Like the classic children’s book Because a Little Bug Went Ka-Choo!, the Lions Gate “bump” is a lesson in how little things can have big consequences.
In this case, it was a 4.5-centimetre metal plate that made thousands late for dinner and put us all into a generally crappy mood.
The bump is now as fixed as it’s going to get, according to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, so Lions Gate commuters are in for a bumpy (and slow) ride for the next month.
As is the custom these days, the fiasco spawned a parody Twitter account @LionsGateBump, which has been gently antagonizing commuters whose days have been impacted.
It would have been nice to see the ministry and TransLink putting their heads together on this, as it was pretty clear the transit authority was caught off guard. Obviously the ministry didn’t anticipate the bump would cause such disarray.
But, rather than us all having a good sulk and pointing fingers, let’s use this as an opportunity to ask what we can do to make the commute a bit easier.
A glance at the lurching traffic on the bridgehead will reveal how many of those vehicles have a driver and no passenger. Reducing the number of cars on the road by two to three per cent, will result in 10 to 15 per cent reduction in congestion, yet carpooling doesn’t seem to be catching on among North Shore commuters.
There is nothing but sunshine in the forecast for the next week, so pull out the bicycle and give that a try. You might surprise yourself.
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