This is in response to the news story about a proposal to spend $3.3 million on a park trail in Abbotsford.
And another example for how out of sync city hall priorities can get.
Our transit exchange on Bourguin is totally inadequate for the amount of passengers and buses that are forced to use it. Who designed this in the first place?
Buses are compelled to exit via a very busy feeder street, at times taking several minutes to do so safely. Then there are the vehicles trying to get in and out Sevenoaks Shopping Centre competing with the buses for limited road space. (And too many motorists would sooner slash their wrist than let a bus out in front of them).
With the expanded service, buses are now lined up at times on Bourquin waiting for an empty stall to load and off-load passengers. And the buses struggle to find a place to park during a layover.
The transit facilities for drivers are also ridiculous – there is one, count them, one, toilet to service our many male drivers, who sometimes need to access the ladies washroom in order to take care of nature’s call.
There are no facilities to place personal belongings, no lounge area – drivers have to “relax” in a cold bus and no sanitary place to warm up your food (the microwave is 3 ft. from the toilet).
Would this be tolerated at city hall, or any other business?
But, are there plans to build a new transit exchange? Not that I’ve heard of. And when can we expect all the buses to have signage that works properly and bike racks, seeing as we have spent half a million on underused bike lanes?
No, this is not the priority of some at city hall – they don’t ride transit and don’t seem to care much about their system or the people that are forced to use it.
These “higher purpose” people would rather spend our limited resources on hiking trails that would cater to a whole lot less people than the passengers using our woefully behind the times bus system and transit exchange.
If council ever decides to invest in a new exchange, take a drive to Bellingham and check out their wonderful transit exchange on Cordata.
It makes what we have look like a bad joke!
C. Shirritt