Dear Editor,
Re: John Cave’s letter to the editor, Loss of Parking Space Means Hit to Ambleside Merchants, North Shore News Feb. 27
This is my response as someone who has lived in West Vancouver for 16 of my 20 years. I too have never taken the bus to Phibbs Exchange even though I am an advocate of transit. This is because it takes an hour from Dundarave, while I can drive there in about 10-15 minutes. This B-Line will be the difference between many people transiting and driving to and from North Vancouver. Now I will tell you why those parking spots aren’t as valuable as you think they are.
Firstly, West Vancouver businesses have been struggling for years.
One popular restaurant in Dundarave is closed one day a week because they can’t get enough employees. For a low wage job, most workers are transiting in, many from North Vancouver. This is what I noticed during my employment at the Starbucks in Ambleside.
Secondly, business is all about growth. West Vancouver’s population has been declining for several years, against predictions for growth made 10 years ago.
This is because of inaccessibility, and unless we are going to add another bridge, transit is the path to population growth.
You will never get more than a certain amount of business from those parking spots, however the business potential from the B-Line is crucial.
Evan Wright
West Vancouver
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