Transit hub’s shift proposed
The transit hub should be moved from Second Avenue to Third Avenue, a downtown Whitehorse resident suggested to city council last Monday.
The transit hub should be moved from Second Avenue to Third Avenue, a downtown Whitehorse resident suggested to city council last Monday.
“Right now, you are taking the bus and standing on Second, which is a pretty unfriendly place,” Forest Pearson told council.
“Third could be a much more people-friendly environment and a much more inclusive space.”
Third Avenue could be turned into a green street with trees and wider sidewalks to encourage walking and cycling, Pearson added. Vehicle access would still be permitted, he suggested.
The parking lot at Second and Steele could be used for a new “community building”. From there, passengers could catch the bus on the ground floor, with office space available on the second floor and higher, Pearson told council.
Moving the transit hub to Third would bring people into the heart of Whitehorse, he believes.
The lot at Second and Steele is currently underutilized and not generating its full potential, he said.
Pearson said Second Avenue is a struggling street.
Comments (15)
Up 0 Down 0
Mitch Holder on May 16, 2022 at 12:56 pm
“Third could be a much more people-friendly environment and a much more inclusive space.”
Sure, once you chase away the drunks, drug addicts, criminals, mentally ill and homeless it should be real inclusive. Put this to the "Unclusivity" council for final assent right away. The people in this forum are making better suggestions than the public and council have ever come up with. Maybe more city issues should be raised in the Whitehorse Star.
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Oya on May 12, 2022 at 3:45 pm
I always thought there should one or two buses JUST doing the downtown loop all day long with a hub at each end of town. Then, the other buses that come from the subdivisions don't actually need to come into the downtown area - they only go to the DT hubs then back up to their subdivisions. It is mostly the downtown traffic that screws up the bus schedules. It's impossible to get from Walmart to the Westmark in the time allotted in the schedules.
So someone coming from Riverdale going to the University, for example, would get on in Riverdale, off at the hub, onto the Takhini bus and up to the University. The downtown loop buses would have no set schedule - they would just loop around continuously. It's a thought. Less buses downtown with better service for the riders would be a win win for everyone including the planet.
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CJ2 on May 12, 2022 at 11:03 am
The more I read this proposal, the less I understand it. How is this supposed to improve transit? If the issue is low ridership, it's not because of Second Avenue. But I'm not sure that's what Forest cares about. How is Third Avenue more the "heart of Whitehorse" than the courthouse or the corner of Main and Second at CIBC?
At least Second and Fourth make sense from a driving standpoint, since they lead up to the highway. On Third, the bus footprint would be all over side streets. How does Forest figure they'd enter the main streets? Turning here, there, and everywhere.
People walk on Third Avenue to get away from traffic on Second and Fourth. There has already been some pedestrian improvements, it's a very nice street that apparently planners can't wait to put a stop to. And personally, I wouldn't want to live on top of a transit station.
If the proposal is to build condos, build them with some shopping below. Or just build them. Don't pretend it's all about transit. It's obvious where transit is in the priorities of people who don't have to take it.
"A more inclusive space". More "inclusive" than milling with everyone at Second and Main? What's that about?
Making Second and Fourth one-way streets is a suggestion that came up in the 90s, and the rationale made a lot of sense. I don't know why that couldn't have got at least as much attention as this exercise.
Up 6 Down 3
Mitch Holder on May 11, 2022 at 2:12 pm
@ H - Well said. One end is Qwanlin alley, other end is Hoge St. Morass. You have Main in the middle. It is a stupid idea categorically and I would see it quashed before my property tax goes to paying for this failure. Transit is already difficult enough on the best day.
Up 14 Down 2
H on May 11, 2022 at 9:48 am
The current uses (smaller commercial and residential) and lot sizes on 3rd are not appropriate for a transit station. 3rd was designed to discourage through traffic (with stop signs etc.)
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Mitch Holder on May 10, 2022 at 4:34 pm
@ Shawn - excellent suggestion, they could use 3rd Avenue as the route change middle lane and keep people on the streets where the police drive by and patrol sometimes.
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Snowball on May 10, 2022 at 3:34 pm
@shawn - I've been say that same thing for years. You'd think the people who run the city can come up with this idea but it's too hard for those people.
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Mitch Holder on May 10, 2022 at 2:48 pm
Hey guys, remember when the city moved the transit hub from Ogilvie St. to Takhini Arena? I do, it sucked and lasted less than two years and I suspect we are still paying for it...hardly expect this will be better, because the government is certainly worse.
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Anie on May 10, 2022 at 2:42 pm
@Shawn - excellent idea. Unfortunately it's been proposed and rejected for more than 25 years - that's when the City philosophy seems to have started "if we make life difficult enough for drivers, they will switch to bikes or walking". That's why Whitehorse doesn't have advanced greens, or turning lanes, or many other 21 century traffic tools. The philosophy has not been a success, but some city staff just won't let it go.
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CJ2 on May 10, 2022 at 1:20 pm
With all due respect, where the transit hub is located is not the most pressing issue with public transit (although I never liked the idea of it being located at the proposed new City Hall). And I too question why moving it from Second to Third would make it "friendlier". It is true that bus stops in general here are positively Sovietesque in their appeal.
Meanwhile, I'm wondering why the atmosphere is such around transit that omitting entire neighbourhoods (i.e. Lobird and Ravens Ridge) from the schedule is presented unapologetically. It sure looks like giving with one hand (Sunday transit) and taking away with the other. How council discusses these two proposals should prove to be very enlightening.
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Mitch Holder on May 10, 2022 at 12:04 pm
@ Gene - the people who make these decision never walk on 3rd Avenue, they are driven or drive. These are the people deciding what transit is best for you. They should use it for a year, then make a proposal. I bet it would look way different.
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Mitch Holder on May 10, 2022 at 8:18 am
There are an awful lot of Yukon Liberals that sure want this to work. Wanting won't make it so. But you already knew that.
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David on May 9, 2022 at 7:10 pm
Good idea!
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Shawn on May 9, 2022 at 6:25 pm
Better yet - make each 2nd and 4th Avenues opposing one ways - each with three traffic lanes, a wide bicycle lane and pedestrian walks.
Better flow, thus much less congestion - lots of room for city buses etc.
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Gene Brown on May 9, 2022 at 5:59 pm
What makes you think people will be any more friendly on third ave???