The Vine on Mill Plain, C-TRAN’s second bus rapid transit (BRT) line, will begin service on Oct. 1.
The Vine on Mill Plain will serve 37 new stations along a 10-mile corridor between downtown Vancouver, Wash., and the Clark College Columbia Tech Center campus in east Vancouver. Near the college, the system will serve a new Mill Plain Transit Center being built as part of the project at Mill Plain and 184th Ave. When it opens, The Vine on Mill Plain will replace C-TRAN’s existing Route 37.
“Mill Plain is one of the most important corridors in our community and we’re thrilled for the new opportunities The Vine will bring,” said Shawn M. Donaghy, C-TRAN’s CEO. “Quality transportation options improve quality of life. The addition of this line builds on the tremendous success of the original Vine route and sets the stage for continued growth in the coming years.”
The Vine on Mill Plain represents an expansion of The Vine system. The first segment, serving Vancouver’s Fourth Plain corridor, began operating in 2017. Future Vine corridors are already in planning for Highway 99 and East Fourth Plain/162nd Ave. By creating an interconnected network of BRT service in Clark County, C-TRAN aims to improve access to transportation for the entire community. BRT uses a combination of features—including larger vehicles, enhanced station design, technology and improved passenger amenities—to create a faster, more efficient and reliable service. BRT benefits not only the corridors it serves, but the other local bus routes that connect to it.
“This is an exciting milestone for Clark County and for C-TRAN,” said C-TRAN’s Chief Capital Projects and Planning Officer Scott Patterson. “With the continued support of the community and our partners, we’re opening The Vine on Mill Plain two months ahead of schedule, and the project remains on track to finish under budget.”
When The Vine first opened on Fourth Plain in 2017, it became the region’s first BRT system. It saw immediate success. By the end of 2017, ridership on The Vine was 45 percent higher than the service it replaced. Additional ridership increases followed in 2018 (19 percent) and 2019 (10 percent). In 2019, The Vine carried more than 1.4 million trips. Ridership is now growing again post-pandemic. Since The Vine opened, there have been more than 2,000 housing units added within a half-mile of Fourth Plain and roughly $250 million in development value.
To differentiate the two Vine segments operating on Fourth Plain and Mill Plain, C-TRAN will also use color designations. The Vine on Fourth Plain is known as the Green Line and Mill Plain will be served by the Red Line.
Opening The Vine on Mill Plain culminates a five-year planning process that began with broad outreach along the corridor and community in 2018. Construction officially kicked off with a groundbreaking ceremony at the Mill Plain Transit Center site in September 2021.
