Council deals with deluge of dissent as transit deficit dealt with
By Timothy Schafer
Sunday service and one transit bus fell under the financial axe as City council responded Monday night to public pressure in its effort to trim costs from its overgrown transit budget.
After a brief presentation by BC Transit’s Kevin Schubert at the committee of the whole meeting Monday evening, council held a special meeting immediately after to grapple with what, if any, changes they would now consider to transit.
But with a hue and cry evident after the proposed cuts were announced in mid summer — and further evidenced by over 55 people showing up for the public presentation that night — council hesitated over pushing the jettison button on their five initial proposed cuts.
The public time in the committee of the whole meeting went over time as 10 people stood to tell council to reconsider making the cuts they had proposed.
“It is easy to make changes from a distance and on paper, when those who make the cuts don’t have to experience the pain of the changes,” said Fairview resident David Keely, through a letter read to council, about how cutting service to some of the outlying areas would affect lower income people.
And in light of the city attempting to become more sustainable, Jenny Henry took council to task and wondered when the public consultation on transit would take place.
“I was also wondering how (the cuts) fit into city sustainability plans?” she asked. “The city really needs to encourage transit use,” and this doesn’t.
In balancing community need with fiscal responsibility the City needed to make some changes, said Coun. Deb Kozak later in the evening. It seemed right now the most severe impact was the loss of Sunday service in the community, she said.
But when council got down on the mat to make their decision, it was decided the Sunday service would still be cut, despite many people protesting its demise, as well as a lowering of the level of summer service. Council also approved cutting service to Perrier Road, but not to Crease and Richards streets.
As well, the bus fleet will be reduced by one bus (which goes back to BC Transit at no cost to the City) to six as a result of reduced afternoon frequency of bus service during the peak afternoon period between 3-6 p.m. Bus service to Waldorf School and a recently added Radio Avenue route will also be cut.
The implementation of the changes is estimated to take 19 weeks.
Coun. Kozak said more changes, albeit for the better, were forthcoming with the ongoing regional review and integration with the other areas and cities in the West Kootenay.
Mayor John Dooley said the Regional District of Central Kootenay is also looking at the bigger picture of how transit is delivered in the region.
As part of a regional realignment, the City will gain some efficiencies that better match the patterns of people who ride the buses, said Dooley.
“We’re actually in front end of the realignment of the system,” he said. The city needs better links to the hospital in Trail and to Selkirk college in Castlegar, he added. “We have to be part of that broader, regional solution.”
Coun. Kim Charlesworth pointed to the silver lining of the transit crunch, of being forced to look at the system in detail. Ultimately the city will end up with a better system, she said.
“Everyone now is wanting to talk about a regional system … as difficult as it has been,” she said. “As we move forward with the longer term plan, I hope we can work toward some kind of compromise on the Sunday service.”
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See also
Cuts to transit may not be as deep as first proposed
More Nelson transit changes on the way as regional amalgamation now on table
Sunday not sacred as council sacrifices Sabbath transit service
Review in hand, City avoids taking B.C. Transit to task
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