Getting to South Surrey/White Rock

[notentirelynormal]

Okay - this isn't about a cruise but hope you can help anyway. I just booked a flight that gets me into Vancouver around 5 PM. My 84 YO mother is stressing about picking me up. She lives in South Surrey near the intersection of Highway 1 and Prince George Highway.

 

Is there public transportation I can take that will get me closer so she doesn't get confused. Like the sky train.

 

Any help you can give me will be appreciated. She is freaking out LOL.

[cruising cockroach]

I presume you mean King George Highway. I don't think it's Highway 1 as there's (north) Surrey and not particularly near Delta or South Surrey. Highway 15 or 99 perhaps?

 

If it is South Surrey and she's near Highway 99 and King George Highway:

 

Would be RAV line out to Richmond Bridgeport (the interchange where the other RAV line to RIchmond joins the line to Vancouver) and then your choice of 351, 352 and 354 to the Park 'n Ride.

 

See: http://www.translink.ca

 

Get your highways right and we can give you better advice.

[no fuss travel]

Take the Canada Line to Bridgeport Station. Walk down the stairs to where the buses are. If you are going to White Rock take 351 or 352. Both of these buses will take you to Semiamhoo Mall which you mom will know where it is. She would be able to meet you there. The mall is also where you can catch buses to most areas which include White Rock, Crescent Beach and Ocean Park. If you need to get to South Surrey, the King George Exchange would be the best spot to change buses. Ask any of the friendly bus drivers, they will give you directions. They are much happier to give you advice though when it is not rush hour and the buses are full. Very comfortable buses though to ride on.

[notentirelynormal]

I presume you mean King George Highway. I don't think it's Highway 1 as there's (north) Surrey and not particularly near Delta or South Surrey. Highway 15 or 99 perhaps?

 

If it is South Surrey and she's near Highway 99 and King George Highway:

 

Would be RAV line out to Richmond Bridgeport (the interchange where the other RAV line to RIchmond joins the line to Vancouver) and then your choice of 351, 352 and 354 to the Park 'n Ride.

 

See: www.translink.ca

 

Get your highways right and we can give you better advice.

 

Sorry - I haven't lived there in over 25 years and only go back for a day or two and just know where to go. I don't look at the signs that closely just go by memory. Yes, it is King George and Highway 99. I did say South Surrey.

 

I probably could have been more accurate except when I was writing this I had several major things going on. Car dealer telling me they couldn't fix my new car, people knocking out my kitchen and bathrooms, my mother calling me crying telling me she just didn't know how she was going to get home to California so I quickly booked a flight then my wifi went out.... then she was oh no, but how am I going to find the airport on my own at night. Answering an email about a job. The 20 minute period was topped off with the phone call that my nephew was yet again at emergency for meningitis. A serious matter to our family since another nephew went in with that when he was 4, went to sleep and woke up profoundly deaf. I literately had my home and cell phone ringing at the same time.

 

It is always easy to remember highways when you live there. I bet I could outshine you on the freeways in Los Angeles :D. I take the 101 to the 134 to the 210 to get to my daughters. On the other hand I take the 101 to the 405 to the 110 to the 91 to the 5 to get to Disneyland. Or I could take the other 3 choices I have LOL.

 

Thank you for the link and information. I will now do my research so I can appease my mother of all her worries. That wasn't sarcasm by the way, I really appreciated your directions and response. I knew someone on CC would come through for me.

[notentirelynormal]

Take the Canada Line to Bridgeport Station. Walk down the stairs to where the buses are. If you are going to White Rock take 351 or 352. Both of these buses will take you to Semiamhoo Mall which you mom will know where it is. She would be able to meet you there. The mall is also where you can catch buses to most areas which include White Rock, Crescent Beach and Ocean Park. If you need to get to South Surrey, the King George Exchange would be the best spot to change buses. Ask any of the friendly bus drivers, they will give you directions. They are much happier to give you advice though when it is not rush hour and the buses are full. Very comfortable buses though to ride on.

 

Thank you also. She lives near the SaveOn shopping center. She is actually right where you veer off King George to go to Crescent Beach only you take an almost immediate left turn into that neighborhood instead of all the way to the beach.

[Putterdude]

From what you describe, I believe she is near the SOF store in the South Point Shopping Centre which is on 152nd and Hwy 99. Here are the transit directions:

 

Vancouver International Airport

3211 Grant McConachie Way

Richmond, BC V7B 0A4, Canada

YVR-Airport Station

980 Train towards SKYTRAIN - platform sign CANADA LINE TO WATERFRONT

10:07am - 10:14am (7 mins, 3 stops)

Bridgeport Station

Walk to Bridgeport Stn Bay 8

About 1 min (11 mins to make transfer)

Bridgeport Stn Bay 8 Stop ID: 61328

351 Bus towards 351 Crescent Beach

10:25am - 11:01am (37 mins, 8 stops)

SB King George Blvd FS 28 Av Stop ID: 55476

Walk to Save-On-Foods

About 6 mins (500 m)

 

Perhaps your mother could meet you at the bus stop at 28th King Geo. Blvd.

 

BTW I used a 10 am start from YVR for lack of another time.

