Campaign Issue: another empty bus

[occasional thoughts]

We live on Hudson Road, with three bus routes converging on it, 14 years now. Over that time, I've witnessed probably a good million dollars wasted on unused public transit drive by our house and yard. At one time within its current mandate, I thought our council was after its own contract with B.C. Transit so it could deal with this waste, but I guess not. Today, another empty bus, a "Horizon" route went by. The Lakeview bus is often empty or has maybe one person in it.

Our whole public transit system, in West Kelowna at least, is, to put it back on my fellow environmentalists, completely unsustainable. We buy expensive buses, pay union-wage drivers and other personnel, and provide other infrastructure so that the buses can run empty or, occasionally, only almost empty. The keystone of our economic system is supposedly supply and demand. Face it, politicians and bureaucrats, the demand is not there to warrant the supply of virtually any public transit in our community.

I'm not saying that some form of public transit isn't necessary, and I'm not saying that public transit will ever turn a profit or even come close to breaking even. But we've developed a cadillac model for a handful of riders. I feel we could save millions on public transit if other service models were looked at.

[Bestside]

That OP should eliminate a few candidates for council who are spouting the so-called "politically correct" agenda of spending more millions to expand public transit.

If some of those people get elected it will be more of the same.

[Urbane]

Politically correct often trumps common sense and that seems to be the case with this issue. Good topic to raise OT and it should be an important campaign issue.

[occasional thoughts]

Let it be recorded for posterity that at a point in time on a specific topic, Bestside, Urband and Occasional Thoughts appear to agree!

But seriously, Bestside, please explain your point a bit more and identify the "guilty" parties.

[jjnumba7]

*removed/Jo*

[occasional thoughts]

A No. 24 "Lakeview" just went by with just one rider. A very common occurrence.

[occasional thoughts]

Sorry, jjnumba7, you violated a major rule on here (identifying people by name), I questioned it to the moderator, and your post was removed. If you'd like to participate according to the rules, your comments are obviously welcome. I did pick up on your point about a certain candidate and started a new post, "Fit For Office", which may interest you to read and comment on. But stick to the rules; you obviously know who I am, but I have no idea who you are.

[Bestside]

That OP should eliminate a few candidates for council who are spouting the so-called "politically correct" agenda of spending more millions to expand public transit.

If some of those people get elected it will be more of the same.

Let it be recorded for posterity that at a point in time on a specific topic, Bestside, Urband and Occasional Thoughts appear to agree!

But seriously, Bestside, please explain your point a bit more and identify the "guilty" parties.

Green- OK on this matter; Orange - caution on this matter; Red - Not OK on this matter.

West Kelowna council candidates seeking your vote

By Contributed - Kelowna Capital News
Published: November 03, 2011 1:00 AM

To help point out the differences between the field of 13 candidates seeking a seat at the District of West Kelowna council table in the Nov. 19 municipal election, the Capital News asked each candidate to give a 50-word answer to four questions.

Question:
#2—What improvements would you advocate regarding transit and ...?
One candidate, Mike Smith, did not respond to the questions by our press deadline.

Gux Albrecht
#2: It’s difficult to justify improvements in transit when 85 per cent of 2010 survey respondents said they don’t ever use the system.

Rick de Jong
#2: Increase transit service frequencies across the district to levels now seen in Glenrosa. Continue with bus stop upgrades such as shelters and benches.

Rusty Ensign
#2: A Park & Ride should be implemented where you can park and have regular 15 minute service to Kelowna.

Gordon Ficke
#2: Transit for our entire region should be reviewed and improved. Having to wait for an inordinate amount of time to connect with another bus makes the service impractical. If riders can’t count on timely connections then people will not utilize it.

David Knowles
#2: Transit: Implement Rapid Bus BC, frequent, high speed, minimal stop, Westbank Centre/UBCO in conjunction with improvements/streamlining to the neighbourhood feeder system. (is this more bus routes?)

Gord Milsom
Support the extension of the Highway 97 Rapid Bus to the Westbank Centre, providing fast and direct connections through West Kelowna and Kelowna on route to UBCO.

Duane Ophus
#2: BC Transit is completing a full review of all routes in the district, to be completed by December, 2011. I want to see Bus Rapid transit to Westbank, with service to the airport and UBCO and maximum possible local coverage of our neighbourhoods, within the constraints of affordability.

Randall Robinson​
#2: Transit routes and schedules need to be revamped to better address local considerations and needs. I support a centralized transit exchange, Park and Ride and express bus routes. (revamped up or down?)

Cathy Sinclair
#2: Due to poor transit scheduling, people are more likely to take a car or be driven by a family member to activities or shopping than hop on a bus. We want to be a sustainable community. (Meaning more buses?)

Mike Trenn
#2: The Master Transportation Study advocates the development of a connective, more responsive transit structure and routes to move people to destinations across to Kelowna. Students’ usage issues, both secondary and post secondary, needs attention and action.

Bryden Winsby
#2: Public transit is very expensive and heavily subsidized. Scheduling changes are not made easily. A major improvement could come with Rapid Bus, providing express service from Westbank Centre to UBCO. A close look at its success, or lack thereof, will help determine what connection adjustments are needed.

Carol Zanon
#2: Council has approved the roads classification, a necessary task before developing more detailed plans, and each year we have scheduled road rehabilitation. We need a new governance system for transit, and a better image. It is the future if we truly believe in the Climate Charter that we signed.

[oneh2obabe]

We live on Hudson Road, with three bus routes converging on it, 14 years now. Over that time, I've witnessed probably a good million dollars wasted on unused public transit drive by our house and yard. At one time within its current mandate, I thought our council was after its own contract with B.C. Transit so it could deal with this waste, but I guess not. Today, another empty bus, a "Horizon" route went by. The Lakeview bus is often empty or has maybe one person in it.

If you had attended the West Kelowna / BC Transit meeting held earlier this year to showcase proposed changes to the transit system and gain input from both transit and non-transit users you would know that the #27 (Horizon), #28 (Smith Creek), and #29 (Bear Creek) have been put out to pasture, so to speak. Changes were also made to the #21 (Glenrosa) and #97 (Express) routes.

The #20 (Lakeview) serves a lot of people on a daily basis, especially people heading to work or school and making the reverse trip in the evening. Like any transit system you can't expect to see a full bus every minute of the day - they all have their peak travel times.

A No. 24 "Lakeview" just went by with just one rider. A very common occurrence.

#24 is Shannon Lake, not Lakeview.

[RosieJoe]

That OP should eliminate a few candidates for council who are spouting the so-called "politically correct" agenda of spending more millions to expand public transit.

If some of those people get elected it will be more of the same.

I don't think anyone wants to expand the public transit system. I hope they want to make it more accessible for people, but who can trust a Monopoly on transit. BCtransit is running the show and have no idea what the wants and needs are in West Kelowna or Peachland. BCTransit is oblivious, therefore it will take some young new council to take on that challenge. I hope they're ready for it!!!