TransLink's R2 RapidBus ridership jumps 160% following North Shore to Metrotown route extension

The R2 RapidBus is now seeing a drastic increase in ridership following its extension to reach SkyTrain’s Metrotown Station, giving TransLink an early indication of demand for the expanded frequent, faster, limited-stop service linking the North Shore and central Burnaby.

The service began its extended route operations on Sept. 7, 2026, bringing the easternmost terminus of the R2 RapidBus from the previous endpoint of Phibbs bus exchange — near the northern end of the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge to Metrotown via the bridge, Hastings Street, and Willingdon Avenue. In addition to the ability to connect with SkyTrain’s Expo Line at Metrotown Station and the major bus exchange there, passengers can also connect with the R2 RapidBus at the Millennium Line’s Brentwood Town Centre Station.

The extension grew the route’s length from 10 km within the original North Shore segment to about 19 km after it was extended south of Burrard Inlet.

When the service first launched in 2020, it was known as the R2 Marine Drive RapidBus, running between Park Royal in West Vancouver and Phibbs bus exchange via Marine Drive and the Lonsdale Quay SeaBus terminal and bus exchange. With the extension, the route has now been renamed as the R2 Marine-Willingdon RapidBus.

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The latest figures provided by TransLink to Daily Hive Urbanized upon inquiry show the extended route recorded approximately 434,000 boardings between Sept. 8 and Oct. 7, 2026.

That represents a 160 per cent increase over the equivalent period last year beginning after Labour Day, from Sept. 2 to October 1, 2025, when the R2 RapidBus’ route was confined to the North Shore.

Moreover, average weekday boardings have climbed from approximately 6,000 during the equivalent period in 2025 to more than 16,000 over the period since the extension’s launch.

The substantial increase also comes partly from a reshuffling of existing bus routes. The R2 extension replaces portions of the service previously provided by the No. 130 Kootenay Loop/Phibbs Exchange and No. 222 Willingdon Express bus routes, bringing some of their passengers onto the RapidBus route. Most trips on the No. 130 now start and end at Kootenay Loop on Hastings Street in Vancouver (most trips do not reach the North Shore), while the No. 222 — which previously operated between Phibbs bus exchange and Metrotown during weekday periods only — was discontinued.

But TransLink’s figures also show growth when those affected services are considered together. The combined ridership across the affected routes increased by seven per cent compared with the equivalent period in 2025.

This broader comparison provides a clearer picture of overall ridership growth alongside the much larger increase recorded by the R2 RapidBus itself.

Additionally, several major destinations along the R2 RapidBus extension segment have already emerged as significant boarding locations.

From Sept. 8 to Oct. 7, approximately 82,000 boardings were recorded at the Expo Line’s Metrotown Station, followed by 52,000 at the Millennium Line’s Brentwood Town Centre Station and 30,000 at the BCIT Burnaby campus. Together, those three boarding locations generated approximately 164,000 boardings, accounting for nearly 38 per cent of the extended R2 RapidBus total ridership.

The route extension gives R2 RapidBus passengers connections to two SkyTrain stations and quicker access to BCIT’s Burnaby campus, one of Metro Vancouver’s largest post-secondary campuses. For some trips, it also offers a faster, more convenient connection between the Expo and Millennium lines, allowing passengers to avoid a lengthy SkyTrain detour to transfer at Commercial-Broadway Station to the west or Lougheed Town Centre or Production Way-University stations to the east.

The extension created a one-seat bus ride between Park Royal and Metrotown, eliminating the need for passengers travelling through Phibbs bus exchange to transfer between buses. It also strengthens bus service along Burnaby’s north-south Willingdon Avenue corridor.

Depending on the time of day, direction of travel, and traffic conditions, the full R2 RapidBus journey between Park Royal and Metrotown Station takes approximately one hour to one hour and 20 minutes. The segment between Phibbs bus exchange and Metrotown Station takes roughly 25 to 45 minutes, while the trip between Brentwood Town Centre Station and Metrotown Station takes about 10 to 18 minutes.

However, according to Google Maps, some trips between Park Royal and Metrotown Station can be faster by taking a bus to Downtown Vancouver and transferring to the Expo Line.

Using the long high-capacity articulated buses and with all-door boarding, the R2 RapidBus runs from approximately 5 a.m. to 2 a.m., arriving every six to seven minutes during weekday peak periods and every 10 to 15 minutes at other times.

While the extension adds service and improves connections, it did not introduce new bus-priority or HOV lanes in Burnaby. TransLink is continuing to plan for potentially upgrading the R2 RapidBus into a Bus Rapid Transit standard with extensive bus-only lanes and other bus-priority measures, and evaluate other potential longer-term rapid transit improvements along the broader North Shore-Metrotown corridor, such as SkyTrain and street-level Light Rail Transit.

The R2 RapidBus extension is a measure to provide interim service improvements and help build up ridership along the North Shore-Metrotown corridor for future rapid transit.

According to TransLink data, the R2 RapidBus saw 1.92 million annual boardings in 2025, making it TransLink’s 41st busiest bus route and the sixth busiest B-Line/RapidBus route.

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