For many years, B.C. Transit passengers in Victoria have been able to enjoy the sights of their city from the second floor of a double-decker bus.

Now, TransLink may be ready to get onboard with this idea in Metro Vancouver.

Today, the regional transportation authority announced that it's issued a request for proposal for 32 of these vehicles after a four-month pilot project demonstrated their popularity.

During the trial, they were put on seven long-haul routes serving Vancouver, Langley, Surrey, White Rock, and Delta. A survey showed that 75 percent of passengers said in the first month they would be more likely to use transit if they could ride on a double-decker bus.

The pilot project double-deckers were popular with bus operators and included a screen that enables riders to see on the lower floor if there are vacant seats on the upper floor. They are also fully accessible with a flat floor and a ramp for wheelchair users.

"Following a successful RFP, we expect the new double-deckers will begin arriving mid-2019, with funding provided through the Federal Gas Tax.," TransLink stated in a news release. "Twenty-seven of the double-decker buses will replace aging Orion buses and five will be expansion vehicles."

B.C. Transit has 69 double-deckers manufactured by U.K.-based Alexander Dennis, with most of them being 12 metres long and 4.3 metres high. The company's lowest double-decker is 3.91 metres in height.

In other transit news, the American Public Transit Association has reported that Metro Vancouver experienced the highest percentage increase in public transit use last year in Canada and the United States.

The Lower Mainland's passenger count rose 5.7 percent, which was significantly ahead of the only three other regions that demonstrated an increase: Phoenix (3.5 percent), Seattle (2.3 percent), and Montreal 2.3 percent.

According to TransLink, the 96-B line from Guildford Exchange to Newton Exchange saw a 17 percent rise in ridership. The Gilbert-Bridgeport bus line was up 14 percent. And Robson/Downtown increased by a whopping 20 percent.

“It’s encouraging to see people in my city and around the region taking advantage of this new level of transit service available as the 10-year vision continues to roll out," TransLink Mayors' Council chair Derek Corrigan said in a news release. "Our region is hungry for more transit connections and capacity. The execution of phase two of the vision and the improvements it will bring can keep this trend going.”