Will employers see improved transit service for their workers - several pilot projects are being worked up.

By Pepper Parr

August 23, 2016

BURLINGTON, ON

As we move into the fall and the workings of the city take on a more business-like manner much will be said about the Strategic Plan and how it is going to guide and direct the growth of the city.

Burlington Director of Planning Mary Lou Tanner

And make no mistake the operating word will be growth. City Director of Planning told council that her department was going to  build “Bold, Smart and  Beautiful.”

One of the four pillars that hold up the Strategic Plan is the City that Moves – which covers everything from more opportunities to walk to the places people want to shop and visit, changes in road lane configuration to accommodate bicycles (see the story on that issue – it has close to 50 readers aroused enough to make comments) and improvements on the public transit file.

Transit, which somehow fell out of favour with this council some time ago and was basically starved for financial resources

Doug Brown and Susan Lewis look over a 1982 copy of the city’s bus schedule.

Doug Brown who knows as much about transit as anyone in this city maintains that “since Burlington Tranit’s inception in 1975, Burlington has never had a first rate transit system. The transit system was good enough in 1982 to attract my family to Burlington. Among the systems good points at that time were: $0.70 fares that were also accepted by the Lakeshore GO bus within Burlington; 15 minute daytime service on the major routes; and a first class terminal on Elizabeth St.

“Since the late 80’s, the under-funding and micro-management of Burlington Transit by City Council, combined with City growth, has led to a long series of service cuts, fare increases, and a reduced ridership base comprised largely of those who do not have access to a car (youth, seniors, low-income, disability).

“I think ridership is probably the best indicator if how well the system is performing. In the mid-80’s the transit modal shore hit a peak of 7% Since that time, ridership has declined to the present 2%. The Ontario Municipal Board has imposed a requirement in our Official Plan that ridership reach 11% by 2030.”

While knowledgeable citizens argue the merits of the public transit system employers have to deal with the hard reality that they are having some difficulty attracting the labour they need due to poor transit service.
When the employers have a problem they go looking for solutions.

Enter the Burlington Economic Development Corporation (BEDC). The minds over there are being applied to the transit problem – especially as they relate to some of the larger employers along the North and South Service roads where transit service is sort of skimpy.

Burlington Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Frank McKeown

The BEDC formed an Employer Advisory group and is working with three different employers (they weren’t identified) to come up with a pilot program.

Anita Cassidy, Manager, special Projects acknowledged that the BEC is working on several possible pilot programs that will get announced in the fall. “We are working on bringing a pilot forward with three different employers” said Frank McKeown, Executive Director of BEDC.

Burlington has the distinct disadvantage of having one of the highest public transit ticket prices in the Greater Toronto Hamilton market area. It is also one of the few city’s that doesn’t use all the gas tax money from the federal and provincial governments to improve the transit system.

It will be interesting to see what the BEDC comes up with in September – something had to be done and transit couldn’t seem to make anything happen on their own.