Bus to School, Avoid the Lines

Oh, you poor students. Waking up at an ungodly hour after a weekend of drinking, only to line up at Broadway and Commercial to board a bus. A packed, sardine can of a bus. Then doing it again at the end of the day, with a bag full of homework and term paper goodness.

Drew Snider, media relations guy for Translink, wants to help you avoid a stand-up, stinky armpit situation.

"Most people going to UBC head to Broadway Station, then transfer to the 99 B-Line. Often, the 99 B-Line leaves Broadway with a full standing load, leading to 'passups' at stations along the route. Here are some alternatives:

1. Take #9 UBC instead. It runs every 12-17 minutes through the morning and afternoon rush hours and take 45 minutes or less to go from Broadway Station to the UBC Loop. By comparison, the #99 B-Line takes just over half an hour.


2. During midday, take #9 Alma and transfer to #99 B-Line or #17 UBC at 10th and Alma.


3. Get off at Nanaimo Station and take the #25 UBC. This trip takes 30-40 minutes.


4. Get off at Joyce-Collingwood Station and take the #41 UBC. These buses leave every 4-6 minutes and take 30-40 minutes (including a scenic run along SW Marine Drive).


5. Continue to Granville Station and transfer to the #4 UBC, #7 UBC and #17 UBC on Richards or walk to Seymour and Hastings, the terminus of the #44 UBC.


6. Get off at Burrard Station and transfer to the #44 UBC.


7. Take Millennium Line 'outbound' (towards VCC-Clark), get off at Brentwood Town Centre Station and transfer to the #25 UBC. This trip takes about one hour and fifteen minutes.


8. At VCC-Clark Station, take the #84 UBC. Service is once every 8 minutes in the peak AM period and takes about 30 minutes.

GOING TO SFU

Most people take SkyTrain to Production Way/University Station and transfer to the #145. These buses run every 3-5 minutes through the morning, but are often crowded and leave with full standing loads on board and lots of people passed-up in the loop. The alternatives:

1. Go to Burrard Station and catch the #135 SFU. These buses leave every 5 minutes or so, and take about 45 minutes.
2. Go to Metrotown Station and transfer to the #144 SFU. This service is less frequent than the others - about 10-14 minutes apart - and takes about 40 minutes, but if you give yourself enough time, this is a convenient alternative to long lineups and congestion.

Photo courtesy of paradigm4.