98 B-Line

The 98 B-Line was a bus rapid transit line in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, that began service in September 2000. It linked Richmond to Downtown Vancouver, with a connection to Vancouver International Airport. It travelled mainly along Granville Street in Vancouver and a dedicated bus lane on No. 3 Road in Richmond. It was operated by Coast Mountain Bus Company and was funded by TransLink. The route was long. The line carried over 18,000 passengers daily. It was discontinued in September 2009, shortly after the opening of the Canada Line, which replaced it. History Prior to the introduction of the 98 B-Line, most bus routes in Richmond travelled into Downtown Vancouver during rush hours. These routes served all stops along their routes in Richmond, then would operate along Granville Street in Vancouver as express services. Although the idea of a rapid bus line from Richmond to Vancouver had been discussed for decades, it was first proposed by BC Transit in 1994. In 1995, Vancouver city council approved a southbound high-occupancy vehicle lane for the evening peak hours in the Marpole neighbourhood in preparation for an express bus service. In 1997, the idea of a rapid transit line was re-introduced with the objective of providing the express service at regular fares. A study determined that the best route for the line would be via Granville Street in Vancouver. The project cost approximately to build; this included the price of new vehicles, the construction of a dedicated bus lane in Richmond, installing new bus shelters, automated on-board announcements and similar technology, transit priority systems for traffic lights and a share of the new Richmond bus depot, as the old Vancouver Oakridge depot could not accommodate the longer articulated buses used on the route. The line opened as far as Sea Island on September 4, 2000, later extending from Airport Station into central Richmond in August 2001.