After about 18 months of construction, the long-planned overhaul of Phibbs bus exchange in the District of North Vancouver has reached completion.
As of today, the bus exchange featuring a new layout and amenities has officially reopened, providing more capacity and improved accessibility, safety, and passenger comfort.
There are 13 bus bays with more space for passengers, improved bus stop shelters and more seating, improved nighttime lighting, a multi-use pathway for improved pedestrian and cyclist access, seven new bike lockers and new bike racks, a new commercial retail space, and a new rain garden.
As well, the new layout now better supports the existing R2 Marine Drive RapidBus, which uses the longer articulated buses, and runs between Park Royal and Phibbs bus exchange. TransLink has short-term plans to extend the R2 RapidBus route south across the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge to reach SkyTrain’s Brentwood Town Centre and Metrotown stations via Willingdon Avenue in Burnaby. Over the longer term, this entire extended R2 RapidBus route could be upgraded to TransLink’s new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) standard.
Construction on the $32 million project began in November 2022 and was jointly funded by the provincial and federal governments and the public transit authority.
May 2024 completion of the new Phibbs bus exchange in North Vancouver. (TransLink)
May 2024 completion of the new Phibbs bus exchange in North Vancouver. (TransLink)
“As an access point for the R2 RapidBus and a future home for the Metrotown-North Shore BRT corridor, Phibbs Exchange is an incredibly important part of our transit network,” said Kevin Quinn, CEO of TransLink, in a statement.
“The exchange is over 50 years old, and we have now proudly modernized the space to benefit customers for decades. We look forward to future investments in our transit system like this one, as we work with our government partners to find a new sustainable funding model.”
Phibbs bus exchange, located next to Highway 1’s recently upgraded Main Street interchange near the northern end of the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge, is one of the principal and busiest bus exchanges on the North Shore, with over 5,000 passengers using the bus exchange on an average weekday. It is served by 13 bus routes.
Previous construction progress on the new Phibbs bus exchange in North Vancouver. (TransLink)
Previous construction progress on the new Phibbs bus exchange in North Vancouver. (TransLink)
Previous construction progress on the new Phibbs bus exchange in North Vancouver. (TransLink)
Later in 2024, public art by Indigenous artists will be installed at the bus exchange.
Immediately to the north and south, Phibbs bus exchange is wedged between one of the Squamish Nation’s largest reserve clusters, with the combined size of its reserve parcels near the north end of the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge totalling about 112 acres. This includes waterfront properties currently being used for industrial purposes, and the land of Real Canadian Superstore.
Squamish Nation has indicated it has plans to optimize the use of these reserve parcels by pursuing more optimal uses, including high-density transit-oriented development (TOD) with housing.
Reserve 2 of the Squamish Nation at the north end of the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge in North Vancouver District. (Squamish Nation)
Other properties around Phibbs bus exchange that are under freehold title are also slated for TOD. Under the provincial government’s new transit-oriented development legislation, designated TOD areas around Metro Vancouver bus exchanges, such as Phibbs, have a radius of 400 metres, with the inner area within 200 metres prescribed with minimum allowances of up to 10 storeys and up to 3.5 FAR, and the outer area between 200 metres and 400 metres prescribed with minimum allowances of up to six storeys and up to 2.5 FAR.
“The reopening of the Phibbs Transit Exchange represents an exciting milestone for transportation in our region,” said Wilson Williams, a spokesperson and council member for the Squamish Nation.
“Phibbs Exchange is one of the busiest bus exchanges in the system, and the recent upgrades will enhance the lives all those commuting to and from the North Shore, including many people from the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw. We are also honoured that the public art being installed at Phibbs Exchange will reflect the rich history of these lands, where the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh people have lived for 400 generations.”