14 — North Shore News - Sunday. February 20, 2000

TransLink seeking

Marcie Good
Contributing Writer
ARE you entirely com-

i %

fortable in front of a
microphone, a crowded
room and a TV camera?

. TransLink wants

While collecting comments
ON its strategic Cransportation

Get set for Spring

plan, Translink is admitting
what is obvious to anyone
who has braved a public hear-
ing: certain people tend to

a aan! u
NEWS pnote Julie Iverson

PARKS utility worker Greg McNaughton cleans up a piece of playground equipment at Ray Sargeent Park in

the city of North Vancouver.

turn up every time.

They are usually angry,
they typically belong to an
advocacy group, and they
often have experience speak-
ing in public forums.

“If we would have taken
the advice from the first
public hearing,” said
TransLink spokesman Ken
Hardie, describing the rail-
ing of cyclists against cars,
“we would have doubled the
vehicle levy and doubled the
bicycle routes.”

Now, instead of inviting
people to their hearings,
TransLink wants people to
organize their own.

Instead of facing the glar-
ing lights of the TY’ camera
and dozens of passionate
antagonists, people can sit in
their own living rooms and
chat with their friends and
neighbours.

As you discuss your ideas
about bus routes, vehicle
levies, SeaBus, and rapid
transit, TransLink is throw-
ing in some free pizza and
pop courtesy of Boston
Pizza and Clearly Canadian.

Over the neat few weeks,
Hardie expects to have
about 100 people across the
region organize their own
forums of about six people.

Hosts will receive copies
of the plan and tips for
starting discussion, and will
be expected to take notes
and provide comments to
TransLink.

Without having promot-
ed the pizza forums,
TransLink has already had
abour 30 people volunteer
to host.

Among the early respon-
dents, Hardie said, there
have been several members

Cal living room input

of “this or that coalition.”

“We try to tell them, we
really are interested in aim-
ing these initiatives at Ppeo-
ple we haven't heard from
vet,” he said.

“The people who come
to public hearings have valu-
able things to say, but we
want to hear more voices.”

Hardie is hoping that the
atmosphere of the pizza
forums will be less adversari-
al and more broad.

Instead of arguing for
their own interests, people
just might look at what's
best for the whole region.

TransLink has borrowed
the concept of the pizza
forum from examples of
“civic journalism,” in which
several American newspapers
have taken an active role in
solving problems like crime
or poverty in their commu-
nities.

Part of the project
involves sending reporters to
gather the stories of “aver-
age people.”

‘Among the proposals in
the strategic plan are: an
annual $75 per vehicle sur-
tax; a $0.25 transit fare
increase in June with anoth-
er hike slated for 2003; pos-
sible increase in downtown
parking rates; improving
SeaBus service at peak hours
and looking at additional
ferry services from Seymour,
Bowen Island and Deep
Cove; and doubling service
(from every 30 minutes to
every 15 minutes) during

ak hours for buses travel-
ling across the Second
Narrows Bridge and Lions
Gate Bridge.

To volunteer to host a
pizza forum, call 453-4660,

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