The 80 bus stops here, maybe

You may not know when the bus will show up, but at least you know where it'll stop, right? Not for recent passengers of the 80, who've been pressed against bus windows in a silent scream as it roars past their destinations on a myriad of detours.

"It's ridiculous, you don't know where it's going to go--in particular when it's running north," says Mile-End resident and transportation-software modeller Zvi Leve. He notes that a temporary detour, caused by construction at the intersection of Parc and Bernard, takes different routes and makes arbitrary stops between Laurier and Van Horne.

STCUM spokesperson Odile Paradis says the rerouting is not disorganized, explaining that the detour extends all the way to Laurier because it's the only area street wide enough for the bus to turn safely. Nevertheless, area residents feel that the alternate routes seem to depend on the whims of drivers. "At this point, it's easier to walk 20 minutes to the metro that deal with the bus," says Leve. "And so far, at least, the weather has been okay."

Construction work on the Bernard watermain will continue until at least Dec. 15.

-- Sarah Musgrave

more news...