Dear Editor:
I recently discovered the reduced frequency in service to the Highlands bus line after I arrived on the SeaBus late one night (Bus Changes Drive NV Riders From Transit, Aug. 5, North Shore News).
I waited at the Highlands stop at Lonsdale Quay while all the other buses pulled away, leaving me and a dozen others standing alone. When the group was informed by a transit supervisor that the bus would not come for another half hour, one young teen - who had just bid goodbye to her two friends taking another bus - walked away, presumably along the bus route, which leads through some of the riskier areas of the city. I hope she made it home without incident.
This got me thinking about others along the route, waiting, potentially alone, at a bus stop late at night. Such a long wait will increase exposure to ill-intentioned passersby, or conversely, encourage potential mischief for those so inclined.
I wrote to TransLink, who did not address my concern for public safety, but replied: "Even though ridership on certain routes might be low, TransLink will maintain service for transit-dependent customers as much as possible and where the routes are important connectors in the network. We will also minimize service reductions in areas where there are no alternatives."
Strangely, there are no other buses that service the Highland route between the Quay and Edgemont Village, so their statement seems contradictory. Moreover, transit riders rely on TransLink not only for transportation, but for security.
For the sake of public safety, I urge TransLink to reinstate the Highlands route frequency (every 30 minutes) and its original route.
David Moorhouse North Vancouver
