Starting this fall, bus riders in Chilliwack can expect several key service changes, including the addition of new Sunday trips on most routes, improved service to Promontory Heights, and new, early morning connections to Route 66 Fraser Valley Express (FVX) on weekdays.
Effective Tuesday, Sept. 4, Route 4 Promontory will extend into Promontory Heights, travelling eastward from Promontory Road to Jinkerson, Skyline and looping back on Sylvan.
As well, customers can expect increased frequency on routes 7 Broadway and 8 Tyson, and new early morning connections to the FVX on routes 1 Vedder, 2 Evans, 3 Chilliwack, 4 Promontory, 7 Broadway and 8 Tyson.
Also effective Sept. 4, the FVX will double its weekend and holiday service, adding four new round trips connecting Chilliwack and Abbotsford to TransLink services at Carvolth Exchange (Langley).
Launched in 2015, the FVX is a partnership between BC Transit, the Fraser Valley Regional District, the City of Abbotsford and the City of Chilliwack. The express service is designed to deliver passengers quickly and efficiently across the region, stopping only at six transit stops along the way (three in Chilliwack, two in Abbotsford and one in Langley).
The FVX connects Chilliwack and Abbotsford to TransLink services at Carvolth Exchange in Langley, covering 65 km from start to finish. The route initially ran on weekdays and Saturdays, with Sunday and holiday service introduced last September.
This latest weekend and holiday service expansion will include the addition of new trips later in the evening in both directions, with the last trip back to Langley leaving downtown Chilliwack at 6:30 p.m. and arriving at Carvolth Exchange at 7:39 p.m. The last trip from Carvolth Exchange will leave at 7:45 p.m. and arrive in downtown Chilliwack at 8:53 p.m.
The changes come in response to increasing demand and customer feedback, according to BBC Transit officials, including a public survey conducted this past April to help determine the times for the new trips.
For more information about transit in Chilliwack, including the FVX, visit bctransit.com/chilliwack.