The bells and whistles can be put aside, but the practical problems still need to be solved.
Last spring BC Ferries indicated that their plans for revamping the ferry terminal in Crofton were going to be significantly scaled back from what had initially been planned and presented to the public.
Gone are any thoughts of beautification or enhancement of the pedestrian experience or long term parking. Now they say they will focus solely on the replacement of the ferry berth.
The ability of the ferry to physically dock is, of course, the most vital piece of the puzzle, nobody disputes that.
And in these days where everyone is trying to be cost-conscious and wants governments to be prudent with our money, we can swallow the loss of design and build elements of the project that would have enhanced the community. As nice as a pedestrian pier or plaza would have been, the need to cut the budget is something most can understand, even if we're disappointed.
However, there were some things in the upland improvements that weren't so much nice-to-haves, but more needed fixes for very real problems. The most important is the problem of the backup of traffic on Chaplin Street when vehicles wait for the ferry.
That's why we're in full support of North Cowichan council trying to push for the construction of a much-needed new access road that would take the traffic off of Chaplin.
In the dead of winter traffic for some of the sailings can be pretty light, and if you took a snapshot of the area at one of those times the whole situation looks just fine. But for key commuter sailings, and shoulder and high tourist season in the spring, summer and fall, as well as when there's any kind of special event, the current infrastructure doesn't cut it.
The space for vehicles waiting to board the ferry is on the trestle, as well as three short lanes right by the payment kiosk. After that, cars start to march in a line up the road. That line, on particularly busy days, can run the length of Chaplin and turn the corner onto Crofton Road heading towards the mill and gas station. This is the main artery into Crofton from the north and it's a big problem when it's completely blocked with vehicles waiting for their boat.
It also causes problems for vehicles trying to access the public boat launch, parking lot and skatepark located next to the ferry terminal.
The problem is so bad that there are several traffic control people needed to handle crowds, pretty much year-round.
So while the ferry can still dock without it, a new access road is anything but a trivial concern.
