 By Pepper Parr
July 28th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
This is a seven part series on transit and how Burlington plans to get to the point where the public will take public transit to get to where they want to go in the city because it is cheaper, faster, more convenient and seen as the smart thing to do.
Part 4.
Customer Experience
Burlington Transit already offers real-time trip information and an acceptable level of comfort, accessibility and shelter. However, more in-depth real-time operational information and proactive communication would give passengers certainty and a sense of reliability. Improved accessibility and increasing the provision of shelters help to remove barriers to transit use, making it an option for more members of the community. Finally, enhanced digital connectivity builds on one of transit’s competitive advantages – the ability to dedicate attention to digital devices to get work done and stay connected while travelling.
Customer experience enhancements can encourage new customers to transit and, importantly, keep existing customers on the system.
Strategy 3A: Improve Communications
Beyond real-time trip information, communications regarding planned and unplanned disruptions is the next most important information that passengers need to improve their comfort in using the service.
Burlington Transit currently publishes their planned disruptions on their website, but there is little integration of this information with trip planning services. An analysis of Burlington Transit’s staffing levels and discussions with key staff members have indicated that there are less on-road operations supervisors than necessary to provide full coverage of all services.
While operational recovery from disruptions is paramount, affected passengers need to be made aware of the problem, its outlook and their alternatives as soon as possible. To ensure that customers are aware of the actual operating environment on the routes and services they need to take, a service standard should be set to publish unplanned disruptions on the Burlington Transit website and provide the information to the open data (Google Transit) API within 15 minutes of them occurring. This will require additional operations staff to address disruptions and better communication with Customer Service.
These initiatives align with Burlington Transit’s Strategic Direction #2 (Be Forward-Thinking in how services are planned and delivered), particularly Objective 2.1 (Technology) as they work to harness existing and new technologies to deliver a better customer experience.
Recommendations:
• Establish a new service standard to ensure that all disruptions and unplanned events are
published on Burlington Transit’s website, to the open data (Google Transit) disruptions API and social feeds within 15 minutes of them occurring.
• Hire operations administrative dispatch clerks to support on-road operations supervisors and enhance communications with Customer Service.
• Investigate partnerships with third-party trip planning apps to provide riding assistance to new customers.
Strategy 3B: Improve Comfort and Accessibility at the Stop
 Many of the shelters were in very poor condition – that has begun to change. Piping in music would be nice. To continue to progress towards a more accessible system, Burlington Transit is finalizing a 2019 Accessibility Plan, which forms part of the City of Burlington’s Multi-Year Accessibility Plan 2019-2024. The Accessibility Plan outlines actions to remove barriers and improve accessibility. Many items in this business plan echo initiatives in the accessibility plan, including improved frequency, improved communications and improved links with neighbouring municipalities. The plan also includes a bus stop upgrade program and the additional of real-time information screens at the Burlington GO Station and the Downtown Terminal. In addition, Burlington Transit has recently formalized new bus stop design standards (see Strategy 3C), which define dimensions, access, orientation and other requirements for accessible transit stops and shelters.
Recommendations:
• Continue to implement key actions in the 2019-2020 Accessibility Plan.
• Develop updates to the Accessibility Plan for each year subsequent year during the business plan period.
• Expand the bus stop upgrade program to include accessible shelters (see Strategy 3C).
Strategy 3C: Shelters
A customer’s perception of the transit experience starts before they board a vehicle. One of the first interactions with the system on the day of travel is waiting for the service at a stop. Shelters provide customers with a place to take refuge during inclement weather (rain, snow and strong winds) or shade during hot summer days. They also provide a source of information about the service and a sense of permanency of a transit system, particularly on routes that provide direct, frequent and rapid service.
 Larger, brighter and cleaner transit shelters. Report suggests Transit work with Parks and Recreation on placement – that would be breaking down a silo. As Burlington Transit continues to expand its service and build on the grid-network, the expansion of shelters should be considered as a key part of improving the customer experience prior to boarding the bus. This could involve a number of key actions:
1. Improve Existing Shelters
2. Develop Shelter Placement Criteria
3. Work with the Burlington Parks and Recreation Department to Increase Natural Shelters at Stops
Shelter improvements work towards Burlington Transit’s Strategic Direction #1 (Be Customer-Focused in every aspect of how service is delivered), particularly Objective 1.6 (Accessibility) as can improve the customer experience and accessibility at the qualifying stops.
Recommendations:
• Continue to conduct bus shelter condition assessments for all existing stops with shelters.
• Create a shelter policy, dictating how stops qualify for shelters and how to prioritize the roll-out of new shelters.
• Work with Burlington Parks and Recreation Department to increase natural shelters at stops.
Strategy 3D: Digital Connectivity
One of the benefits to taking transit is that riders are free to engage in activities that are not possible when driving. Staying connected is increasingly important and it is common to see transit passengers using smartphones and tablets during their journeys. To improve the experience of customers using electronic devices during their travels, Burlington Transit could consider providing charging facilities and wifi. This allows customers to use their time more productively while on longer transit routes, access social media and music streaming services and use their mobile devices to access trip planning tools and be informed in real-time of disruptions in the system.
 WiFi on buses can be done quite easily. Do it soon. In the shorter term, implementing USB power outlets on buses and wifi at facilities are relatively simple and effective ways to encourage passenger connectivity when using transit. The implementation of these amenities should be on a pilot basis and focused on routes and facilities with higher ridership, to maximize their usefulness and the amount of feedback received.
Connectivity improvements align with Burlington Transit’s Strategic Direction #2 (Be Forward-Thinking in how services are planned and delivered), particularly Objective 2.1 (Technology) as they work to harness existing and new technologies to deliver a better customer experience.
Recommendation:
• Include USB charging points on all new bus deliveries. Charging ports should be located strategically throughout buses, which could be assigned to a single longer-distance route or used throughout the network. Customer feedback and uptake by route and time of day should be collected to optimize the number and location of charging points on future deliveries.
• Implement a wifi pilot at major stations and transfer points (excluding GO Transit stations).
It has been a long long time since the words “customer experience” were uttered in Burlington when talking about transit.
The background report on what could and should be included in the five year plan is sound. Now to get a city council that will take the plunge – do it early in the term and let the public get used to what is coming their way.
Part 1: Transits five year plan has what some might call an over abundance-of wishful thinking
Part 2: Strategies and recommendations to create the needed structure and delivery model.
Part 3: Making all the parts fit.
 By Pepper Parr
July 28th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
One of the really big issues during the October election was that city council was not listening and that city staff weren’t much better at listening either.
There were enough of the 40% of the population that took the time to vote who saw it that way and put in a very different council.
What has taken place within the halls of city council since the new council took over? Any positive changes? Actually yes.
The group re-examining the downtown policies in Burlington’s adopted Official Plan reached out to a number of groups asking them to take part in the creation of an engagement and communications plan that included key groups of citizens and community organizations.
In their reaching out they said: “Over the next few months, the City of Burlington is re-examining the downtown policies in the City’s adopted Official Plan. City staff have direction from Council to engage the community in this work.
“To make the engagement plan the best possible, we need your help to create an engagement and communication plan that will encourage a broad section of the community to participate and have their say. In re-examining the adopted Official Plan, the City wants to hear from all interested in the project and/or affected by the outcome, including those that were not represented in the previous engagement on the adopted Official Plan.”
In their first meeting with groups they set out the direction they wanted to go. “For today’s discussion, there are a few things that are helpful to remember. Council has directed staff to complete the re-examination, including the following project milestones:
    
The staff people leading the sessions began by seeking “input on the development of the engagement and communication plan.” Statements like that were not heard all that often. Thee Gazette is aware of at least one meeting with members of the community and a group of planners where a senior staff member shouted at one of the participants.
In the outline material people were given at this session the staff facilitators said: “Now that you know what is up for discussion, we also want you to know what is not up for discussion. We think these points are important in order to be up front about which aspects of this process cannot be influenced.
