Photo: BC Ferries
New Westminster is talking to TransLink about hooking a future Queensborough to Quay ferry service into the transit fare system.
Mark Allison, the city’s manager of strategic initiatives and sustainability, said discussions with TransLink have begun in response to the success of the two-month demonstration service that concluded last weekend.
The city is currently inputting and analyzing the data accumulated from the “hundreds of surveys” filled out during the demonstration. A 40-passenger ferry that could also carry four bicycles ran every 10 minutes on weekends in August and September. According to Allison, the survey said if the ferry service becomes permanent or a possible one-year trial is given the go-ahead, many users would like to see it integrated with the transit system.
“(TransLink does) have portable readers their agents use on board to check cards and that actually allows people to tap into the system, as opposed to putting in a permanent fare station you could potentially just have people tap in so they could continue to use buses or SkyTrain. That would be one option,” said Allison. “We’re in discussions with TransLink about the potential to do that.”
Allison said about a quarter of the passengers surveyed said they would use a weekday service for morning and afternoon commutes, or in the evening to go to restaurants, night classes or events in Vancouver.
Other issues raised during the survey were a desire for a vessel with less noise and emissions and improving accessibility for those with wheelchairs and scooters. The ramps at the downtown dock underneath the Inn at the Quay and on the south side of Port Royal in Queensborough were considered too steep. The city decided to go ahead with the demonstration service anyway because of logistics and cost. But Mayor Jonathan Cote and city councillors have said any long-term service would have to accommodate accessibility.
“We’re definitely going to have to hit the ground running on that, and we’re already exploring some systems that are used in the United States that potentially allow ramps to be used for wheelchairs. Otherwise, we’ll be looking into a more complex ramp system that provides the grades that allows people in wheelchairs to use (the ferry),” said Allison.
Overall, the response was positive, said Allison. For the final weekend, which included a day in which there was a threat of inclement weather, there were 1,400 passengers who used the service.
