Dear Editor,
Our ferry service, and its many failings, will come up during the Council election campaign. Bowen’s problems (and indeed the system’s problems) comes from two quite separate sources, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure on the one hand and BCFerries itself, on the other. The Minister, in reflecting his government’s focus on the provincial deficit, has categorically refused to consider the economic and social consequences of increased fares and reduced ferry service. Although the government tries to maintain the fiction that BCF is an independent corporation, it is not, and its levels of service are dictated by the Ministry. Thus we should be considering how best make use of our limited influence in trying to improve the level of our ferry service, particularly the number of sailings and fare increases.
BCF itself is a totally separate problem. It was through lack of foresight on their part we are stuck with a reduction in vehicle capacity during the mid-life upgrade (MLU) of the Queen of Capilano. Its operating policies favouring the Nanaimo route sailings results in our tangled service schedule. The list of problems creating by their operational insensitivity goes on and on. Unlike the political intransigence of the Minister, there is scope for some improvement, but usually only after prolonged and often unnecessary wrangling.
The failings on the part of BCF over the MLU (or mid-life crisis, as one observer has put it!) has given the BIM Transportation Advisory Committee (BIMTAC) a window of opportunity to develop recommendations to Council for actions to mitigate some of the effects of the MLU on island life. At its last meeting some significant progress was made.
The overall objective during the MLU is to present alternatives to putting cars on the ferry and thus reduce overloads. Ken Simpson, a member of BIMTAC, developed a questionnaire on ferry usage the results of which he presented at the meeting. The results indicate there is a clear, and almost equal, preference for three types of commuting mitigation during the MLU: enhanced water taxi service to downtown Vancouver, a dedicated bus service to downtown Vancouver and reduced parking fees at the BCF parkade in Horseshoe Bay. BCF have indicated they are working on these initiatives; we expect to have definitive solutions from BCF by the end of October.
Ken also did an analysis of the potential overloads we could experience with the Bowen Queen if the traffic volumes were to be the same as those seen between January and April of this year on the Queen of Capilano. It is no surprise, of course, that virtually every morning run to Horseshoe Bay will be overloaded, as will every run to Bowen in the afternoon. What was surprising, and is of real concern, is the forecast overloads for the last evening sailings on some weekdays, implying that islanders will not be able to get their vehicles home at the end of the day. We have raised this issue with BCF and expect to see some action on it, again before the end of Octobers.
A recommendation has gone forward to Council recommending a trial of the two-lane loading scheme during the morning runs (5am to 10am), every day of the week. Outside that period, the regular parking and marshalling arrangements will apply. Other parking changes have also been recommended to clear up the mix of regulation and non-regulation of parking in the Cove; Council has already approved a policy to allow the municipality to enforce and collect parking fines.
One theme that ran through the entire meeting was the need for communication. BIMTAC has created a two-person sub-committee (Melanie Mason and Ken Simpson) who will explore all of the options for getting timely information out to everyone on Bowen. They will look at all forms of electronic media as well as hard copy and signage. We hope to have a plan in place by the end of the month for immediate implementation.
Finally, BIM has hired a new planner, Cari St.Pierre . One of her first tasks will be to develop a transportation plan, in conjunction with BIMTAC, that will take a longer term view, rather dealing just with the MLU crisis. BIMTAC welcomes this initiative; we have to look to the future beyond the MLU!
Adam Holbrook, Chair, BIMTAC
