City offers free transit, closes City Hall, discourages group gatherings in parks and more steps to slow the spread of COVID19

News 100 redBy Staff

March 18th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

One of the new buses added o the Burlington Transit fleet. There were busses that had more than 15 years on their tires - those old ones certainly rattled down Guelph Line when I was on one of them.

Ride Free

 

The City of Burlington has announced that Burlington Transit will not be charging ride fares. Free rides will be in place until at least until April 5

Transit users can now only board and exit the bus from the rear doors. This is to help social distancing between transit riders and transit drivers. Customers with mobility devices can still board and exit through the front doors

All Burlington transit vehicles will be sprayed with a long-term disinfectant

The city is also continuing to support the efforts to slow the COVID-19 virus. We continue to deal with a number of items tied directly to the City’s overriding goal of keeping our staff and the public safe and minimizing the spread of the COVID-19 virus by following the advice of our public health officials to increase social distancing.

CITY HALL Cobalt

CLOSED

Effective immediately City hall will be closing facilities and asking staff to work from home with the exception of services that need to be delivered under one of the following categories:

• Are required to meet certain legislative requirements

• Support employee and public health, safety and security

• Enable critical community services and supports, including COVID-19 mitigation and recovery

• Support services necessary to keep essential services operating

• Protect and operate vital infrastructure

• Fulfill contractual, legal and financial obligations

Going forward, responding to emergency situations across all City service areas will be a priority.

Additionally, the following updates are also in place, effective immediately:

• Burlington Transit will not be charging ride fares. Free rides will be in place until at least until April 5

werv

CLOSED

• Downtown Transit Terminal building will be closed

• Customer service can still be reached at contactbt@burlington.ca, 905-639-0550 or on Twitter @BurlONTransit.

• Transit users can now only board and exit the bus from the rear doors. This is to help social distancing between transit riders and transit drivers. Customers with mobility devices can still board and exit through the front doors

• All Burlington transit vehicles will be sprayed with a long-term disinfectant

• Halton Provincial Offences Act Courthouse is closed to the public, this closure includes access for stakeholders, defendants, public and enforcement agencies. Essential services will continue to be carried out and an Intake Court Protocol has been put in place

• Building inspections will be limited and will focus on emergency inspections (vehicle impacts, fire damage, unsafe buildings), footings/foundations, site servicing, exterior (garages, decks, sheds, etc.) so as to ensure social distancing

• For inquiries related to active applications, please reconnect via email with the Building & Bylaw representative who is handling your file

• All sports field permits are suspended until further notice. Pick up games are highly discouraged in keeping with public health messaging about social distancing.

• Garbage pickup in parks is suspended. Residents are asked to take whatever you carry into a park; you also carry out including taking pet waste home for disposal with regular household waste

The best thing residents can do to protect themselves and the community, is stay home.

This situation is evolving every hour and we are continually monitoring. The City of Burlington will continue to keep you informed.

For further information and updates, the City has launched the webpage Burlington.ca/coronavirus.

Mayor Meed Ward

Mayor Marianne Meed Ward

Mayor Marianne Meed Ward said: “The health and safety of our entire community is a top priority and that includes our city staff delivering front line services. The City’s decision to scale back to providing essential services helps slow down the spread of COVID-19 and helps increase the safety of the public and our staff working from home, as well as those staff who continue to provide our critical services.

That’s why we’re closing city hall, offering free transit for the time being, discouraging gatherings in parks and taking more steps.

The Mayor’s Office is working remotely, and we’ll be focusing our attention on COVID-19 related matters, so there may be a delay in our response to any non-urgent communications. I thank you for being patient. The situation is changing daily, and sometimes even hourly, and we’re prepared and flexible to respond. I’ve been getting a lot of messages of support from the community directly and on social media, so please continue to look out for one another and follow the expert medical advice.Burlingtonians are strong and we will get through this.”

Commisso stare

City manager Tim Commisso has been putting in 15 to 16 hour days.

Tim Commisso, Burlington City Manager Tim Commisso, who is putting in 15 and 16 hour days said: “We have the ability to offer many of our services online so working remotely is a vital step towards protecting staff and limiting face-to-face exposure to slow the virus’ progression. I would like to commend staff for being flexible and dedicated to continuing to provide excellent services to the best of their abilities.”

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5 comments to City offers free transit, closes City Hall, discourages group gatherings in parks and more steps to slow the spread of COVID19

  • Albert

    Free Transit? Who’s going to pay for all those “Transit Operators” Bus Drivers that appeared on the Sunshine List yesterday, How many hours are theses guy putting in to make $115k?

  • Jim Barnett

    The downtown transit building will be closed! Some hub critical mobility in Burlington!

  • P Clark

    They should be looking at eliminating peak pricing times for power usage at Burlington Hydro. This will be real, tangible help for most families. Who is riding the bus right now?

    • Alan

      The City does not control Hydro pricing, Only the Ontario Energy board or an act of Cabinet can get rid of Time of Use Pricing.

  • Greg

    Free transit? How does that help? Are we encouraging ridership when the Provincial Government and Federal Government are discouraging?

    Why are we not cleaning up garbage in parks? People will not follow the idea of taking out what you take in. You’re going to create a different health emergency.