1. The re-examination is focused on the downtown only, not the whole city
2. Planning policy is guided by legislative requirements, such as Provincial Policy Statement, provincial plans including Urban Growth Centre policies, Halton Region Official Plan, Bill 108, Big Move/Metrolinx
3. The scope of work, timing and resources including the terms of reference, has been approved by Council through a staff report that includes the development of two land use scenarios as a starting point for the conversation with the community
4. Previous development approvals will not be revoked
 Coming up with a plan that creates a way to communicate with the public that wanted change in the way thee downtown core is grown in the future. 5. The proposed downtown plan and policies must be developed with the objective of being able to withstand possible appeals to the LPAT
6. The basis of the re-examination is the adopted Official Plan, not the current, in-effect Official Plan
7. The Interim Control ByLaw (ICBL) Land Use Study is a separate study
8. Halton Region is the authority that approves the City’s Official Plan and decides whether to approve any modifications endorsed by the City
9. Modifications must be endorsed by City Council by March 2020
10. The City doesn’t have control over the speed of change related to development, e.g. developers are guided by market forces.
The Scope of Engagement was explained:
“Through discussions at Council meetings, Council has identified a list of topics that need to be included in the engagement with the community. These topics are listed below.
 This is what citizens didn’t want. • The height of buildings
• Density of development
• Location of intensification
• Degree of change
• Options and trade-offs
• The development of policies that ensure development respects and maintains downtown Burlington’s identity/sense of place, and its role as a shared core area for all residents of the City
 Is this what the downtown core is going to look like – how will it relate to the rest of the city? • How the downtown connects/relates to the rest of the City
• The use of mechanisms to achieve desired amenities and infrastructure (including office space, retail space, affordable housing, seniors’ housing, parks, open space, street trees, public spaces)
• The approach to policy development, e.g. the use of strictly defined development maximums or flexible development ranges
• Compatibility with established neighbourhoods that surround the downtown
• The development of policies to protect the waterfront, small retail spaces, and cultural heritage resources.
Participants were asked to share their thoughts on the list. They were asked if anything was missing?
The facilitator added: “Looking at the direction from Council, we want to talk to you about techniques, tools and communication approaches that will help ensure broad participation in the re-examination.
One of the exercises was for the participants to develop two land-use scenarios for downtown. They would gather input to develop criteria for the two land-use scenarios which will be used as a starting point for the conversation.
The sessions are taking place from Mid-July – mid-August 2019.
The participants were given a list of engagement techniques
to consider and asked:
 The city used to hold public meetings on budget proposals – they were for the most part city staff telling the public what was going to be done with little in the way of feedback that got much further than the room they were uttered in. The initiative taking place now appears to be an attempt to change the way the city engages its public. • Which of these techniques do you feel would be most successful in gathering representative input from the community?
• Can you think of any others?
• Which of these techniques do you feel would be most successful in gathering representative input from the community?
• Can you think of any others?
“Thinking of the ideas you’ve provided; can you give us some guidance on time of day and days of the week that you think would be the most successful for gathering representative input from the community?
“To provide as many people as possible the opportunity to participate in the re-examination of the downtown policies, can you share ideas for communication approaches and outreach techniques that would be successful in reaching a broad section of the community? Have you seen other approaches that worked well?
“What would a successful engagement look like to you?
“In your opinion, is there any communication approach that should be avoided?
The ideas and feedback that come out of the sessions will be used by City staff to create an engagement and communication plan for the re-examination of the adopted Official Plan.
The approach that has been set out is as good as it gets. All the bases are covered and staff seem to be fully committed to the objective. This is not one of those ‘check off the boxes’ exercise.
During the hectic period during which debates were taking place in all six wards courtesy of ECoB – two Councillors could find nothing decent to say about the organization. Kudos to staff for inviting ECob into the conversations. They earned the right to be there.
Someone at city hall deserves a lot of credit for taking the direction the facilitators are on; it augers well for the kind of thinking that we should see in September.
 By Ray Rivers
July 26th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
“Chocolate milk saved my son’s life” – Andrew Scheer
No that wasn’t the latest idiotic outburst from America’s Donald Trump. This is a serious comment from the political leader currently ahead in the polls going into Canada’s next election. Andrew Scheer is shunning the evidence provided by Canada’s leading health scientists and dieticians and shamelessly catering to the dairy and meat producing industry.
 “Chocolate milk saved my son’s life” – Andrew Scheer Deja vu? You bet! This behaviour should hardly be surprising, coming from someone who was a member of Stephan Harper’s ideologically-driven government. Science and knowledge were considered a potential threat to their lifestyle, or at least their ideology. So show me no evil… Didn’t Harper eliminate the long form census and muzzle government climate scientists?
The Canada Food Guide, which first appeared in 1977, is an integral component of Canada’s universal health care system. As we know, diet and exercise play a huge role in determining the state of our health. And in a publicly funded health care system with limited resources, it just makes sense, economically and holistically, to eat well in order to avoid problems that may land you in the doctor’s office or the hospital.
Former versions of the guide had been criticized by some health professionals as just another piece of advertising for the animal food industries, and thus misleading, inaccurate and past its best before date. A decade later and with a different government at the helm, the new guide has attempted to finally address that criticism.
 Obesity, especially in children, is a major public health issue. Meat and diary are still there but meat is now, along with nuts and legumes, just a source of protein. And water is favoured over milk as the drink of choice. As we know, not everyone can tolerate lactose and not all adults can metabolize milk, which questions its value as the best dietary source of calcium. And haven’t a number of dairy products, including the chocolate milk Scheer feeds his children, been linked to the rising levels of obesity and diabetes in our society?
It is understandable that representing a riding in Saskatchewan, a province where agriculture along with oil and potash make up the economy of the province, that Andrew Scheer would feel compelled to defend farm interests. But not all farmers are dependent on animal husbandry and there are always other agricultural production options for those who currently are.
Scheer has been taken to task for claiming that ideology and not science was behind developing the new food guide. Having only ever been a politician, except for a brief stint selling life insurance, how would he possibly know that? And in fact he doesn’t – he has it wrong. It is he who is the ideologue.
 The new Canada Food Guide is a science-based document which has been extensively researched and was crafted following wide ranging consultations across our society. It has taken a decade for the officials responsible to muster the courage to come forward, break with tradition, and tell it like it is. The guide is signalling that it’s time to cut back on meat and milk and salt and sugar… and fast food.
Something is unhealthy in the state of Canada… and it’s our eating habits. If our reliance on fast food and excessive meat and dairy is normal, then our rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer must be too. If we want to change the outcomes we need to change the inputs, what and how we eat.
To that end the guide promotes cooking at home rather than the ever growing practices of eating out and ordering in. Nothing could be more traditional than that, especially for a staunch ideological conservative like Mr. Scheer.
 Ray Rivers writes regularly on both federal and provincial politics, applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was once a candidate for provincial office in Burlington. He was the founder of the Burlington citizen committee on sustainability at a time when climate warming was a hotly debated subject. Ray has a post graduate degree in economics that he earned at the University of Ottawa. Tweet @rayzrivers
Background links:
Fact Checking Scheer – Misinformation – Canada’s Food Guide –
Food Guide Explained – Industry Concerns – Scheer and Bias –
Milk and Calcium –
By Pepper Parr
July 26th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
This is a seven part series on transit and how Burlington plans to get to the point where the public will take public transit to get to where they want to go in the city because it is cheaper, faster, more convenient and seen as the smart thing to do.
Part 3
Mobility Management acknowledges all the ways that people can travel in a community and all of the different ways that these modes can be operated; bringing them together for the benefit of the customer. While Burlington Transit primary focus over the next years will be the delivery of public transit services, it is important to start investing and rethinking how Burlington Transit thinks about mobility as a whole.
Strategy 2A: Implement On-demand Alternative Service Delivery Models
On-demand transit (or microtransit) is a traditional form of mobility that is experiencing a resurgence with the help of technology. On-demand transit has four components that differentiate it from conventional fixed-route transit:
• Flexible routing and/or scheduling designed based on customer demand;
• Newly-emerged “mobility brokers” who use mobile apps to connect supply and demand;
• Use of smaller, more flexible vehicles; and
• Connecting multiple transportation services to complete a trip (using a mobile app).
