The Red Line, also known as The Vine on Mill Plain,[1] is a bus rapid transit (BRT) line in Vancouver, Washington, United States, operated by C-Tran as part of The Vine. The 10-mile (16 km) route runs from 7th Street at Turtle Place in downtown Vancouver to Mill Plain Transit Center via Mill Plain Boulevard.[2]

The Vine on Mill Plain
A westbound Red Line bus at 157th Avenue Station
Overview
SystemThe Vine
OperatorC-Tran
StatusOpen
Began serviceOctober 1, 2023 (October 1, 2023)
Route
LocaleVancouver, Washington, U.S.
StartTurtle Place, Downtown Vancouver
ViaMill Plain Boulevard
EndMill Plain Transit Center
Length10 mi (16 km)
Stations37
Service
LevelDaily
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Groundbreaking for the Mill Plain BRT project took place on September 28, 2021. A ceremonial ribbon-cutting took place on September 30, 2023, and the line opened for regular service on October 1, 2023.[3] The new line replaced C-Tran Route 37 and features offboard fare payment and near-level boarding.[4]

History

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The Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council (RTC) completed a two-year planning effort to develop a high-capacity transit system for Vancouver and Clark County in 2008.[5] Its High Capacity Transit System Plan, published in a final report that December, identified Mill Plain Boulevard along with three other corridors—Fourth Plain Boulevard, Highway 99, and Interstate 205—as a viable route for BRT.[6] The report predicted a daily ridership of 8,260 riders and a capital cost of $60 million.[7]

C-Tran, Clark County's transit agency, pursued developing the routes in order of highest ridership and adopted a 20-year plan recommending the first BRT line on Fourth Plain Boulevard. The Fourth Plain route, later branded as The Vine, began operating in January 2017.[8] After Fourth Plain Boulevard, C-Tran determined Mill Plain Boulevard was the next busiest corridor with 767,000 passengers recorded on the Route 37 bus service in 2017.[9] Early design and public outreach for the Mill Plain BRT project began in 2018,[10][11] and four alignment options were presented.[12][13] C-Tran approved a locally preferred alternative in March 2019.[14]

In 2021, the project received a $24.9 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration to help pay for the project, including the purchase of eight new buses.[4][15]

C-Tran broke ground for the Mill Plain BRT project on September 28, 2021, at the parking lot behind the Clark College Columbia Tech Center building, the eventual site of the line's eastern terminus.[16] A ribbon-cutting ceremony at the same site was held on September 30, 2023; regular service on the Red Line began the following day.[17]

Route and stations

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7th Street at Turtle Place, the line's western terminus

The Red Line's western terminus is 7th Street at Turtle Place in downtown Vancouver, where it connects with the Green Line. Between 7th Street and Evergreen Boulevard, buses travel in a one-way pair—southbound on Washington Street and northbound on Broadway Street. The route turns east on Evergreen Boulevard and heads north at Fort Vancouver Way to Mill Plain Boulevard. From Mill Plain Boulevard, the line continues east through to its eastern terminus, Mill Plain Transit Center, near 184th Avenue. The Red Line serves 23 stations.

List of The Vine on Mill Plain stations
Station Direction(s) Connections and notes
7th Street at Turtle Place Western terminus; connects with the Green Line
Evergreen & Broadway Westbound
Evergreen & C Street Eastbound
Fort Vancouver Way Bidirectional
Reserve Street Bidirectional
V Street Bidirectional
Grand Boulevard Bidirectional
Brandt Road Bidirectional
Devine Road Bidirectional
Andresen Road Bidirectional
Garrison Road Bidirectional
87th Avenue Eastbound
Mother Joseph Place Westbound
97th Avenue Bidirectional
104th Avenue Bidirectional
Chkalov Drive Eastbound
126th Avenue Bidirectional
136th Avenue Bidirectional
Hearthwood Boulevard Bidirectional
157th Avenue Bidirectional
164th Avenue Bidirectional
Tech Center Drive Bidirectional
Mill Plain Transit Center Eastern terminus

References

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  1. ^ Seekamp, William (June 15, 2023). "Mill Plain Vine on track to finish early, under budget, says C-Tran board". The Columbian. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  2. ^ "Fall 2023 Service Change Proposals". 2023. Archived from the original on June 16, 2023. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  3. ^ Seekamp, William (September 30, 2023). "Community celebrates C-Tran's new 'Red Vine' service". The Columbian. Archived from the original on October 1, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Pheil, Sheri (September 25, 2021). "$24.9M federal grant awarded to C-Tran". The Columbian. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  5. ^ Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council 2008, p. ES-1.
  6. ^ Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council 2008, p. ES-2.
  7. ^ Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council 2008, p. ES-8.
  8. ^ Macuk, Anthony (November 29, 2020). "C-Tran prepares for second Vine route on Mill Plain in Vancouver". The Columbian. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  9. ^ "Mill Plain BRT Fact Sheet 2018-05". C-Tran. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  10. ^ Pesanti, Dameon (February 16, 2018). "C-Tran gets rolling on design of Mill Plain rapid transit line". The Columbian. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  11. ^ "Mill Plain Vine Fact Sheet 2022-06" (PDF). C-Tran. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  12. ^ "Mill Plain BRT Alignment Options" (PDF). C-Tran. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 30, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  13. ^ "C-TRAN closing in on final design of Mill Plain Vine". Vancouver Business Journal. March 8, 2019. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  14. ^ Matarrese, Andy (March 15, 2019). "C-Tran approves basic outline for new bus rapid transit line". The Columbian. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  15. ^ "Mill Plain BRT" (PDF). Federal Transit Administration. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  16. ^ Macuk, Anthony (September 28, 2021). "C-Tran breaks ground on Vancouver's second bus rapid transit line". The Columbian. Archived from the original on September 30, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  17. ^ "C-TRAN's rapid bus transit system launches expansion to Mill Plain Boulevard in Vancouver". KGW. October 1, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.

Sources

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