C-TRAN breaks ground on third bus rapid transit corridor

C-TRAN broke ground on its third corridor of The Vine, the agency’s bus rapid transit (BRT) service. The nine-mile corridor will serve Highway99/Main Street, running between Salmon Creek and the Vancouver Waterfront.  

C-TRAN CEO Leann Caver joined Washington State University (WSU) Vancouver Interim Chancellor Sandra Haynes, Washougal City Councilor and C-TRAN Board Chair Molly Coston and others for a celebration at WSU Vancouver, the northern terminus of the new line.  

“We are proud to host the northern terminus of The Vine on Highway 99 here at WSU Vancouver, and we’re even prouder to support a vision for transportation that puts people first,” Haynes said.  

WSU Vancouver students receive free access to C-TRAN through the Education Opportunity Pass, which Haynes says will be transformational for students. 

 “It means fewer students have to choose between paying for a parking permit or paying for textbooks. It means greater equity, lower carbon emissions and a more connected, resilient community,” Haynes added. 

C-TRAN says the new BRT will bring faster, more frequent and more reliable service to Highway 99, one of its busiest corridors. Larger vehicles and enhanced stations with real-time information displays and other features will also improve the experience for riders and allow for future growth. The system will be similar to The Vine service currently operating on Fourth Plain and Mill Plain. The Vine on Fourth Plain (Green Line) opened in 2017 and The Vine on Mill Plain (Red Line) opened in 2023. The Vine on Highway 99 will be known as the Purple Line. 

The Highway 99 project includes 32 new stations along the Highway 99/Main Street corridor, plus an expansion of C-TRAN’s Salmon Creek Park & Ride—soon to be Salmon Creek Transit Center. In the downtown area, The Vine on Highway 99 will use some existing Vine stations. When complete, the new service will replace the existing Route 71 and Route 19, which currently serve the Highway 99 corridor. 

“Highway 99 is a crucial corridor not just for C-TRAN, but for our entire region,” Caver said. “This project will provide better transportation options up and down a nine-mile stretch that’s incredibly diverse, both economically and demographically. It will make meaningful, real improvements to local infrastructure and make Highway 99 a safer, more accessible corridor." 

Construction will begin in earnest later this summer. C-TRAN notes the primary contractor on the project is Tapani Inc. of Battle Ground, Wash. The Vine on Highway 99 is expected to open in 2027.