[notentirelynormal]

From what you describe, I believe she is near the SOF store in the South Point Shopping Centre which is on 152nd and Hwy 99. Here are the transit directions:

 

Vancouver International Airport

3211 Grant McConachie Way

Richmond, BC V7B 0A4, Canada

YVR-Airport Station

980 Train towards SKYTRAIN - platform sign CANADA LINE TO WATERFRONT

10:07am - 10:14am (7 mins, 3 stops)

Bridgeport Station

Walk to Bridgeport Stn Bay 8

About 1 min (11 mins to make transfer)

Bridgeport Stn Bay 8 Stop ID: 61328

351 Bus towards 351 Crescent Beach

10:25am - 11:01am (37 mins, 8 stops)

SB King George Blvd FS 28 Av Stop ID: 55476

Walk to Save-On-Foods

About 6 mins (500 m)

 

Perhaps your mother could meet you at the bus stop at 28th King Geo. Blvd.

 

BTW I used a 10 am start from YVR for lack of another time.

 

Yes, that is where she is. Perfect. I will be arriving around 5 PM at YVR. Yup 28th & King George is perfect. She lives on 29th. As long as I don't drink heavily (joking here) I should be able to figure it out. Thank you all.

 

Oh wait, what does it cost and how do you pay? Do you need exact change? I have some Canadian coins and dollars that I always have on reserve but don't want to be caught off guard.

[Putterdude]

You fare will be $4 or $2.75 after 6:30 pm, or on weekends or if you are over the age of 65. To that fare you have to add $5 which is a YVR convenience fee on you way out but not on your way back. The fare must be paid in CAD but the ticket machines at the YVR Canada Line station do accept, US Visa, MC and most ATM cards and do give change. Coming back you will need the correct change and the fare boxes on buses do not accept plastic.

Edited September 16, 2014 by Putterdude

[scottbee]

Yes, that is where she is. Perfect. I will be arriving around 5 PM at YVR. Yup 28th & King George is perfect. She lives on 29th. As long as I don't drink heavily (joking here) I should be able to figure it out. Thank you all.

 

Oh wait, what does it cost and how do you pay? Do you need exact change? I have some Canadian coins and dollars that I always have on reserve but don't want to be caught off guard.

 

The buses to WhiteRock are actually quite nice, they're set up for longer distance travel, with individual padded cloth seats, vs the normal bench type bus seat. Certainly not the drunks, unwahsed and rabid travellers that another visitor to metro Vancouver claims exists on transit.

 

As for paying you can use debit or credit (in addition to Canadian $) on the ticket machines on the platform, or if you're going to be in Vancouver for a bit, you can buy a book of 10 tickets ($31.50 for 10 two-zone) at the 7-11 or Pharmasave in the airport itself, which has the advantage of being exempt from the extra $5 you pay normally for tickets bought on the YVR platform of Canada Line. Tickets bought on the platform would be $9/ea (two-zone) normally when you include the extra $5 surcharge on tickets sold at the airport.

[notentirelynormal]

Great advise everyone - thanks. It is a one way trip from the airport to my mom's house. I'll print out this thread and hope I have the correct change or I'll use the credit card.

 

Someone always drives mom up for the summer and flies back then we do the reverse when she wants to come home. I want to leave that night directly from the airport and head south but it looks like it will be around 4 AM when we eventually get on the road. Hopefully through the border quickly and maybe, just maybe, we'll have traffic luck in Seattle. LOL. Then maybe to Stockton for the night and home early noonish to LA. When I suggested she pick me up from the airport and just head south she :eek: so we'll do it her way. It's way too long of a drive not to.

[notentirelynormal]

Good news. My uncle has said he'll pick me up at the airport. Whether it is on time coincides with Vancouver traffic on a Monday night. Either way, he'll be there when I get off the plane.

[Putterdude]

By the time you clear customs and collect your checked luggage it will be approaching 6 pm which is the tailing edge of the commute. It certainly is a better option than taking your luggage on a commuter bus during rush hour.

[no fuss travel]

If he is coming from South Surrey, he may be late if there is only one lane open northbound thru the tunnel. Depends on the traffic how soon they close down the extra lane going south.

[Urban trekker]

He doesn't have to take the tunnel to get to the airport - he can take the Connector and use the Alex Fraser bridge.

 

Cheers!

 

Dennis

[notentirelynormal]

If he is coming from South Surrey, he may be late if there is only one lane open northbound thru the tunnel. Depends on the traffic how soon they close down the extra lane going south.

 

He's coming from White Rock right at the beach. He told me he'll get there when he gets there and mentioned the one lane thing. I may have to bring him booze LOL.

 

He doesn't have to take the tunnel to get to the airport - he can take the Connector and use the Alex Fraser bridge.

 

Cheers!

 

Dennis

 

Hmm, never thought of going that way. Thanks for the tip.

[no fuss travel]

Either way can be a horrible commute. I used to teach in North Surrey, take the Alex Fraser Bridge and somedays it was simply a parking lot at that time of day. Your uncle will probably be more used to taking the tunnel. Now if he could get your aunt to come with him to pick you up, then he could use the HOV lane and bypass most of the traffic. That saves a huge amount of time, for traveling through the tunnel.

[Earl Rosebery]

We do have taxis at the airport and they do go to white Rock.