BC Ferries says it’s pleased with the response to its public consultation on schedule changes for the Langdale-Horseshoe Bay route, but a return to the hourly service that was in place during terminal work earlier this year isn’t a practical option right now.
Deborah Marshall of BC Ferries said as of Tuesday they’d had around 3,200 responses to the online survey, and many have suggested a two-ship operation with hourly service.
“We clearly understand the improvements that schedule brought to the customer experience,” said Marshall. “Unfortunately this type of service delivery is not sustainable in the near to medium term with our current ships. However, this temporary service has been an excellent trial for potential future service options with two smaller vessels when the C-Class ships, including the Queen of Surrey, need to be replaced in the 2020s.”
The first pop-up event was June 3 at the Gibsons Public Market, and Marshall said about two dozen people took the time to fill out a survey or ask questions. She said one of the top concerns was the need to keep a commuter-friendly late-day sailing out of Horseshoe Bay on any new schedule that comes forward.
BC Ferries representatives are also going to be out this Saturday at the farmers market in Sechelt, and teams started doing surveys at the terminals on Thursday. Marshall said BC Ferries hopes to catch a “good cross-section of customers, whether they are commuters, vacationers, cottagers on the Coast, or seniors travelling for medical appointments.”
BC Ferries has also been holding focus group sessions, which wrap up this weekend. The online survey will be available at www.bcferries.com/about/ontime-sc through early July.
Langdale rezoning
The schedule consultations are happening in tandem with plans for a multi-million-dollar terminal upgrade at Langdale, and this week directors at the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) were due to get their first look at the rezoning application needed to allow that work to go forward.
The Langdale terminal property is broken up into four lots, so BC Ferries is proposing a consolidation of the properties.
As well as the core terminal uses, such as parking the cars and docking the ferries, BC Ferries’ plans include creating space for “float plane and emergency helicopter services,” mobile food vendors, “a caretaker suite and vessel personnel accommodations.”
SCRD staff have identified a couple of aspects of the plan they want more information about.
One is the height allowance BC Ferries is asking for, which is roughly double the 11 metres in the current bylaws. “The proposed height is substantially greater than that currently allowed,” the report said. “The applicant should provide additional information to justify the proposed 20/25 metre limit for buildings/structures. This information needs to be provided prior to a public information meeting.”
Another is BC Ferries’ desire to include living spaces in the new buildings. “With regard to accommodation, staff support the inclusion of one dwelling for a caretaker/watchman. The applicant needs to provide additional information regarding vessel personnel accommodation and under what circumstances it would be used.”
The staff report also notes that the yet-to-be-released fixed link feasibility study needs to be considered as well.
The part of the Langdale terminal leased from the province was not included in the application “due to reluctance of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to support rezoning the Crown land until the result of the fixed link study is known,” according to the report.