On-demand transit can be differentiated from conventional transit in the way that it caters to individual needs. In an On-demand Transit model, the transit service adapts to its customers, while in conventional transit service models, transit customers must adapt to the service offered. In many cases, this provides greater convenience and customization – moving towards some of the favourable characteristics of private automobile travel. On-demand transit offers a level of flexibility, convenience, and individualism somewhere between regular fixed-route transit (“public collective transport”) and private individual transport.
There are several advantages to exploring the implementation of On-demand transit services:
• Cost Effective: On-demand transit services are typically planned in areas where there is low ridership in a larger geographic area. This allows the transit agency to reduce the number of resources required to provide service.
• Improved Coverage: On-demand transit services offer a significant advantage in terms of coverage area. Since the vehicle is not tied to a fixed-route, this increases the number of residents within a five-minute walk of an on-demand transit pick-up or drop-off point.
• Early Introduction of Service: On-demand transit service allows for early introduction of transit service in newly developing areas without committing significant resources to provide mobility for new residents.
 Director of Transit Sue Connor gets out into the community and listens: seen as effective by those who have worked with her and close to adored by her staff who are energized and motivated. On-demand transit services do not entirely replace the need for fixed-route services. Fixed-route transit services require customers to make travel decisions based on pre-set transit routes and schedules. This model is effective when:
• Residents are in close proximity to a service;
• The route provides relatively direct service with minimal deviations that increase travel times;
• Higher frequencies are provided to increase the flexibility of the service; and
• There is a high demand for service between similar origins and destinations, which requires a high capacity vehicle to service.
This initiative works towards Burlington Transit’s Strategic Direction #2 (Be Forward-Thinking in how services are planned and delivered), particularly Objective 2.2 (Alternative Service Delivery), by exploring and seeking to implement on-demand alternative services.
Recommendations:
• Further explore the use of On-demand transit services as a replacement of certain fixed-route services. This should include a review of both dedicated and non-dedicated service models.
• Develop an On-demand transit service model and business case for low demand areas and operating periods, allowing customers to use a mobile app to book a shared-ride demand- responsive service to connect to the fixed-route service. This should coincide with the modifications to the existing route network to more of a grid-like structure (see Strategy 2A).
Strategic Direction 2B: Explore Partnerships with Other Mobility Providers
To address this expanding world of mobility, Burlington Transit needs to continue to evolve and see themselves as not only an operator of transit services, but as a partner and collaborator of sustainable mobility services. This means making it easier for customers to take all sustainable mobility options available to them or integrating services to allow customers to easily transfer between multiple modes.
Over the next five years, it is recommended that Burlington Transit continue to explore partnerships with TNCs, bike sharing companies, carpooling companies, taxi operators and other sustainable mobility providers to promote integration with Burlington Transit services. This could include:
1. Information Sharing and Promotion
2. Data Sharing
3. Trip Planning Integration
4. Service Integration
5. Fare Integration
 What Sue Connor brought to Burlington was an understanding that transit is both a service and a business – one that goes far beyond running big vehicles up and down the streets of the city. She understands what the future of public transit is likely to be – and gives presentations to anyone who will listen. This strategy aligns with Burlington Transit’s Strategic Direction #3 (Be Business-Minded and aligned with municipal directions), particularly Objective 3.2 (Partnerships), by seeking to partner with providers to improve efficiency, systems and lower cost.
Recommendations:
• Expand the role of a senior member of the Burlington Transit administration and management team to include the exploration of partnership approaches with other sustainable mobility service providers.
• Promote sustainable mobility services through awareness, marketing and education campaigns to inform residents of alternatives to driving alone in private vehicles.
Strategic Direction 2C: Integration of Specialized Transit and On-demand Transit Service
A key strategic direction will be to better integrate specialized transit trips with On-demand transit trips. If Burlington Transit uses its own fleet to deliver On-demand transit services, it is recommended that the Specialized Transit logo be removed from all its specialized transit vehicles, replaced with a Burlington Transit logo.
This will allow the same vehicle to be used to provide both specialized transit and On- demand Transit Services. The goal is to provide more flexibility in utilizing the right vehicle for the right type of trip, irrespective of whether a customer is registered for specialized transit service. This strategy helps support the integration of customers on vehicles that were traditionally reserved for specialized transit customers and will allow for more efficient scheduling and increase the available capacity to all Burlington Transit customers.
Under the integrated service model, a vehicle used to provide specialized transit service can also be used to provide On-demand transit service, and vice versa. This means that the services would be “co-mingled”, and specialized transit and On-demand transit service customers may share vehicles if it provides greater efficiency in the delivery of their trips. The decision to integrate trips will be based on the ability to utilize existing in-vehicle capacity and provide a better level of service to customers.
It should be noted that specialized transit will continue to operate as a core service for registered customers and any integration with On-demand transit service should not reduce the level of service for registered specialized transit customers.
Integration helps to achieve Burlington Transit’s Strategic Direction #3 (Be Business-Minded and aligned with municipal directions), particularly Objective 3.3 (Efficiency), as it allows for the delivery of similar on-demand services to combined, thereby reducing unnecessary administrative and operational duplication.
Recommendations:
• Explore the concept of integrating specialized transit services with On-demand transit services. A prerequisite of this approach is demand-response software in place to support the functions required by customers and staff.
Part 1: Transits five year plan has what some might call an over abundance-of wishful thinking
Part 2: Strategies and recommendations to create the needed structure and delivery model.
 By Staff
July 25th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Are you now using those scanning machines in the Supermarket?
And do you have to call the attendant for help?
I avoided the things until I got tired of waiting in the lines at the cash register, which were getting longer – and I always seemed to be behind someone who had a cart loaded with products.
I slowly took to the self-serve scanner – and I am getting to the point where I don’t have to get help all the time.
 If the scanner gets it wrong – you get a bous for catching the error. One of the things that you can’t do with the scanner is point out an error in the price on the product and the price that appears when the scanning is done. What do you do then?
Call the attendant and he or she will make the adjustment – BUT there is more they are supposed to be doing for you.
There is a Scanning Code of Practice that was created in 2002 and is managed by the Retail Council of Canada.
When a mistake is made the retailer is required to give you one item free of charge when the scanned price at the checkout is higher than the price displayed or advertised by the store – and the products price is $10 or less.
If the product is higher than $10 retailers must give you a $10 discount off the correct price.
If you find there is an error bring, it up with the manager – who probably will not know about the policy.
Print out this story – write your shopping list on the back of it and keep it handy. Tell the store manager to give the Retail Council of Canada a call and then to call you and give you what you deserve.
Buyer beware.
The Gazette will be sending a copy of this store to all the major Supermarket managers.
The contact at the Retail Council of Canada is:
Sarah Brown
Social, Media and Email Specialist
sbrown@retailcouncil.org
416-467-3777 or 1-888-373-8245
By Pepper Parr
July 25th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
This is a seven part series on transit and how Burlington plans to get to the point where the public will take public transit to get to where they want to go in the city because it is cheaper, faster, more convenient and seen as the smart thing to do.
Part 2:
In setting out the plans for creating a more effective transit plan a number of growth strategies were made the focus for staff over the next five years.
These reflect the Burlington Transit the vision, mission and strategic directions noted in the policy framework and will be supported by an updated organizational structure and an implementation and financial plan. These growth strategies are organized into the following themes:
1. Service Structure and Delivery
The Strategies and recommendations to make this happen are set out below.
2. Mobility Management
3. Customer Experience
4. Travel Demand Management
1. Streamline Service Structure and Delivery
The way services are structured and delivered defines the primary customer aspects of any transit system. Where services go, how often vehicles are scheduled, how long the trip takes, how accessible are stops, and how the service is delivered (focus on customer service) are all key factors in residents choosing not only which services to take, but if transit is an option for them at all.
There are a number of strategic directions that will be implemented over the next five years to move towards this ridership growth target. These are described in more detail below:
Strategy 1A: Move to a More Direct Grid-Based System
Burlington Transit has already recognized the benefits that grid-based systems can bring and is making its first steps towards this goal in its September 2019 service change. In order for the grid network to be successful, there must be continued emphasis on:
• Intensification of land use along the arterial roadway network;
• Connectivity to the arterial grid to expand the market within a five-minute walk of the network;
• Improvements to the pedestrian environment at and connected to bus stops; and
• Investments in service levels to limit waiting times for customers that must now transfer between two arterial routes.
