Burnabytorollout 50newbusshelters

LaurenVanderdeen lvanderdeen@burnabynow com

Fifty new bus shelters are coming to Burnaby by December

The shelters are expected to be fully in place by Dec 1, according to a request for proposals earlier this year

After a 2021 complaint about a lack of bus shelters creating unsafe conditions, the city reviewed its bus shelter program due to concerns it was “insufficient to meet the public’s expectations,” according to minutes from a 2021 financial management committee meeting.

The 50 shelters to come this year are part of a seven-year program in which the city wants to install or replace about 370 transit shelters by 2030

In 2021, staff reported Burnaby had a total of 968 as 15 parking spaces

The facility would be built to modern design guidelines, including those laid out by the Association of ShelterVeterinarians, and would be expected to last at least 20 years

The documents say a future operating model is “yet to be determined ”

The current ani- mal shelter is not wheelchair-accessible; the new building will be built to Rick Hansen Foundation accessibility guidelines

Construction would be expected to finish by the end of 2025, if council approves the design and budget later this year, and the shelter would be ready for business in January 2026 bus stops.The bid documents from this year stated the city has a total of 209 bus shelters: 158 shelters with lit advertising boxes and 51 without.

Bus stops are a city responsibility, not TransLink’s.

The locations for the bus shelters will be decided by a model which looks at how much certain bus stops are used, the number of transit routes in the area, how close the stops are to schools, rec centres and businesses, according to the city’s financial plan

City staff told the public safety committee in 2021 it “would be ideal to have a bus shelter installed at all bus stops in the city,” but illuminated bus shelters cost about $30,000 each, which would mean a total of about $22 million to install bus shelters at all Burnaby stops.

AbhinayaNatesh anatesh@burnabynow.com

Burnaby’s favourite miniature train ride is back on schedule as it returns for its 30th season.

Folks who were disappointed by this year’s cancellation of the Stanley Park train ride can now head with friends and family to Burnaby Central Railway, a ride-on miniature (one-eighth scale) railway.

The popular railway, operated by the British Columbia Society of Model Engineers (BCSME), opened for the 2023 season on April 7 and will run until Oct 9

On Friday, members of IAFF323 Burnaby Firefighters joined in as honorary members and volunteers All proceeds from the opening day were donated to the Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society.

Featuring over two kilometres of track, the train is pulled by miniature locomotives

“What we have here are genuine steam, diesel and electric trains to ride,” said BCSME president Ken Lear said a press release “It’s literally the real thing, just smaller. Our trains look, act and even smell like the real thing because they are real, at one-eighth the size of a full size loco- motive.”

The train ride, located in Confederation Park (120 NorthWillingdon

Ave ), can take 20-plus passengers through the woods and across tunnels, bridges, crossovers and spi- rals A ride lasts about 10 minutes.

The railway is open to the public for rides from

11 a m to 5 p m (with last ticket sales at 4:45 p.m.) on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. It is also now open for booking birthday parties and private functions. See www.bcsme.org.

BCSME is also asking for volunteers interested in helping run the railway throughout the season

“There are train enthusiasts everywhere, and we’re definitely looking for them to join us as new volunteer members,” Lear said

“If you’re a railroad buff, or you would like to learn about how our trains work inside and out, come to the park, take a ride, see what we’re all about, and join us,” he said.