HSR B-LINE EXPRESS TO LEAVE MAC... for good.

OPINION - By Chad Fullerton, MacInsiders

Photo credit: David Arthur

September 2nd 2008 is going to be a sad day for McMaster students. Starting on that day, as reported by The Hamilton Spectator, the HSR is discontinuing the 10 B-LINE Express route from going through the McMaster Campus and will instead go down Main St and only stop infront of the hospital instead of coming in through campus like it currently does. Why? The City's website states the change "will help McMaster's goal of eliminating all bus trips through the campus by 2011."

The Spec mentions that McMaster's reasoning behind the changes was safety; helping to "keep campus pedestrian-friendly" and "to comply with the university's campus vision". The announcement coming after we agreed to an increase in HSR fees for our U-Passes with the renewal of the University Transit Pass Agreement earlier this year.

Personally, while I think we are still getting a great bargain having to pay only $94.80 through our MSU Supplemental fees (paid as part of our tuition) for unlimited use of the HSR services, taking the buses off-campus doesn't make sense to me.

MSU President, Azim Kasmani, stated that "convenience for students on campus is [being] trumped by safety concerns over traffic" and brought up the fact that moving the buses off-campus to main street could bring up even more safety concerns with students crossing that busy street.

I feel the campus is quite pedestrian friendly as it is, and I'd like the B-LINE back. What do you think? Share your thoughts.

You can read more information in this brochure.

That bus reminds me of a snake.

Wow. That's just not cool. The B-line makes it so convenient for people who don't drive :| And, yeah I think they might have a point with the safety issues and such, but I don't know...
Will the 1A bus still be able to go in though? Aah, so much more walking. :S

I don't really mind having the buses off campus. It will make for a nice stroll across campus to get to classes and such. It would have been cool if they had made something like the GO bus stop for the HSR buses, a sort of central hub.

If they really want to make the campus safe though, Physical Plant employees have to stop driving their golf carts on the sidewalk.

Originally Posted by lorend

That bus reminds me of a snake.

i thought it looked like a caterpillar.

Originally Posted by DannyV

If they really want to make the campus safe though, Physical Plant employees have to stop driving their golf carts on the sidewalk.

Or install a yield to pedestrians sign at the hospital entrance. apparently striped lines on the road don't mean anything to 90% of drivers (jerks!!)

This is that crazy long bus thats like a worm?

Originally Posted by lorend

Or install a yield to pedestrians sign at the hospital entrance. apparently striped lines on the road don't mean anything to 90% of drivers (jerks!!)

I just walk anyway, pedestrians have right of way. Luckily they have a stop sign just before so they don't get a chance to speed up too much, but I know what you mean. Some of them just don't want to let you cross.

Nooooooo! What are they doing! I use the B-line almost every day! If it goes, then there's only the 1A, 5, and 51 that goes through the university. I specifically like waiting for the B-line because I don't want to go to every stop on the way to downtown.

Their reasoning makes sense, but it doesn't at the same time. McMaster is very pedestrian friendly. The buses only come in on Sterling and then go out on Emerson. They don't go all the way through. I never see anyone having a problem with crossing the roads. It sounds like an excuse to me.

Eliminating all bus routes to the campus!? What are they thinking? Sure, it's make McMaster look nice because there'd be no loud buses coming through, but we're a major part of the city! That's like saying, they're going to stop all buses from going downtown to make downtown eco-friendly! The thing is, the bus stops on Main are way too far for a university student to walk to from rez on a normal basis. What if they have to go to work? Everyone enjoyed the busing coming in at Mac, I always did. It just doesn't make any sense to me. Seems like they're going backwards, not forwards.

Originally Posted by mitch

. Seems like they're going backwards, not forwards.

Exactly what I was thinking.

This makes me soooooooo angry! I take the B-line everyday. I have no choice cause I live in Stoney Creek and the 1A takes forever to get out there. Main St is crazy to cross. I just know someone's gonna get hit!

Some people also think this whole situation is part of an ongoing pissing match between the city and McMaster over truck routes.

The Sterling St. entrance used to be the one that the university told delivery/construction trucks to enter through, since it meant that they wouldn't have to pass through the centre core if they were heading to the eastern side of campus (for the aforementioned pedestrian safety issues). Then the city got some complaints from residents who live along Sterling about truck traffic there, so the city said trucks can no longer use that road. Mac has no jurisdiction over city streets outside its borders, so this essentially forced them to come in the Main St. entrance and drive through the centre core to get to the other side of campus.

Now here's where the speculation/conspiracy theories come in - Mac's attitude is likely that they, as an institution, are a tad more important to the city than a few cranky people who live along Sterling, so they may have basically said "fine, you won't let our trucks on your roads, we won't let your buses on our campus." It's wrapped up in pedestrian safety issues for PR purposes, and while there may be some truth to that, some can't help but feel that it's also a political powerplay.

Who knows, but just something to think about.

Originally Posted by Cippi

Some people also think this whole situation is part of an ongoing pissing match between the city and McMaster over truck routes.

The Sterling St. entrance used to be the one that the university told delivery/construction trucks to enter through, since it meant that they wouldn't have to pass through the centre core if they were heading to the eastern side of campus (for the aforementioned pedestrian safety issues). Then the city got some complaints from residents who live along Sterling about truck traffic there, so the city said trucks can no longer use that road. Mac has no jurisdiction over city streets outside its borders, so this essentially forced them to come in the Main St. entrance and drive through the centre core to get to the other side of campus.

Now here's where the speculation/conspiracy theories come in - Mac's attitude is likely that they, as an institution, are a tad more important to the city than a few cranky people who live along Sterling, so they may have basically said "fine, you won't let our trucks on your roads, we won't let your buses on our campus." It's wrapped up in pedestrian safety issues for PR purposes, and while there may be some truth to that, some can't help but feel that it's also a political powerplay.

Who knows, but just something to think about.

I've read the same thing, and I believe this is why the bus routes are being moved aswell.

Wait - question - will there still be other buses that would go in the campus? 1A and such..?

1A, 5C (also other 5's), and 51. They come frequently enough, but they have lots of stops on the way to downtown unlike the B-Line.