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Blink RapidBus

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95 Langford/Downtown RapidBus
RapidBus
Overview
SystemVictoria Regional Transit System
StatusActive
Began serviceApril 10, 2023
Predecessors50 Langford/50 Downtown
Night-timeFriday and Saturday
Route
LocaleGreater Victoria
Communities servedVictoria, Saanich, View Royal, Colwood, Langford
StartDowntown Victoria
EndLangford
Service
LevelDaily
FrequencyEvery 7–30 minutes
Journey time35–57 minutes
Operates5:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m. (3:00 a.m. Fri–Sat)
Blink RapidBus
Langford Exchange
Phipps Rd (N/B only)
Station Ave
Jacklin Rd
Langford Centre
Vets Memorial Pkwy
Grainger Rd
Kristina Pl
Wale Rd
Goldstream Ave/Island Hwy
Colwood Exchange
Wilfert Rd
Six Mile Rd
Helmcken Rd
McKenzie Ave
Tillicum Rd
Uptown
Cloverdale Ave
Finlayson St
Gorge Rd/Hillside Ave
Discovery St
Pandora Ave
Fort St
Courtney St
Legislature Exchange
Legend
Blink RapidBus (bus)

Blink RapidBus is a bus rapid transit system in Greater Victoria, British Columbia, as part of the Victoria Regional Transit System. Currently it only consists of one route, Line 95, which connects Langford, Colwood, View Royal, Saanich, and Victoria. Its termini are at Langford Exchange in Langford and the Legislature Exchange in Downtown Victoria.

History

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Rapid transit has been proposed in the Greater Victoria area since at least 2011, when a light rail line was proposed to link Langford and Downtown Victoria. It was expected to cost $1 billion.[1] In 2018, Premier of British Columbia John Horgan said that there wasn't a business case for light rail on the abandoned E&N Railway corridor and that his government would focus on building bus lanes.[2]

There have been transit lanes on portions of Douglas Street, one of the roads Line 95 traverses, since 2014, when curb lanes had been reserved for transit and bikes during AM and PM peak hours.[3] These lanes have been expanded to all-day dedicated bus lanes that stretch 4.4 km (2.7 mi) from Fisgard Street to the Trans-Canada Highway (which Douglas Street turns into) at the Burnside Road overpass. The bus lanes are predicted to save bus riders 10 minutes on their journey.[4] There are discussions ongoing with Transport Canada about extending the bus lanes further down the Trans-Canada Highway. There are also plans to add similar lanes to the Island Highway.[5]

In 2021, BC Transit announced plans for a RapidBus system. It was hoped that phase 1 of their plans, a "West Shore Line" between Langford and downtown, would be implemented within 3 years. In phase 2, there are plans for 2 more lines: a "Peninsula Line" and a "UVic Line." The Peninsula Line will link Downtown Victoria with the Swartz Bay ferry terminal in North Saanich via the Patricia Bay Highway. The UVic Line will link the University of Victoria with Uptown via McKenzie Avenue. There would be connections between the 3 RapidBus routes at an Uptown/Saanich Exchange. The project hadn't been costed yet, but Transportation Minister Rob Fleming noted that there's new funding sources for public transit projects, such as the Canadian federal government announcing a new transit infrastructure fund during the COVID-19 pandemic.[6][7][8][9]

Line 95 commenced service on April 10, 2023. It replaced the Route 50, following the same routing but with fewer stops. Only one pair of stops were removed though, as the other stops continue to be used by other routes. Line 95 is branded orange, as will all future RapidBus routes, with new RapidBus signs and stations being installed.[10][11] On September 5, 2023, BC Transit extended their late night service on Friday and Saturday nights on multiple routes, including Route 95. Buses run until 3:00 a.m. on those nights, although late-night service may not run on holidays.[12][13]

Service frequency

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Line 95 runs every 7–8 minutes during peak hours, at least every 15 minutes from 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, and from 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. on Sundays. Service is reduced during early mornings and late nights. Compared to route 50, the Route 95 has 8% greater service on Saturdays, 12% on weekdays, and 18% on Sundays.[14]

References

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  1. ^ "$1B rapid transit line suggested for Victoria". CBC. 26 April 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  2. ^ Leyne, Les (16 May 2018). "Les Leyne: Horgan puts brakes on light rail for E&N". Times Colonist. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  3. ^ Thomas, Megan (2 November 2016). "Victoria cracks down on bus lane cheats". CBC. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  4. ^ Bell, Jeff (15 April 2020). "Dedicated bus lanes now complete between Fisgard Street and Burnside Road overpass". Times Colonist. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  5. ^ Moreton, Bailey (15 February 2023). "Date set for faster RapidBus route between Langford and downtown Victoria". Goldstream News Gazette. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  6. ^ McLachlan, Philip &, Mehta, Shalu (16 July 2021). "West Shore RapidBus strategy unveiled". The Discourse. Retrieved 31 October 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Arrais, Pedro (28 March 2023). "B.C. Transit reveals details of Blink RapidBus in Victoria". No. Times Colonist. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  8. ^ Wilson, Carla (27 May 2023). "B.C. Transit studies upgraded service on Saanich Peninsula". Times Colonist. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  9. ^ Duffy, Andrew (30 June 2021). "Plan calls for rapid buses between downtown Victoria and West Shore within three years". Times Colonist. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  10. ^ Little, Simon (11 April 2023). "BC Transit launches new 'Blink RapidBus' connecting downtown Victoria, Langord". Global News. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  11. ^ Blandy, Curtis (27 March 2023). "New rapid bus service between West Shore and downtown Victoria launches in April". Victoria Buzz. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  12. ^ Alde, Nevada (22 August 2023). "BC Transit announces Greater Victoria will return to their fall schedule in September". Victoria Buzz. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  13. ^ "Victoria Route Overview". BC Transit. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  14. ^ Chan, Kenneth (12 April 2023). "BC Transit launches first RapidBus route serving Victoria". Daily Hive Vancouver. Retrieved 29 October 2023.