 The current route system is not working – it was designed for a different time.  A grid route system will mean a significant realignment of vehicles and something people will have to get used to – but it will solve a lot of the current problems. The Burlington Transit network was developed largely on a grid arterial system, focused on key population and employment areas, with links to the GO Rail network.
Key north-south corridors like Brant and Walkers link the established southern areas to growing northern areas.
Such grid systems allow for more direct routes on arterial roads that are faster, resulting in quicker journeys that attract more riders. While there is a role for local services, the focus of Burlington Transit’s future investment should be on services where they can generate the greatest ridership per invested service hour.
This service realignment works towards Burlington Transit’s Strategic Direction #3 (Be Business-Minded and aligned with municipal directions), particularly Objective 3.1 (Effectiveness), in ensuring that services operated are as effective as possible. Where gaps are left in the network, alternative service delivery options (Strategy 1A) should be explored as a more cost-effective solution to fill them in.
Recommendations:
• Delete circuitous peak-only and after-hours only routes.
• Consider the deletion of circuitous local routes. The removal of these routes should only be considered in concert with the exploration of alternative service delivery options (Strategy 1A).
• Strengthen key arterial corridors and connections to GO Transit stations. Focus on east-west connectivity, with strategic north-south corridors.
Strategy 1B: Increase Service Levels to Support Higher Ridership Growth
Implementing high-frequency service on Burlington’s arterial network may be a challenge given the limited pedestrian connectivity. A number of arterial roads are characterized by rear-lot residential, or long blocks with limited pedestrian connections into interior neighbourhoods.
This makes providing a frequent service on all of the grid-routes a challenge. Since frequency improvements are necessary to facilitate transfers between north-south and east-west routes, Burlington Transit should work with the City’s Planning and Development Department to improve pedestrian connectivity (including road crossings) between arterial transit routes and local neighbourhoods and identify opportunities for mixed-use intensification.
This increase in service levels aligns with Burlington Transit’s Strategic Direction #3 (Be Business-Minded and aligned with municipal directions), particularly Objective 3.1 (Investment), in acknowledging that investment in mobility can improve broader quality of life, achieve economic development and produce environmental benefits.
Recommendations:
• Continue to improve frequencies on Burlington’s arterial grid roads, particularly on the east- west corridors of Plains / Fairview and New, as well as the north-south corridor along Brant.
These corridors are planned to see the most mixed-use, commercial and high density development in Burlington’s Official Plan (2018).
• Work with the City of Burlington Planning and Development Department to increase and enhance pedestrian connectivity between arterial transit routes and local neighbourhoods and identify opportunities for mixed-use intensification along arterial routes.
Strategy 1C: Introduce Transit Priority Features to Improve System Reliability
Transit signal priority works by prioritizing the flow of transit vehicles at controlled intersections. Transponders are fitted to vehicles, which notify traffic light systems of their presence, and request that a green light be extended when transit vehicles are delayed (passive transit signal priority) or that a dedicated signal phase is dedicated to an approaching transit vehicle (active transit signal priority).
Queue jump lanes are transit-only lanes on the approach to, and immediately after, intersections. These lanes allow transit vehicles to ‘jump the queue’ at intersections when they are paired with an active transit signal priority features.
 Queue jump lane – it’s a unique idea – and will certainly improve the flow of traffic for buses – drivers in cars will not like it – but we are moving to an occasion when cars ‘share’ the road. Queue jump lanes and signal priority would be appropriate treatments for important transit arterial routes that see less delays and travel time variability, or operate less frequently. Such corridors include Guelph Line north of the QEW or Appleby Line.
Burlington Transit has already undertaken investigations to pilot transit signal priority on the Plains / Fairview corridor. It is intended that this corridor will act as a pilot for the future implementation of such a system across the broader network. This pilot will be implemented in the first year of the business plan and it is expected that an expansion of transit priority measures will occur within the five year life of the plan.
In addition to potential transit priority measures for Burlington Transit services, Metrolinx’s 2041 Regional Transportation Plan includes transit priority along Dundas Street to central Burlington and Frequent Regional Bus services using HOV lanes on Highway 407.
While these measures are focused on regional trips, the Dundas Street priority will also provide direct benefits to Burlington Transit.
This increase in service levels aligns with Burlington Transit’s Strategic Direction #1 (Be Customer- Focused in every aspect of how service is delivered), particularly Objective 1.1 (Service Excellence) and Objective 1.3 (Travel Time) by exploring transit priority measures to achieve faster and more reliable journeys. It also aligns with Burlington Transit’s Strategic Direction #2 (Be Forward-Thinking about how Services are Planned and Delivered), particularly Objective 2.1. (Technology) by exploring new technology to improve reliability and travel time.
Recommendations:
• Implement currently-planned pilot transit priority project on Plains / Fairview corridor.
• Conduct a study of transit priority needs in both the short and long term in Burlington. The study should include a prioritization of potential projects following the pilot.
• Initiate discussions with Metrolinx and advocate for the implementation of transit priority on Dundas Street and Brant Street as part of the overall Dundas BRT project. Ensure that their plans align with Burlington Transit’s needs and complement other transit priority projects.
Strategy 1D: Improve Connections to the GO Transit Network
Services from these stations connect Burlington to Toronto as often as every 5-10 minutes during peak periods and every 30 minutes during non-peak times. Limited peak service is also provided to Hamilton. Almost all of Burlington Transit’s routes currently connect to at least one GO Station, providing a logical transfer point between Burlington Transit routes and links to destinations outside of Burlington. Between 3 – 12 percent of GO Rail passengers in Burlington use Burlington Transit to connect to GO Rail services at each of its stations. This suggests that there is room to grow this market to reach Burlington Transit’s ridership growth targets.
By 2025, Metrolinx plans to improve all-day frequencies on the Lakeshore West Line between Aldershot GO Station and Union Station to every 15 minutes, as part of the “Regional Express Rail” initiative. This will also see travel times between Burlington GO and Union Station reduced by up to 19 minutes, as well as 2 minute savings between Burlington GO and Appleby GO. Regional Express Rail will increase the attractiveness of the service for trips to Union Station as well as other mid-line stations along the Lakeshore West line.
This partnership works towards Burlington Transit’s Strategic Direction #3 (Be Business-Minded and aligned with municipal directions), particularly Objective 3.2 (Partnerships) as it seeks to achieve better and more cost effective options for passengers by working with other transit providers.
Recommendations:
• Improve frequency of direct connections to GO Rail stations with the introduction of RER.
• Explore on-demand alternative service delivery strategies to connect to all GO Train trips that do not conveniently connect to a fixed-route Burlington Transit bus.
• Explore integration opportunities to better utilize the RER network for local express trips within the City. This should include improvements to trip planning tools, marketing and communications and well as service integration.
• Investigate the implementation of a fully-integrated single fare with GO Transit. This would require local trips to be priced on the basis of distance.
Strategy 1E: Increase Service Integration with Neighbouring Transit Systems
There is also a significant travel demand between Burlington and Hamilton and Burlington and Oakville that should be addressed as a key strategy to grow ridership. This can be done through improved coordination and service integration that will reduce duplication of service and create a more seamless experience for the customer.
Burlington Transit already offers a level of fare integration with its neighbouring systems. Transfers from Hamilton Street Railway and Oakville Transit are accepted on some services, both in paper form or automatically calculated by Presto. As part of increased utilization of and integration with GO Train services, there exists the opportunity to further reduce fare friction in the region, by adopting a single fare system across multiple systems.
There is an opportunity to strengthen and add to these links with Hamilton and Oakville through service integration. Such a shared service model could provide Burlington with cost savings for the provision of services at its borders and improve seamless passenger connections.
This initiative aligns with Burlington Transit’s Strategic Direction #3 (Be Business-Minded and aligned with municipal directions), particularly Objective 3.2 (Partnerships) as it seeks to achieve better and more cost effective options for passengers through working with other transit providers.
Recommendations:
• Meet with HSR and Oakville Transit to identify opportunities to further integrate services through sharing and coordinated timetabling and routing.
• Investigate the implementation of a fully-integrated single fare with neighbouring systems and GO Transit (see Strategy 2D). This would require local trips to be priced on the basis of distance.
