page 2, Sune 29, 1977 - North Shore News seems to know where these such a monstrosity.”’ In the past I’ve talked about P°ople are going. or what I scoffed at SeaBus. “No one,”’ I said, will ride they do. the desirability of a ferry system, but what I y thought would turn the commuters on (what would Charli aL “th . : : ‘‘Charlie,’’ said I, ‘‘I hear turn me on) was a leisurely crossing of the inlet, that the SeaBuses have with a drink or a newspaper—a time of open absolute right-of-way over all windows and salt breezes and communion with the other marine ' traffic, 4 and : ag: soe $ : normal TULeS-Of-tne-road are seagulls. And I envisioned a parking lot in the suspended. Isn’t this dan- acres of land expropriated for the SeaBus facility. gerous?’’ Spratt said that, in ‘When details of the new ferry system were announced I felt very sceptical. I mean, high-speed vessels on cata- maran-type floats skimming across the harbour, with hermetically-sealed doors and windows that didn’t open, is a far cry from my image of inhaling salt air ona leisurely homeward voyage. And no parking lot? Nothing could convince me that enough North Shore people could or would abandon their cars and become bus riders just because of SeaBus. I predicted, I confess, a 20 per cent usage rate for the SeaBuses, after the infitial glow had worn off. I’m not bus transit. I’ve lived here for thirty years, and I know very little about the bus system, other than Exact Fare Only. The few times I have taken the bus have been confusing. But when I go to another city-I usually figure out the transit system fast, because I have to, and I use it. I guess I’'d do the same here if the price of gasoline went so high that it was uneconomic to use a car. I talked to Charlie Spratt, Marine Manager of the SeaBuses. Spratt set my predictions right on their ear. Last Saturday, according to him, was their busiest day, with 17,206 people going through the turnstiles. The ferries have a_ theoretical practice, SeaBus_ captains give way to deep sea vessels and tugs with tow. “‘It’s much more practical that way,”” he said. ‘‘Our vessels are very fast and manoeuvre- abie, and it’s common sense for them to go around heavy traffic that is not so flexible.’’ The SeaBuses still have right-of-way over. all other vessels, a point which picks me a little—a _ no-sail- ing zone has been declared from the foot of Lonsdale to the CN tower and west to the bridge, eliminating a third of the harbour from my favour- ite recreation for the special use of the 500-ton orange popsicles. The noise level, Spratt told alone with that guess, maximum capacity of 62 trips designers had man me either—many other North per day and 400 passengers suspect. The gear drive Shore business people that I_ per trip, which gives 24,800 : asked came up with the same figure.. IMPRESSIVE, EFFICIENT How wrong I was. I took the SeaBus on Saturday and went to stroll around Gas- town. The SeaBus system is passengers per day as their maximum carrying capacity. And on their first Saturday they carried 70% of that. Weekday traffic, accordmg to Spratt, has been between 14,500 and 14,900 passen- gers per day. The original units, not the engines, are producing more noise than was expected when listening tests were conducted on similar but slightly smaller pieces of the same equip- ment. | very impressive. Many of my projections for the ferry VANDALS, DRUNKS reservations were laid to rest 28Sumed that 7500 passen- ee by the ride. One was the rate TS Pet day could be wooed Some difficulties of of usage. The ferry that I took over to Gastown was almost full, and so was the one that I took back. The second thing was the effic- iency. It may be nice to ride the ferries for salt air and seagulls, but there is a lot to be said for zipping across the harbour at thirteen and a half knots in pneumatic comfort. It’s fast, for sure. And I’m-not so sure that North Shore people won’t ‘take buses. If I use myself for an example, it seems un- likely that I would switch to from the bridge route, and SeaBus has already doubled the projections. EVENING RUSH HOUR’ Spratt told me of an interesting phenomenon that has surprised everyone at the SeaBus operation. An eve- ning rush hour has emerged, after the regular daily rush hour. About two-thirds as many people as are travelling during the regular rush hour ride the ferries between 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. This ‘evening peak’ materializes seven days per week, and no one VERIFIED CIRCULATION 46,000 1139 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver, B.C. V7M 2H4 OFFICE/NEWS: (604) 980-0511 CLASSIFIED: 980-3464 CIRCULATION: 986-1337 Publisher Peter Speck Associate Publisher Bob Graham /Editor-in-Chlef Noel Wright/News Guillermo Lam/Photos Ells- worth Dickson/Production Marna Leiren/Advertis- ing Kristi Vidler/Classified Berni Hilliard/Circula- tion Yvonne Chapman/Administration Barbara Haywood/Accounts Sylvia Sorensen. North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent community qualified under Schedule 111, newspaper and Part 111, Paragraph 111 of the Excise Tax Act, is a SRS Wr eat & Se aR: NR Mal a published cach Wednesday by the North Shore Free Press Ltd. and distributed to every door on the North Shore. Second Class Mall Registration Number 3885. ; ENTIRE CONTENTS COPYRIGHT © 1977 NORTH SHORE FREE PRESS LTD. All rights reserved. Spratt’s may be of interest to readers. Vandals, mostly youngsters, are ‘trashing’ ferry facilities, bouncing on ramps and tearing off wall and ceiling panels. Drunks coming home from an eve- ning in the Big City are a slight problem. ‘‘No one minds them having a few drinks,’’ says Spratt, ‘‘be- cause it’s a good idea for people to use the SeaBus to go downtown and have a good time and return to the North Shore. It sure makes a lot more sense than them driving and drinking.’’ But some of the celebrants are bringing liquor into the SeaBus terminals. ‘‘They sometimes frighten other passengers with their loud talk and general drunken- ness.’’ The ferry terminals will be policed to discourage public consumption of booze. I think that the North Shore business community had better get it together and do something with the hundreds of people who are coming to the North Shore on the SeaBuses. There’s not much for them to do on the North Shore, adjacent to the SeaBus terminal. So far it appears that the biggest beneficiary of the SeaBus is Gastown, where I saw hundreds of people on Saturday spending money and having a good time. lf we want we can create the same thing here. The Lower Lonsdale area is a natural for this type of development, and we necd it. TFT BADR PARARADA RAPA RAPA DARARARARA RADA DA RARSRARM I RAGA RA CASACAOR 2 rrrerecrr. 3 INTRODUCING 1978 Pappa OVER 200 NEW & USED sh & TRUCKS. OFFERED ~ FANTASTIC SAVINGS "987-7111 SALES & LEASING-1160 MARINE, NORTH VAN PARTS & ACCESSORIES-1160 MARINE, N. VAN SERVICE CENTRi:-1160 MARINE, NORTH VAN COLLISION SERVICE-1525 WELCH ST., N. VAN. RECREATIONAL SERVICE-1526 WELCH S&T., RITCHIE RENT-A-CAR-970 MARINE, NORTH VAN. STTTIVILVIVI LILI ALLL Lt Srvarrnrnwnn