UNUUHeNeCLesDCOUDeveeuecesCestearatonnseseee

other voices

WE have recently been | Informed that the plight of n city bus driver is a wretched ‘thing, akin perhaps only to the current press officer gig at SFU (sce sexual harassment and academic fraud flies), Impatlent and surly passengers compete with tele four-wheeled * counterparts In a game of frustrate! the transit driver, In splte of this, most transit users would agree that the vast majority of:

bus drivers are polite and courteous

tn thelr dealings with the publle, The 7 sannie cannot be said for the public,

«© During a winter storm last year, . the kind where the payed hills thac “ive roll across the North Shore became “| wave pattern ice rinks, a brave bus a driver was nursing his metallic people

» garrler down — and | mean down — Look; that old guy in the Cadillac

Lonsdale Avenue. He.had a date - with a SeaBus that he just had to ot keep, > Cars spin in frustration outside ch the steam and mitten-streaked win- --y dows, but our hero was successfully, + but slowly, coaxing the bus to actual 1 ly stop on far-from-horizontal bus omtor pick up muffled passengers. “These heroies, however, were lost ‘con'a loudemouthed punk squarely” seated on the back bench. >< “This guy: drives like my grand... mother,” the liquefied lout pro-

Zone Boundary

,_ WANCOUVER

« bade ° oe.

Boundary gount

naeeusconnuns®

Boundary

B.C. Transit's change to fares signals to long-distance passengers that the transit authority is serie

Wednesday, July 2, 1997 ~ North Shore News = 13

‘ aiiAl ADIN uit : : ‘ " . .

NEWS wraphle Linds Douglas,

ous about supporting those who choose to travel via public transit. -

actually just passed us, man,”

' "The forearms of the wiry driver throbbed, and despite the concentra: tion‘necded for the road at hand, he

stole sweaty glimpses j into the . “rearview mirror fo

ra glimpse of that ‘impudent and ridiculous mouth i in action.

‘ He didn’t see the punk, but.a few

: of the passengers told the kid off'as We unloaded under fluorescent light

at- Lonsdale Quay, We made the

“ SeaBus conmiection, with time tu

This wintery memory came back! ina flurry when E read last week about a new transit fare increase, the first to Lower Mainland transit users in over four years. :

For Nort!

New rates suggest we are not just voices in the GVRD hinterland — a feeling often associated with deci- sions made by Lower Mainland authorities, n

Undér the new pricing structure, two-zone and three-zone Faresayer tickets decrease four bucks a month,

Shore transit users, the

the very least, two twoories will g give you two crossings of the new Lions. Gate Bridge /Tunnel. If you figure: , thar the current Victoria regime will

* get around to actually npening the

thing in, five years, and you start ’ pocketing four loonies a month -* eginning today, you'll be ready to to .

belly-tip to the First Narrows . Crossing 120 times when the bridge, tolls for thee and me in the summer of 2002.)

- The Lower Maink: ‘ind is fully”

~ engaged ina comimnter quaginire, -

ee Ot

pounced to no one in particular,

‘By Robert Galster _ News Reporter a - robert@nsnews.com

NOR TH Vancouver City Mayor Jack’. “Loucks has lost his city hall parking: privileges. s “Loucks has’ been. parking: . ‘his wheels in the familiar spot * reserved: for ‘him and ‘only him, next to the, building’: © « " southwest entrance, fur yvars, - But in recent days he has been * relegated . clear" across: :the, parkin; lot, more than, twice thé old distance}; “Tes beer moved. because they’ re. doing some’ work -' _, there,so there may not be any parkin there for a while said Foucks. ;

i He’ s referring toa city hall ‘expansion project currently “under way, ;

"City Clerk Bruce , Hawkshaw said the area’s , constriction involves the removal of part of the build- ing's wall and that the switch is not permanent.

- “His spot will be coming back later, but they just don't t want any bricks falling on it,” said Hawkshaw.

Loucks: didn’t seem too concerned cither way.

“lt don't know why any: body" s fussing about it, I’m not,” said Loucks,

' “You must be having a very slow news week,”

(What's four bucks, you say? Well, at

, daitsuttielency ‘through : » Mersey in the’ devetoning word

we nan

Trabntiereay uICe, lin fe homed planisy

* South Surrey 139) King Georpe Hwy

RLAMTCAND . Hope ly & GAPDEN CE MTDE

7 ge le Wee

596.9201

and dropping 1 rats for two-zone.and

“the “Best in the industry" technologies and products have been employed, from the latest computer software and hardw. _. best designed furnishing, all new heavy equipment such as hoists

three-zone travellers {ya signal to longedistance prissengers that B.C, Transit fs serlous about culating a commuter class. Like so many things on the South Coast of BG, for too long the transit authority has been caugiit iin a simall city attitude, with few late night routes and andersers viced areas typifying the vision of B.C, Transit,

Called by BC. T "ransitcrats a “new fare structure”, the new rates are indeed fiir. ‘The sole increase ina ticket to ride fs for mid-day (or, off peak) travel over more than one zone, Riders between 9:30 aan, and 3 pam. used to be able to pay the regular one-zone rate of $1.50 and travel across zone boundaries with! out upgrading their ticket, Now, 2 they" ‘f have to pay like their morning and late afternoon commuting coun- terparts, |

For North Shore transit users, the“: zone-pricing system is an important: one —~ step on to a SeaBus or 4

bridge-bound bus and you're head’

ing into another transit zone, ~ - Signpost up ahead; “Pay more to. upgrade ticket” (See map). "> But let’s face it, a great number of late-morning and early afternoon | + SeaBus passengers are tourists, |” Hiking. ots, Video cameras, unfa- ’ miliar languages and Vancouver T-

"shirts are the norm for a’ daytime Sea.

barge cruise. . ‘Giving them, tra Wer’s “cheques” ae

“strapped fo their skin in. money belts,

a red! rate is 4 tourism economic ;

_ ‘Transit has done ivell to correct this

: The only criticism to make of the,

new fare pricing is an‘old one — the * lack of a‘post- -sccondary student rate

If seniors cin‘travel ‘for less than full

-_ freight, students, who make up a’

large portion of transit users,’should also get a break. And so.too should: the drivers;

» and specialty took to environment friendly systems for wast ail, : :

coolant and refrigerant recovery.

v6 engine, dual sliding doors, air conditioning & much, much | more. oy

* 30 mo., $3200 down, TP. $11,370 + Taxes O.A.C. ‘Sub-vented lease in lieu of RDA. ** Single Payment Lease — 30 mo. term — rate sub-vented in lieu of RDA