By Staff
April 2, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
It was the second annual Transit Forum and was as well attended as the first last year.
Of significance was that the Director of Transit, Mike Spicer was on hand as was city manager James Ridge. Were they in real listening mode? Hard to tell – the voices setting out the needs and the problems were pretty clear.
Bfast, Burlington for Accessible Affordable Transit, chose not to issue an overall grade for the city’s transit service. It isn’t a pretty picture.
Bfast, the organization that put on the event, issued a report card – it wasn’t all bad – the parts that mattered however were still terrible.
What is the problem with transit in Burlington – Bfast argues that it is funding – thy might be right.
The Gazette will report in more detail in the next few days. The Gazette is the only media in the room – Cogeco had a camera in the room and the Mayor got his couple of minutes. There was a photographer from Metroland in the room as well.
Look at Cities above us, all have major universities and/or Colleges, of those compare where student housing is in relationship to campus location. If the author of this report had spent anytime in these Cities they would see why the differences.
Some of our problems are self inflicted, we force elders including those with walkers in the middle of cold and snow to walk hundreds of feet down an incline from the popular Mapleview mall to Maple Ave to catch a bus that may or may not be on time. All these seniors want to do is get out from the confines of their apartments for a few hours. But no, the City puts up roadblocks by not using the acres of roadways within the Mall property anymore.