TransLink has unveiled the newly renovated 22nd Street Bus Exchange in southwest New Westminster.
The exchange serves more than 9,000 customers on an average weekday, provides Expo Line access and services eight routes that stretch across six regional municipalities.
TransLink said the project delivers a “space that is more easily accessible, convenient and modern.”
Upgrades include:
- Enhanced lighting for increased safety
- A widened waiting area for more efficienttransfers to and from SkyTrain
- New bus shelters with additional seatingfor better comfort and safety
- Electric bus charging station for the new battery-electric buses
- Captivating artwork by local award-winning artist Laiwan
The artwork, titled Wander: Toward a Lightness of Being, is spread out across the exchange. The art consists of 14 haikus (short poems) and 22 graphic icons of phytoplankton, which inhabit the Fraser River nearby. The images were inspired by microscopic imagery taken by Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science students at the University of British Columbia.
“Beyond the upgraded infrastructure, the artwork adds vibrancy and spirit to help the exchange fit right in with New Westminster culture,” said Mayors’ Council Chair and Mayor of New Westminster Jonathan Coté.
As part of TransLink’s Maintenance and Repair Program, the $2.8-million retrofit was made possible through funding from the 10-Year Investment Plan.
Quick facts:
- 13,500 transfers between the exchange and SkyTrain on an average weekday (Fall 2018)
- 1,600 evening bus boardings at the exchange on an average weeknight (Fall 2018)
- Over 3.3 million boardings at 22nd Street SkyTrain station in 2018 with a 6.9 per cent increase in ridership from 2017
