STORIES & NEWS
Walking over the Inlet- Thank you SeaBus!
Keep reading to find out how easy and seamless the trip can be from Waterfront in (Vancouver Downtown) to Lonsdale Quay (North Vancouver).
It is winter on the West Coast and that means occasionally we have beautiful, dry sunny days. We know that you are as excited about sustainable transportation as we are, so we thought of sharing another experience on public transit with yet another walk ‘n transit tour.
Did you know? With a single tap of your Compass Card, you can travel not only on the Skytrain but take the SeaBus as well! In just 12mins, you can be on the other side of the Vancouver Harbour without thinking traffic delays and parking troubles.
Keep reading to find out how easy and seamless the trip can be from Waterfront (Vancouver Downtown) to Lonsdale Quay (North Vancouver).
The access to the SeaBus Terminal is integrated with the Waterfront SkyTrain Station. The visual indications are clear and quite easy to follow. There are screens showing how much time you have until the next vessel leaves (yes, a countdown!).
SeaBus Terminal access.
Unless you’re rushing, walk slowly through the corridor, enjoy the views of the Canada Place and the Gastown façades on either side. It can be as exciting and fun as walking above the city (quite literally). At the end of the corridor you can go down the escalators or head right, where there are two elevators. We (my toddler and I) took the new shiny elevator and it is all glass-walled (see through), so do not worry about feeling claustrophobic.
Most of the passengers will go through the turnstile and if you are in a wheelchair or with a baby-stroller, the staff will open the big doors for you. (Public transit can be so fancy). Once all the (arriving) passengers have exited the vessel, your boarding doors will be opened. Wait patiently in this boarding area, it won’t be long.
When inside the SeaBus, if you board by the doors marked as accessible, there is a space for placing the stroller without blocking any seats. Put on your (stroller) brakes, sit’n relax, enjoy the views on your way to North Van. In this short ferry ride you will be treated to the breathtakingly beautiful views of the Lions Gate Bridge, the forever lovely Stanley Park, the snow capped mountains...need I say more!
Stroller traveling on the SeaBus
As soon as you arrive in North Vancouver, onward you go with the next part of your trip to Lynn Valley or Grouse Mountains or other North Vancouver destinations via bus connections at the exchange depo. Turn right on to the Lonsdale Quay Market and you can enjoy a short walk along the newly renovated public space.
With a glorious sunny morning right in the middle of a Canadian winter, we couldn’t pass on the temptation to take a stroll. We walked at toddler pace enjoying the crisp views of Vancouver skyline and the mountains. Heading back, we took delight in this waterfront while we were waiting for the SeaBus to arrive. It is easy to see the vessel approaching and it only takes a couple of minutes to board again. Do not panic if you miss one. There’s one in every 15mins!
Happy walking!
This article is written by BEST’s Isabel Garcia. #walkability
Summary card of the walk.
Our Response to COVID 19
Like everyone, we have felt the repercussions of the current pandemic. Our team is healthy, which is the most important part. We’re taking it day by day.
Like most non-profit organizations, we don’t know what this will mean for our operations. BEST prides itself on offering valuable services, such as The Bicycle Valet and Parkbus, which operate as social enterprises. The Bicycle Valet provides free and secure bike parking for events, the vast majority of which will not operate this year. Parkbus provides bus transportation to mainly Provincial Parks, which are not currently open.
Like everyone, we have felt the repercussions of the current pandemic. Our team is healthy, which is the most important part. We’re taking it day by day.
Like most non-profit organizations, we don’t know what this will mean for our operations. BEST prides itself on offering valuable services, such as The Bicycle Valet and Parkbus, which operate as social enterprises. The Bicycle Valet provides free and secure bike parking for events, the vast majority of which will not operate this year. Parkbus provides bus transportation to mainly Provincial Parks, which are not currently open.
We’re adapting our other programs as best we can, like Living Streets and the Walk30 Challenge, to look to the future of how communities will move. Find out how you can help here. And our ParkPass program is working on ensuring parks are not over-crowded through innovative parking and day use management solutions.
We’ve also partnered with awesome organizations to create new initiatives, like Safe Seniors, Strong Communities. Thanks to all the cyclists and drivers who signed up!
Whatever happens, we know sustainable transportation will be more important than ever for people to get where they need to go and stay physically and mentally healthy. BEST has been around for almost 30 years and is a resilient organization. Help us stay that way by donating or becoming a member, if you can.
As always, thanks for your support.