CSU received complaints from RAs that buses aren’t allowing students to board
Christine Beyleveldt // News Editor
Bus services and fees were increased in July throughout the Lower Mainland, including increased service on the 130 bus towards Capilano University, all part of a 10-year vision laid out by Mayor Gregor Robertson for expanded transit services.
A 10 per cent increase on bus services and 20 per cent increase on rail services, including the West Coast Express and three skytrains across the lower mainland are included in the first phase of this vision. But the routes that CapU students could really benefit from increased services on are the C15 and 212, travelling between Phibbs Exchange, Deep Cove and Seymour via the University residences on Dollarton Highway.
At a Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) Board of Directors meeting on Oct. 6, Vice President external Noah Berson said that he had received complaints from several of CapU’s residence advisors that buses had been skipping the stop outside the residence despite not being full. The buses, he said, aren’t stopping because some of the drivers are worried that students will completely fill up the bus, despite only needing to travel a few minutes to Phibbs Exchange to connect with the 239 to Capilano University.
“We’re really concerned that when the school fills out the residence further in January, what has been an issue for students now will become a chronic problem, with our residence students unable to access reliable transit,” he said.
The CSU contacted Translink in July before the start of the semester to discuss increased service and inform them that the current schedule would likely be a problem given the fact that there would be students living at the residence come September.
Berson reported that they would primarily like to see peak service increases between 7:30 and 10 a.m. and between 2:30 and 6 p.m., when students are coming and going from campus. However, Translink reportedly said that no service increases would be possible until January 2018. Currently, the University is taking residence applications for the spring semester, and the residence can accommodate more than an additional 100 students.
Translink Senior Media Relations Advisor Chris Bryan responded that they have been experiencing “passups” despite additional transit services that came into effect this year as part of the Mayor’s vision. Although, he added, adjustments were made last week to the C15 and 212 buses, and they’re now confident that fewer passups will occur.
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Oct. 17, 2017: This article has been updated to reflect comments made by Chris Bryan, Translink’s senior media relations advisor on Oct. 16, 2017. The Capilano Courier received this response from Translink after press deadline.
Problem with the C15 is that they are shuttle buses and can only handle 24 riders. Once the C15 leaves that stop if full has to leave the many who are waiting off Riverside a loop that the bigger buses on the 212 dont do. Also the C15 may not look full but is sometimes already. The 212 can pick up the slack. Also buses may not be stopping because too many kids have their heads looking down waiting in the shelter not being at the stop itself. In the dark this stop is hard to see and could be the reason for pass ups