Blink RapidBus

The Route 95 Langford/Downtown RapidBus launched on April 10^th, 2023, replacing the former Route 50 Langford/Downtown. The RapidBus has significantly enhanced transit connections between the West Shore and Downtown Victoria by increasing service levels and efficiency through dedicated bus lanes and stop spacing adjustments.

RapidBus Service

The improved service levels on the new West Shore-Downtown line ensure that during peak travel times, buses arrive every 7-8 minutes, and outside of peak hours, they arrive at least every 15 minutes at any RapidBus stop.

Route 95 operates from approximately 5:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m., Monday through Friday. As ridership continues to grow, service frequency will increase accordingly. Since the introduction of the West Shore-Downtown RapidBus,

What Does Blink Look Like?

The biggest stand out of this change is the new branding – customers will know they’re at a Blink RapidBus stop if they see the newly branded orange signage. Over time, customers will notice that larger, branded RapidBus stations like the stop at Douglas and Cloverdale in Victoria will be installed along the West Shore-Downtown line.

The new branding is deliberate and although orange isn’t the first colour that comes to mind when you think of BC Transit, it has been part of our network branding for nine years and it currently exists on our transit stops in Victoria.

What is RapidBus?

Rapid transit is aimed at enhancing travel time, reliability, passenger comfort, and convenience along an exclusive right-of-way. This system offers frequent, high-capacity service that operates continuously throughout the day. The table below summarizes the key differences between RapidBus, Frequent Transit, and Local Transit.

RapidBus features fewer stops than local routes to enhance service reliability, allowing more time in transit and less time spent at bus stops. Most stops no longer served by RapidBus continue to be serviced by other local routes. The selection of stops for RapidBus versus local routes was not made lightly; decisions were based on factors such as passenger boardings, stop spacing, and feedback from Local Government Partners.

For the Route 95 Langford/Downtown RapidBus, BC Transit carefully determined which stops the 95 Blink RapidBus would serve, aiming to maintain service levels that exceed industry standards. Criteria considered included:

• Minimizing large gaps between bus stops.
• Retaining the most heavily used stops.
• Preserving stops where their removal from the 95 line would have been detrimental.
• It strives for an average distance of 600 meters between stops despite industry standards suggesting it should be 800 meters to 2 kilometres.

How Did We Get Here? 

It began with the Transit Future Plan (TFP) in 2011, which identified various transit services to best meet the current and future needs of the region. The plan identified that rapid transit should serve key transportation corridors connecting major regional destinations, supported by transit priority measures to improve travel time and service reliability. This concept evolved in the 2021 RapidBus Implementation Strategy, outlining three distinct RapidBus routes and proposed station locations.

The Blink RapidBus expanded upon recent investments in bus priority lanes along Douglas Street and the Trans-Canada Highway. These lanes have reduced passenger travel by up to 20 minutes during peak morning and afternoon commute periods.

Where Are We Going?

Following the implementation of the 95 Blink RapidBus, BC Transit is in the process of developing the Tillicum-Mackenzie Corridor Plan. This plan includes Route 96 Mackenzie RapidBus Line, which offers rapid transit connections from Uptown to UVic. For more details about this plan, please visit BC Transit’s Engage website here.

Getting There In A Blink

BC Transit is exploring further improvements to infrastructure between Goldstream Avenue and the Trans-Canada Highway in Colwood and View Royal to make Blink RapidBus service even faster, along with planned improvements to Blink RapidBus stations. This investment in more frequent service wasn’t the start, and it isn’t the end as we continue to increase service and invest in infrastructure.

Presently, work is being undertaken to expand capacity of the Burnside Bridges which seeks to connect our Highway 1 Bus Only lanes, between Tillicum and McKenzie, and our Island Highway projects. This project is currently under construction while future plans involve bus only lanes further into western shore communities to the 6-Mile Bridge.

Rapid transit takes time to implement, so while this modest step will increase our service levels, frequency and reliability for customers, more infrastructure is needed to make Blink RapidBus even faster. Our goal is to build on what we’ve achieved so far and turn our focus to areas where further improvements can continue to be made so Blink RapidBus will get even better over time.