What is it?
In 2019, the C-TRAN Board of Directors approved a new Rose Village Connector service for Vancouver's Rose Village neighborhood. The new service began in September 2019 as part of a series of other service changes.
The service replaced Route 39 with a shorter loop running hourly along 33rd Street, Grand Boulevard, Fourth Plain Boulevard and Main Street serving existing stops on a fixed schedule. It also directly serves the VA Medical Center.
The bus makes eight loops along that route each day: four in the morning, four in the afternoon. During the time between trips, that's supplemented with additional Connector-style service allowing residents in Rose Village to call for a ride anywhere in the designated dial-a-ride area. Same-day ride requests need to be made at least 90 minutes in advance, similar to C-TRAN’s existing Connector service.
Approximate hours of operation for the Rose Village Connector are 7:30 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. in the morning, then 2:30 p.m. to 5:50 p.m. in the afternoons. It runs Monday through Friday only.
The concept still provides Rose Village residents a direct link to the nearby VA Medical Center, Walmart, Safeway and Walgreens, plus connections to other fixed routes. The goal is to continue to provide transportation service for those who depend on it in the neighborhood, while doing so in a way that makes more sense given current demand and ridership.
The Rose Village Connector has the same fares as any Local route.
How does it work?
Here are three scenarios demonstrating how to use the Rose Village Connector:
- Taking a Connector ride to go outside the Rose Village area. Let’s say you live in Rose Village and need to make a trip to the Vancouver Mall. You can call to have the bus pick you up at your home, take you directly to Fourth Plain and Grand Boulevard, and then catch The Vine the rest of the way to the mall. For the return trip, simply do the same thing in reverse, and make sure you’ve reserved a ride if you need the Connector bus on the way home. (Note: While most same-day rides can be accommodated with 90 minutes of notice, service is first-come, first-served so it is a good idea to call early in the day to guarantee your ride. Messages for early morning trips can be left the night before but ride availability will need to be confirmed by the driver in the morning.)
- Taking a Connector ride within the Rose Village area. Now let’s say you live in Rose Village and need to go to Safeway on Main Street—within the Connector service area. Just call ahead and schedule both the trip there and the trip home, and the bus will provide you curbside service to the grocery store and back.
- Taking the fixed loop. If you live on or close to 33rd Street, the hourly fixed loop might make the most sense for you. If you’re taking a ride to the VA Medical Center, for example, just check the schedule, arrive at the bus stop a few minutes early, and ride the bus to the VA—no phone call needed, just like the existing Route 39.
Got questions? Need help planning your trip? You can always call 360-695-0123 to speak with a C-TRAN representative.