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Province releases coastal ferry system ‘vision’ results

Transportation Minister Claire Trevena says the results of a two-phase public engagement on a vision for the coastal ferry system align with the government's recent decisions on ferry service.
Ferries

Transportation Minister Claire Trevena says the results of a two-phase public engagement on a vision for the coastal ferry system align with the government's recent decisions on ferry service.

The “Vision for Coastal Ferry Services” engagement started last October with stakeholder meetings and continued with an online survey launched in February.

It’s a separate process from the survey and engagement BC Ferries announced in late August, which is focused on improving service to the Sunshine Coast.

"What we heard from the public is that while the current ferry service works well for some, there’s lots of room for improvement for those who most depend on it – those who live in ferry-dependent communities,” said Trevena, in a Sept. 17 release announcing the results.

“Our vision is that travel by coastal ferries is seamless, equitable and compatible with the needs of coastal communities and our natural environment. These may sound like basic principles for any transportation service, but these are all areas where we’ve heard improvements need to be made.”

The ministry’s release said the government’s decision to apply a portion of the federal Safe Restart Agreement funding, along with its own matched funding commitment to BC Ferries, put the public’s interest first and will ensure affordable fares, as well as access and reliability of service.

Survey participants said their greatest concern with the existing ferry service is affordability, followed by scheduling and reliability, according to the release.

People also expressed an interest in travelling without a personal vehicle if there were improvements, such as better parking at terminals or improved connectivity to other travel modes like public transit, taxi, ride-hailing or cycling, or dedicated passenger-only ferry services in more accessible locations.

Survey participants also expressed strong support for the four themes that emerged during the first phase of engagement, saying that coastal ferry services should:

• Support efficient end-to-end travel of people and goods.

• Be equitable and accessible.

• Mitigate and be responsive to climate change.

• Reflect the values of coastal communities.

Trevena said she will be meeting with the BC Ferries Board, the BC Ferry Authority, its shareholders and the BC Ferries commissioner to discuss the feedback.

The full summary of feedback is online at:

https://engage.gov.bc.ca/app/uploads/sites/593/2020/09/7707-Coastal-Ferries-Phase-2-Report.pdf