An organization is advocating for improved transit and wants bus service that connects the region with Vancouver.
At the City of Powell River committee of the whole meeting on August 19, qathet Chapter of the Council of Canadians representative Drena McCormack said her organization wants to clarify the role of the city regarding transit issues and highlight benefits of a more integrated transit service.
“We are hoping to advocate and have you advocate for intercity transit to Vancouver, specifically for bus services between Earls Cove and Sechelt,” said McCormack. “We believe that frequent and reliable transit services the community in multiple ways.
“It’s not just another way to get around town or between cities, it contributes to a safer, cleaner city. It’s much more environmentally friendly than individual vehicles. It helps support disadvantaged groups of our population who don’t want to or cannot drive.”
McCormack said the BC government spends $800 per person, per year, on highway construction and improvements, but only $215 on urban transit, $50 on byways and bike lanes, and $2 per person per year on inter-regional buses.
City councillor George Doubt said he did quite a bit of work when he was a qathet Regional District director, to work on the concept of an intercity bus that would get travellers, with public transit, from Powell River to Horseshoe Bay, with one ticket.
“That’s not as simple as it might sound,” said Doubt. “First off, if you want to do that through BC Transit, you have to create a transit authority, which they are not very happy to do. They are used to dealing individually with each municipality and regional district.
“The other matter is within each regional district, because the regional districts are different from municipalities. If you are going to provide a service like transportation in a regional district, you have to convince the voters in each one of the electoral areas to pay for it. That’s where the money has to come from.”
Doubt said in the case of the lower Sunshine Coast, the challenge is getting people in the northern electoral areas to agree to pay for a transit system. He said when the people have been consulted, they have indicated that they don’t want to pay for transit.
“That’s another hurdle to get over,” said Doubt.
The next hurdle is BC Ferries, according to Doubt. He said if public transportation by bus is to be coordinated, BC Ferries needs to work with the proponents.
“You have to get BC Transit, BC Ferries and all of the electoral districts involved,” said Doubt.
He asked McCormack if she had approached qathet Regional District, Sunshine Coast Regional District, BC Transit and BC Ferries with her request.
She said the Council of Canadians had written correspondence to BC Transit and BC Ferries, but they hadn’t approached the regional districts yet.
City councillor Cindy Elliott said council raised the issue of connectivity with BC Transit when the crown corporation made its last presentation to council. She added that the answer received at the regional district is that there were areas in the lower Sunshine Coast Regional District that have not agreed to have transit in their areas. She said she agrees with the need for connectivity, and that there had been advocacy regarding the issue.
Mayor Ron Woznow said the issue had been discussed since city council was elected. He asked that since Powell River has a cabinet minister in provincial government, had McCormack’s group approached minister Randene Neill.
McCormack said she will be going back to Neill soon.
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