Dear Editor:
There seems to be quite the brouhaha over the new B-Line route coming to the North Shore.
Business owners and motorists are upset over coming changes to road lanes, and loss of parking.
It would seem that we want our fair share of TransLink dollars, yet are not willing to make any sacrifices to get them.
Firstly, SkyTrain will not be coming here in time for anyone reading this to actually be alive to see it. Maybe never at all.
To do so would be the most costly situation possible. There would have to be a way to connect it to the existing system so that trains could be serviced, meaning another crossing to Downtown. Or, there would have to be land set aside to build and house a maintenance facility here on the North Shore. And real estate market conditions dictate that it would not be feasible.
While transit is not for everyone, it is heavily used here. Many who rely on the bus find it to be less than reliable or efficient due to the traffic conditions faced by the service.
Currently, it takes just under one hour to get from Park Royal to Capilano University by bus. On a good day, one can drive in about 20 minutes. Hardly seems appealing, does it? But would it seem like a better idea if you could do it in about 35 minutes? Probably more people would park their cars, and save on the gas and parking.
Folks seem to think that transit dollars would be better spent improving north-south routes. That is not the solution for those going east-west.
The east-west B-Line is destined to become the “beast of burden” for the North Shore, similar to the 99 in Vancouver.
As ridership patterns change, other routes can be reallocated/realigned to make those north-south improvements using buses already on the roads here.
Are there tradeoffs with loss of parking and travel lanes? Yes. But at the same time, these lanes will be used not just by the B-Line, but all buses sharing those corridors. And that means more efficient faster service for all transit users.
Business owners facing the loss of parking would be wise to lobby their municipal council for more off-street parking in new developments, and finding new ways to attract customers.
I drive lots of places, but when I go Downtown I take the bus. It saves a lot of hassle with parking, traffic, etc. Transit cannot continue to throw more buses at the problem, and hope that we someday achieve an efficient system.
Some may see these changes as an affront to their way of thinking. Others may see them as new opportunities to attract business. How we perceive it, and how we adapt to it is up to us at the end of the day.
Will some businesses lose some customers due to being unable to park right outside their front door? Maybe. But if your customers are loyal to you, they will find a way. I doubt that many West Vancouver customers will start going to Burnaby to shop because the parking is better. The flip side of it is that these businesses might also get some new customers too. And they will be coming by bus.
Will people view it as a blessing or a curse? My money would be that in two years more will find it to be the former than the latter.
Terry Wagner
North Vancouver
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