Public transit is supposed to be the great equalizer: everybody pays the same, and everybody gets the same service.
But that's not entirely true - some routes are more equal than others, and those in South Delta should definitely count themselves among the former.
Sure, some folks have been griping about the loss of direct bus service into Vancouver since the Canada Line began operating in 2009, and they've even managed to get MLA Vicki Huntington on board (not one of her better causes), who told the Optimist recently: "This is not a pretend issue. This has really serious consequences for seniors and, obviously, anything TransLink can do to make the experience at Bridgeport a nicer one is welcome."
If this isn't a "pretend" issue, at the very least I hope TransLink is only "pretending" to address it, choosing instead to focus limited resources on parts of the system that truly need improvement.
I took public transit from Surrey to Vancouver for several years, and that route was served by a sardine can compared to the luxury line that runs out of Ladner every day.
That's only a slight exaggeration.
To put it in perspective, passengers on the 20-minute trek between the Ladner Exchange and the Bridgeport SkyTrain station every day have access to overhead luggage bins, reading lights, adjustable seats and arm rests. There are usually empty seats and I haven't yet seen anyone standing. Every time I ride it, I half expect a screen to come down and show a movie.
By contrast, the buses on my old route are a feast for the senses, and not in a good way. Window seats are at a premium, but they can be unbearable during the winter when they drip condensation of unknown origin onto your skin and clothes.
If you manage to get an aisle seat, your head is likely horrifyingly close to someone's rear end. If you have to stand, your nose is either in someone's armpit or someone's hair. And if you can't reach a pole, you have to brace yourself against the roof of the bus or grab the back of another seat; either way, you're bound to teeter and parts of your body collide with parts of other bodies at every bump and turn.
Reading lights? Nope - and why bother when there isn't enough room to extend your arms to hold a book? Overhead baggage compartments? That's what your lap (seated) and the space between your feet (standing) are for.
The difference between the SkyTrain stations - Bridgeport for Vancouver-bound South Deltans and Surrey Central for my old Vancouver-bound peeps from Surrey - is equally as stark. I have no idea what some local transit riders are complaining about when they claim to feel unsafe at Bridgeport, a supposedly "unfamiliar, unfriendly, outdoor facility."
At Surrey Central, I could understand their fears, given some of these actual newspaper headlines about criminal activity taking place at or near the beleaguered station over the last few years: "Teen stabbed in fight at SkyTrain station," "Witnesses sought in baseball bat attack," and "Accused in SkyTrain slaying will learn fate this month."
I'm sure we can all agree that when it comes to public transit in the Lower Mainland, the system isn't perfect. On the other hand, if you're reading this on the LadnerBridgeport route under the warm glow of the overhead light while balancing a latte on the armrest, parts of it are pretty darn close.
