Letters, Oct. 26, 2019: Bus delays pose financial, ridership risks
Credit to Author: Carolyn Soltau| Date: Sat, 26 Oct 2019 01:00:39 +0000
The municipalities talk a good transit game, but think nothing of digging up a road or deploying construction equipment without the slightest thought to the impact on transit, leaving people down the line stranded and wondering what the hell happened to their bus.
It’s especially frustrating when the solutions are so simple. Have the dump trucks sit around the corner while waiting to load so buses can pull up the inside lane before merging instead of inching along behind all the other traffic. Or don’t close off a stop and block a section of the road — then leave it sit inactive for a month.
We do need more transit priority measures. But a little common sense would go a long way toward keeping the buses moving, and not cost a dime.
Gulamali Mawji, Richmond
The despair our children feel over climate change is visceral and real, but understandable. It comes from hopelessness that mankind will ever get its act together to take the hard action needed to reverse the downward spiral of destruction started by past generations, and perpetuated by patterns of thinking and acting that are still deeply entrenched today.
The hope we as adults can give our children is in charting a viable path out. The emission-reduction targets dictated by science and the deadlines for meeting them are all clear. What remains lacking is a concrete and hard-nosed plan of action which, if stuck to, should avert the disaster science tells us is coming.
If our new minority government shows leadership in creating and pursuing such a plan, I believe the despair our children feel will transform to hope. That hope will unlock energy, passion, and creativity in them as the leaders and change-makers who will take the job up from us and finally get it done.
Jeff Scouten, West Vancouver
By re-electing Jody Wilson-Raybould, the voters in Vancouver Granville have enriched all Canadians in that they returned a person as an MP who will, without a doubt, continue to press for ethics and integrity in Canadian politics. Thank you!
Gunter Rochow, Ottawa
Canadians have much to be grateful for: job creation, a growing economy, welcoming people.
Yes, there are problems that need solutions. But people are resourceful and with willingness to co-operate and reach consensus people can find and implement answers.
Negativity has no place in Canada.
Kathleen Szabo, Vancouver
The argument that Trudeau’s Liberals haven’t done enough to support the oil and gas industry in the west is nonsensical when one considers that they bought a pipeline, for $4.5 billion in federal tax money, a project that will export oil from Alberta via the B.C. coast. Under Trudeau, Ottawa has tried to push ahead with the Energy East pipeline that would transport oil from both Alberta and Saskatchewan to the Maritimes, thus weaning Eastern Canada off imported crude. The government of B.C. has done everything in its power to oppose the Trans-Mountain project, while in the latter case it’s Quebec that has stood in the way of an oil pipeline crossing that province. So why should Ottawa be held responsible?
This reflects a pattern going back decades whereby the west often blames Ottawa when it is facing economic challenges connected to the resource sector, even when those problems aren’t caused by policy or politics at the federal level.
Charles Leduc, Vancouver
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