The R1 King George Blvd is an

express bus service Public transport bus services are generally based on regular operation of transit buses along a route calling at agreed bus stops according to a published public transport timetable. History of buses Origins While there are indication ...

with

bus rapid transit Bus rapid transit (BRT), also called a busway or transitway, is a bus-based public transport system designed to have much more capacity, reliability and other quality features than a conventional bus system. Typically, a BRT system includes ...

elements in

Metro Vancouver The Metro Vancouver Regional District (MVRD), or simply Metro Vancouver, is a Canadian political subdivision and corporate entity representing the metropolitan area of Greater Vancouver, designated by provincial legislation as one of the 28 ...

, British Columbia, Canada. Part of TransLink's RapidBus network, it travels along

King George Boulevard King George Boulevard (formerly known as King George Highway) is a major arterial road in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. The route begins at Highway 99, north of the Peace Arch Border Crossing with the United States, and runs generally nort ...

and 104 Avenue in Surrey and connects

Guildford Guildford () is a town in west Surrey, around southwest of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town has a population of about 77,000 and is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around inhabitants in . The name "Guildf ...

Whalley / City Centre Whalley is the most densely populated and urban of the six town centres in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. It encompasses City Centre, the city's central business district, and is home to the Surrey City Hall, the main branch of Surrey Libr ...

, and

Newton Newton most commonly refers to: * Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist * Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton Newton may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Newton'' (film), a 2017 Indian film * Newton ( ...

. The service replaced the 96 B-Line on January 6, 2020. It is operated by

Coast Mountain Bus Company Coast Mountain Bus Company (CMBC) is the contract operator for bus transit services in Metro Vancouver and is a wholly owned subsidiary of the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority, known locally as TransLink, the entity respon ...

and funded by TransLink. All articulated buses used on this route are hybrid and air-conditioned. Although articulated buses are mainly assigned, standard buses may be assigned instead.

History

Origins of what became the 96 B-Line can be traced back to 2008–2009, when the route was known as the 399 in planning stages. Originally planned for a 2010 implementation using resources from the

98 B-Line The 98 B-Line was a bus rapid transit line in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It linked Richmond to Downtown Vancouver, with a connection to Vancouver International Airport. It travelled mainly along Granville Street in Vancouver a ...

, which was slated to be discontinued, implementation of a south of the Fraser River B-Line did not happen until four years later due to a funding shortfall. The line began service on September 2, 2013. Continuous queue jumping lanes were subsequently added at major intersections along King George Boulevard and the City of Surrey proposed expanding bus-only lanes along King George Blvd to improve travel times. , passengers with a Compass Card or proof of payment are allowed to board from any of the three doors on the bus. Passengers who are paying cash must board through the front door. On January 6, 2020, the 96 B-Line service was replaced by new R1 King George Blvd RapidBus, which featured upgraded passenger amenities such as improved bus shelters and a new

passenger information system A passenger information system, or passenger information display system, is an automated system for supplying users of public transport with information about the nature and the state of a public transport service through visual, voice or other m ...

Route description

Departing from

Guildford Exchange Guildford Exchange is a major public transit exchange serving Guildford Town Centre in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Opened on May 30, 1975, it is a connection point for routes serving the Whalley, Fleetwood, Guildford and Cloverdale areas of ...

, the R1 travels west along 104 Avenue towards

Surrey Central station Surrey Central is an elevated station on the Expo Line of Metro Vancouver's SkyTrain rapid transit system. The station is located in the Whalley / City Centre district of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, just east of the North Surrey Recre ...

and

King George station King George is an elevated station on the Expo Line of Metro Vancouver's SkyTrain rapid transit system. The station is located in the south end of the Surrey City Centre district of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, and is one of the outboun ...

(both on the SkyTrain Expo Line). It then continues south along King George Boulevard towards

Newton Exchange Newton Exchange is a bus loop located in the central Newton area of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. As part of the TransLink system, it serves Newton with routes to Surrey City Centre, North Delta, Richmond, Langley City and White Rock, whi ...

Stops

– serves

Guildford Town Centre Guildford Town Centre is a shopping mall located in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. It opened on November 8, 1966, and is owned by Ivanhoé Cambridge, a Quebec-based real estate company. It is the largest mall in the Lower Mainland south of the F ...

and Guildford Recreation Centre. It is a major transfer point for other routes serving Surrey, Langley, and White Rock. * 148 Street * 144 Street – serves Hawthorne Rotary Park * 140 Street * Whalley Boulevard *

– connects to the Expo Line and also serves

Central City In urban planning, a core city, principal city metropolitan core, or central city, is the largest or most important city or cities of a metropolitan area. A core city is surrounded by smaller satellite cities, towns, and suburbs. A central city ...

SFU Surrey Simon Fraser University (SFU) is a Public university, public Research university, research university in British Columbia, Canada, with three campuses, all in Greater Vancouver: Burnaby (main campus), Surrey, British Columbia, Surrey, and Vancou ...

, KPU Civic Plaza, the

Surrey City Centre Public Library The Surrey City Centre Library is the main branch of Surrey Libraries ( Surrey, British Columbia's public library system). It was opened in September 2011 and replaced the Whalley Public Library. Part of a re-vitalization project for the City Ce ...

and Surrey City Hall. Also a major transfer point for other routes serving Surrey, Langley, Aldergrove, Delta, and White Rock. *

– connects to the Expo Line and serves

Holland Park Holland Park is an area of Kensington, on the western edge of Central London, that contains a street and public park of the same name. It has no official boundaries but is roughly bounded by Kensington High Street to the south, Holland Road to ...

and

King George Hub King George Hub is a mixed-use development with retail, office and residential high-rises in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, located at the northeast corner of King George Boulevard and Fraser Highway in the Surrey City Centre district. Develop ...

* 96 Avenue – serves

Surrey Memorial Hospital Surrey Memorial Hospital (SMH) is a publicly funded hospital owned and operated by Fraser Health in the city of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada adjacent to King George Boulevard. Overview Surrey Memorial Hospital began operations in early 195 ...

and

Queen Elizabeth Secondary School Queen Elizabeth Secondary is a public high school in Surrey, British Columbia part of School District 36 Surrey. The school is named after Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, who first visited Canada in 1939. It was ranked 248 of 516 according t ...

* 88 Avenue – serves Bear Creek Park and the Surrey Arts Centre * 80 Avenue * 76 Avenue – serves Kings Cross shopping plaza as well as other retail *

– serves

Newton Town Centre Newton is a town centre of the city in Surrey, British Columbia. It is the location for the previous Surrey City Hall and Courthouse, a local Surrey Public Library branch, and a Kwantlen Polytechnic University campus. The studios of radio stati ...

and is a major transfer point for other local services to Surrey, Langley and White Rock and express service to Richmond

Notes

References

External links

TransLink

Timetable

Route Diagram
{{TransLink Services, state_skytrain=collapsed, state_bus=uncollapsed Transport in Greater Vancouver RapidBus (TransLink) Transport in Surrey, British Columbia 2013 establishments in British Columbia