There is some very solid thinking set out in this part of the background on the Burlington Transit five year plan.. Burlington has not seen this level of professionalism applied to transit before nor has the phrase “Be Customer- Focused in every aspect” been part of the language used as a guiding principle for transit in Burlington.
That phrase alone justifies the years of advocacy on the part of Bfast for better transit service
Part 1: Transits five year plan has what some might call an over abundance-of wishful thinking
By Pepper Parr
July 25th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Well this is interesting.
The Compliance Audit Committee held a meeting Monday afternoon at city hall at 3:00 pm.
The Compliance Audit Committee is in place to review complaints over the way candidates financed their election campaign.
What makes this meeting of interest is that the committee was looking into two election financial returns.
There was an:
Application for Compliance Audit of the Gareth Williams election spending report. The Compliance Audit Committee rejected the application for an audit of the Williams spending.
 Rory Nisan used a raffle as a fund raising tool – Luke McEachern didn’t think the rules had been followed. He asked that Nisan’s election spending be audited and the Compliance Audit Committee said yes. There was also an Application for Compliance Audit of the Rory Nisan election spending report. The Compliance Audit Committee granted the request for an audit saying “there was reasonable grounds to proceed with an audit, based on the lack of information provided on the monetary and non-monetary contributions to the Raffle Event.”
Nisan and Williams were ward 3 candidates in the October municipal election. Nisan won.
Luke McEachern filed the request for a review of the Nissan spending siting the following:
Candidate solicited gifts for Raffle for fund raising purposes.
Receipts for gifts not accounted for.
Return of gifts not receipted.
The rules for compliance audits say:
 An elector who is entitled to vote in an election and believes on reasonable grounds that a Candidate and/or Registered Third Party has contravened a provision of the Act relating to election campaign finances is required to complete the application for Election Compliance Audit providing reasons and supporting documentation.
Within 30 days after receiving the application, the Compliance Audit Committee will consider the application and determine if an audit is required or if the application is rejected.
The decision of the Committee regarding whether an audit is required or if the application is rejected, may be appealed to the Ontario Court of Justice within 15 days after the decision is made.
If the Committee grants the audit, the auditor will conduct the audit to determine if the Candidate or Registered Third Party has complied with the requirements of the Municipal Elections Act with regard to election campaign finances.
The auditor will provide a report to the Clerk, the Candidate or Registered Third Party and the Applicant.
The committee will consider the report within 30 days of receiving it and determines whether legal proceedings should be commenced against the Candidate or Registered Third Party.
The process proceeds. The Gazette awaits the outcome – as does the candidate.
The Gazette is also continuing with its investigation of the donation swap that took place between Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns and Ward 3 candidate Rory Nisan. They each donated $1200 to the other’s election campaign.
Related news story.
Ward 3 candidate regrets the fund raising error
 By Pepper Parr
July 25th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
My friend Vince Fiorito, one of the best environmental advocates Burlington has, taught me that there is nothing that comes before the environment – not jobs, not the bank rate, not even who we elect as Prime Minister – without an environment that meets our needs – nothing else matters.
And, he adds, that environment is something we play a very large part in creating; given the climate changes we are going through now – it is clear that we have not done a very good job with some thinking that we are never going to be able to recover if we don’t do what has to be done before it is too late. The planet will go through another stage of extinctions. We have had three so far – the planet survived the creatures on it didn’t.
This time WE are the creatures on this planet.
That lesson – that the environment comes before everything, taught me something – that in every situation, organization or endeavour there are things that have to come first.
After publishing a report on the risks Burlington faces with its labour force the Fiorito lesson struck me.
The only thing that matters at city hall are the people who enter the buildings every day to work for the people that pay them.
Unfortunately those people do not seem to be able to pull together very well. And we aren’t paying them what other municipalities are prepared to pay them.
 Director of Human Resources Laura Boyd In her report to city council Director of Human Resources Laura Boyd spoke of some of the feedback her department had received and added that:
“When the results were further analyzed, it became apparent that communication within the organization diminishes between hierarchical levels.
“Specifically, between the Burlington Leadership Team and the Supervisors/Manager level and then between the Supervisors/Managers level and their direct reports.”
No wonder we are in the mess we are in.
My question was: How long has Boyd known this? Did she send her message up the food chain to the city manager at the time? Did she alert the Mayor?
The Gazette has listened to Ms Boyd report to city council in the past – we never heard before what she had to say earlier this month.
Staff is what counts. It is their energy, their creativity and their willingness to put in that extra effort that makes a city work.
They aren’t putting in the energy apparently, partly because they are not being paid as well as their peers in other municipalities.
Have you ever seen a city staff member wearing a T shirt with the city logo? Not much pride in working for the city of Burlington.
In the past few days we have seen comments from people who once worked for the city. Some comments could be sour grapes. We’ve noticed that many of the people we got to know are no longer with the city.
A major change in the culture of the city’s work force and the way they are recognized is needed. That falls on the desk of the city manager.
 Laura Boyd – Has worked in one city department during her 29 year career. If we have the numbers right Ms Boyd has been with the city for 29 years – which suggests getting close if not eligible for retirement. All her work experience is with the one department – Human Resources – that too might be part of the problem.
In her report to Council Ms Boyd reports that something close to 20% of the leadership positions will see retirements in the near future.
That gives the city manager some room to find the people that are needed to bring the ship of state around and find more favourable winds to move it forward.
Related news story.
Troops are not happy.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
 By Staff
July 25th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington Green has announced their 2019 Photo Contest. Simple to participate.
Take a picture of your favourite tree – send it in and wait for the results.
More detail – if that’s what you need:
1. Snap a photo of your favourite tree in Burlington. *If your photo includes a person(s), or address, you must have their permission to post the photo*
2. Email your photo as an attachment to michelle@burlingtongreen.org between July 8 to August 8 and tell us why it is your favourite tree (in no more than 50 words, please). Please include your full name in the email.
3. Look out for your photo on our Facebook page on August 9.
All entries will be posted publicly and open for voting. The photo with the most “likes” wins!
4. Share the post with your friends and ask them to “like” your photo for a better chance to win!
1. Participants must be residents of Halton Region.
2. All photos submitted to this contest will become the shared property of BurlingtonGreen in perpetuity. Photos used in the future for marketing purposes will include photo credits.
3. BurlingtonGreen will announce the winner on BurlingtonGreen’s Facebook page and website on August 20, with the winner also contacted by email.
By Pepper Parr
July 24th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Work to determine the City’s 2020 budget is underway: some of that early work is yours.
The city wants to know which services are important to you – the city council will read the results of the survey and decide which route they take is likely to satisfy most of the voters.
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward is determined to come up with a tax rate that is lower than the 2019 rate.
Through the budget process, choices are made to ensure the City services provided to residents align with the priorities in Burlington’s 2018-2022 strategic work plan, From Vision to Focus, which is not the same as aligning to the wishes of the residents.
In planning the 2020 budget, the City also wants to hear from residents to learn more about how municipal services are valued and which ones are a priority for residents. To share input on which services matter, residents can complete an online survey at www.getinvolvedburlington.ca.
All the feedback captured through the survey will be shared with Burlington City Council. The survey will remain open until Sept. 20, 2019.
 Director of Finance Joan Ford Joan Ford, Director of Finance explains that: “Each year, the City of Burlington undergoes an annual budget process to create a budget that supports city operations and delivers the programs and services required to maintain the high quality of life we enjoy in our community. We look forward to hearing from residents about the services that are important to them as we begin planning the 2020 budget.”
Proposed meeting dates for the 2020 budget include:
Nov. 4, 2019 Meeting of Committee of the Whole: Budget overview report
Nov. 19, 2019 2020 Budget Telephone Town Hall
Dec. 10 and 12, 2019 Meeting of Committee of the Whole: Budget review and approval
Dec. 16, 2019 Meeting of Burlington City Council: City Council to consider approval of proposed 2020 budget.
In the past the city has held public meetings with various levels of success. In election years the turnout has been exceptional, non-election years it has been less so.
 It was a non-election year and it was snowing – three people showed up for the budget meeting – even though the ice rink next door was packed. The public’s priority was clear.
