A new transit exchange scheduled for the 500-block Terminal Avenue in Nanaimo is facing some serious pushback from several businesses on Victoria Crescent.
In a media release, Victoria Crescent Association founding president Kevan Shaw says the area already suffers from an increase in social disorder. He worries the new transit exchange will cause a significant increase, making the tense situation worse.
“Our small neighborhood of the south downtown is already suffering from crime and fires caused mainly by the drug addicted and mentally ill,” Shaw says. “Putting in a bus exchange with five bus shelters and a public washroom will cause troublesome situations to grow.”
The release says the exchange has been strongly opposed by property owners, residents and business owners over the past three years and according to Shaw, a city survey even indicated citizens felt a transit exchange in the vicinity was at the bottom of the list for development.
Association president Dave Lawerance says residents feel the city is pushing an agenda.
“What’s the point in city, and council, asking for public input when they don’t listen?” Lawerance says. “A transit exchange here is doing the opposite of what is good for our downtown.”
Terminal Bar manager Jay Flett says the location doesn’t make sense and will only make traffic and matters worse.
“Why does it make sense to put it there when we have a terminal a block away?” Flett asks. “Terminal Avenue is already bottle necked with traffic.
“We are not against a new bus loop; we just want a loop that makes sense.”
City of Nanaimo manager of engineering and public works Bill Sims says the development of a transit exchange was reflected as a priority objective and will help enhance the city and district.
“We are going to start really seeing quite a refresh, and an intensification in the downtown core,”
Sims says. “This has been one of city council’s primary objectives, and it was certainly reflected as part of the community’s primary objective to enhance the downtown.”
The exchange is going to cost just over $15 million to develop. While Sims acknowledges the extent of social disorder is a problem, he says halting plans for this expansion until the streets are cleaned up just isn’t in the cards.
“I am not saying the social disorder isn’t a problem, and I know Victoria Crescent has been hit hard,” he says. “To imply we have to not do any work, and stop investments, until we fix the problem doesn’t jive with what the community wants.”
Location is critical for establishing transit for any city, and riders should be able to access public transit without incident, Sims says. He adds they have taken that into consideration and through several consultations the city determined the proposed location is the best spot. – better?
“The city, along with the regional district and downtown community, has exhaustively looked at locations in the downtown,” he says. “This is the best location.
“To have a transit exchange out by the Heli-Jet and the Hullo Ferry terminal would actually delay the general circulation and day-to-day operation.”
Sims says despite information to the contrary the transit exchange will provide more revitalization and attraction to businesses in the downtown area as previous projects have done in the past.
“Nanaimo has a vibrant downtown,” he says. “I know there are a few closed storefronts, which no one likes to see. But we have a port theatre, new hotel, residential buildings going up, grocery store, and a vibrant waterfront walkway.
“I don’t see how any of this constitutes a failure, or an inefficient downtown.”
Sims says in the end this is something downtown businesses want to see built.
“Several businesses in the downtown core are very supportive of this initiative, and a transit exchange,”
