The wheels on the bus may go round and round — but, for some Aberdeen residents, it may be too often for their liking.

Residents are upset about some proposed transit changes, which include a new bus route on Laurier Drive and Sifton Avenue and a two-way bus route planned for Robson, Gleneagles and Springhill drives.

Laurier Drive resident Shirley Smith told city council the new transit plan and lack of consultation has created fear, stress and disillusionment in the neighbourhood.

Smith said the residents’ main concern is safety for pedestrians and vehicles.

She argued new bus stops placed across from each other will increase traffic congestion, noting the streets are not constructed for heavy transit use and pointing out many of the buses run empty.

“When city staff put posts before people, there’s cause to worry,” she said.

After outlining its concerns, the group did get its wish for more consultation.

City council agreed there should be more public consultation on the proposed new bus routes and instructed city staff to set up public open houses.

They are tentatively scheduled for Jan. 9 and Jan. 10 — one at Aberdeen Mall and one at Thompson Rivers University.

The city has been working with BC Transit on a major transit restructuring plan for the city’s southwest sector for the better part of a year, a plan that includes 10,000 more hours of bus service and 45 new bus stops.

The transit changes are expected to begin on March 29.

Erin Felker, the city’s transportation planner, said while BC Transit and the city are happy with the new routes chosen, nothing is beyond revision.

She also pointed out that, once in place, there will be an opportunity to evaluate the new routes and revise them in the future if they’re not working out.

“The intent was to make [transit] more efficient and more appealing,” Felker said.

Residents also wondered why the city was rushing to put bus stops in the ground without all the routes being confirmed.

Felker said the decision to start installing the new bus stops early, noting it would be more cost-effective to move a couple of bus-stop signs around at a later date than to delay and try to install 45 bus stops in the new year.

Felker also maintained it was always the plan to have open houses to inform the public on the transit changes.