RapidBus is what we already have: a faster, more frequent, and reliable bus service that is able to accommodate a high volume of passengers, running at least every 10 minutes during peak times and every 15 minutes during off-peak hours.

BRT lines operate like a rail-based rapid transit system, including its own dedicated lanes and traffic signal priority and stations, much like we see with our current SkyTrain system, and would remove any ability to park outside of a business and turn what is an urban village into a six-lane highway.

RapidBus is part of an existing bus network. BRT would be considered high-speed rapid transit and could result in an 8-fold increase in population density within 800 meters of any station.

Ours is a daily-goods and daily-services district. That means we have grocery stores, insurance agents, hair salons, restaurants, cafes, family services, repair shops, and more than 70 medical and dental businesses. We depend on curbside access and our customers do, too. As a result, parking in front of street-facing merchants is crucial to maintaining our vibrant urban village and ensuring there is accessibility for all shoppers – including seniors, individuals with disabilities who use handy-dart and require front-of-building access, and families whether they are local or from afar.

Local businesses compete for customers on the basis of convenience – and simply put, customers who cannot find parking on the Heights commonly go to a nearby strip mall or shopping mall where parking is abundant.

A BRT line would literally divide Hastings Street in two and visually divide it as well, making it all but impossible to host car-free street festivals as we’ve done since the 1980s.

If a Hastings BRT were to be approved, a 6-lane transportation ‘highway’ would be established with likely no pick-up or drop-off stops between Boundary and Willingdon. In effect, it could become a thoroughfare, and if it’s harder for people to use local shops, they will drive further and shop elsewhere. This would not help our district nor would it help climate change.

Our goal is to strike a balance—one that improves public transit while keeping Burnaby Heights’ shopping streets accessible to all customers, including seniors, individuals with disabilities, and families—not just some.

RapidBus (e.g. R5) is a faster, more frequent, and reliable bus service that is able to accommodate high volumes of passengers, running at least every 10 minutes during peak times and every 15 minutes during off-peak hours. 

We understand that TransLink and the City of Burnaby continue to study the issue and gather information regarding options for a potential route alignment, stops, and station designs.

We desire to ensure that we are fully involved in the discussion, regardless of how early in the process, because of the long-term and irreversible implications any decision will have on businesses along the corridor and the community as a whole.

We also want to ensure that we include as much thorough and accurate information as possible when discussing or debating such an important issue.

The Heights Merchants Association has long been a champion of transit. Still, the HMA suggests that if elected leaders want neighbourhood shopping districts to remain relevant to local residents and businesses, it’s incumbent that planners and decision-makers preserve accessibility and convenience.

Our goal is to:

• maintain an open and positive dialogue
• ensure there is an ongoing exchange of information
• advocate on behalf of our members and the community, and advance what we feel is a balanced solution in a respectful manner.

Yes, to some degree and especially if the BRT Station was at Boundary Road and general accessibility elsewhere in our 2 km district were not impacted. A BRT Station at Boundary would also make it easy for local Burnaby Heights residents to use the BRT if they wish to go to the North Shore or Metrotown.

Remember, a BRT means fewer stations, not more of them. The currently discussed and only stop would be at Willingdon Avenue, which means if you live 2 km away, you would still need to take a bus to arrive at the station. All the other 9-10 remaining blocks of Heights businesses would not receive nearly the same benefit as the local bus stops that stop at every block.

Also, it is worth re-iterating that Burnaby Heights is a district of predominantly daily goods and services, so bus riders from West Vancouver or Metrotown are not as likely to come here for those: house insurance, groceries, doctors, veterinarians, piano lessons, etc. The idea of accommodating possible West Vancouver and Metrotown transit riders at the expense of inconveniencing our local, active, daily shoppers is of concern to us.

We feel that there is more than one solution to enhance transit services. Some advocates are making this a black-and-white issue, but we don’t believe it is.

We also hear directly from our shoppers about what they need daily. Some of the arguments made by some transit advocates conflict with what our neighbours are asking for here at home.

We believe a BRT Hastings-Willingdon alignment would have a very detrimental effect in part because, in high probability, BRT infrastructure would require removing the ability to park outside of a business. This would impact many different kinds of shoppers (see Question 11).

