Dear editor:
It is Thursday, Nov. 7. I’ve finished my last university class and I am heading to the bus stop.
I wait patiently to enter the bus. The line is long, and the wind is chilly. The driver opens the doors and all the commuters hop on the bus.
I sit by the window, take my phone out and begin to send emails. I’ve always found buses a great place to get stuff done, either to do homework or answer messages I have been avoiding.
While I am at it, the bus slowly starts its course. I put my earphones in and set my undivided attention to my email replies.
After a while, I raise my head and look around. I can’t identify where we are. It’s dark outside and there’s a lot of traffic. We’re barely moving.
“How will I be able to leave this place?” I think.
We are trapped in this huge traffic line.
After some seconds of agitation, I finally see a Capilano University parking lot sign. Yes, we’re in the school’s parking lot.
In 30 minutes, we’ve only moved 50 metres and haven’t left the school’s parking lot.
I realize I won’t make it on time for my job.
When I leave the bus, I count at least 100 cars stuck and trapped in the traffic.
That night, Vancouver commuters claimed it took four hours to get home on a trip that usually requires 20 minutes.
Students were late to their jobs and homes. Buses, taxis and regular drivers were completely trapped in traffic, which extended through most of North Vancouver’s main roads.
Hundreds of commuters, mostly students, waited for hours in Phibbs Exchange.
In case of an emergency, it would be almost impossible for first responders to go through such jammed streets.
The worst thing is, it happened again later in week.
Clearly, there is a big problem. Vancouver is growing at a faster pace than its roads and this is affecting everyone.
Students feel discouraged to attend classes at night or even work night shifts, worried about the duration of their returning commute.
Time is our biggest asset, and weekly traffic is taking too much of it. It is time for solutions.
Wisam Souki
North Vancouver
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