Condo residents make last-ditch appeal after New Westminster moves loading zone

People living in a New Westminster condo building are pushing back against the city moving their loading zone down the block.

From ambulances to HandyDarts, the loading zone immediately outside the Woodward building in New Westminster on 6th Street has seen plenty of use over the last 25 years.

But that has now changed – with the loading zone pushed half a block southeast to accommodate a new bus stop, which will include a shelter.

“We’ve had it taken away from us, basically,” explained Doug Irving, a Woodward building resident. “Our loading zone, since the building was built 25 years ago, has been right in front.”

And while a shift of a half a block may seem trivial for the able-bodied, for residents of the Woodward building, many of whom are seniors with mobility issues, the additional distance is a source of major anxiety.

Those concerns will be even greater when the weather turns, they say.

“We do have a vulnerable population that is also travelling on HandyDart,” explained Linda Geldenhuys, a building resident. “These people are using mobility aids…the impact for them is the distance they have to walk. The demographic here I would say is anywhere between 55 to 95 or older.”

With construction of the new bus stop underway – and the loading zone already relocated – CTV News asked New Westminster Mayor Patrick Johnstone if there is any path to bringing the original loading zone back.

“I don’t think it can go back to where it is, because that’s where the bus stop is,” Johnstone said. “The bus stop is located there in the one space we can put a shelter around it. But we’re going to do our best to make the loading zone as accessible as possible.”

Despite work already being under way, Coun. Daniel Fontaine – who also plans to run for mayor next year – said he has contacted staff to explore what’s possible.

“I have talked to staff,” Fontaine told CTV News. “I will continue to do that and see if there’s any way, any possibility, given how far along this project is to accommodate. In particular, I’m concerned around making sure people have access to HandyDart.”

Coun. Nadine Nakagawa believes the construction of the bus stop is important – and given it will have a shelter, says there are limitations in terms of where it can be built.

“Issues like bus stops and loading zones are really technical things that require us to work with Coast Mountain Bus for example,” Nakagawa said. “So, a lot of different stakeholders. I don’t want to commit that it’s going to be changed, but we’re open to having a conversation and see how we can make it work best for folks.”

The seniors at the building have also expressed concerns over health and safety, saying since a temporary bus stop was placed at the site, there have been cases of urination and defecation on the property, and an increase in loitering outside the doors.

In a statement, the City of New Westminster wrote that it makes bus stop location decisions alongside TransLink and Coast Mountain Bus Company.

It says the bus stop relocation plan was “first identified in the Uptown Streetscape Vision adopted by council in 2020” but has acknowledged in an e-mail to the strata that it could have done a better job of informing the strata with more detailed information.

The city has made one adjustment since the residents brought forward their complaints – it relocated a taxi zone in order to maintain a loading zone on the block, albeit further southeast.