A letter from TransLink about the changes to bus routes has drawn the wrath of New Westminster city council.
Last month, New Westminster resident Roy Tubbs presented city council with petitions signed by more than 200 people who want TransLink to reverse the changes it made to the 154 bus route. Many seniors living near Eighth Avenue and McBride Boulevard no longer have direct bus access to Sixth and Sixth, where they regularly go for appointments and shopping.
After receiving the petition, city council wrote to TransLink and sought information about the changes to the 101 and 154 (now the 128) bus routes.
Brian Mills, director of service and infrastructure planning for TransLink, stated there were several issues with the previous routes. While there was "some concern" over the loss of a direct connect to the core shopping area at Sixth and Sixth from some seniors living near Royal Square, he said the overall feedback from the public and the city during the consultation process was generally supportive of the change.
"I note that the petition may have been circulated after the commencement of the new service design and that, by evidence of missing signatures and profanity, its rigor is questionable," he wrote in a letter to council.
Members of New Westminster city council aren't impressed with TransLink's attitude to the service cuts.
Coun. Bill Harper said he "really objects" to the kind of language that is used in the letter. He said the letter deflects legitimate concerns raised by people who signed the petition.
"There are people who can't walk from Eighth Avenue and Sixth Street down to the mall," he said.
At a time when the city is trying to build a city that includes seniors housing offerings, Harper said TransLink has chosen to reduce routes servicing those areas.
"It's pretty amazing," he said of the response. "I am quite disappointed at the tone this letter lays out."
Coun. Chuck Puchmayr said it's no longer possible for people living around Eighth and McBride to get to the uptown if they have mobility issues.
"People are angry," he said. "Seniors are angry that they can no longer get to the uptown mall. Sure, it is a couple of blocks away - long blocks."
Puchmayr said he "takes offence" to some of the contents of the letter, noting residents raised extremely valid concerns about the bus route changes and council conveyed community concerns to TransLink.
Coun. Jaimie McEvoy said the changes have a "pretty profound impact" on the people who are affected by the new routes.
"For those who are affected, it is really isolating," he said.
McEvoy said the city should check with other communities to see if "dead zones" have been created by reductions in transit service.
"You can't go and see a doctor on a Saturday - too bad; you can't go to church on Sunday - too bad," he said of TransLink's response.
Harper believes the changes are part of an overall transit reduction plan.
"A lot of seniors move to New Westminster later on in life," Puchmayr said. "They have mobility issues. They need to get around."
Mayor Wayne Wright said the city will write to TransLink expressing concerns about the route changes.
According to TransLink, the 101 and 154 routes were realigned to simplify the network and improve the directness of routes. TransLink believes the 154 route missed an opportunity to provide direct services along the full length of Eighth Avenue and to connect with other routes at Sixth Avenue.
Instead of taking passengers to Sixth and Sixth, the 154 now travels along Eighth Avenue all the way to the 22nd Street SkyTrain station. The 101 has been rerouted from Eighth Avenue to Sixth Avenue to maintain capacity on this corridor.
Tubbs told The Record that many residents first learned of the route changes that took effect Sept. 22 when they saw an advertisement in The Record in August. He believes alternatives exist that could satisfy everyone's needs instead of creating a "transit ghetto" for seniors living in several buildings near McBride.
Coun. Betty McIntosh doesn't believe TransLink's letter provides enough information.
"I think we need a more comprehensive response from TransLink," she said.
