The previous section, Getting to Tsawwassen, details how to reach the ferry with or without a bike.

The infrequency of ferry service to the Gulf Islands means special attention must be paid to logistics. The tweak-meisters at both the ferry corporation and TransLink are notorious for making bizarre, ill-thought out changes to scheduling so verify the schedule wherever possible before setting out. Published schedules tend to be fraught with caveats and exceptions and inconsistencies so pay close attention to footnotes. Expect a travel time of approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes between boarding SkyTrain in downtown Vancouver and boarding the ferry.

The bus schedule is optimized for reaching Swartz Bay [Victoria] on Vancouver Island more or less efficiently and the Gulf Islands routing suffers as a consequence. In many cases, the bus arrives within moments of the smaller ferry sailing. BC Ferries has instituted a policy of closing the ticket gate 10 minutes prior to any sailing making an assured departure impossible.

Use online trip planning tools to generate an optimized schedule for your circumstances. Start off with a target departure time from the BC Ferries website. Then work backwards using the scheduling applets at TransLink.

If departing from downtown Vancouver then you’ll be taking the Canada Line from Vancouver City Centre station right to the end at Bridgeport Station. Pick up the #620 bus, Tsawwaasen Via Ladner Exchange, from Bay 12.

If you happen to miss a ferry, despair not. A simple if somewhat time-consuming work-around exists. Instead of taking the direct ferry to the Gulf Islands it is possible to take the much more frequent Swartz Bay-bound ferry and, after arriving, turn right around and hop on a ferry to the Gulf Island of your choice. If you are short of time skip buying a ticket at the distant entry gate and purchase one from the purser onboard instead. This routing is ideal for reaching the southern end of Saltspring Island in a timely fashion. Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay ferries run hourly in the summer high season and every other hour on the odd hour in the low season starting at 7:00 AM with the final sailing each day at 9:00 PM.

One other approach requires ample time to cycle first to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island then south to Crofton where a small commuter ferry frequently connects with Saltspring Island. From Ladysmith onward you’ll leave the Island Highway behind, opting for the more scenic highway 1A instead. Be sure to get acquainted with the scenic community of Chemainus en route.

Getting to Manning Park <<->> Getting to the San Juan Islands

Getting to the Tsawwassen ferry terminal from downtown Vancouver is a relatively simple matter. Getting there in time to board the ferry is a completely different story however.

Take the Canada Line from Downtown Vancouver to Bridgeport Station in Richmond. Transfer to the #620 Tsawwassen Ferry via Ladner Exchange bus which leaves hourly on the hour from Bay 3 every day of the week starting at 6 AM and continuing until 10 PM. There are a few additional runs thrown in on weekends. Visit Translink for precise scheduling. The whole trip takes approximately an hour and 20 minutes.

Swartz Bay [Victoria] Bound

Expect to either scramble or wait again at Tsawwassen before boarding a ferry bound for Swartz Bay near Victoria. These ferries always leave on the hour, hourly in the summer and less frequently through much of the winter. Check the BC Ferries website for the most up-to-date schedules. Be on your toes, in the winter, just missing the ferry, can mean an additional two-hour wait at the ferry terminal.

Islands in the Stream

The majority of recreational ferry users are more likely to be bound for the Gulf Islands instead of Swartz Bay near Victoria or Duke Point near Nanaimo. The section, Getting to the Gulf Islands, provides destination-specific details on reaching the poorly-serviced archipelago. More often than not those planning a recreational trip to the Gulf Islands will want to bring along bicycles. What may have previously sounded like a logistical nightmare is about to turn into a living horror show.

By Bike

There are three ways to reach Tsawwassen by bicycle and by bicycle isn’t really one of them. The George Massey Tunnel is a formidable barrier that cannot be overcome by bicycle alone. A shuttle service has been set up by the Ministry of Transport to move bicycles through the tunnel but it is more of a public relations patch implemented to cover up the incompetent engineering that went into the tunnel than a reliable alternative. Some Translink buses are equipped with bike racks but demand for this fine service far outpaces supply. Translink has a pretty exhaustive outline of options for cyclists that is worth exploring depending on your start point. The only other option is to catch an expensive lift to the ferry on The BC Ferries Connector. Properly bagged bikes are allowed for a fee and subject to limited availability.

Tunnel Schedule

The reason getting to and from Tsawwassen with a bike is so difficult is poor planning associated with Highway 99 south and especially the ill-thought out design of George Massey Tunnel which slides under the south fork of the Fraser River. Not only is it illegal, it is also extremely dangerous to attempt to pedal through the tunnel. For this reason, the BC Ministry of Transport operates a bicycle shuttle in both directions through the tunnel. The highway leading up to the tunnel is fast, busy and perilous, especially when crossing exit and entrance ramps.

