Release courtesy of Translink
It has been almost 118 years to the day since the first streetcar rolled out in the city of Vancouver, and today, the last physical barrier to public transportation has officially been broken down. Metro Vancouver’s transit system can now be declared fully accessible.
“TransLink is buses, SkyTrain, West Coast Express and SeaBus,” noted Chair Dale Parker. “This wide variety of vehicles, plus the size of the Metro Vancouver, makes it a major challenge to make public transportation available to all. Finding the right technologies and route plans to do that is a huge task, and the people who have been involved with this over the decades should be pleased to know their efforts have paid off.”
Those efforts have taken almost 19 years of concerted effort, since BC Transit, TransLink’s predecessor, committed in 1989 to purchase only accessible vehicles, either low floor with ramp or high floor with lifts.
The last hurdle to be cleared was in the acquisition of trolley buses. The now-retired fleet of New Flyer E902s all had high floors and steps, which made them inaccessible for people with wheelchairs and scooters. That fleet has now been completely replaced by new trolleys with low floors, ramps and more unencumbered floor space, to better accommodate people with mobility problems, as well as seniors, the visually impaired, and parents with small children.
“When we declared the first two accessible routes last year,” Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan added, “a citizen asked us how people in wheelchairs managed in the old streetcar days. The sad truth is, they didn’t. Barriers that were accepted as a fact of life for almost a century no longer exist now, and this is an historic day for all people in the city of Vancouver and the entire region.”
TransLink and CMBC continue to work closely with the disability community, particularly the Access Transit Users Advisory Committee, ensuring the current high level of service is maintained, and new challenges are dealt with quickly and effectively as they arise.
For backgrounder and more information, see original release on Translink website.
