TransLink says to expect snow delays and cancellations on bus routes, SkyTrain slowdown

by Martin Dunphy, Charlie Smith on December 30th, 2021 at 9:18 AM

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TransLink announced this morning (December 30) that transit commuters should expect delays and cancellations as a result of an overnight weather system that dumped 15 to 20 centimetres of snow on Metro Vancouver.

Environment Canada cancelled its snowfall warning for Metro Vancouver at 8 a.m. Thursday morning.

In a release, TransLink said residents should expect to spend extra time getting to work as bus routes will experience delays and some cancellations.

It said that SkyTrain will be operational on all three routes but will be slower than usual because of manual operation of trains by attendants.

West Coast Express and SeaBus are operating normally.

Road conditions will present challenges for buses, especially on the North Shore and in Burnaby, New Westminster, and Port Coquitlam, it added.

Transit customers are encouraged to use TransLink's Trip Planner and to check regularly for transit alerts.

"In anticipation of the snow, TransLink activated its snow plan for severe weather yesterday, which is a series of actions we take to mitigate delays due to inclement weather," TransLink stated.

These actions include:

* running de-icer on trolley overheads;

* switching articulated 60-foot buses to 40-foot buses, as they are more agile in snowy conditions;

* running special SkyTrain de-icer on the power rail to keep trains moving and running trains overnight to keep SkyTrain tracks clear;

* installing tire socks on buses serving Burnaby Mountain, North Shore, and Vancouver routes where hills and traction are an issue;

* and sanding and salting transit hubs.

Below, you can see what transit users are saying on Twitter about this morning's conditions.