The flagship RapidBus line serves BC Transit customers travelling between the West Shore and Downtown Victoria
The flagship Blink RapidBus line between the West Shore and Downtown Victoria launched yesterday and is now serving BC Transit customers. The new Route 95 West Shore-Downtown line was added, and the Route 50 Langford/Downtown is now discontinued.
The new 95 West Shore-Downtown line travels along the same route as the 50, but with more frequency and with fewer stops. A route 95 bus now arrives every 7-8 minutes during peak travel times and a minimum of every 15 minutes between 7am and 10pm Monday – Saturday and 8am-10pm on Sundays for BC Transit customers. The route 95 will still run earlier than 7am and later than 10pm, but some of the bus arrival times are longer than every 15 minutes during these off-peak hours.
The new Route 95 stops at fewer bus stops than the Route 50, which means more time travelling and less time at bus stops, so customers need to check if their closest stop is a Blink RapidBus stop. The implementation of Blink RapidBus builds on recent bus priority lane investments along Douglas Street and the Trans-Canada Highway, which saves 20 minutes for customers in peak morning and afternoon commute periods.
Customers can tell if they’re at a Blink RapidBus stop if they see the newly branded orange signage. Signage has been placed at bus stops outlining the changes, and customers are encouraged to find more information at bctransit.com/blink.
The vision for Blink RapidBus is to deliver transit service that outperforms the personal automobile in speed, comfort, and reliability. The goal of RapidBus is to connect areas with the highest travel demands in the region using a combination of corridor treatments, branded services, and improved station amenities.
Quotes:
Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure
“BC Transit’s new RapidBus service on Highway 1 means people travelling between the growing Westshore communities and downtown Victoria will have better, more frequent bus service. At a time when other cities across the country are having to cut service levels in their public transit systems, our government is investing in the public transit that people need – and new routes like this one are the result of our positive decision to invest in a better transit future.”
Maja Tait, Chair, Victoria Regional Transit Commission
“Launching the Blink RapidBus service, that will move people around our region quickly and reliably, is great news for the Victoria region. I’m hopeful that the excitement and momentum around the new Blink West Shore-Downtown line will help us work towards more rapid transit service to connect people to places they want to go in and around the South Island.”
Christy Ridout, Vice President of Strategy and Public Affairs, BC Transit
“We’re excited to launch our flagship Blink RapidBus line between the West Shore and Downtown Victoria and look forward to increasing the frequency and reliability for our customers using the new route 95. Our goal is to continue increasing our ridership by using initiatives that make catching the bus easier and more convenient, so more people choose transit to get to their destination.”
Marianne Alto, Mayor, City of Victoria
“The new Blink RapidBus service is a substantial positive development for regional transportation that will benefit thousands of commuters coming downtown. By connecting our communities with a quick and reliable bus service, Route 95 empowers people from across our region to choose public transit over car travel. It’s initiatives like this that expand accessibility and affordability and enhance our local response to climate change; improving the livability of our city now and years into the future.”
Media contact
BC Transit communications
media@bctransit.com
