Trick to Catching a Bus Downtown from Thetis Lake

Thetis Lake is a great beach to visit in the summer: opportunities to hike, sunbathe, and swim.  Catching a bus to Thetis is not too hard: you get off on the Old Island Highway at 6 Mile Road and simply walk along the latter unlike you reach the lake.

The return is a bit more difficult because you have to cross the street. Worse still, you have to cross the Old Island Highway on the side of 6 Mile Road furthest from the bus stop because there’s no crosswalk nor walk signal on the other side.  It’s very easy to miss a bus while waiting for the lights to turn, because if the bus slips byu just before they turn, you’re too far from the bus stop.

Here’s a little trick though that will increase your chances of dealing with the lights.  A little ways before the lights you go a bit uphill, and then you have a good downhill stretch.  Just before you reach the top of the hill you’ll see the street lights.  The trick at this point is to be counterintuitive: if the light is green, just keep walking to the intersection; you won’t make the light if you’re that far away so you might as well relax.  However, if the light is red, run as fast as you can to the intersection.  Chances are excellent that the light will turn green either shortly before or shortly after you reach the intersection. If the light turns green shortly before you reach the intersection you can probably make it at this point if you keep running, and if it turns after, then you definitely have time to cross.

Once you cross there’s one more road to cross, from one end of 6 Mile Road to the other. I won’t tell you to break the law by ignoring that light; however, cars very rarely enter or leave 6 Mile Road on that side of the road (unlike the other side) so use your best judgement there.