Busy Surrey bus stops still have no benches for riders

You’re going to want to sit down for this story – unless you are at certain bus stops in Surrey, where there might not be any seating.

That’s the entire point, according to the transit advocacy group Movement: Metro Vancouver Transit Riders.

Movement and the Transit app have gone through the data and found the busiest bus routes in Surrey that do not have any benches for riders.

Busiest Surrey routes with no benches:

• Fraser Highway/148 Street, westbound serving routes 345, 395, 502, 503
• Fraser Hwy/152 Street, westbound serving routes 345, 395, 502, 503
• Fraser Hwy/140 Street, eastbound serving routes 345, 395, 502, 503
• Fraser Hwy/168 Street, westbound serving routes 320, 395, 502, 503
• Fraser Hwy/159 Street, westbound serving routes 320, 395, 502, 50

Now Movement is asking cities across Metro Vancouver to step up and install more bus stop benches.

“Each month, one in three TransLink riders join us by opening the Transit app to plan their trip,” said Stephen Miller, policy lead at the Transit app. “Every day, we receive thousands of reports from riders about how their trip is going and what could be improved at their stop to make their life better without a car. This bench-marking project is a great example of putting the wisdom of riders to good use. By listening to everyone and working together with rider advocates, local municipalities, and transit agencies, we can make public transit the most attractive choice for getting around. The public deserves to experience nothing less.”

Some quick facts:

• Metro Vancouver has about 8,500 bus stops
• Seating at most bus stops is the responsibility of local municipalities
• The 2,000 busiest pick-up points cover an estimated 73 per cent of Metro Vancouver’s overall bus trips.
• At least two-thirds have a bench.
• But that still leaves at least 1,240 bus stops across the entire system with nowhere to sit.

Adding a place to sit encourages more people to ride the bus.

“Studies show that the quality of the bus stop plays a huge role in the rider’s perception of how long they have to wait,” said Denis Agar, Movement’s executive director. “A bus stop that has no shelter, no bench, or poor lighting can make a few minutes seem like an eternity. Benches are a really cheap way to make transit more attractive, and the benefits are greatest for the people that need it most, especially elders and people with disabilities. You should be able to look at a bus stop and think, ‘I have no problem with my grandparent or child waiting here.’ We’re looking for cities to take decisive action like Burnaby and make their bus stops excellent, dignified places to wait.”