Bus stop dilemma

The city needs a new, temporary site to put a bus terminal on the south side of the city. But is closing down a portion of Donald Street really the best solution?

Thankfully on Monday night city council didn’t think so.

The move would have been disastrous, yet another cross-town route embedded with obstacles in a city whose street layout at times resembles the labyrinth.

First and foremost, no one consulted the neighbours, at least not until the recommendation was made.

In conducting the study, which ranked 16 sites on a variety of criteria including accessibility, checking in with nearby residents should have been a given, not an afterthought.

A new terminal is needed, of that there’s no doubt.

The Brodie Street bus terminal will be demolished this spring to make way for the new provincially funded courthouse.

Time is starting to run out, but that’s no excuse to make hasty decisions, ones bound to have lasting implications on businesses, residents, churchgoers and transit users themselves.

This is something the city will have to live with for a least a couple of years. Better to get it right now than scramble for another replacement a few months down the road.