Blink RapidBus to Serve West Shore-Downtown

Monday, March 27, 2023 – The District is sharing the following news release from BC Transit:

BC Transit is excited to announce the flagship Blink RapidBus line between the West Shore and Downtown Victoria launches April 10. As part of this launch, the Route 95 West Shore-Downtown line is being added and the Route 50 Langford/Downtown is being discontinued – the Route 95 will travel along the same route with fewer stops.

BC Transit customers will experience an increase in service levels on the new 95 West Shore-Downtown line and can expect a bus to arrive every 7-8 minutes during peak travel times and a minimum of every 15 minutes at any Blink RapidBus stop between 7am and 10pm Monday – Saturday and 8am-10pm on Sundays. The new Route 95 will provide 21 more additional weekday trips than the existing Route 50 (12 per cent increase), 11 additional trips on Saturdays (8 per cent increase), and 20 additional trips on Sundays (18 per cent increase).

The new Route 95 will stop at fewer bus stops than the Route 50, which means more time travelling and less time at bus stops, so customers will need to check if their closest stop is a Blink RapidBus stop. The bus stops that will no longer be served by the Route 95 will continue to serve other routes in the West Shore and Downtown, however, one stop pair in the West Shore is being discontinued (see attached map). Signage has been placed at bus stops outlining the changes, and customers are encouraged to find more information at bctransit.com/blink

The most notable change aside from the route changing from the 50 to the 95 is the new Blink RapidBus branding. Customers will know they’re at a Blink RapidBus stop if they see the newly branded orange signage. Over time, customers will notice that larger, branded RapidBus stations like the stop at Douglas and Cloverdale in Victoria will be installed along the West Shore-Downtown route.

As a result of the new Blink RapidBus from Langford to Downtown, some changes were made to the Route 61 Sooke to improve service frequency and create efficiencies where possible. Overall the Route 61 will have significant all-day service improvements, however, during non-peak travel times, customers will be required to transfer to the Route 95 at the Langford Exchange if their destination is Downtown Victoria. Customers with a DayPASS can easily transfer and customers without a DayPASS will need to pay the fare for the transfer.

The implementation of Blink RapidBus builds on recent bus priority lane investments along Douglas Street and the Trans-Canada Highway, which saved 20 minutes for customers in peak morning and afternoon commute periods. Further improvements to infrastructure between Goldstream Avenue and the Trans-Canada Highway in Colwood and View Royal are being planned to make the 95 Blink RapidBus even faster.

The vision for Blink RapidBus is to deliver transit service that outperforms the personal automobile in speed, comfort and reliability. The goal of RapidBus is to connect areas with the highest travel demands in the region using a combination of corridor treatments, branded services, and improved station amenities.

As part of the Blink RapidBus launch a promotional prize contest is also being held for customers in the Victoria region. To enter the prize contest and find out more about the new Blink RapidBus visit: bctransit.com/blink

Media contact
BC Transit communications
media@bctransit.com