By Staff
October 13th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
A solid majority of Burlington’s municipal candidates have expressed support for transit initiatives in a newly published survey conducted by Burlington for Accessible, Sustainable Transit (BFAST). The survey results are available on BFAST’s website at https://bfast.ca.
Sixteen of the 24 candidates for all municipal positions answered the six-question survey, including all incumbents except Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman.
Jim Young with Sue Connor at a community event.
“I was pleasantly surprised by the general support for public transit in Burlington,” said survey author Jim Young. “It will be up to us to hold the elected officials to their survey promises.
“I am also encouraged by the number of respondents who were aware of and advocating for making all Burlington Transit free and who grasped the importance of provincial operating funding and the impact of transit on congestion and GHG reduction.”
The survey asked questions about transit funding, taxi services, Covid relief funding, citizen involvement and transit accessibility.
BFAST is a volunteer citizens’ organization that promotes public transit for its environmental and social benefits. It regularly issues surveys on transit issues to candidates in Burlington’s municipal elections.
While the candidates are on side – there are problems and concerns at Transit. The best transit operator in the province Sue Conner is reported to be leaving the city at the end of the year. It will be impossible for the city to find someone of her talent and stature in the industry.
Add to that the problems in determining just what public transit services will be using in terms of equipment.
Paul Sharman at a Bfast event.
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward accepting a new diesel bus paid for with federal funding.
Diesel is on its way out – but as little as 19 months ago the city was accepting new diesel buses at an occasion where the Mayor was dancing in front of the bus with her council colleagues masked and standing in apparently solemn agreement.
The transit industry is still researching the benefits of electrical over hydrogen.
Connors who will do a lot of work at CUTRIC – Canadian Urban Transit Research – they know talent when they see it
As far Paul Sharman – he never was a transit enthusiast – saw all the problems but was never able to offer much in the way of solutions.
Talk is cheap. Used the Up Xpress,GO and BT yesterday from Pearson. Not hard to see why people would rather use Uber or drive. Signage is either non-existent or pathetic. We talk the talk now walk the walk. John Candy, where are you when we need you (r.ip.)?
We would be far better off to conduct transit survey’s on the citizens of Burlington.
Personally I rarely see any passengers in the buses.Only those that pick up kids after school or GO trains have more than one or two.We would be better off subsidizing Uber fares.Then senuirs could be picked up at the door rather than a cold bus shelter 8 months of the year.
Yes, I will!!!!!