Burnaby, B.C., council approves bus lane for 3-kilometre stretch of Hastings Street

The Burnaby, B.C., City Council has approved a motion to establish a dedicated bus lane on a three-kilometre section of Hastings Street, running between Delta Avenue and Duthie Avenue, which will operate seven days a week.

The motion, which passed unanimously on Monday, is a revised version of an earlier proposal that aimed to extend the bus lane an additional five blocks between Willingdon Avenue and Duthie Avenue. Instead, those blocks will likely see the introduction of "bus bulbs," where the sidewalk is extended into the travel lane at bus stops, helping to preserve most of the street parking in the area.

City staff, referencing transit authority TransLink, noted that bus riders on Hastings Street currently face significant delays due to the existing setup, where a high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane operates only during weekday rush hours.

Transit advocates had pushed for a curbside bus lane operating daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to reduce these delays. However, local businesses in the Burnaby Heights area expressed concern that losing curbside parking would harm their operations.

The motion that passed represents a compromise between the two sides. Denis Agar, executive director of the transit advocacy group Movement, expressed support for the plan, noting that the new bus lane on such a congested corridor would make a significant difference for riders of bus routes R5, 160, and 134.

However, Agar also pointed out that incorporating bus bulbs instead of a continuous bus lane would be a step back from the current HOV lane, and his organization would continue to advocate for further improvements, as the motion passed also calls for additional consultation.

Isabel Kolic from the Heights Merchants Association emphasized the importance of maintaining curbside parking for local businesses and their customers, noting that removing parking would disproportionately affect seniors, families with children, and individuals with mobility challenges.

Some councillors echoed Kolic’s concerns, stressing that the area's businesses depend on the local traffic and curbside parking. Councillor Sav Dhaliwal highlighted that these businesses rely on customers coming from the surrounding neighborhoods and that parking availability is crucial for their livelihood.

The amended motion passed as part of TransLink’s ongoing efforts to improve transit speed and reliability between Metro Vancouver’s North Shore and Burnaby’s Metrotown area, with the Burnaby Heights area playing a central role in the future of this route. TransLink had conducted consultations between 2021 and 2022 after identifying the need for transit improvements along Hastings Street, and regional funding has now been secured to support the initiative.

City staff have been tasked with beginning the design work for the bus lane and bus bulbs, with implementation expected by 2026, following further consultation with local residents and businesses.