An Eagle Ridge Hospital care aid has collected hundreds of names on a petition to protest the end of the 97B line and what she says are the damaging effects of multiple bus and SkyTrain transfers on patients, families and workers.
Irma Orellana says the cancellation of the 97B line after the opening of the Evergreen Extension has tripled the time it takes her to get to work, requiring two bus transfers and a switch to SkyTrain at Burquitlam from her home in Port Moody's Glenayre subdivision.
And she says she's not alone, noting others, including co-workers and patients, are facing longer commutes and lengthy waits for bus transfers.
"So many people have the same complaint. These people are with canes, walkers that have to transfer that many times, it is not fair," said Orellana, who has already collected 330 names for her petition and hopes to speak to both Port Moody and Coquitlam councils on the issue.
PoMo Mayor Mike Clay said nobody has mentioned concerns about bus service to the hospital to him but is encouraging anyone with complaints to contact the TransLink directly.
Service changes were made to accommodate a majority of passenger needs, not individual needs, he said, and while there may be areas of concern that have been overlooked, for the most part the transit planners know what they're doing.
Still, Clay said he has heard concerns from people living on Ravine Drive whose bus now travels west to Anmore before going east towards Coquitlam, which takes much longer, and the cancellation of the 97B line may be something that should be studied.
"They're going to have to do something for some of these people," Clay said.