 It was an election year – the public meeting took place downtown and drew a large audience with great comments coming from the floor.
By Pepper Parr
July 23rd, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
This is a seven part series on transit and how Burlington plans to get to the point where the public will take public transit to get to where they want to go in the city because it is cheaper, faster, more convenient and seen as the smart thing to do.
The world of municipalities is all about planning; trying to determine today what will have to be in place in two years, five years, perhaps as much as a decade away.
While the bureaucrats plan – the ground underneath them shifts.
Burlington is being pulled – kicking and screaming – into a world where they are not going to be able to get around all that well if they rely on their cars – the roads will be plugged – grid lock will be come as relevant as climate change.
Get used to using public transit.
The city is going to have to get itself to the point where it can offer public transit that people will want to take because it is convenient, reliable, reasonably priced and not something a large part of the city’s residents turn their nose up at.
But transit is going to have to meet the challenge if people expect to be able to get around the city.
 Senior citizens gather at a Bfast meeting to talk about the changes they need in transit. The 2024 target identified for Burlington represents a significant rate of growth over past
performance and above what Burlington Transit’s peers have achieved over the past five years. This will be difficult to achieve in a short period of time without significant investment in transit, a focus on customer service and culture change, including a change in how transit services are delivered.
A summary of the Transit Five-Year Business Plan peer review, vision and growth plan initiatives was presented to city council recently.
In the past, the quality of the leadership at Transit was a bit of a joke. The planning that was done could only be described as pathetic.
When the city went looking for new transit leadership they got lucky – Sue Connor who earned a stellar reputation for the changes she made at the Brampton Transit operation took the job offer Burlington made.
 Transit Director Sue Connor Ms Connor had to fight for every dollar the 2014-18 city council grudgingly gave her – but she persevered and prevailed.
Now she has gotten her teeth into what has to be done in Burlington to meet the change that is coming our way.
The Business Plan document will be based on data collected with a focus on the implementation of the growth plan initiatives, including their phasing and financial impacts.
Dillon Consulting, the people who did the background work has asked that Burlington Council provide feedback on these sections, so that any changes may be incorporated into the final Business Plan.
The 2020 – 2024 Burlington Transit Business Plan will guide the implementation of transit service improvements over the next five years. The Business Plan starts with a policy framework that defines a clear direction for Burlington Transit, and clear steps on how to get there.
It is important to note that a Business Plan does not provide details of service or operational planning. The primary purpose of the plan is to ensure individual strategies, projects and activities are aligned and
contributing to the Burlington Transit’s vision and policy objectives. This includes prioritizing and staging key decisions to fit within the City’s financial guidelines.
The Business Plan is also an important communication tool for Burlington Transit that will clearly set out steps required to move towards the long-term direction of the City. Over the next five-years, the Business Plan will form the guiding document in which all other operational decisions and financial budgets should be built around.
A key focus of the business plan is to identify the strategies and resources required to meet transit ridership growth targets. Ridership growth objectives for Burlington were identified in the 2011 Halton Region Transportation Master Plan, which targets a morning peak period internal transit mode share of 13.4 percent within the City of Burlington by 2031.
This represents a significant growth from the 4.6 percent transit mode share that is forecasted to be achieved by the end of 2019 (a 216 % increase in ridership, from 3,209,091 annual rides in 2019 to 10,763,637 annual rides in 2031).
That is an astounding number, there is no sense as to how it can be reached – Connor has set it out as what will be needed if objectives are to be met.
Over the five year life of this business plan, transit mode share is targeted to reach 8.3 percent by 2024, translating to 6,356,818 annual rides (a 98 percent growth in ridership from 2019; or 19.6 percent per year).
To put this into context, over the past five years, Burlington Transit’s ridership growth averaged
1.9 percent per year, while other systems in Burlington Transit’s peer group averaged 4.3 percent per year.
 If there was ever a place to locate a transit terminal – that would be John Street where the only terminal in the city is now located. How will this terminal handle the planned increase in buses? The 2024 target identified for Burlington represents a significant rate of growth over past performance and above what Burlington Transit’s peers have achieved over the past five years.
This will be difficult to achieve in a short period of time without significant investment in transit, a focus on customer service and culture change, including a change in how transit services are delivered.
As illustrated in Table 1, the ridership growth target will move Burlington Transit ahead of many of its peers and in line with peer systems that have U-Pass agreements with post-secondary institutions (e.g. Kingston Transit, Guelph Transit and St. Catharines Transit). This suggests that the growth strategy should not only focus on supply-based solutions (e.g. increasing service levels), but also on solutions that influence demand.
While population growth will also help grow ridership, Burlington’s population is only projected to grow by 3.7 percent by 20311.
Between 2019 and 2024, the population is projected to grow by 3,259 people (from 185,911 in 2019 to 189,170 in 2024). If the existing trip rate (boardings per capita) is applied to new residents over this period, this would only result in 56,255 new rides (1.8 percent of the ridership growth target) being attributed to new residents.
This means that to achieve this ridership target, existing and new residents will need to ride transit much more, creating a greater culture of transit use in the city.
Service Hour and Fleet Investment (2020 – 2024)
To accommodate the planned growth in ridership, Burlington will need to invest in the level of service provided to accommodate both an increased demand for service and to change travel behaviour. This will require an increase in the amount of service and the fleet required to deliver the service.
  The City of Burlington Development Charges Transit Background Study (2019) identifies that Burlington Transit’s fleet will need to grow by 38 vehicles between 2019 and 2028 to meet transit mode share target. Phased in over the five-year life of this business plan, this represents a growth in 19 vehicles by 2024 (from 60 to 79).
Service hours will also need to grow to reach the mode share target. Work by Burlington Transit to support the Development Charges Study estimated that an investment in 100,800 annual revenue service hours is required over the next five years. This represents a 56 percent growth in service levels, which is a little lower than the 66 percent ridership growth, recognizing that ridership growth can lag behind investment by two to three years. The projected fleet, service hour and utilization growth is detailed in Table 2. Ridership numbers were calculated based on achieving Burlington Transit’s 13.37 percent mode share target in 2031, based on the ridership figures used in the Development Charges Study. These targets were used as a guide to determine the growth strategy for transit.
One of the primary purposes of a business plan is to focus actions taken by an organization so they are aligned with the vision, goals and strategies directions of a system. Burlington Transit has a mandate to significantly expand ridership in line with the mode share targets identified in the 2011 Halton Transportation Master Plan.
Forecast ridership is targeted to increase from 3,209,091 trips in 2019 to 6,356,818 trips by 2024. To achieve this growth target, Burlington Transit must provide mobility to residents, employees and visitors of the city. In doing so, Burlington Transit must:
• be Customer-Focused in every aspect of how service is delivered
• be Forward-Thinking in how services are planned and delivered
• be Business-Minded and aligned with municipal directions
This has become a litany for the people over at the transit offices where staff are pumped, engaged and know they have a leader who is going to move mountains if that’s what it takes to make transit work.
What a welcome change.
 By Pepper Parr
July 23rd, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
It was the best offer he was going to get, probably the only offer – but he did convince the lady to let us see what she has in the way of pipes.
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward took James Burchill up on his challenge that they go for a drive in his Smart Car to determine if the training as an opera singer Meed Ward said she had taken amounted to anything.
 She was breaking his heart. It is a very short clip – but she can sing. There is a short ad before the voices are heard – you can skip over that.
Check out the two minute clip.
In a note on her Facebook page, the Mayor said: “It was a great time, and you are a fab duet partner. Next time you get to pick the song (yes there will be a ‘next time’)
By Pepper Parr
July 23rd, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
In his 33 years of puddle jumping Scott Stewart went from Peel Region to Mississauga, to Brampton, then Hamilton, then Burlington, and on to Guelph where they appointed him the Chief Administrative Officer – a job that eluded him for far too long in Burlington.
 General Manager Scott Stewart with Deb Franke of AJ Braun and Craig Stevens discuss the welding of beams for the Pier. Stewart was the General Manager who pulled together the team that ensured the city got it right the second time around. Scott was always a hands on leader. He would spot talent that others didn’t see and grow it, groom it and nurture that talent to the point where it could lead.
