A proposal to remove more than a dozen bus stops along Hastings Street in Vancouver is drawing concern from some residents and outreach organizations in the Downtown Eastside, who say the changes could make it harder for vulnerable people to access essential services.
TransLink and the City of Vancouver say they are planning to improve bus speed and reliability by removing 13 bus stops along the street between downtown Vancouver and Boundary Road, which the transport authority says is one of the busiest, and also the most delayed, corridors in Metro Vancouver.
According to TransLink, around 1,000 buses travel along the stretch of the road every day.
“Nearly 60 per cent of bus stops on Hastings Street are spaced closer than the recommended minimum distance of 300 metres between stops,” it said in a statement. “When stops are too close together, buses merge in and out of traffic more often, leading to delays.”
The proposal would also add new rapid bus stops between Main Street and Commercial Drive, along with three additional local stops between Main Street and Glen Drive.
But many of the stops planned for removal are concentrated in the Downtown Eastside – seven of them located east of Main Street between Gore and Campbell avenues, which has raised concerns from organizations that work closely with residents in the area.
Amanda Burrows, executive director of First United Church, said reliable and speedy transit is important, but added the proposal overlooks the realities many Downtown Eastside residents face.
“A lot of people there have health issues, it’s a vulnerable community,” she said. “There are a lot of seniors and a lot of people don’t have cars or other ways to get around. They really do rely on transit.”
Burrows said many residents rely on transit to access health care and grocery stores and often have to carry heavy belongings with them while travelling through the neighbourhood.
“From an equity perspective, there is a need for the Downtown Eastside to have more stops, not less.”
Transit user Tania Hamilton, who has an ankle injury and regularly uses a stop near East Hastings Street and Princess Avenue, said she relies on the route multiple times a day to get to appointments nearby.
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“I come down here every day, sometimes three times a day,” she said. “I go to my doctor’s office just over here.”
Nick Wells, spokesperson for Union Gospel Mission, says about 20 per cent of the people they serve in the area have mobility issues.
“Public transit was made for the public, and the public that we serve relies heavily on transit to access basic life necessities,” Wells said.
“Stability matters to people living in the Downtown Eastside,” he said. “Having … predictable bus stops and routes might mean a lot for someone who’s struggling with mental health, addiction, poverty and other underlying issues.”
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A TransLink spokesperson was not available for comment but the transport authority says where a stop is removed, another stop would typically be available within one block.
The Hastings Crossing Business Improvement Association told CBC News it has not heard concerns or complaints about the proposal.
TransLink says public feedback on the proposed changes will be accepted until May 24.