Small local businesses compete for customers on the basis of convenience, including seniors who drive and need to park in the vicinity of the business they want to frequent, or those with special needs and rely on handy-dart services to a business storefront.

To thrive, street-facing shops and offices must remain relevant and accessible to all shoppers, especially local customers who live within 2 to 5 km and patronize our businesses the most. Simply put, customers who cannot find parking on the Heights commonly go to a nearby strip mall or shopping mall where parking is abundant.

Another reason is that a resulting 6-lane transportation highway would completely change our Urban Village vibe, which we cherish and want to preserve. It may even make the street festival difficult or impossible. Very few transit advocates even mention that aspect. Most of the advocates live in or have businesses or enterprises in other parts of the region. They don’t know how our district works every day.

Lastly, the purpose of a BRT is to make it as easy as possible to move large numbers of people over long distances as quickly as possible. Burnaby Heights, as a neighbourhood mom & pop shopping district, aims to make it as easy as possible for local people to shop locally. These two objectives are naturally at odds. This is why we are calling for a balance.

Our customers are varied, and our intercept studies along all 12 blocks show that approximately 5% of our shoppers conduct their daily shopping and services by bus. Reasons that provide further context:

• Seniors and/or have mobility challenges and/or are seeing the doctor; Bringing pets to the vet.
• Toting young children (10+ businesses serving families).
• Bringing things to be repaired (computers, musical instruments, vacuum cleaners, etc.)
• Carrying lots of groceries and bags of pet food.
• Running multiple errands up to 8 or 10 blocks apart. (Remember, we are not a compact district. We are 2 km long, and we need local public transit that stops on every block, not prioritizing a BRT that only stops at Willingdon Ave.)

Translink conducted an intercept study based on the HMA’s own questions, but Translink only interviewed shoppers between Rosser and Gilmore, which are the three busiest blocks with the most bus routes and exchanges in the Heights. We studied our WHOLE district from end to end.

Seniors with mobility issues

A mom carrying a kid and taking the pet to the vet

A BRT Station at Hastings and Boundary would serve Burnaby Heights and north-east Vancouver, including the PNE, its employees and patrons. Hastings buses like the R5, #130, #160 and in Vancouver, the #14, would easily connect with it.

Boundary is much wider than Hastings Street. The big power line towers on Boundary Road are also nearing the end of their lifespan and are overdue to be placed underground. Why not combine this work with the creation of BRT Stations at Boundary, at Parker and at 1st and use the ample Boundary Road boulevard for a BRT?

Boundary (whether via 1 st , Lougheed, or Canada Way) to Willingdon route is currently under-served by public transit at this time, whereas Burnaby Heights is already very well served by 6 bus routes.

Alternately, the HMA also supports a Boundary – Canada Way – Willingdon route which has two hotels, up to 150 small-medium employers, and several large employers (including Service Canada, Pacific Blue Cross, and Bridge Studios and the film industry). Unlike Burnaby Heights’ Hastings Street, Boundary is grossly underserved by public transit.

TransLink has told us in the past that a BRT line is designed to be a precursor for Skytrain or light rail. There has been no community consultation to this point, and we desire to ensure that the HMA and our Burnaby Heights neighbours are involved in the discussion—regardless of how early in the process it is—because of the implications any decision will have on businesses along the corridor and the broader community.

Yes, the HMA has appeared before both Council and TransLink to highlight our support for transit enhancements and address our concerns regarding any potential BRT Hastings-Willingdon alignment.

In January (2024), the Council formally received the results of a petition drive carried out over a three-week period during which we gathered the signatures, in person, from more than 700 merchants, employees, and current customers, the vast majority of whom were unaware of the issue before that. Each signature represented a 5 to 20 minute conversation with a local stakeholder.

The HMA welcomes our local residents’ input and encourages everyone to send their input to the City Council by e-mailing Mayor@burnaby.ca and copying LegislativeServices@burnaby.ca.  It is necessary to copy Legislative Services if you wish the e-mail to be official input.

You may also copy info@burnabyheights.com, if you like.