line, 43 bus and 49 bus are all overcrowded during peak hours. Also, many commuters simply enjoy a one-seat ride.

With plenty of new condos or townhouses being built or completed in Richmond, south of the Fraser, Marpole and along Marine Drive, there will certainly be UBC students, faculties or staff commuting from these areas. On top of that, the 480 connects to a variety of Richmond, Delta and South Surrey/White Rock bus routes at Bridgeport Station. Adding an additional transfer for the bus riders who already have very long commutes makes transit a less attractive commute choice. Making matters worse, TransLink proposes to re-direct various Richmond internal bus routes to Bridgeport Station in the SWATP. This will just further challenge the capacity of Bridgeport Station.  

The underlying problem is not with the 480. It is the issue of bus speed and reliability that affects the 43, 480 and many other bus routes is the only appropriate solution for long-term transit improvements.

Aftermath and solutions: looking at the alternative worlds

In any case, whether or not TransLink ends up deciding to cancel the 480 or not, a lot of issues remain to be addressed. I would like to take a look at both worlds, and make a few recommendations in either case.

Suggested actions in alternative world #1: 480 saved

If TransLink decides to keep the route, then action must be taken to make it more efficient, or it may be subjected to elimination again in future transportation plans.

1. Eliminate the underused off-peak service on the 480. The 49, future 41st B-Line and the Canada Line are frequent, fast and have enough space to accommodate everyone.  

2. Transfer the route to Vancouver Transit Centre, improve scheduling efficiency by grouping the 480 with other UBC buses (25, 33, 41, 49, 84) and reduce the need and distance of buses running as “not in service” (also known as deadheading).

3. Modify the route to be faster and more reliable. In the write-up this routing is recommended because it is faster, more reliable than most options, and it covers more people and maintains connectivity to the 10,000 bus routes.

Suggested new route for re-designing the 480

Suggested Actions in Alternative World #2: Farewell #480 (Summary)

In the case that the 480 is cancelled as proposed, I suggest that the following items should be considered:

1. Increase frequency on the 43 and 49, and upgrade capacity on the Canada Line. Yeah, of course.

2. Improve transit efficiency, speed and reliability through the Kerrisdale area, regardless of the fate of the 480, because right now, 41st Avenue through Kerrisdale is a chokepoint for bus routes such as the 22, 41, 43 and 480.

3. Introduce a new peak-hour only express service parallel to 49 and coexists with the 41st Avenue B-Line, just like how the 84 and the 99 coexist.

4. Keep a peak-hour express route between Marpole, Marine Drive and UBC, via Granville Street and 49th Avenue.

Final words: roads, roads and roads

There is one theme throughout this letter: road constraints and congestions. Building more SkyTrain lines can help commuters avoid traffic jams, but we won’t see SkyTrain lines everywhere in our lifetime. Buses and other forms of surface transportation are here to stay in the foreseeable future. Our municipal governments should not overlook things that they can be doing for the bus riders in this region, by taking actions to improve transit efficiency and reliability.  

Kevin Wong is a third year civil engineering student. His love for transportation, transit systems and numbers gives rise to a strong passion in transportation planning. For the complete article that includes support figures, visit his blog.

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