Burlington’s city council turned Scott Stewart down twice – he took the hint and went north to Guelph – a city he likes, partly because they own a railway line that Stewart had turned into a competitive advantage for the city.
 Stewart will wear the sweater to the office the day the Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup. Leadership positions within the municipal sector are attained by moving from location to location – taking the experience gained at one and applying it at another. Burlington lost an opportunity when it chose James Ridge over Scott Stewart – look where that got us. Well, it did rid the city of an under-performing council.
As the Chief Administrative Officer Stewart just might have to move from Burlington, a city where he has deep roots.
Salt with Pepper is the musings, reflections and opinions of the publisher of the Burlington Gazette, an online newspaper that was formed in 2010 and is a member of the National Newsmedia Council.
 By Pepper Parr
July 24th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Ashley Worobec, a Burlington based sports chiropractor, is training for the New York marathon on November 3rd; as she puts it “15 weeks from yesterday”.
Ashley is about four weeks into this training cycle. She is very much a half-marathoner and 10k runner and didn’t start a training plan with no fitness under her belt. “I was comfortably running 5-10km a few times per week before training “officially” kicked off mid-June.
 Will Ashley Worobec go through a pair of running shoes while she trains? “I run 4-5 times per week, with one long run per week that will gradually increase in length; this past weekend was 18km with a 37C humidex!
 All the training data she needs is on her wrist. “My longest training run will be in the 36-38km range, and a full marathon is 42.2km- the marathon is unique in this respect, as it’s the only race that athletes go into not having completed the full distance in training ahead of time- the reality is that the risk of injury just gets too high when you get up into those super long runs, so race-day adrenaline and sheer willpower will get me through the last few kms of the marathon.
 The Naval Promenade along the edge of the lake in Spencer Smith Park is ground zero for much of her training – rain or shine Ashley has run five full marathons in the past, including the Boston marathon in 2003. However, she I hasn’t run a full marathon since 2007, and “in that 12-year gap I’ve had two children and have a lot less free time now! I do all of my runs very early in the morning (5:30am meetups with my running group) and that’s how I make it work.”
A lot of people have been asking me how I train through the summer heat, and this is my advice:
1- focus on hydration the day before your run so that you’re hydrated heading into it.
2- bring water with you, or arrange to have access to water fountains along your route
3- start early to beat as much of the heat as you can
4- be mindful of your route and keep in mind that shaded areas, or areas along the lake (with a lake breeze!) are typically cooler
5- don’t worry about your pace per kilometer, just run by feel and listen to your body.
Ashley will be checking in with the Gazette every week. We will follow her on run day as well.
By Staff
July 23, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Once again the Region of Halton tops the 2018 Crime Severity Index allowing it to once again maintain its position of having the lowest Crime Severity Index of all Canadian municipalities with a population of 100,000 or more for the 14th straight year, according to Statistics Canada’s annual report on crime in Canada.
According to Statistics Canada’s annual report on crime in Canada Halton Region has maintained its position of having:
The lowest Crime Severity Index (CSI) when compared to Ontario’s ‘Big 12’ police services;
The lowest Violent Crime Severity Index when compared to Ontario’s ‘Big 12’ police services;
The lowest Non-Violent Crime Severity Index when compared to Ontario’s ‘Big 12’ police services;
Maintained the lowest values for each of these three indices for 11 straight reporting years (2008 – 2018) when compared to Ontario’s ‘Big 12’ police services;
Had the lowest overall crime rate, violent crime rate, and property crime rate amongst Ontario’s ‘Big 12’ police services; and
Had the highest Weighted Clearance Rate* (55.6 per cent) of the same ‘Big 12’ and has maintained the lowest value for this index for five straight years (2014 – 2018).
 Halton Regional Police Services Chief Tanner. . Chief of Police Steven Tanner explains that the statistics are due to the work of our frontline officers and staff and to the support of the residents we serve. It is only because of our strong partnerships and relationships, coupled with our ongoing commitment to our Community Safety and Well-Being plan that we are confident we will be successful in keeping Halton at the forefront of policing and as a leader in public safety in the years that lay ahead. As an organization, we are committed to crime reduction and prevention and to investing in the appropriate resources and community supports to keep our region the very safest it can be.”
The Region spends heavily on public safety which keeps people safe and secure and positions the four municipalities: Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Halton Hills as great places for corporations to set up shop and attract employees who place safety for their children first amongst their priorities.
“The one Crime Severity Index (CSI) result that I am extremely proud of, is the fact that since 2014 we have had the highest Clearance Rate based on the Crime Severity Index. Distilled down, this means that our officers (front line and investigators) are consistently solving serious crimes, and doing so at an increasing rate.
“One of the most effective methods of crime prevention is enforcement, and we will continue to put those responsible for our most serious crimes before our courts and into our corrections system. I want to take this opportunity to offer my most sincere thank you to our many front line and investigative members for their hard work, dedication and commitment that has once again ensured the residents of Halton continue to be as safe as they can be.” added Chief Tanner.
 Police Services Board Chair, Oakville Mayor Rob Burton. Halton Regional Police Services Board Chair Rob Burton said: “Once again these results show the value of our continued and enhanced commitment and investment in Community Safety and Well Being throughout the Region of Halton. Community engagement and support have continued to flourish throughout 2018 as our citizens and stakeholder groups worked in close partnership with our police service to best meet the needs of all.
“My congratulations to our team within the Halton Regional Police Service, and to all of our community partners and citizens on another very successful year.”
Each year, Statistics Canada reports on the number and type of criminal incidents coming to the attention of police. To facilitate comparisons among geographic areas as well as over time, police-reported crime has traditionally been expressed as a rate per 100,000 population. The traditional “crime rate” provides information on the number of police-reported incidents that have occurred for a given population, but does not provide information on the overall seriousness of crimes reported by police. For this reason, the Crime Severity Index (CSI) was developed.
The Crime Severity Index enables Canadians to track changes in the severity of police-reported crime from year to year. It does so by taking into account not only the change in volume of a particular crime, but also the relative seriousness of that crime in comparison to other crimes. The CSI helps answer such questions as: is the crime coming to the attention of police more or less serious than before; and, is police-reported crime in a given city or province more or less serious than in Canada overall?
The Weighted Clearance Rate is the proportion of reported crimes solved by police, factoring in the seriousness of individual offences. Weighted clearance rate is based on the same principles as the Police Reported Crime Severity Index (CSI), whereby more serious offences are assigned a higher ‘weight’ than less serious offences. For example, the clearing of homicides, robberies or break and enters would represent a greater contribution to the overall weighted clearance rate value than the clearing of minor theft, mischief or disturbing the peace.
 By Staff
June 22, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Starting today, 11 municipalities across the GTHA can apply for funding to support new transit projects through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program Public Transit Stream. These projects, including the five transit projects nominated in Toronto and York Region in May could unlock up to $12.45 billion in federal and provincial funding.
The eligible municipalities that can apply for funding are Brampton, Burlington, Durham Region, Halton Hills, Hamilton, Milton, Mississauga, Oakville, Peel Region, Toronto and York Region.
Applications for funding will close on October 24, 2019.
 Federal and provincial governments are handing out millions for new transit services – Burlington qualifies for funding. The Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program is a $30-billion, 10-year infrastructure program cost-shared between federal, provincial and municipal governments. Ontario’s share per project will be up to 33.33 per cent, or $10.2 billion spread across four streams: Rural and Northern, Public Transit, Green, and Community, Culture and Recreation.
Ontario is currently reviewing over 200 applications received by more than 50 municipalities for transit projects outside the GTHA.
The government also nominated 15 major transit projects in the City of Toronto, Region of York and City of London to the federal government for approval, as well as 144 road, bridge, air and marine infrastructure projects under the Rural and Northern stream.
 Director of Transit Sue Connor Burlington Director of Transit Sue Connor has said on more than one occasion that she would like to be one of the first communities in the province to operate an electric bus. This program just might be the funding source she has been looking for.
By Pepper Parr
July 22, 2019
Burlington, ON
It is the document developers just love – it covers a multitude of sins and can almost be used to say whatever you want it to say in a development application.
It was used to devastating effect in Burlington on a proposal for 26 storeys on land zoned for four to eight storeys – the developer got 24 storeys.
