The transportation companies that use the downtown bus terminal must vacate the premises by May 31, 2016. The terminal sits on Empress Hotel property, and the owners want to develop the space into something more in keeping with the hotel.
鈥淭he very first time I saw [the bus depot], I said: 鈥楾hat doesn鈥檛 belong here. That doesn鈥檛 do anything for this hotel,鈥� 鈥� said Nat Bosa, who, with his wife, Flora, bought the Empress in 2014.
The depot is indeed a drab piece of architecture, one that stands out in bleak contrast to more noteworthy structures nearby, including the Empress, the legislature buildings, the Crystal Garden and the Royal B.C. Museum. It鈥檚 a humble onion in the middle of an elegant rose garden.
Bosa intends to replace it with a high-end rental property that will complement the hotel and the rest of the downtown area.
A long row of buses loading and unloading passengers across the street will do little for the ambience of that development and the downtown area, especially when those buses will be parked in front of the Crystal Garden, one of the more interesting examples of Victoria鈥檚 heritage architecture.
The bus-precinct idea was developed by B.C. Transit and the three commercial bus operators 鈥� 91原创 Coach Lines, Wilson鈥檚 Transportation, which operates Gray Line Sightseeing tour buses and an airport service, and Greyhound, whose buses travel as far north as Port Hardy.
The proposal calls for the city to lease space in the Crystal Garden for ticket sales, passenger waiting, washrooms and luggage storage. The sidewalk would be widened and more benches provided.
City staff have recommended endorsement of the plan, and councillors will consider it today.
They should consider carefully. Parking the buses on the street is an easy solution to a complex problem, but not a good one. At a time when the city is trying to get more people to live in the downtown core, it鈥檚 not a good idea to fill a street with large buses.
Inter-city bus travel is declining. The number of passengers taking the 91原创-to-Victoria service dropped by 50 per cent between 2010 and 2014 due to increased and faster B.C. Transit and TransLink services between the city centres and the Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen ferry terminals.
Bus service is still important, though, and should be encouraged. All modes of mass transit are generally more economical and environmentally friendly than private cars. Bus service is important for people who don鈥檛 own cars, and it offers another choice for those who do.
But it鈥檚 not necessary to bring the buses all the way to the bottom of Douglas Street. Other cities 鈥� 91原创 and Calgary spring to mind 鈥� do just fine without bus terminals right in the downtown core. Other locations should be considered for Victoria.
Last year, there was talk about a depot farther north on Douglas. That would still be close enough to the downtown core to be convenient, and for the large buses, would be more convenient than negotiating downtown traffic. It would also be less of a hassle for people dropping off and picking up bus passengers.
Let鈥檚 hear it for the humble bus. Unlike a train, it doesn鈥檛 need tracks. Unlike a plane, it doesn鈥檛 need an airport. Unlike a ferry, it doesn鈥檛 need a dock. It can still provide useful service without being in the heart of downtown.
