A bus route from Langley City to the Gloucester Industrial Estates will start this September – more than a year earlier than planned, TransLink has announced.
The new route, scheduled to start in late 2027, will now begin servicing the busy industrial park at 264 Street and 56 Avenue this fall, with funding from TransLink’s 2025 Investment Plan, along with support from both the Township and City of Langley, as well as the provincial government.
“This new service will better connect one of the region’s key job centres, making it easier for people to get to work, while also helping businesses in Gloucester attract the employees they need,” said TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn.
Local business representatives and politicians were more effusive.
“We’re over the moon,” said Cory Redekop, CEO of the Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce.
He joked that children have been born, gone through school, and gotten married in the time the business community has been lobbying for this bus route.
Gloucester is a sprawling industrial park that has steadily grown since it was established more than 40 years ago. Its dozens of warehousing and manufacturing facilities employ thousands of workers.
But there has never been steady bus service to the site, which is surrounded by mostly rural land, north of Aldergrove. The only way to get there was by car.
“It’s transformational,” Redekop said of adding a reliable bus route.
Many people applied for jobs there, only to find they couldn’t access it with transit. Employers have had difficulty finding enough, or the best workers for available positions.
“It’s great news, something I have been constantly pushing for at the mayors’ council, on the TransLink board, and directly with TransLink staff,” said Township Mayor Eric Woodward.
“Finally, after years of paying TransLink taxes without service, Gloucester Industrial Estates employees and businesses will soon have a transit option, with hopefully more to come.”
Redekop noted that the bus scheduled to Gloucester starts early, to mimic the early start for many shifts there.
According to TransLink, the official schedule will be finalized closer to the service’s start time this September.