Do any malls in Canada treat their bus passengers this bad?

[miketoronto]

In many parts of the USA, suburban malls have banned buses from coming into their property, or from building transit centers at the mall.

This requires buses to just let passengers off in front of the mall on public roads.

I have noticed that many Canadian malls not only have nice transit centers, but ones that don't, usually have a sidewalk connecting the bus stop to the mall entrance or something.

No so in many American cities. This is what I faced taking the bus to the mall.
I would like to add that many people take the bus to the mall for work and to shop, and they are faced with situations like this in the USA. Can you think of any male in Canada which neglect bus riders like this?

This is the main bus stop in front of a major regional shopping mall.


This is what greets you when you walk off the bus


So instead of cutting through the grass and parking lot like you can in the warm weather, you have to walk over to the car access road ahead, and walk on a roadway with cars turning in and out.

[caltrane74]

The US is a very auto centric country.

Hell, even homeless people in the US have cars.


What city is that?

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by caltrane74

The US is a very auto centric country.

Hell, even homeless people in the US have cars.

Yeah, they live in them.

[DrNest]

Is it just me that thinks it's shocking that the fire hydrant is buried in snow too? I would like to think it would be a priority to keep the hydrant clear for quick and easy access when required.

[Innsertnamehere]

The worst I can think of for GTA malls is Markville.

[goodthings]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

The worst I can think of for GTA malls is Markville.

I don't think so. It's Erin Mills Town Centre.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.56023...T9iYs8Vf8w!2e0

Second most important mall in Mississauga.
7 bus routes directly serving the terminal.
But what they only have is two shelters and two benches, and the surface is UNPAVED.
And a LONG walk to the mall via a sea of parking lots.
Yes. It's so bad that the express bus does not serve the terminal. Instead, it stops at the northern side of the mall.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.55953...IzrRel_eyQ!2e0

Better infrastructure with bus stop pads and concrete walkway to the mall entrance, but even farther from the mall itself, let alone the bus terminal.

Other malls in Mississauga are in a much better situation though:
Square One: https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.59428...iJWEWQySMA!2e0
South Common: https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.54250...HCwP1A1fxQ!2e0
Westwood Mall: https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.72169...V-H3OnnGTg!2e0
Meadowvale Town Centre: another good one, but too far to view on Street View

Other malls in GTA:
Bramalea City Centre (a good one, but no direct access to the mall though): https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.71847...GduUHHYaLA!2e0
Vaughan Mills: https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.82731...zF8gZ5cQQg!2e0
Shopper's World (looks good even at construction, but extremely exposed to the elements though): https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.66652...ALnxhBoMcA!2e0

[softee]

That's Cleveland, right?

How are you finding your time there, Mike? Do you live in the city proper or the suburbs?

[BrickJunkie]

My guess is also Cleveland given the RTA sign. That's bunk news about the transit.

[miketoronto]

Originally Posted by softee

That's Cleveland, right?

How are you finding your time there, Mike? Do you live in the city proper or the suburbs?

Yeah it is Cleveland. But this is prevalent throughout the midwest and most parts of the USA.

It is an interesting experience, and I live right downtown. However I have to travel out to the suburbs to malls like that, to do many errands, as there is no major shopping in the city, save for Target and stuff like that.

But the lack of attention to pedestrians really makes you see how much better we have it even in Canadian suburbs. In Toronto, even in the suburbs, bus stops are plowed, main road sidewalks are cleared by the city, and malls do provide access to bus stops, etc.
But it really is tough here in Cleveland to sometimes to be a pedestrian.

Great experience, but I want to make sure we don't get complacent in Canada, and let things like that mall situation happen here in Canada.

[caltrane74]

Cleveland has a nice little rapid transit system.

From Wikipedia

[1ajs]

the malls in winnipeg are generaly major transit hubs in winnipeg

[BrickJunkie]

I hope you're enjoying your time in Cleveland. I've always felt Cleveland is my kind of town, despite perhaps some economic issues and the apparent transportation absence at suburban malls. I'm surprised to learn there's less transit activity around malls than there is here up north. I agree with 1ajs; seems like malls encourage nearby transit stations in Winnipeg. In many other cities rapid transit has direct stops right at the mall. Burnaby's Metrotown comes to mind.

Wouldn't it be very advantageous to attract public transportation to your development? I don't understand the phobia - anybody care to explain WHY malls like the one in Cleveland are adverse to transit? Seems counter-intuitive to me.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by BrickJunkie

I hope you're enjoying your time in Cleveland. I've always felt Cleveland is my kind of town, despite perhaps some economic issues and the apparent transportation absence at suburban malls. I'm surprised to learn there's less transit activity around malls than there is here up north. I agree with 1ajs; seems like malls encourage nearby transit stations in Winnipeg. In many other cities rapid transit has direct stops right at the mall. Burnaby's Metrotown comes to mind.

Wouldn't it be very advantageous to attract public transportation to your development? I don't understand the phobia - anybody care to explain WHY malls like the one in Cleveland are adverse to transit? Seems counter-intuitive to me.

Think about who generally takes transit in the US and then maybe you will understand some of the fear.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

the malls in winnipeg are generaly major transit hubs in winnipeg

Same in K-W.

[Dr Nevergold]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

the malls in winnipeg are generaly major transit hubs in winnipeg

When I was in Winnipeg I noted the transit orientation around places like Polo Park, it simply isn't the case in the US.

As others have stated, in the US transit is seen as a good that only services the least among us, and in the US typically that means people of a poor minority background, so malls and transit agencies don't see eye to eye.

Its a world of difference when you hop the border just here in Buffalo-Niagara. Niagara Falls, ON has a utilized service that helps everyone get around from wealthy tourists hopping between casinos and hotels or locals, in Buffalo NFTA is seen as the indigent form of transit.

[KnoxfordGuy]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

the malls in winnipeg are generaly major transit hubs in winnipeg

Same goes for Fredericton.

[miketoronto]

Most American malls view transit as dirty and don't want bus patrons in their malls.
This despite the fact that many mall workers take the bus to the mall to get to work, and that many bus riders spent a lot at malls as well.

There is a racial and class divide as well, that further adds to the issue.

It took a court case in Buffalo, to get transit buses to stop in front of the mall doors at the Walden Galleria Mall.

[GreaterMontréal]

transit is only good if it's worth it.

[Doug]

Turf wars are common in the US. If bus stops located on private mall property, there would likely be alarmist concerns over liability if a bus passenger hurts themselves, who would pay for security, who would pay to keep the site clean etc.

[libtard]

Its much more affordable to own a car in the US