Advocates praise TransLink’s focus on accessibility
Transit authority adds about 85,500 trips per year to HandyDart shared ride service
Advocates for people with disabilities are praising TransLink’s latest service improvement: The addition of tens of thousands of new HandyDART trips per year.
“I do think it’s an excellent announcement,” said Jane Dyson, executive director of Disability Alliance B.C. “I think that this represents a real change in the way that TransLink is looking at HandyDART and providing services for people with disabilities and seniors.”
HandyDART is a door-to-door, shared ride service for people with physical or cognitive disabilities who are not able to use conventional public transit without assistance. It’s operated by MVT Canadian Bus Inc.
The transit authority announced Friday that 45,000 hours have been added to the service, making about 85,500 more trips available for HandyDART’s 23,000 registered users. In 2016, there were 1.2 million HandyDART trips.
Tim Louis, co-chair of the HandyDART Riders’ Alliance, said it’s been a long time since HandyDART has seen such a significant increase in service, and stressed the importance of making sure people with mobility issues can get around.
“It’s not just moving individuals from Point A to Point B; it’s strengthening neighbourhoods, communities and the economy,” he said.
TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond said more service hours means it will be able to catch up with the growing demand for HandyDART.
“This is about mobility, it’s about people getting around, and it’s about freedom. HandyDART is about freedom,” Desmond said.
Desmond said TransLink was able to increase the service because buses were available, and that it was simply a matter of adding service hours to the contract with MVT. This year’s budget for HandyDART service is $51,778,449, which is $2.3 million more than last year.
The additional HandyDART service hours were the second service improvement announcement under Phase 1 of the three-phase 10year Vision for Metro Vancouver Transportation.
This phase calls for a 15-percent total increase to HandyDART service over the next three years, or 171,000 more service hours.
Desmond said improving Han- dyDART service is so important to TransLink that the increase is “front-loaded,” with half of the hours coming this year and the rest of the extra service hours coming over the next two years.
Phase 1 also includes a 10-percent increase in bus service, new funding for improvements to the major road network and cycling and walking network upgrades.
TransLink announced its first service improvements under the plan in mid-January.
SkyTrain Expo and Millennium line weekday peak-hour service was extended, and trains were added midday and early evening on weekends. Canada Line trains were added to improve peak-hour service.
SeaBus service was doubled on Sundays and holidays, with sailings every 15 minutes from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Public consultation, also part of Phase 1, in the form of open houses took place recently for the proposed Surrey light-rail line and Broadway subway extension.
Metro Vancouver mayors and the TransLink board approved the $2-billion first phase of the 10-year plan in late November.
This is about mobility, it’s about people getting around, and it’s about freedom. HandyDART is about freedom.