Councillor cails
for abandonment
‘of Low Level link

By Robert Gaister

A section of North
- Vancouver’s bicycle network
cirently under construction

‘and several area residents.

: - “Sornetimes. -you just can’t throw
good money after bad money,” said
f Stella Jo Dean.
“a public. meeting
ay’ ‘at city hall, 30 residents
city staff and councillors for
a Portion of the trail near

invitation to criminals to congregate in

“their neighborhood.
: This is a hot t for crime as it is and we
this will provide another entry and exit to
borhood for suspicious people and
er, perpetrators,”. “said “Michad* Binkley, a
carby resident... ~
“They” ve already had a lot of crime in the
area,” agreed Coun. Dean.
“Coun. Darrell Mussatto likewise acquiesced.
» <I you open up aii area to moré : pedestrian
traffic,’ there’s potential for 1 more crime,” said
‘Mussitto.,--.2
Where they don’t agree is how best to deal
ith the residents’ concerns.
-De. put forth a notice of

NORTH VANCOUVER’ ae
G SICYCLE-‘NETWORK ame

“The residents feel chat staff didn’t do an
adequate job to prepare the soil,” said Binkley.
“We are concerned for erosion.”

_ The issue will be addressed during tomor-
row’s North Vancouver City council’s meeting.

The portion of the trai! in question will
divert bicycle traffic away from Low Level Road
along a steep bank extending from Alder Street
eastward toward Queensbury Avenue. The cost
of the 200-metre section of the route is approx-
imately $145,000, with the provincial govern: ,
ment kicking in $65, 000 of ir. .

Initially environmental concerns centred
around the path’s impact on the surrounding
area, but those appear to have been appeased.

Several residents said the area represents 2

' crucial breeding ground for cagles which have ©”
_ built at least two aoe in the «vicinity. 61
“Apparently cagles don’t have a problem

with bike athe” ” said Mussatta,

North Vancouver bicycle coordinator Emma
Dal Santo, who has spearheaded the bicycle
network project, did net f return the News’ calls
ta ‘Press time Fnday.

BIKE paths attracted 35 to a meeting
in North Van City Halt Wednesday.

By Aobert Galster

News Reporter.
vobert@usnews.com

‘THE North Shore Health

On Wednesday, .
sanwnile, radio hot-.

: Mainland rebel-rousec os
Charles Maclean will .§
take over page seven.
re, money -
man Mike Grenby.
returns to the News’ business pages on
Wednesdays starting Sept. 2
““The award-winning sched squeczer

!

Hutchinson,

. Staff, said, “For such a serious
: situation it took a very long

Region’s board has extended
an olive branch to the region’s
physicians in hopes of bridg-
ing the communication gap
currently separating the two
groups.

Last. Thursday the board agreed to

use ai facilitator. to. find ways of re-
establishing contact between the physicians and the

“The board. is offering this, te) portunity despite
their disappointment that the medical staff has unilat-
erally chosen to close off more
than one channel of communi- ~
cation with the. board,” said.
board chairman Diana
“We are. hopeful
they will agree to participate in
this opportunity.”

! For their part, the physicians
welcomed the initiative. De.”

.. Peter Richards, president of the ~

Lions Gate Hospital Medical

HEALTH region

CEO Inge -

time.” _Schamborzkl.
But the physicians are also

wary of getting pricked in the process.

“This is just on the way to resolving the prob 7

lems,” said Richards.

Whether the meeting will actually take place.

Sunday, September 21, 1997 — Noith Shore News — 3

Trail runs into Snposition

LEGEND
@@® EXISTING BIKEWAY

40.8 COMPLETION OATE:
Sept 30th, 1997

©@ COMPLETION DATE:
March 30th, 1998

wi™ 1998-99 CNP/Conade-8C
lafrastractere werks program fi
oppiications

. “The board i is offering this
‘opportunity despite their
disappointment that
the medical staff has -|£
unilaterally chosen to close -
off more than one channel .
of communication...”
_ Bead chalrmaa Diana ietehinsoa :

remains to be-seen. A statement from the region 5:
board is unclear on whether the region’s CEO, Dr.:

Inge Schamborzki, will sit in at the meeting.

The physicians "stated they will not participate in '

mectings if the CEO is present. -

“Her presence at this time is unhelpful to the

said Richards. “If she’s there, we're not

process,”
.. that’s a prerequisite of the meeting.”

going .

The ‘initial rift berween the two sides started when’

the board extended Schamborzki’s contract for three
years last month.
“We take the strongest exception to the hasty

“manner of her reappointment,” said Richards at the”
-- time, adding the board does little more than “give lip -

service to consultation.”

Two members of the board resigned from their
posts to protest the extension and the way it was
approved by the board. Dr. John Maynard, the’ doc-

“ tors’ representative on the board, and Judy Kendel, the

health-care worker representative, both left the board
within days of the controversial contract extension. -

The physicians will. make’an official response. to =

the board’s latest offer next week.

_ week. The figures are
- of the spring inspection.

Drivers’

claims
rejected

From page 1

They also asked the district to
prohibit the use of computer-
ized dispatch systems’ used by
North Shore Taxi. :

Drivers say that will i improve
road safety. They added that
recent accidents have involved
drivers paying “more attention
to the computer screen than to
the traffic.”

Drivers also accused ‘North
Shore Taxi of racially discrimina-
tory hiring practices. |

Cabbies asked that the dis’ ve

trict set up a public complaint | :

‘ centre and penalize or refuse to

renew licences for the worst dri- :
vers. They also asked that the
ublic be protected from dis-.
honest owners by sealing, all taxi,
meters. .
And the drivers called for ~
better cabbies, saying those who.
do not speak English and cannot
locate addresses should ~ not”,
work as cabbies. :

Bur North Shore Taxi gener: a

al manager Subag Sin Singh ejects :
the cab drivers’ claims. -
He said the meters can’t be”
tampered’ with by. drivers,
although they can be changed i in

- the meter shop.

Singh said there’s “no truth

‘ to the charge that computer di

patch terminals cfeate accidents. ;
c added thar the radio dispatch

* system formerly in use was more

“supe to drivers... :
ete said: drivers, must rota?

‘ ng
* training to fearn how to be ood

taxi drivers.’
“It is true some peoole don’t

have the highest knowledge of:
* English, bur they are,able'to do:

the normal | communications id
other things,” ’
2, Although -

“running cabs 24 hours a
“continual wear and tear:

taken into account. :

“We : cannot: have.a bran
new vehicle on the toad: the:
time,” he said.” :

, Subag said he believes drivers
make | more money on. the:

sent: system than’on-:the older:
system, which saw cabbies get a

ve portion of. a shifts cab fares.;

“We haven't :had

stole’ from’ the

problem that is diffu tom

‘itor and control

Singh. said. he:
hiring policy, addin,

_ anyone who has a C

and does not have too many:
demerit points on their licence... ~~

“If think the information that
ve been able to gather-is that .

. there has been some disgruntled
former drivers who are. trying to,
“ create a’ bit of'a problem,”. said:

Sin; about the petition: signing

« cabbies. :

~ ministry spokesman anticipates a -
_break-down of the failure rates \::

of cabs for individual cab com-
panics: will - be™ released next

results