The $14.7-million upgrade of the Lonsdale Quay transit exchange is now substantively complete, TransLink says.
The project to beautify the 40-year-old bus loop and make the facility more functional has been underway since 2019.
The bus loop had to be redesigned to accommodate the articulated R2 RapidBus. Crews raised the ceiling throughout the exchange and provided better lighting. The entire area was repaved to give it a brighter look. The old bus bay signs were replaced with LED-lit signs. It’s also easier to move through in a wheelchair or pushing a stroller.
The only feature yet to debut is a public art piece that will run along the western wall of the bus loop. This should be ready within the next few months, according to TransLink.
“The upgrades to the Lonsdale Quay exchange include a more welcoming, vibrant and spacious transit hub for commuters and residents that will enhance the travel experience across the North Shore,” said City of North Vancouver Mayor Linda Buchanan in a release. “I’m pleased to see this work completed in tandem with SeaBus service increases and the launch of our first rapid bus line.”
Half of the funding for the project came from federal grants. The province kicked in another third and TransLink picked up the tab for the rest.
Although, not officially part of the TransLink project, the new public art piece adorning the “tunnel” at the north end of the exchange debuted in September. Sea Change uses a series of interactive LEDs and mirrored panels that refract light patterns to mimic being immersed in a body of water. The artwork was created by local artist Jill Anholt and commissioned by the Polygon Promenade in partnership with the City of North Vancouver.
According to TransLink, the exchange averaged 20,000 SeaBus passengers and 5,000 bus riders per day in 2019. Boardings on the SeaBus in November 2020 are just 31 per cent of what they were in same month last year. System-wide, bus boardings were down 55 per cent year over year.
