There is illogic, damned illogic, and the B-Line debate. Barring a dramatic U-turn, the express bus once bound to connect the North Shore will stop at Park Royal – well short of the original Dundarave terminus.
A few months and a lifetime ago, consulting firm WSP examined how bus priority lanes will affect drivers navigating the chronically congested Ambleside corridor. The change would be measured in seconds, creating a “neutral or positive” impact on traffic, the report concluded.
That third-party study didn’t merit a mention on Monday night. Rather, council debated a motion which seemed drafted to appeal to the conspiracy-minded. TransLink’s ridership numbers have been “called into question,” the motion reads. No one on council addressed the validity of that questioning on Monday.
Even debating the B-Line’s merits before the community’s exhaustive consultation could be assessed suggests a frontier approach to government. We don’t discard the rule of law when a suspect is obviously guilty, nor should we abandon community outreach if a project is a poor fit.
The vocal contingent who fought so hard to protect Marine Drive for drivers and to preserve parking should be appeased – at least temporarily. But we hope our elected officials didn’t make their decision only to appease that contingent.
Parking spots are the ashtrays and asbestos insulation of our time. There will come a time – sooner than many of us are ready for – when we’ll have to part with internal combustion engines and all their accoutrements to stave off global devastation. We won’t make that decision because it’s good or even because it’s just. We’ll make that decision because it’s logical.
What are your thoughts? Send us a letter via email by clicking here or post a comment below.
