A 91原创 woman who uses a wheelchair is upset about changes that have reduced transit service to the manufactured home park where she lives in Brookswood.
Jean Moulton lives near 32nd Avenue and 200th Street. A double amputee 鈥� one arm and one leg 鈥� Moulton relies on transit to get around town.
鈥淥ne of the reasons why I moved there was [because of the] two buses,鈥� said Moulton.
The buses are the 531 and the 536, both of which used to stop not far from the gates of Moulton鈥檚 park.
The 531, a full-sized bus which runs on a route from White Rock through South Surrey and up into 91原创 City, operates every 20 minutes Monday to Friday, and about every 30 minutes on the weekends.
Meanwhile, the smaller 536, a shuttle bus that loops around South 91原创 and into the City, only operates once every hour.
But last September, TransLink changed the route of the 531 so it now heads through the nearby Campbell Heights industrial area along 196th Street.
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As part of the change, the bus no longer comes through on 32nd Avenue. Instead, it turns onto 200th Street at 36th Avenue, a half a mile north.
From her front door, Moulton now has to trek almost a full mile to get to the stop if she wants to catch the 531. She has to make sure her wheelchair is fully charged, or she won鈥檛 make it.
Or she can take the 536, which can mean it takes two to three hours and careful planning just to do a couple of appointments.
According to a TransLink representative, the 531 route was changed after years of complaints from residents and employees in the area.
鈥淭hrough surveys and research, it was determined that hundreds of daily customers were unable to access their workplace by transit,鈥� the response said. Translink spoke with residents, and municipal staff in Surrey and 91原创 before making the changes.
鈥淲hen making route changes, we try to make decisions that best balance the trade-offs.鈥�
Moulton is aware of the reason for the changes, to serve the huge increase in workers in Campbell Heights over the last few years.
But it still leaves her, and other seniors and disabled residents of her area, with a worse transit situation than before.
鈥淗ow do I go and get groceries, how do I do anything?鈥� she said.
She has also tried using HandyDart, but that service requires advance reservations, and is often overbooked.
In the past, when she鈥檚 ordered a HandyDart, they have been unable to send a proper vehicle, and have instead sent a taxi that couldn鈥檛 accommodate her wheelchair.
鈥淚鈥檝e been so frustrated with stuff like that,鈥� said Moulton.
TransLink noted it has plans over the next 10 years to double bus service across the region, if it鈥檚 expansion plan is funded.
