New utility box blocks rear bus doors on Metro Vancouver's busiest route
You can definitely call it an unfortunate, but hilarious, placement.
A new utility box that controls the new mid-block traffic light on West Broadway for the Arbutus Greenway’s new crosswalk blocks the rear door of the articulated buses that travel along the busy 99 B-Line route between UBC and Commercial-Broadway Station.
The box, installed by the City of Vancouver, is located at the Arbutus Street eastbound bus stop, just outside the BC Liquor store.
It was initially only knee high, but sometime over the past few weeks, shortly before the new traffic light and crosswalk became operational, the tripping hazard was replaced with a taller box, about seven feet in height.
There is roughly one foot of space between the box and the edge of the curb, making it a tight squeeze for anyone embarking and disembarking at the rear door.
It was initially a problem that had passengers shouting from the back of the bus they couldn’t get out (I’ve personally witnessed this a few times), but most bus drivers on the route now seem to be aware of it and are pulling into the stop slightly further in to avoid the obstruction.
In an email to Daily Hive, TransLink says measures have been taken to address the issue.
“The post was not originally positioned in a way to give drivers the standard amount of room,” said a spokesperson. “It has already been moved so drivers can pull up to the pole and not have the utility box blocking the rear doors and this is no longer a problem.”
Temporary “no parking” signs have also been placed beyond the bus stop so that buses have more room to pull forward and out of the curb.
The new mid-block traffic light on Broadway allows pedestrians and cyclists on the Arbutus Greenway to cross the street more quickly and efficiently, without having to go around to the intersection. It is one of three new traffic light controlled crosswalks on the Arbutus Greenway; two other signal-controlled crosswalks are located at where the greenway intersects with West 12th Avenue and Southwest Marine Drive.
The traffic light-controlled crosswalk for the Arbutus Greenway on West Broadway. (Kenneth Chan / Daily Hive)
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