abbotsford is a city built with cars in mind.
it is difficult to get anywhere here without a car: the buses only run every 30 minutes and the night service is terrible, and there is not one bus that runs the length of south fraser way, there are almost no bike lanes, and all the shops and businesses are very spread out.
good for car companies yes, good for the environment? no. good for building community and sense of place? no. good for your own personal health? no!
i also cannot help but pick up on the stigma placed on those that choose/have to walk, ride a bike or take the bus – in this city the only reason you would do such a thing is because you are poor. having a car in abbotsford also becomes a status symbol.
why is this?
why in a day and age where society is so aware of global environmental issues and health are people still choosing to drive? well, one reason is that this city is poorly planned for such activities. walking, i have almost been run over in crosswalks 5 times. riding, drivers neglect to check blind spots, forget that i too have the right of way, and hate that you are on the road. pedestrians get annoyed with cyclists on the sideway, and do not react when i ding my bell. most of these issues could be resolved if proper bike lanes were created.
oh wait they tried that once, and one one used it… maybe that is because it is down peardonville!! who the heck uses peardonville to get around?! what does the city of abbotsford’s web site say about the bike lanes?
“Whether you’re an avid cyclist or complete beginner, a commuter or a leisure rider, Abbotsford’s bicycle lanes create a defined and designated space on the road for you and your bike.” …. yeah, space on roads no one uses! i say give me bike lanes on a route that would get me to ufv with out feeling like a moving target to motorists.
bike lanes would make a huge difference, and they don’t even have to be on every road. g.f. way, marshall rd, macallum rd, maybe old yale.
now about buses in abbotsford, why would one consider taking the bus unless absolutely necessary! the service is terrible – once every 30 minutes, buses are often late/early so you miss them, getting anywhere after 7 pm is a major pain and the coverage is not so great. the one thing the buses do have going for them is the bike racks. combination bike and ride is the way of abby’s future as far as I am concerned.
finally i have one more concern about the buses. there are brand new ones driving around lately. i have taken many hard looks at them, desperately trying to find some kind of marking that would label them hybrid, or even something else environmentally sound… and there is nothing. they appear to be running of plain fuel – nice work on that one valleymax. please, if you are reading this and you know differently please let me know, but there is not even information about the new buses on valleymax’s website!
I agree, the transit system is inadequate in quite a few ways, but it’s also not as bad as it’s reputation.
People always talk of empty Abbotsford buses, but it’s not really the case – most buses I’m on have at least a handful of people, and today for instance, on the way to UFV, both buses have 17-20, so the system is being used.
Also, there is now 15 minute service on the major routes – routes 1,2,3, including the UFV route. The 31 to Missino also has 15 minute service, so that’s a big improvement overall. The new Nova buses are way better looking and quite stylish and also way quieter so I think they will be popular. No, they’re not hybrids unfortunately. ValleyMax does use like 10% biodiesel, but by now I think most of us have figured out that’s a farce in terms of environmental impact.
Also, there is now basic Auguston service and last year they added an Aldergrove route, and on South Fraser Way there are enough buses that if you need to get from one point on S. Fraser Way to another, there is a bus pretty much every 10 minutes, probably more often now that there’s 15 minute service on both the #1 and 2, both of which take S. Fraser.
I guess my philosophy is I like to talk up the system so that people will use it, which in turn will generate more revenue and get people out of their cars, which in turn will instigate continued improvement in service.
Did you see the posting today about an Open House for several road widening projects to accomodate bicycle lanes? There are some fairly major roads on which the City is planning to develop bike lanes. Unfortunately, UFV is not yet in the plans for bike accessibility, mostly I think because of that big hill to the east and the horrible McCalllum overpass, and the fact that bike lanes on King would take away the free parking which so many students use.