Tuesday marked a new reality for tens of thousands of people in the Lower Mainland who now have to transfer to the Canada Line while commuting into downtown Vancouver.

In an effort to get people to use the Canada Line, new TransLink service adjustments mean many bus routes now end at Bridgeport Station in Richmond. The changes, which came into effect Tuesday, appear to have gone relatively well.

"The new Canada Line's great," commuter Curtis Lanovaz said.

While most of the reviews are positive, the transit authority admits the changes will take some getting used to.

"There's some adjustment for commuters as their buses are now being integrated into the Canada Line so a little bit of confusion there but we've got a lot of staff out helping people so we're hoping to make the adjustments as smooth as they can," Derek Zabel of Coast Mountain Bus Company said.

The most significant change is the elimination of suburban express buses that used to travel downtown. The familiar yellow #601 coaches from Delta and South Surrey are now stopping at Bridgeport Station. The change concerns riders who are used to taking one bus from the suburbs all the way downtown.

"Will I get a seat when I get on the Canada Line?" Carol Parisien said. "I don't think I will."

Parisien's concerns go beyond comfort.

"And if you have any concerns like myself -- a bad leg -- I don't really want to be standing all the way, but I guess that's what you have to put up with."

TransLink is hoping commuters will agree the hassle will be worth the time savings of using the new Canada Line.

Here are the highlights of the major service changes:

  • #3 Marine Drive Station/Main/Downtown will serve Marine Drive Station on every trip during weekday rush hours and every second trip at other times of the day (alternating with the current terminus at Main and Marine).
  • The #3 will extend its downtown Vancouver route to Robson and Richards and become the #20 Victoria.
  • The #3 will trade routes with the #8 Fraser/Downtown, which will turn off Main onto Hastings and return via Seymour and Cordova Streets.
  • #10 Granville/Hastings will increase frequency to approximately every 7 minutes during peak periods and every 10 at midday, with other service improvements throughout the day
  • #17 Oak/Downtown/UBC will no longer travel to Marpole Loop
  • #15 Cambie/Downtown, which will reduce its frequency from 6 minutes to 10 in peak periods, with other reductions during the day, becoming a neighbourhood/feeder bus with the Canada Line handling the majority of customers heading downtown
  • N15 NightBus
  • The #20 Victoria/Downtown will terminate all trips at Harrison Loop.

With back-to-school passengers causing increased volume on the bus lines, customers are being encouraged to use less-used routes, instead of busy buses that travel along Broadway:

  • #49 Metrotown Stn/UBC (Canada Line transfer at Langara - 49th Ave. Stn)
  • #41 Joyce Stn/UBC, which will increase frequency to 5 minutes between 9 & 10am and every 6 minutes between 5 and 6 p.m.
  • #43 Joyce Stn/UBC will increase its service (Canada Line transfer at Oakridge - 41st Ave. Station)
  • #25 Brentwood Stn/UBC (Canada Line transfer at King Edward Station)
  • #33 29th Ave. Stn/UBC will improve to 12 minute service in rush hours and extend service to 11 p.m. nightly (Canada Line transfer at King Edward Station)
  • #84 VCC-Clark/UBC, which runs every 8 minutes in rush hours and 10 minutes during midday (Canada Line transfer at Olympic Village Station)

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Stephen Smart