Transit advocates are calling for TransLink to choose the option for its new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line that would directly serve Burnaby Heights.
The new route will connect Metrotown and the North Shore, providing “fast, frequent, and reliable service by operating with dedicated bus lanes, transit signal priority at intersections, and weather-protected stations,” the transit operator’s website states.
TransLink says buses will operate from Metrotown and Park Royal via the Ironworker’s Memorial Bridge. South of the bridge, there are two route options that it is seeking input from the public on.
The first option connects Kootenay Loop to Brentwood Town Centre station through Hastings Street and Willingdon Avenue. The second option connects via Boundary Road and Lougheed Highway.
Denis Agar, the executive director of Movement: Metro Vancouver Transit Riders, says the best option if the first, which will directly connect residents of Burnaby Heights.
“We’ve heard from people in Burnaby Heights and they’re trying to get to Capilano University and they’ll be left behind by a full bus, or they’ll want to go to Metrotown to transfer to the Expo Line and it takes forever,” he told 1130 NewsRadio.
That opinion is in contrast to the Heights Merchants Association (HMA) which says the second option “strikes the best balance between meeting the needs of the region with the needs of its local merchants and the community they serve”.
Isabel Kolic, executive director of the HMA, wrote on the association’s website that a BRT line directly through the Heights would lead to a loss of spaces for cars which bring shoppers to support the local businesses.
“To us, a parked car on Hastings represents a community member actively supporting the district, whether dropping off a child, carrying groceries, going to physio, or dining at a local restaurant,” she said. “We cannot treat these customers as a nuisance or make their trip more difficult because, if we do, many will simply go elsewhere.”
She added a concern about the noise from increased traffic flow.
Related:
But Agar said the BRT line won’t detract from businesses, in fact, it may help them flourish.
He says the new BRT route is number one in terms of ridership for all new TransLink proposals and is estimated to carry 60,000 passengers everyday. He says these people could greatly increase business traffic.
All in all Agar said the transit option will help make the community even more vibrant.
“It’s hard to get to Burnaby Heights right now using transit,” he said, “but it’s a great place to live.”
Members of the public can participate in the engagement survey here until September 21. They can also attend in-person open houses between Sept. 4 and 17. Further details can be found the TransLink website.
– With files from Srushti Gangdev and Amy Beeman