Accessibility to the BC Transit system was a topic of discussion recently for City of Powell River councillors.
At the December 5 council meeting, where two motions for accessibility for public transit were up for discussion, director of infrastructure Tor Birtig told councillors the city can work with BC Transit on a coming transit review to see if accessibility can be incorporated into that service review.
Birtig said recommendations from the joint accessibility and inclusion advisory committee had been forwarded to BC Transit and as of yet, the city has not seen comments back.
Councillor Cindy Elliott brought forward an amended motion that council direct staff to explore increasing accessibility services for people who don’t have access to private vehicles. The original recommendation was that the committee recommend to qathet Regional District and the city to explore increasing accessibility services for people who don’t have access to private vehicles. The amendment carried unanimously.
Councillor and acting mayor George Doubt said transit accessibility is something the joint accessibility and inclusion advisory committee cares about. He said the committee wants a broad examination of increasing accessibility service for people who don’t have access to private vehicles.
“That can be everywhere, from where the bus stops, to how you get on the bus, to how many buses there are, and what kind of buses there are,” said Doubt. “If you try to narrow it down too much you might end up missing what the committee wanted to study.”
Chief administrative officer Lisa Bhopalsingh said council could defer the motion until deputy corporate office Jessica Walls is in attendance at a council meeting, because she had attended the committee meeting and could speak to the committee’s intention at a future council meeting.
Council voted to refer the motion to explore increasing accessibility services on the BC Transit system to a future meeting of council where Walls is present.
Council then considered a second motion, that council recommends the joint accessibility and inclusion committee be included in the coming BC Transit review. Council carried the motion unanimously.
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