Elections

Ela Eroglu, Candidate for Ward 1 in Hamilton Municipal Election 2018

Details page for this candidate.

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Candidate Details (top)

NameEroglu, Ela
ElectionHamilton Municipal Election 2018
AreaWard 01
PartyN/A
Votes0
Email ela@elaeroglu.ca
Website https://elaeroglu.ca/
Home905-979-9708
Business
Fax
BioI am Ela Eroglu and I am running for City Council in Ward 1. I am hoping to represent you and be your voice at the City Council to negotiate for the best interests of the community of Ward 1 and Hamilton in general.

I am running for Council because I profoundly care about this community and I know I can make a real impact and represent Ward 1 in a transparent, engaging, and progressive manner with the interests of people always prioritized. For me, it is all about community and leadership, it is not about politics, it is about people.

I am an architect with over 25 years of experience and a leader with a proven accountability and responsibility track record on major projects. I have demonstrated leadership skills and a vision for what Hamilton can be both in Canada and around the globe that I bring to the table and I will be a strong clear voice for the residents of Ward 1 at City Hall.

The residents of Ward 1 will be selecting a representative that will be making decisions on your child’s education, seniors care, the environment, infrastructure and safety in our community. They deserve a hard-working person who is proud of my non-partisan campaign – ready, willing and able to bring solutions to the growing challenges we all face in these critical aspects of municipal life.

On October 22nd I hope that you’ll entrust me, Ela Eroglu, with your vote.

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Responses to Questions (top)

QuestionBrief ResponseFull Response
Hamilton has been experiencing a slow-motion crisis in housing affordability. Do you support an expanded role for the City to provide more affordable housing? If so, what should Hamilton do? If not, why not? Yes Affordable housing and endemic poverty in certain parts of the city are top citywide issue. Housing is a human right and a basic need for everybody. Rapidly escalating rents and the price of housing, with graduates in higher education owing mountains of debt, owning a home is a dream for most families. Every Hamiltonian should have access to safe and affordable housing, and people of all income levels should be able to live with dignity. People should not be living and dying on our streets.

Close to 6,000 households are waiting for subsidized housing and this number is expected to be 10,000 in coming years. If done right, inclusionary zoning will provide opportunities to create affordable, mixed-income neighbourhoods that would help solve the growing housing problem.

Creating a diversity of neighbourhoods with mixed housing is very important to build an inclusive and vibrant city. I would support zoning by-laws that require a proportion of new housing developments to be affordable to low-income families. In Ward 1, I would support mid-density growth along major corridors such as Main St. West and adding extra storeys to the commercial buildings. However, I believe that open communication, engagement and transparency are very important for achieving the desired result.
Do you support phasing out area rating for transit? Why or why not? Yes Ward Area Rating must be abolished. All wards should pay the same rate for services. Every property owner utilizes City services differently. You, at some point, will be paying for services you don’t want, don’t need, don’t use or don’t have close access to. However, the point of these services is not to make every person always need to use them. We live in a community where people of all needs and necessities exist. Living in a community also means that we take care of other people whenever the means are there. This is because communities thrive when every member of society thrives. For example, many people do not have children, and most people do not often need to visit the hospital; however, they still pay the taxes that fund the education and healthcare system. The purpose of these services is to make sure that everyone in society is able to pursue their interests to the best of their abilities. The more people achieve success in a society, the better society does as a whole. Therefore, no matter where you live, municipal services should be provided equitably to all wards in the city and taxed accordingly. We are all one City.
Hamilton has a legacy of multi-lane, one-way arterial streets dating back to the 1950s. Do you support accelerating the conversion of these streets to two-way? Why or why not? Yes Yes, I support the conversion of one-way arterial streets to two-way streets. I believe that the two-way conversion will have many benefits to downtown businesses, especially businesses along the Main and King St. Previously done studies on other similar cities shown that conversion to two-way streets resulted in increased number of pedestrian and cyclists’ traffic due to the improved road condition. Highway like streets in the City is terrifying for pedestrians and cyclists to use. In the short term, local retail stores, restaurants, bars and pubs and other food establishments will benefit tremendously. In the long-term, the impact of the street conversion project would be more significant, especially when the other capital projects such as LRT and intensification along these main routes implemented. It will help stimulate growth.
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act mandates that cities must be completely accessible by 2025. What changes would you make to ensure Hamilton complies with this mandate? Yes Every person has a right to access to municipal and city services without discrimination. The rights of persons with disabilities and their families to use of barrier-free programs, services and opportunities must be protected. Providing for these services are the responsibility of municipal governments. We should look at this issue as a human right and act as such. As councillor I will make every necessary effort to ensure that our City is a place that its policies and practices are consistent. It provides services with dignity and equal opportunities for each and every member of our community.
Since the 1950s, most new residential and commercial development in Hamilton has been single-use suburban sprawl. Do you believe Hamilton needs to concentrate new development within the already-built area? Why or why not? Yes I support the policy preventing expanding the city out onto farmland and instead building "up" on infill sites and intensification. I think it is a good policy and it has a lot of benefits such as optimizing new and existing infrastructure, create complete communities, revitalize downtown, encourages public transit investment and for future employment and economic growth. However, the way we implement intensification policies requires judgment, and respect to the characteristics of the City. Every City is unique and has its own distinctive ecological, geological, historical and cultural values. Hamilton is a beautiful City with unique features of escarpment, lake, history and culture.

