Regarding the planned B6 Ambleside-UofA BRT route: I was hoping that such a route might have a station at 53 avenue in order to capture ridership from the northern part of Riverbend. But looking at the Terwillegar-Whitemud interchange construction plans, there will only be a bus-only lane from 53 avenue to Terwillegar Drive southbound. Buses going northbound from Terwillegar Drive won’t be able to access 53rd Ave due to the way the interchange is set up (Terwillegar entrance ramp going onto the Whitemud is just after the 53rd Ave exit). So I suppose this route will bypass 53rd Ave going northbound, but will take the 53rd Ave exit southbound in order to use the bus-only lane onto Terwillegar.
Not the end of the world because the 703 bus is already unimpeded by traffic from 53rd Ave to South Campus (the only time it isn’t in a bus lane is during the short segment on the Whitemud, and that segment is an entry/exit lane which doesn’t back up in my experience). And the stops between 53rd Ave and South Campus are seldom used, so the 703 is already pretty "express" on this segment. But the 703 bus can be delayed sometimes due to traffic earlier on the route on Riverbend Road. I would welcome the conversion of the northbound parking lane on Riverbend Road into a bus lane.