That document, the Provincial Policy Statement is about to undergo some changes.
The Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) sets out Ontario’s land use planning direction for:
 … and it was used to justify this structure. The existing Provincial Policy Statement PPS was used to justify this structure …. Managing growth and development;
Ensuring the wise use and management of resources, such as farmland and natural features; and
Ensuring that public health and safety are protected – such as directing development away from flood-prone areas.
Municipalities implement the PPS through policies included in their official plans, zoning by-laws and local land use planning decisions.
The province is holding a 90-day consultation on proposed changes to the PPS. The proposed changes are focused to help:
Increase the supply and mix of housing by increasing land supply for housing to help people find homes close to where they work and give municipalities more flexibility to plan for a range of homes, like single-detached, townhouses, mid-rises and duplexes that meet people’s needs.
Protect the environment and public safety by encouraging transit-oriented development and ensuring municipalities prepare for the impacts of a changing climate while continuing to protect important natural features, including wetlands, wildlife habitat, and the Greenbelt.
Support certainty and economic growth by giving more flexibility to municipalities to ensure areas designated for employment are planned to reflect local needs and to help facilitate the conditions for economic investment, and to ensure that local infrastructure investments are efficiently used, and that protections for transportation and energy corridors for future needs are in place.
Reduce barriers and costs by proposing to add new policies that require municipalities to take action to streamline and fast-track development applications for housing and economic development proposals.
Support rural, northern and Indigenous communities by providing more flexible sewage and water servicing policies, enhancing municipal engagement with Indigenous communities on land use planning matters, and continuing to support the agricultural sector.
The consultation closes on October 21, 2019. Feedback is encouraged and may be sent by:
Submitting an email to planningconsultation@ontario.ca
Submitting comments on the Environmental Registry of Ontario at
https://ero.ontario.ca/pps in response to posting #019-0279
Writing at:
Provincial Policy Statement Review
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Provincial Planning Policy Branch
777 Bay St., 13th Floor
Toronto, ON M5G 2E5
Fax: (416) 585-6870
 By Staff
July 22, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
When there is high quality video available the police have a very good chance of identifying the person.
The people the police want to identify are not always wanted for something they may have done. There are occasions when the police want to speak to a person who they feel may have been a witness,
The Halton Regional Police Service Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Unit (CASA), is currently investigating a sexual assault that occurred in the evening of Canada Day, July 1, 2019. The female victim left “The COOP” restaurant located on Brant Street, just north of Lakeshore Road in Burlington, and accepted a ride with an unknown male party. The victim was sexually assaulted in the vehicle prior to being dropped off at her residence.
 Police would like to identify this witness Through investigation, officers have pieced together a timeline of the victim’s evening prior to being dropped off at her residence. Officers confirmed the victim was in the parking lot of a Shell gas station located at Walkers Line and Mainway between 11:50pm and 11:55pm on July 1.
 Police believe this vehicle may have been used in a sexual assault. Police are asking the public for assistance in identifying this female witness and a blue four door vehicle (believed to be a Mazda). The witness and vehicle were also at the Shell station at that time.
Investigators have determined that this female witness interacted with the victim and may be able to assist police in the investigation.
Police are asking anyone with information regarding this incident to contact the Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Unit – Detective Sergeant Chris Newcombe at 905-465-8965 or Detective Constable Andrea Moss at 905-465-8971.
Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See Something? Hear Something? Know Something? Contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca
By Staff
July 22, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Originally published in Inc. magazine with some local content added.
Phishing scams are nothing new; most of us have heard about the “Nigerian prince” phishing emails that have been showing up in inboxes for years.
 Unfortunately, phishing attacks continue to increase exponentially in volume, and are considered a serious threat to both companies and individual internet users since they can result in devastating financial losses. In addition, phishing emails can be much harder to recognize than many business owners think.
Cybercriminals have resorted to increasingly sophisticated phishing strategies as of late to get recipients to open, click, and share malicious code. And these tactics are paying off handsomely. Business email compromise (BEC) scams are more successful than ever, with losses reaching $2.7 billion in 2018.
Add to that the half a million that was scooped out of the city of Burlington coffers in 2019.
Here are some common phishing trends that business owners should know about and tips for educating employees about them:
What are phishing scams?
 Phishing scams typically consist of emails that seem harmless but are actually intended to trick users into sharing sensitive information. This is often accomplished by encouraging the user to click on a malicious link or attachment. Phishing emails get their name because the hackers are “fishing” for your personal information.
Most phishing emails appear completely legitimate, often by imitating a company’s logo using high-quality graphics and including opt-out instructions. For this reason, it’s quite common for recipients to be fooled, and even large companies have fallen prey to these scams. SiteLock has published a round-up of some recent phishing examples to demonstrate the prevalence of these scams and how to protect against them.
Common Phishing Trends and Techniques
There are many different techniques hackers use to launch a phishing attack. A few of the most common ones are provided below:
Invoice phishing: Invoice phishing scams emails claim the recipient has an outstanding invoice from a well-known company, bank, or vendor. The email instructs the recipient to click on a link to pay their invoice. But when they click on the link and access the site, the hackers steal their personal information and gain access to their bank accounts.
The virus or compromised account: Viruses and compromised accounts cause users to receive an email from a third party company claiming one of their accounts has been compromised. The email instructs them to log in to reset their password or to download a form, fill in their personal information, and return it. However, a legitimate company would never request your personal information through email in this manner.
Payment and delivery scam: This tactic involves sending emails from what appears to be a legitimate vendor asking for a user’s credit card information. They typically claim that your payment information needs to be updated before they will deliver your order. Be very careful with these emails, especially if you haven’t purchased anything from the vendor.
Downloads: Download scams send an email instructing recipients to click on a link. These emails often contain hyperlinks that could download a malicious file onto the end user’s computer. Never click on an email link unless you are absolutely sure that the sender is who they claim to be.
Tips for Spotting Phishing Emails
Although phishing emails often mimic actual companies and vendors, there are ways to detect them. All small business owners and employees should be aware of the following red flags that indicate a possible phishing email:
The email contains links or URLs that direct you to the wrong website or try to get you to access a third-party site that is separate from the email sender.
 Note the url that the email came from – it wasn’t the one the bank uses, Remember – look over email that is not familiar to you – carefully. You receive an email from a company requesting sensitive information which can include your social security number, bank account information, or credit card numbers. Consider these emails suspect and never share your personal information without checking with the company first.
You find an unexpected email in your inbox from a person, vendor, or company that you rarely or never deal with. If this happens, the safest thing to do is delete the email without opening it, as there’s a good chance it’s a phishing email.
The email has obvious errors like typos, poor grammar, or incorrect information. A legitimate email from a company is very unlikely to have these kinds of errors.
The email address of the sender is incorrect, although it is close to the actual email address. This is another common sign of a phishing email.
 Good hackers, and there are a lot of them out there – are combing through your data looking for ways to get into your computer, Phishing scams remain a very common type of cybercrime, and can cause major financial losses to individual users and companies. And phishing emails are much more sophisticated these days, making them harder to detect. If you’re a business owner, it’s essential to be aware of common phishing techniques and red flags and to educate your employees on them.
Related news story:
How much damage cam identity theft do to you? Read how one young GTA resident had to deal with it.
By Staff
July 20th, 2019
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau of the Halton Regional Police have charged a male in connection with thefts of Amazon packages that had been left at the front doors of residences.
 Between July 16 and July 18, 2019, the Halton Regional Police Service responded to several reports of packages being stolen from the front porch of local residences and replaced with empty boxes. The suspect responsible for the thefts was captured on CCTV and appeared to be operating a black Mercedes.
With the assistance of the public and social media, a person of interest was identified. Police confirmed the identity of the suspect and arrested him on July 18, 2019.
Randy Potter (36) of Burlington was arrested and charged with:
-3 counts of Theft Under $5000
-1 count of Fail to Comply with Probation
He was held for a bail hearing which took place on July 19, 2019.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to contact Detective Constable Colin Macleod of the Burlington Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905 825-4747 extension 2357.
Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers “See Something? Hear Something? Know Something?” Contact “Crime Stoppers” at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca
Please be reminded that all persons charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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