The SeaBus departs North Vancouver. File photo by Cindy Goodman/North Shore News
TransLink has announced that it will offer increased service on the SeaBus during peak periods starting this September.
Starting Sept.3, the transit authority notes that there'll be sailings between Waterfront and Lonsdale Quay every 10 minutes during rush hour periods; they currently occur every 15 minutes during these times.
Customers will see these 10-minute sailings:
- 7:00am - 9:30am, Monday to Friday
- 3:00pm - 6:30pm, Monday to Friday
*Excludes statutory holidays
“The SeaBus is an increasingly popular way to commute between downtown Vancouver and the North Shore, with approximately 20,000 boardings each weekday,” says TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond. “With SeaBus ridership growth of around 6% each year, these extra sailings will help to meet customer demand.”
Increasing sailings to every 10 minutes during rush hour periods is an objective set out in the Mayors’ 10-Year Vision. TransLink has now also added up to 20 extra sailings on Friday evenings to accommodate demand relating to North Vancouver’s Shipyards Night Market.
“This is wonderful news for the region and particularly those commuting to and from the North Shore,” says City of North Vancouver Mayor Linda Buchanan. “Additional sailings and 10-minute service will not only increase SeaBus capacity, this provides opportunity and convenience for even more people to use public transportation.”
TransLink adds that the Burrard Beaver will be rotated into regular service to meet the new timetable. Currently, the vessel is used as a spare when other SeaBus vessels undergo maintenance. This means if extended maintenance is required on TransLink vessels, rush hour schedules could revert to 15-minute sailings. However, the transit authority reports that, "Every effort will be made to minimize this impact and ensure reliability consistent with SeaBus’ exceptional on-time performance record."
