A Richmond resident and student has kicked off a petition to reinstate TransLink’s 480 Richmond-UBC bus.
James Yu, 19, a Ph.D. student of economics at UBC, said the cancellation of the 480 Bridgeport Station/UBC express bus has caused “inconvenience and stress” for him and other transit users between Richmond and the university.
During the pandemic, TransLink suspended the 480 bus for “cost-saving” reasons as well as due to in-person classes being cancelled.
However, the transportation agency announced on April 3 the bus route “will not be returning to service.”
“More than 200 individuals and counting agree with me that TransLink's current service is not effective compared to when the 480 was in place,” said Yu, referring to his ongoing petition.
He added his travel time with the 480 in place was between 45 and 60 minutes but has since increased to one hour and 20 minutes in each direction without the bus route.
“This has taken time away from my academic and personal life, and has added significant stress to my routine,” said Yu.
“As a Ph.D. student, I have a limited time budget available, and the loss of the 480 adds to the pressures I face daily.”
He added that the cancellation of the 480 bus has contributed to the “worsening, overcrowding and delays on the Canada Line and R4 RapidBus.”
A spokesperson with TransLink told the Richmond News in an email that route 480 "competed with bridge traffic," making it slower and less reliable than using the Canada Line and other bus options.
“Route 480 was discontinued because there are frequent alternatives for customers travelling between UBC and Richmond," said a TransLink spokesperson.
"The discontinuation allows us to put service on other routes with higher demand.”
He highlighted that the R4 RapidBus, 99 B-Line, 25 and 49 busses are "more reliable and faster" than the 480 bus.
In comparison, alternatives for the 258 bus, which was also cancelled, are "not as strong," resulting in TransLink's announcement that a new express bus route will be operating between West Vancouver's Dundarave neighbourhood and UBC to complement the existing 250 and 44 buses.
Yu, however, is calling this decision an “inequity in treatment” between the communities.
Passengers who formerly used the 480 bus need to face two or more transfers, but commuters in West Vancouver only need to face one transfer, according to Yu.
“It does not make financial or logistical sense to restore the West Vancouver direct service while also keeping the 480 discontinued, and this has created an inequity in treatment between our communities.”
Yu is planning to deliver the petition and a list of collected names to TransLink administrators to show that TransLink’s “data analysis does not reflect the reality that commuter students … have to face every day.”
