City, B.C. Transit weigh union request to close bus stops near Pandora and Quadra amid safety concerns

The City of Victoria and B.C. Transit are considering a request to cease bus stop service within 100 metres of the intersection of Pandora Avenue and Quadra Street, near an encampment of homeless people, after the union representing transit ­workers raised safety concerns.

City spokesperson Colleen Mycroft confirmed Tuesday that Victoria has been in discussion with B.C. Transit regarding the bus stops but no decisions have been made.

In a statement to the Times Colonist, B.C. Transit said the stops have been identified for a safety review “in relation to” the elevated presence of Victoria police on the 900-block of Pandora Avenue near the intersection of Pandora and Quadra Street.

That review is in its early stages, B.C. Transit said.

Officers on special-duty overtime shifts have been patrolling the area ever since a bike paramedic was assaulted by a patient on the 900-block of Pandora Avenue on July 11.

Unifor Local 333 B.C. president Stephen Bains, who represents Greater Victoria transit workers, confirmed that the union made a request to B.C. Transit on July 17 asking for all bus stops within 100 metres of Pandora and Quadra be closed as a proactive safety measure and for B.C. Transit to encourage people to take the bus on Douglas Street instead.

He declined to provide more specifics about the union’s request, saying the letter he sent to B.C. Transit was not made public at the time it was sent. “Doing so after the fact seems borderline bad faith,” he said in an email.

A copy of the July 17 letter was obtained by the Times Colonist. In the letters, Bains cites the attack on the paramedic as an example of increasing disorder in the area.

In the letter, Bains said Victoria needs a safe transit system where passengers and employees are not subjected to unsafe situations. “We must not adapt to disorder with forced desensitisation,” he wrote.

It’s common for bus drivers approaching bus stops in the area to witness people in a state of overdose, consuming narcotics, or engaged in ­confrontations within bus shelters, the letter said.

“Fare-paying passengers are subjected to navigating these awkward, anxious, and unsafe situations when boarding/alighting the coach,” it said.

On Jan. 4, a bus driver was threatened with bear spray and a crowbar by a group while in the 900-block of Pandora Avenue, the letter said.

In a statement, B.C. Transit said it is working with the city and Victoria police in its safety review of the area and that it is committed to finding “proactive solutions to deter criminal behaviour.”

Three bus stops are located within a 100-metre radius of the Pandora and Quadra intersection, including the one outside WildFire Bakery.

Any changes in that area would have an effect on stops serviced by Routes 6, 6A, 6B, 2, 5, 27 and 28.

Bakery barista Rose Walker said the bus routes that stop outside the shop are popular with customers and employees. “It’s 10 feet from our front door, so it’s super handy for people,” he said.

Bakery owner Erika Heyrman said she had not been consulted on or informed of any potential bus stop closings.

Heyrman said she supports workplace safety for transit workers. “But I would suggest coming up with better solutions that address the issues.”

Cutting public services to an area providing crucial help is not the solution, she said.

People living outside on Pandora Avenue are there because they are trying to access services that help keep them alive, she said. “We’re putting a lot of energy into talking about how to shut services down in that area rather than find solutions for the people that are there.”

The bus stops at Pandora and Quadra are often used by seniors who live nearby and don’t have other ways to get around, she said. “That’s the whole thing about public transit, the idea that it be accessible. It’s important that we keep it accessible.”