A sinkhole on Hwy. 19 closed traffic in both directions on Thursday, Nov. 18, highlighting issues in Vancouver Island's highway infrastructure according to one reader. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Water Cooler: Highway access through Nanaimo & wait times at BC Ferries terminals

Nov 21, 2021 | 9:46 AM

NANAIMO — The Water Cooler is NanaimoNewsNOW’s letters to the editor-style segment, featuring conversations about the news in Nanaimo and Oceanside.

This week’s feature discusses this week’s shutdown on Hwy. 19 and lengthening wait times at BC Ferries terminals.

Editor’s note: NanaimoNewsNOW posts letters received unedited, however we reserve the right to censor certain language in a bid to keep the conversation open for more readers.

Bev R., Qualicum: something seriously needs to be looked at in every way of the hwy access,, port alberni naniamo,, if [expletive] goes sideways,, people are stuck for hours,, no one around,,i was 4 and half hours after a medical appointment with my mother today,, no food as the test would not allow it,, no freakin medication as we should have been home not 5 hours late,..

seriously if anything bad ever happened people would be screwed there is no alternative routes to take so being in a car for 5 hours is just not ok, i dont want to sound rude but that s just [expletive] up,, get another route on all hwys if it was a forest fire we would all be burned to death,, so ya,, is naniamo area prepared for a disaster,,lol holly [expletive],,absolutely not@!!!!

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NanaimoNewsNOW: The impact of Thursday’s sinkhole north of Nanaimo and Monday’s washout of the Malahat Hwy. is certainly a new experience for most on Vancouver Island.

In the space of four days, a critical link between Victoria and the rest of Vancouver Island broke, while travel between the central and north Island was severely hampered. This on top of flooding issues along Cedar Rd., a highway-of-sorts for many in rural areas south of the city.

As frustrating as Thursday’s issues were for Nanaimo residents, it’s an isolated incident. However Bev’s point about redundancy is valid. What if the summer’s Mt. Hayes fire had occurred closer to Hwy. 1? What about the ever-pending “big one” earthquake?

Highways don’t simply appear out of thin air but with damage through the Interior and Lower Mainland, along with severing of connections on Vancouver Island, the stability and redundancy of our infrastructure will no doubt be a discussion had once the provincial state of emergency is over.

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Ryan R., Halfmoon Bay: I have been writing letters to BC Ferries for about 5 years with suggestions on ways to avoid waiting at the terminal, so far without success. I suggested that: They could implement variable rates to reduce ridership at peak times, they could use the experience card for reservation collateral or on line check in, they could release 20% reservation blocks at +30 days, 10 days, 5 days and 24 hours then right up to sailing time so you have a realistic chance of booking.

They could limit reservations to one round trip per route so one family doesn’t get all the prime sailings, they could revoke reservation rights for those who don’t show up for their reservation, they could use RFID and smart camera technology to get you through the terminal faster and integrate it with your booking, they could TXT you when you should come to the terminal for your sailing so the terminal isn’t plugged full of cars (especially if there is a delay), they could communicate to us better, and they could release historical data so you know what sailings are most likely to leave cars behind.

OR they could continue to do nothing and just make you wait in the terminal idling in the extreme heat, cold and rain for hours with little to do, “sailing granted only to those willing to wait”.

NanaimoNewsNOW: Few things are more quintessential Vancouver Island than waiting in a ferry terminal lineup. It is the tradeoff for living on an Island or other ferry dependant communities.

The company has taken steps in recent years to make travel more attractive to residents, to offer more flexible booking options and fares.

One main issue with many of the ideas Ryan suggests is implementation on a wide scale. Adding smart camera technology, or text alerts on Departure Bay to Horseshoe Bay could be handy, but what about more minor routes like Gabriola Island or Denman Island?

The company’s network of terminal cameras or current condition reports does not extend to every area of their network, only the major routes. It may be more practical to improve those areas of information to help better inform travel directions than implement a wide suite of technology.

BC Ferries do release traffic data for all their routes on a monthly basis. You can view the information by visiting their website.

Popular sailings tend to be the same most months or years, with the company typically issuing service notices in advance of particularly busy stretches such as before and after long weekends.

Join the conversation. Submit your letter to NanaimoNewsNOW and be included on The Water Cooler, our letters to the editor feature.

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