Stoney Creek seniors petition for eliminated HSR route to be reinstated

A group of seniors are pushing back against HSR’s decision to eliminate a bus route that connected downtown Stoney Creek with Eastgate Square. Without route 58, they say their travel time more than doubles, and seniors with mobility troubles are forced to cross busy and dangerous intersections.

Without the 58 bus, Linda Allen says her mom, Oniva, and other seniors aren’t getting out of the house enough.

“From what I understand, the seniors feel like they’re stranded in their homes, they can’t go where they used to go on a regular basis, so they don’t go anywhere.”

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The former route 58 connected two major hubs in Stoney Creek, downtown and Eastgate Square where many seniors go daily to socialize and get some exercise.

The route was eliminated in early September. The city says it’s due to low ridership and recent investments into similar routes that made the 58 redundant.

Seniors living in downtown Stoney Creek have to take two buses to get to the mall. The 5 drops them off at the corner of King Street and Centennial Parkway where they can catch the 44 to the mall.

However, residents are concerned about the added wait times and crossing the busy intersection.

Eventually, the HSR’s plan is to move this stop here on Centennial Parkway south of King, to the north side of the street. That is so fewer seniors and other passengers have to cross this busy and sometimes dangerous intersection.

“That’s not the answer, because you still have to cross Centennial Parkway regardless. If you’re going to Eastgate you’re fine, but when you’re coming back you still have to cross Centennial Parkway,” Allen said.

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Ward 5 city councillor Matt Francis brought this up to council last month but the bus’s reinstatement was voted down seven to nine.

“I heard residents loud and clear, they want the 58 bus, it’s important to them. And it’s an equity issue we have seniors. It’s not so much how many people used it, it’s an equity issue because it’s seniors, it’s people with disabilities that we’ve taken this away from,” Francis said.

Francis needs to get a two-thirds majority vote in council to reconsider the issue. He’s hoping a petition Linda Allen started will help.

Allen has collected nearly 300 signatures online and in person so far.