Intensification should accompany with by-laws that ensures that building design respects these unique characteristics of the City; creating friendly streets and places that are healthy, accessible, safe; and respecting Hamilton`s rich architectural heritage.
Council has voted dozens of times since 2008 to advance Hamilton's light rail transit (LRT) project, including voting to submit the plan with a full funding request to the Province in 2013, and voting to accept full funding and implementation from the Province in 2015. Do you support completing the LRT plan? Why or why not? Yes I support LRT. I believe LRT will provide accessible, affordable, reliable and comfortable means of public transportation that connects residents not only within the City but provides foundation for future developments. Providing a reliable, accessible and affordable public transportation is vital for our ward as well as for the City as a whole. By investing in our public services wisely we can make transportation, housing and access to arts and recreation affordable and accessible to everyone.
Global warming is an existential challenge facing humanity. Do you think Hamilton should play a role in addressing climate change? If so, what should the city be doing? If not, why not? Yes Climate change is one of the biggest problems facing not just Hamiltonians but all humanity. Hamiltonians are supportive and committed to tackle the immediate threat and to take any necessary steps to deal with climate change. The City should establish itself as a leader in the fight against climate change by setting examples and establishing standards and benchmarks for environmentally-sustainable developments. Unless we act now, it may be too late. We have nothing to lose from keeping the environment sustainable, but everything to lose if we neglect it.
Should Hamilton be trying to attract more young people to live, work and start businesses here, including the 60,000 students studying at Mohawk College, McMaster University and Redeemer University? If so, what should we be doing? If not, why not? Yes College or University grads are a key driver for innovation and vital for economic growth and wealth creation. Skilled work force attracts investors, clients, and creates jobs. Unfortunately, Hamilton loses its students after graduation because of limited employment offerings and opportunities. When we lose highly trained and valuable human capital to a neighbouring Cities we lose our chance of becoming a thriving community. As a city we should be aiming and attracting businesses to create a smart economy rendering sophisticated products and services to clients in Hamilton and around the world. We have the potential with 60,000 well educated vibrant students trained in engineering, technologies and science to become a City that influence the world in many ways. We must invest in our youth for a prosperous future for all.
Bonus question: If LRT goes ahead, what will you do to ensure Hamilton receives the maximum benefit? Yes As councillor, I will ensure that as City we are getting all the benefits that LRT can provide. It is important that LRT to integrate other modes of transportation that links a greater number of destinations and connects all communities. Ensure that it provides mobility to everyone and contributes towards walkable and connected communities. LRT will help stimulate economy and contribute the revitalization effort of downtown by attracting new investors, businesses and bring more quality jobs to the City. Since LRT is green and clean we will benefit from reduced air pollution and reduced noise pollution. In order to get full benefit from LRT it must be integrated with Hamilton Street Railway network, pedestrian connections, cycling routes, bike share system, and other systems including GO Transit that connects Hamilton to the neighbouring cities.
Do you support improved public transit in Hamilton? If so, what changes do you propose? If not, why not? Yes I support the council-approved, 10-year transit strategy that expands our bus service throughout the city and builds LRT. Our transit services were long ignored, and it is time now to re-invest the necessary capital and act. Investing in LRT is important going forward to provide fast, accessible, affordable, practical, and comfortable transportation to our residents and for the future of our City.

Working on addressing the issues that HSR has will be one of my priorities so that it can continue its tradition of offering affordable and reliable public transit to our residents. Additional money for HSR is necessary to improve and upgrade the services and attract more riders.
Do you support the "Vision Zero" goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries in Hamilton? If so, what specific actions would you take to implement this policy? If not, why not? Yes There is no question about it. I absolutely support the intention behind Vision Zero and eliminating traffic fatalities and injuries on our streets. Cycling is in my platform. I believe dedicated, protected bike lanes should be part of every road design. I believe that every road with a speed limits of over 30 km/hr should have a protected bike lane. I will work with other councillors to implement a strategy that includes safe and continuous routes that connects communities across the city and motivates people to ride their bikes more.

Increasing the number of protected bike lanes is vital. Riding on streets mixed with fast moving cars is unsafe and stressful. Protected lanes will help reduce stress not only for cyclists but also for drivers and reduce the conflicts between all road users. It encourages more people to ride their bikes and promotes health. Protected bike lanes and protected intersections are key for biking accessible for cyclists ranging from experienced to those who are just starting. I think it should be mandatory design element for all new road designs and incorporated into the existing roads if possible.