Dear Editor:
As one who has been concerned about transit in North Vancouver for the past 20 years and is now equally worried about over-development in the city, I wanted to know more about the nonanswers the city mayor, staff and developers of Harbourside have given regarding transit.
I called one of the executives of CAW 111, the union that all the Coast Mountain bus drivers belong to. I asked him about the developers stating they would be using "private shuttle buses and ferries" to service that area. I also told him they had mentioned going to TransLink for more bus services.
The answer I got was that TransLink/Coast Mountain bus company has the first refusal over any other bus companies on any of their designated routes. That would include Lonsdale Avenue, the SeaBus terminal and Marine Drive as well as the route Coast Mountain already has by the auto mall. He said there was no way a private bus company would get access to the SeaBus terminal. Furthermore he said that any private bus company that tried to use a TransLink/Coast Mountain bus stop would be considered a scab and labour action would surely take place.
Even if by some miracle the union agreed to private shuttle buses using their routes what about fares? Would someone have to use the Coast Mountain fare down to Marine Drive and then another one for the shuttle bus going down to Harbourside and how much would that cost?
The private ferry Concert Properties are suggesting would not suddenly appear. According to the CAW person they would have to go through the federal government in order to use ports on either side of the straight and go through a multitude of studies including environmental.
Sue Lakes Cook North Vancouver
