We are thrilled to announce that Binnie has received the prestigious Institute of Transportation Engineers – Greater Vancouver Sections’ (GVITE’s) 2024 Bill Curtis Outstanding Transportation Project Award for our contribution to the R6 RapidBus Project, which runs along Scott Road and 72 Avenue in Surrey and Delta.
The Bill Curtis Outstanding Transportation Project Award recognizes outstanding transportation projects undertaken by a public or private organization, as determined by an independent panel of judges. This esteemed award highlights projects that demonstrate significant contributions to quality of life, innovation, sustainability, and excellence in transportation engineering.
The R6 RapidBus was launched in January 2024 and builds on the early successes of the first five RapidBus corridors. It addresses overcrowding and delays in Surrey and Delta, where bus ridership grew 16% from 2019 to 2023, making better transit solutions a priority.
The project’s success was driven by close collaboration between Binnie, TransLink, Coast Mountain Bus Company, and the Cities of Surrey and Delta. Binnie played a key role in delivering a comprehensive solution that enhanced travel time, service quality, efficiency, and the overall user experience. The R6 RapidBus successfully emphasizes safety, accessibility, efficiency, and sustainability, while also showcasing a scalable model for improving urban transit.
Key features of the R6 line included:
- New, 60-foot articulated buses, operating with high frequency, and offering service every 7.5 minutes during peak times and every 15 minutes at off-peak
- Upgraded amenities, such as improved shelter and branding at 24 bus stops
- Real-time information systems
- Advanced accessibility such as on-demand audio functionality for bus arrival information, tactile walking surface indicators for people with vision loss, and accessible bus stops with priority boarding queue
- Innovative transit priority solutions, such as the flagship median island bus stop at Scott Road and 72 Avenue Seamless transitions from curbside to center-running bus lanes for smooth vehicle and bus flow
- Extensive VISSIM traffic modeling to assess transit travel time and optimize traffic flow
- Integrated Vision Zero principles that enhance safety and reduce traffic-related injuries
- Business Access and Transit (BAT) lanes, reserved for buses but allowing access to driveways and right turns
- Improvements to existing intersections and adding new signalized intersection to improve safety and access
Did you know?
- With all new hybrid diesel-electric buses, the improved fuel economy reduces GHG by 56% each trip on the R6 RapidBus line when compared to driving a gasoline vehicle.
- The buses themselves are outfitted with free WIFI for everyone.
By building on existing infrastructure and prioritizing bus measures, the R6 RapidBus serves as an impactful, cost-efficient solution for the region’s growing transit needs.
About the Bill Curtis Award (Project of the Year)
During his tenure as City of Vancouver’s Director of Engineering in the late 1970s and 80s,
Bill Curtis oversaw the construction of several major infrastructure projects, including the Cambie Bridge
and the Cassiar Connector. As a long-time engineer for the city, Curtis played a key role in shaping the
transportation and urban landscape of Vancouver during that period.
- This award celebrates technical excellence in the field of transportation engineering, design and traffic operations.
- The nominated projects can be roadway design projects, traffic operation programs as well as transportation studies.
- The selected projects must be substantially implemented or completed in the current calendar year.
- The selection criteria include technical complexity and innovation, societal importance, sustainability,quantity of work and budget/time limitation.
