Although they have yet to make the formal announcement, BC Ferries Manager of Public Affairs, Darin Guenette, has confirmed that the engagement process for a $250 million overhaul of the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal will launch in January.
“For the past year an a half we’ve been analyzing each of our 47 terminals,” he says. “We want to know what’s working, and what’s not.”
He says that service on all three Horseshoe Bay ferry routes is growing, yet the geography of the terminal itself is restrictive.
“It is inefficient,” says Guenette. “Yet in the summer it can be even busier than Tsawwassen.”
Guenette says that whatever changes are made need to remain effective and viable for at least 25 years.
“How people travel is likely to change and we need to take that into consideration,” he says. “Changes to public transportation could mean we are seeing more pedestrian and bicycle traffic. Technology, such as autonomous vehicles, is likely to have an impact, car sharing services, things like Uber and Lift, all of these things will make affect on our future needs and how we plan for them.”
Guenette says that BC Ferries is also looking at new technologies to incorporate into their ferry fleet in the future, such as hybrid and electric ferries.
“Basically, when it comes to engagement, whatever ideas our stakeholders have is fair game,” he says.
Although Guenette has no projected dates for construction, he says the work is likely to be done within the next 3 to 5 years.
