Okay, youngsters, gather ’round while Grandma tells you about the old days.
As we’re seeing bubbling pots of protest in West Vancouver, Surrey and Vancouver over transit, just a reminder of some of the history.
Does anyone recall the massive opposition to the Granville B-Line — it did actually cost the NPA councillors a ton of political capital. They didn’t lose the election, but their wave of support definitely receded. Below is a story from July 1998 about the final vote, which describes the massive opposition along the way.
I won’t attempt to link to all the anti-Canada Line stories (or, as they were then, anti-RAV (Richmond-Airport-Vancouver) stories. But here is one that includes some interesting information on whether the P3 for that project really benefitted taxpayers. Don’t be influenced by the somewhat misleading headline.
Granville rapid bus service okayed despite opposition: City council voted unanimously to support the plan but critics vow to continue battle.: [Final Edition]
In spite of some of the stiffest opposition seen at Vancouver city hall in years, council voted unanimously Tuesday to support a rapid bus along Granville that will add 200 buses a day between Richmond and downtown Vancouver.
“If we are committed to reducing the use of the automobile, I think this is the only thing that we can do,” said Councillor Nancy Chiavario, who introduced the motions in front of about 100 people who heckled, jeered, and carried signs warning councillors of their imminent political demise.
Councillor Gordon Price, who had trouble getting through his speech because of persistent catcalling from the crowd, said Vancouver had no choice.
“If we fail to show respect and concern for our neighbours, how can we expect them to be concerned when our issues are at stake? If we say no to rapid bus, it is quite clear how it will be understood in Richmond. They will join together with others to push through whatever route in Vancouver they think is expedient.”
Staff and councillors argued that more buses on Granville would actually reduce traffic — up to 8,000 cars a day — and that the new bus service would benefit more people in Vancouver than in Richmond, because more Vancouver residents now commute to work in Richmond than the other way around. As well, they argued, the buses will pick up people in Vancouver, unlike the current express buses.
But opponents were unimpressed, calling out that Richmond people are blocking their streets and that other streets should have to share the bus traffic.
“I was disgusted,” said Elsie Sands after the meeting. Sands, who lives a block and a half off Granville in the Marpole area, promised residents would now start getting militant.
“Our group is not giving up. We are going to do what’s necessary to protect our neighbourhood. We’re not going to be bullied by these councillors.
“I don’t think that the first rapid bus that tries to proceed down Granville Street will have an easy time. And if all this means campaigning to make sure these people are never elected again, we’ll do it.”
The plan approved Tuesday has been significantly changed from the original proposed by BC Transit in December 1997, after several hostile public meetings over the past six months. There will be no dedicated bus lane, the number of parking spaces expropriated outside the downtown core has dropped from about 200 to 37. As well, staff specifically included a recommendation in Tuesday’s motions that BC Transit look at redirecting to Cambie some of the express buses from Richmond, Surrey, Delta and White Rock now using Granville.
As well, the motions passed Tuesday reiterate council’s position that any future light-rail transit should not go down Granville.
But residents remain enraged that the rapid bus line is on Granville at all, a street they feel has taken a disproportionate share of traffic in general and bus traffic in particular.
Currently, 1,100 BC Transit buses a day use Granville, along with 52,000 cars, private buses, trucks and taxis. Cambie — an alternative route the residents pushed — only has about 300.
About 800 people attended three public meetings on the issue in the past two weeks, most arguing against the rapid bus on Granville.
They argued diesel buses produce a high percentage of fine particulate matter, the most damaging type of pollution for respiratory problems.
Dr. John Blatherwick, of the Vancouver/Richmond health board, told council that environmental studies confirm that assessment. But he also admitted that one bus producing a higher level of pollutants would be preferable to having the 80 people riding that bus than driving cars.
BC Transit first introduced the idea of a rapid bus service in 1994, in an attempt to improve service for Richmond, which has the lowest bus ridership of any municipality in the region. Its staff says Granville is the preferred route because it has a fast travel time and is already established as the main north-south route.
The rapid bus will mean that, by 2006, up to 75 buses an hour will travel Granville in peak times, carrying 30,000 passengers a day. The new route will be accompanied by new bus shelters that give real-time information on bus arrivals. Richmond’s bus service will also be reorganized to coordinate with the new line.
The cost of new buses, a new maintenance centre in Richmond, and accompanying improvements will be $75 million.