In advance of the 2011 Major League Soccer season opener this Saturday, March 19, Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Translink have announced additional public transport services to Empire Field for Whitecaps FC match days. With no fare zones on the weekends, the one-way price will only be $2.50 for an adult or $1.75 for a child, high school student with GoCard, senior or HandyPass user.
Beginning approximately two hours before kickoff (around 1:30 for Saturday’s 3:30 start),
will run special buses every six minutes from
29th Ave. Station
(on the Expo Line) via
Renfrew Station
(on the Millennium Line) to Hastings and Windermere, the nearest stop to Empire Field. An additional bus will run from Renfrew to the stadium. Another bus will run from
Phibbs Exchange
in North Vancouver to the stadium. “Overload” coaches will be on hand for the
#135
and
#160
routes along Hastings from downtown to help serve customers transferring from West Vancouver “Blue Buses”.
SkyTrain will operate at 3-minute intervals between Waterfront and Columbia stations throughout the afternoon and early evening (six minutes on the Surrey portion and the Millennium Line), and with Celtic Fest and the Outdoor Travel Show going on downtown this Saturday, may increase service later in the afternoon. For those who do not have pre-paid fares such as monthly FareCards or FareSaver tickets, fareboxes will be set up at 29th Ave. and Renfrew Stations, so customers may purchase their return tickets ahead of time (please remember to bring exact fare). This will make boarding the buses after the game much smoother.
After the game, there will be additional buses in service, mostly running the specials to 29th Ave. and Renfrew Stations, as well as Phibbs Exchange and the #135 and #160.
With a large crowd anticipated on Saturday, people should expect lineups and waits between buses at the SkyTrain stations and should build extra time into their trips to enjoy the entirety of Whitecaps FC matches.
For more information on transit to Vancouver Whitecaps FC home matches, visit whitecapsfc.com/transportation-guide.