Highway Avoidance

To avoid cycling along the highway as much as possible follow these instructions. From downtown Vancouver take either Granville or Cambie Streets south across False Creek. Take a left from the former or a right from the latter on to 10th Avenue to reach the bike-friendly Heather Street corridor and continue puffing and huffing up and over the hump, crossing the Oak Street Bridge upon reaching the Fraser River. Take the first exit off the Oak Street Bridge in Richmond and follow Sea Island Way to Garden City Road. Take a left here and continue south past Cambie Road. then Alderbridge Way, finally following Westminster Highway to the left. Sprint down to No. 5 Road. where a right turn will be required to continue southwards. Stay with No. 5 Road past Steveston Highway to Rice Mill Road. Take a left here and one further left on to an access road to the freeway where you will meet up with the shuttle which will take you under the George Massey Tunnel. On the opposite side access Highway 17 and follow it south to its end at the ferry terminal. Northbound cyclists will find the shuttle operating from the Town and Country Inn on the corner of Highway 17 and Highway 99.

The George Massey Tunnel Bike Shuttle operates according to this infrequent schedule. Plan to arrive early as missing the shuttle could result in a wait of up to two hours. The bike shuttle is operated by Mainroad Contracting Ltd. 604-581-3710.

Playing Politics

Why such a poorly-conceived work around? The shuttle service was never actually intended to be used by cyclists. The ad hoc bandage was put in place to show the cycling constituency that they too have friends in high places. A real shuttle would be a co-ordinated effort between the Ministry of Transport, BC Ferries and TransLink to connect cyclists with ferries in both Horseshoe Bay and Tsawwassen in a timely fashion. The two terminals, Lions Gate Bridge and the George Massey Tunnel were all built with automobiles solely in mind. The thorny issues of ferry and byway traffic will not be tackled by paving over Stanley Park. Bigger, faster ferries, wider bridge lanes and better tunnels only conspire to encourage more auto traffic. 23,000 additional cars take to Lower Mainland streets each year. Encouraging alternatives that are palatable to mom, pop and the kids will reduce the number of cars burdening existing infrastructure.

Back on the Bus

As mentioned previously, all Translink buses are equipped with bike racks to assist long distance commuters. There is no additional charge for your bike. Be forewarned that this excellent service is very limited. Only two bikes can be carried at a time and the competition can be fierce. Even if you arrive one hour in advance of the bus departure be prepared to be disappointed on popular routes such as this one.

Drivers will not help you put bikes on the rack as this is a self-service operation. Instructions are simple and obvious. You must however remove all equipment from the bike and drag it aboard the bus with you. If touring, that means juggling a sleeping bag, sleeping pad, a tent, a couple of panniers and a handle bar bag while dropping your Compass Card and trying to squeeze in amongst the morning commuters.

In a pinch, it is possible to place a third bike between the two bikes already on the rack and bungee the whole bunch together but you will need the driver’s permission to do this. Usually drivers will disavow any responsibility in the event of an accident but let you do it.

Transferring

If other cyclists are already in line for the #620 Tsawwassen Ferry bus at Bridgeport Station, take the #601 South Delta bus [Bay 7] to the corner of Route 17 and 56th Street [ask the driver] then pedal like mad along the causeway to the ferry terminal. Pedalling from Ladner Exchange is also possible and should take about 30 minutes by bike, compared to 15 minutes by bus.

One Final Alternative

An alternative to Translink is to load your bike on a BC Ferries Connector bus at Vancouver’s Pacific Central Station. In the summer high season buses leave every hour starting at 5:45 AM until 7:45 PM while in the low season they only operate every other hour. You must bag your bike, be at the bus station at least 30 minutes prior to departure and there is the possibility that your bike will be bumped if cargo loads are unusually heavy. One final drawback is that it is impossible to catch the bus back from Tsawwassen to Vancouver. This is clearly an inferior service that may do in a pinch but cannot be relied upon with any degree of certainty. The fare includes taxes as well as passenger fare for the ferry. Since the bus is going to Victoria, those hoping to connect with the direct ferry to the Gulf Islands have to disembark at Tsawwassen. While your ferry fare is included in the price of your bus ticket it may be necessary to pay an additional fee for your bicycle once you board the ferry. Fortunately the staff are usually too busy loading cars to bother to collect it.

Getting-to Tofino <<->> Getting-to Whistler

Reaching Buntzen Lake from downtown Vancouver requires a few transfers en route and takes roughly 90 minutes on a good day, even with a tailwind. Because the options are rather limited, be sure to use the planning tools at the Translink website to create the most efficient schedule for your needs. During high season, from the end of June to early September, the #179 bus connects Coquitlam Central Station to Buntzen Lake on weekends and holidays only, with limited hours of operation [approximately 9:35 AM – 7 PM.]

At other times, the #182 Belcarra leaves from Moody Centre Station [Bay 8] and will drop you off at Anmore Grocery just outside the gate to Buntzen Lake Park. You’ll have to trudge the final 2 kilometres to South Beach.

Whichever bus you catch, you’ll want to take the Expo Line from downtown, transferring to the Millennium Line at Commercial-Broadway Station.

After the Flood: Deadheads and snags, dating from the early 1900s when the reservoir was filled, are seen in many shallow areas around Buntzen Lake. Pictured here, a view from the dike across the south end slough.

Incidentally, Anmore Grocery has worms, a limited supply of fishing tackle and fishing licenses for sale.

Getting to Boundary Bay <<->> Getting-to Hope & Lytton