Main Street and Kingsway buses in Vancouver get priority as new bus lanes and stop changes roll out
The bus speed and reliability improvements will begin with bus stop location changes starting on Feb. 2, 2026, when about a dozen stop locations for the No. 19 between Stanley Park and Boundary Road are adjusted. The bus stop locations eyed for changes are roughly evenly split between the downtown Vancouver/Main Street segments of the No. 19 route, and the Kingsway segment near the easternmost end of the city — between Rupert Street and Boundary Road. As well, one bus stop will be permanently removed with no relocation, while three stops will be added at new locations.
More than 90 per cent of riders will continue using their existing bus stop. Where bus stops are removed or relocated, another stop will typically be about one city block away.
According to TransLink, about 70 per cent of the bus stops along the No. 19 are closer together than the optimal spacing standard of 300 metres. The frequent stopping slows buses and makes arrival times harder to predict. By spacing stops more evenly, buses can move more efficiently while still maintaining walking distance accessibility.
Most of the bus stop changes impact No. 19, though some shared stops set to see adjustments are also used by No. 3 Waterfront Station/Marine Drive Station, No. 5 Robson/Downtown, No. 8 Fraser/Southeast Marine Drive, No. 22 Knight/Downtown, and the N8 and N19 NightBus routes.
In recent years, TransLink has implemented “bus stop balancing” on select routes where stops are too closely spaced, contributing to unreliable service. This has led to improved reliability, lower travel times, and reduced operating costs.
Then later in 2026, working with the public transit authority, the City of Vancouver is expected to implement expanded curbside parking restrictions to enable extended bus lane hours, coupled with intersection changes to reduce the likelihood of buses being held up by other vehicles waiting to turn.
These changes will occur along the Main Street and Kingsway segments of the No. 19, with other bus routes sharing the same route segments also benefitting.
Based on recent public consultation materials, for the segment of Main Street between Union Street and East 7th Avenue, new and extended bus lanes will operate daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., reserving curbside lanes for buses, bikes, and taxis while limiting general traffic use to right turns only. Parking will be restricted during these hours, peak-hour left turns will be limited at East 3rd Avenue and Prior Street, and bus stop spacing will be adjusted, removing three northbound stops and adding a new consolidated stop between East 5th Avenue and East 6th Avenue.
Kingsway-Main Street bus transit improvements. (City of Vancouver)
Kingsway-Main Street bus transit improvements. (City of Vancouver)
Kingsway-Main Street bus transit improvements. (City of Vancouver)
Along Kingsway, between Main Street and Boundary Road, existing bus lanes and parking restrictions will be expanded and extended during weekday peak periods.
Within this segment, bus lanes will generally operate in the morning peak period on the north side (westbound direction) and in the afternoon peak period on the south side (eastbound direction), with some sections — particularly between Dumfries Street and Nanaimo Street — seeing peak-hour bus lanes in both directions. Parking restrictions will be lengthened, no-stopping zones extended near major intersections, and peak-hour left turns restricted at key locations to keep buses moving.
Kingsway-Main Street bus transit improvements. (City of Vancouver)
Kingsway-Main Street bus transit improvements. (City of Vancouver)
Kingsway-Main Street bus transit improvements. (City of Vancouver)
TransLink states additional and finalized details on the Main Street and Kingsway bus lane measures will be announced later this year.
Over 48,000 bus trips are impacted by delays on the No. 19’s Kingsway and Main Street segments on a daily basis.
Out of about 200 bus routes across Metro Vancouver, the No. 19 is TransLink’s ninth busiest bus route, based on 2024 ridership statistics. It saw 4.378 million annual boardings, with averages of 12,300 per weekday, 11,900 per Saturday, and 10,700 per Sunday/holiday. The No. 3, No. 5, and No.8 are also busy routes.
Last year, TransLink floated the potentially idea of launching a new express bus route along Main Street and Kingsway between SkyTrain’s Main Street-Science World Station and Metrotown Station in Burnaby, essentially as a limited-stop version of the No. 19. While such a faster bus service along the cross-town, Main Street-Kingsway corridor would likely be years away, an additional bus route serving Stanley Park could arrive sooner, potentially as early as 2027. That proposal would see buses travel the full loop of Stanley Park Drive to and from Waterfront Station, supplementing No. 19 service, which is currently the only TransLink bus route that operates deep within Stanley Park.
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