2 THE VOICE, THURSDAY, NOV. 3, 2016

EDITOR REUBEN DONGALEN JR.

tlarge

ROUTE

changes

1 Extended N8 and
N20 buses to Ma-
rine Drive Station.

2 Shifted some peak
period trips from
the No. 41 to No. 43
Express.

Source: Transit Network
Review
http://TransLink.ca

By STUART NEATBY

etro Vancouver’s most over-

crowded bus route imple-

mented changes earlier in

the year in an attempt to im-
prove service, but not everyone along
the way is satisfied.

TransLink removed the Champlain
Heights detour from the No. 49 bus in
June. Despite the changes, full buses
still pass students during peak hours.

Sadul Singh, a continuing studies
student at Langara College who rides
the No. 49 bus east, estimated that he
still gets passed by buses once every
five times, but indicates the service is
better than before.

“Buses are quicker, and less crowd-
ed. When the semester started, it was
very difficult to find a seat. But now,

more often you'll find a seat,” he said.

Chris Bryan, TransLink’s media re-
lations advisor, said in an email that
passengers along 49 Avenue now have
improved service as a result of the
change.

“Transit planning just makes a lot
more sense when you can make as
many straight lines as possible. You
have more consistent service and you
cover more distance more efficiently,”
said Bryan.

But Champlain Heights resident,
Judy Szonyi, has seen an increase in
the commute home from her workplace
by 10 to 15 minutes.

The No. 26 bus, which runs less fre-
quently, is the new, main line for the
neighbourhood. Szonyi believes the
changes have increased commuting
times for seniors and low-income fami-

STUART NEATBY photo
According to TransLink, the No. 49 bus is the most overcrowded in Vancouver, often leading to students being passed up.

TransLink makes big changes

TransLink removed Champlain Heights from No. 49 route in June

lies.

“To make it harder for them to get
around, when that’s probably their
only form of transportation, is repre-
hensible,” she said.

The change is part of the Mayors’
Council transit plan, which is facing a
funding shortfall.

Gordon Price, former director of The
City Program at Simon Fraser Univer-
sity, said that TransLink is struggling
with chronic underfunding from the
provincial government.

Adding buses adds considerable
costs. Price also said that large capital
projects like SkyTrains consume a dis-
proportionate amount of transit fund-
ing, despite increased ridership on
buses.

“The lowly bus doesn’t get respect,”
he said.

Develop-
ment may
hit a stop

Conservation group makes
last-minute push against
an industrial park

By JENNA TYTGAT

ety is making a last-ditch effort to
halt a development in the bog.

The society is hoping to convince the
Provincial Agricultural Land Commis-
sion to turn down an MK Delta Lands
Group proposal to develop an industri-
al park on just over 40 hectares of the
bog, even though the development has
already been approved by Delta coun-
cil.

The society is urging residents to
write letters to the commission, and
potentially Metro Vancouver later on,
if the commission passes the project.

MK Delta owns
roughly 202 hect- r4 4
ares of Burns Bog;

T:: Burns Bog Conservation Soci-

four parcels of There’s
land. MK Delta has

offered to give not a lot of
more thani21hect- land out in
ares of Burns Bog B.C. any-
for conservation ~*~"

purposes in return Ore

for roughly 40 ANDREA FRUSTACI

acres for develop-
ment.

“TThe Burns Bog
Conservation Soci-
ety doesn’t] think
it’s right. If MK Delta was really keen
on protecting the environment, they
would offer up all four pieces of land,”
said Aliya Khan, communications and
research assistant at the society.

Teresa Cooper, director of communi-
cations for MK Delta, said the choice to
develop that part of Burns Bog was
careful.

“We were looking at two different
pieces of property to develop, and... we
had encouragement from all levels of
government for the piece of property
that was chosen,” she said. “That piece
of property was chosen because it had
the least environmental impact.”

The conservation society doesn’t
agree with the trade-off that Delta
council accepted. Andrea Frustaci,
president of the Ladner Business Asso-
ciation, says he knows the conservation
society has good points, but feels MK
Delta has explained why their solution
is the best.

“T think just the location is prime for
that kind of development. There’s not a
lot of land out in B.C. anymore in the
Lower Mainland that can be used for
this stuff.”

PRESIDENT OF
LADNER BUSINESS
ASSOCIATION

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