Riders left in the dark

By Dan Hilborn
Published Jan. 28, 2006


One of the Lower Mainland's top advocates for public transit says TransLink and Burnaby city hall have flubbed the introduction of the new community shuttle service in South Burnaby.

Nathan Davidowicz, who was once known as Mr. Buzzer for his work to improve the transit system, said late night shuttle riders are being left out in the cold, dark and rain at an unlit and unsheltered terminus near the Metrotown SkyTrain station.

"It's always better to have all the buses at one bus loop," said Davidowicz, "But this one is across the street, and there's no light, and no shelter.

"It's a really dark bus stop. The nearest light is at least 60 to 80 feet away, and that makes it a really lonely bus stop, especially at night."

At issue is the location of the new Bay No. 9, which accommodates the two community shuttle buses that started serving South Burnaby in mid-December. The month-old bus stop, which had a bench installed last week, is across the street and out of sight of the other eight bus bays located in the underground transit terminal attached to the SkyTrain station.

Davidowicz said the inconvenient location of the new shuttle stop could result in some transit users missing their transfers and being forced to wait for another hour before the next shuttle bus comes along.

The problem is particularly acute for people with mobility difficulties because it's a "fairly long walk" - possibly as much as 400 feet between the other bus stops and the new shuttle stop, Davidowicz said.

"Buses in the main loop can't see the minibus stopping," he said. "If somebody needs to transfer, they could miss it because the other drivers often make eye contact and can wait for each other."

He noted that some first-time community shuttle riders may also be unable to find the proper stop because of its unusual location - on Beresford, south of the SkyTrain station. "They should have put in some proper signs to tell passengers where to go, too," he said.

Davidowicz said the lack of lighting is a particular problem in the Metrotown area, which already has a reputation for attracting unsavoury elements. "I know of one woman who lives on Telford (Avenue) who has been mugged two or three times while walking from (near the shuttle stop) to her apartment," he said.

While Davidowicz said most of the responsibility for the problem lies with TransLink, he noted Burnaby city hall staff had the opportunity to review the plans and make recommendations.

"They should have asked for a shelter and more lighting, too," he said.

Davidowicz noted that the main Metrotown bus loop was upgraded four years ago, and TransLink could have expanded the facility at that time to accommodate the shuttle services, which were under discussion at the time.

Today, the problem could be solved by enlarging the bus loop over the former Sussex Street right-of-way at the west side of the bus loop, he said.

Despite his complaints, Davidowicz said the start of the shuttle service was a generally positive change to the transit system in South Burnaby.

"The service is overall improved over what it was before," he said. "There are more minibuses, more trips and so forth. So for somebody who takes the bus at Rumble and Royal Oak, they will see the bus come quicker and more service. So that's fine.

"The only problem is the terminus at Metrotown," Davidowicz, said. "The shuttle stop is not part of the covered bus loop under the shopping centre."

Davidowicz also said that he was surprised that nobody from TransLink's planning department had noticed the problem, especially in light of the fact that the transit authority's head office is located directly across the street.