A year-long study has concluded that a transit exchange is needed in both Langley City and Willowbrook.
The bus loop on Logan Avenue at Glover Road is already at capacity, TransLink project planner Jeff Busby told Township council on Monday.
Where the City loop will eventually be relocated has not been determined, but a key location for the Willowbrook transit exchange is in the area of Fraser Highway and 196 Street/Willowbrook Drive. It is possible that some of the parking lot of Willowbrook Shopping Centre would be included in the bus terminus.
Asked by Councillor Charlie Fox why two exchanges would be situated so close to each other, Busby replied that they would provide connectivity.
Furthermore, two exchanges mean that layovers (parked buses) would not be concentrated in one area, he added.
The Township and the City contributed $50,000 each to finance the study which began in October, 2011.
According to a report presented to council a year ago, TransLink developed four concepts for the Langley area, favouring the one which has frequent service from the west to serve Willowbrook and terminate in downtown Langley City.
Other elements of this option support frequent service from the north terminating in the City, and services from the south, east and northeast serving downtown Langley City and terminating in Willowbrook.
This scenario would require two exchanges. Buses serving Brookswood, Murrayville, Aldergrove and Fort Langley would stop at the downtown Langley City exchange, before going on to Willowbrook.
Frequent service buses on 208 Street would terminate in downtown Langley City.
That report stated that the study would be used to develop a concept and area plan for the Willowbrook transit exchange that would:
• ensure all transit services can be accommodated, and roads which would provide safe and efficient access to the exchange;
• create high quality passenger environments;
• integrate sites within 500 metres of the exchange for neighbourhood redevelopment, and
• use cycling and walking networks to connect transit exchanges with surrounding neighbourhoods.
The public is invited to speak at open houses on Tuesday, Nov. 27 at Township Hall, Thursday, Nov. 29 at City Hall. Both are from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.