"This proposed bus loop is an accident or accidents waiting to happen."
This was the assessment of Drew Rickard of a TransLink plan that would see buses circling a block next to Garry Point Park.
Rickard and fellow Steveston resident Alex Sagert presented a petition with 275 names to the city council on Monday in opposition to the plan put forward by TransLink.
Rickard and Sagert are concerned for the safety of children and residents in the area with a proposal to move the current bus loop that is along Chatham Street to a temporary bus loop location next to Garry Point Park.
There are currently five bus routes that end on Chatham Street.
Rickard told the Richmond News the proposed new bus loop is next to the popular park and would follow a popular path for cyclists and pedestrians.
Another concern for Rickard and Sagert is the daycare at the corner of Seventh Avenue and Chatham Street with drop-offs and pickups in the morning and afternoon, said Rickard.
"There's about 40 kids there, so there's about 80 opportunities for kids and buses to meet, and not in a good way."
One option suggested at the Monday meeting would be to use the cannery parking lot, which is federal land.
Another option is a vacant city-owned lot across from Steveston Community Centre, which is 1.1 acres in size (about 48,000 square feet), currently used for parking and special events.
"This would serve the brand new community centre they are building since seniors would have access to the buses, you'd have access to pharmacies and more," said Sagert.
"We want city council and TransLink to go back to the drawing board... because this isn't the right one, we think."
Coun. Carol Day noted Kootenay Loop on Hastings Street in Vancouver is 23,000 square feet in size and the Haney Loop in Maple Ridge is 30,000 square feet.
The empty lot, however, has been discussed and is “not suitable” in city staff’s opinion, Joe Erceg,the city's general manager of planning and development with the city.
Day said, looking at the proposed bus loop next to the park, she thinks either parking would have to be eliminated or the streets made one-way to have buses running along this route.
While Mayor Malcolm Brodie said the situation on Chatham Street with the buses is a “bad situation,” Coun. Kash Heed replied that the proposed route would be “worse.”
The proposed new location for the transit hub will relocate parked buses away from Second Avenue, active bus stops will still be on Second Avenue for passenger drop-off and pickup.
The new configuration would have buses travelling southbound on Seventh Avenue, eastbound on Moncton Street and northbound on Sixth Avenue instead of using the streets north of Chatham.
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