Why some Broadway businesses don't want the BRT on their street

Some businesses on Broadway Avenue are saying the city shouldn't run rapid transit buses on the street, with less than a week before city councillors are poised to settle the long-idling issue.

On Monday, councillors will hear the city's final suggestion: that council approve a bus-rapid-transit (BRT) line on the popular shopping avenue but put off a decision on whether the lanes for it should be open to all traffic or reserved for buses.

It's one of five options laid out by the city in the wake of feedback collected for over a year.

"All five of these are viable. Unfortunately, not one of them percolated to the top through all the engagement that we did,"  Jay Magus, the city's director of transportation, previously told CBC.

One alternative, if preferred by councillors, would see BRT buses completely bypass Broadway Avenue by turning off the east-west Eighth Street BRT line and travelling up Lorne Avenue, then the Idylwyld Freeway, then the Sid Buckwold Bridge to get to downtown Saskatoon.

That's what Debbie Taylor wants.

"I think people are just concerned that [Broadway] will turn into a bus corridor," said Taylor, the owner of Hats & That.

Taylor said she questions whether BRT buses will actually increase bus ridership in the city and also worries about pollution from higher-frequency buses.

"I can't grow plants out here because they die because of the fumes," she said.

Taylor said the bypass option makes more sense from a connectivity standpoint. She said a bus going up the Buckwold Bridge would connect directly with First Avenue, the city's recommended location for a downtown BRT line.

That's instead of having a bus cross the Broadway Bridge, then turn on 19th and then turn again onto First or Third Avenue (depending on city council's pick for the downtown BRT line).  

Asked if she would not welcome a potential increase in business traffic thanks to BRT bus riders, Taylor said, "I think that's really down the road. I personally can't see it in the next two or three or four years, but certainly down the road."

'They need the parking' 

Darcey Anton, who works just a block down from Taylor, is equally skeptical the BRT will boost her business.

"I see full buses on Eighth Street, I see full buses on Taylor Street, but I do not see full buses here on Broadway," said Anton, a worker at McQuarrie's Tea and Coffee Merchants.

"I think before they even contemplate a rapid transit thing, they need to look at how many people are coming here. You don't build it and then say, 'People will come.' "

One option also floated by the city is to decide now to have dedicated BRT lanes on Broadway. Doing so would eliminate 14 on-street parking spots.

"Customers come from all over the city and a large percentage of them drive," said Anton. "They need the parking to get to our store and to shop here comfortably."

Anton's work colleague, Kim Rashley-Anton, said it's "frustrating" to see the city continue to recommend Broadway as a BRT line location despite opposition to that idea.

She attended one of many city-hosted public consultation sessions, which drew a combined total of 961 people. Attendees were asked to fill out Post-it notes with their thoughts and stick them onto large map displays.

"If you looked at that board, almost everybody said no. But it's still going forward," said Rashley-Anton of the Broadway option.

By far the most well-attended of the recent engagement sessions was the one held for Nutana residents.

Out of 162 people who responded, 36 said they preferred the dedicated bus-lane scenario on Broadway, while more than double that number said they preferred an option that would bypass Broadway.

The middle-of-the-road option — which would see regular vehicles travel on Broadway in the same lane as BRT buses — received 31 votes.

Cynthia Fagnou agreed with Rashley-Anton that Broadway being used as a BRT location seems like a fait accompli.   She too would prefer the bypass option.

"I feel like traffic is already bottlenecked coming up onto Broadway from the downtown core area," said Fagnou, the owner of Outer Limits Outdoor Clothing. "And my concern will be, you know, angry drivers."

Fagnou added that there are school zones on the street. She said she has kids that attend school on the street and already worries about their safety 

The city clarified last week that while the BRT buses are meant to be rapid, they will still follow posted school zone limits.

Keep it central, says supporter

Kirby Wirchenko, the executive director of the street's Broadway Theatre, thinks people would be "crazy" not to want centralized transit right on a business corridor.

If the bypass option were to be chosen, bus station platforms would be built near the intersection of Broadway Avenue and Eighth Street, according to the city.

That's too far away from the Broadway business core, said Wirchenko.

"Let me give you [an example]," he said. "People buy concert tickets at the Broadway and they're shocked and alarmed that you're not able to park right in front of the theatre and walk in from their car. They really have an expectation of opening their car door, closing it and turning around and being three steps to it.

"It's an unrealistic expectation. You really think that people are going to flock to public transit and get off on Eighth Street and Broadway and then walk down to Broadway [Theatre]? Some hardcore people will. But the average person will not."

The Broadway Business Improvement District is conducting a poll of its members, asking them which of the five options they prefer. The results are expected later this week. 

Councillors' discussion and potential route approval will take place Monday at city hall.