| 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 |
In theory of course I do support “Vision Zero”. A noble objective indeed. “How” we achieve this as a people/Community is the competing conundrum. In my Ward 6 (and quite frankly elsewhere in the City) I have supported and fought for traffic calming measures such as 40km/hr. speed zone signs; installing more Red Lite Cameras/Painting Zebra Crosswalks/extended pedestrian countdown signals/more Intersection Pedestrian Signals (IPS) locations/greater police enforcement; banning heavy trucks off of the Kenilworth Access, etc.. |
| 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 |
Yes I believe the City should be providing even more affordable housing as I’ve supported during this term of City Council as a voting member of the CHH Board. This term of City Council invested $50m. towards that objective. |
| Do you support phasing out area rating for transit? Why or why not? |
Yes |
YES, I support phasing out A/R for transit, as I did for “recreation” and “fire services” since Amalgamation. |
| 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? |
Maybe |
Ironically, I was on City Council after Amalgamation when we took the momentous, controversial step of converting James and John Streets to “two-way” streets. I believe I have continued to support all other requests for “2-Way” conversions for arterial and residential roads, primarily in the Lower City. However, I’m not sure about the future of Main/King/Cannon conversions. |
| 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? |
Maybe |
AODA’s 2025 timeline will be a massive challenge that without Provincial and Federal funding support may not be achievable. |
| 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? |
Maybe |
LRT Completion…Not Necessarily. My preference has always been if given the “choice” I would prefer the $1B. be spent on upgrading our existing infrastructure and expanding our HSR and DARTS services AND allocating any additional $$ towards projects that would provide “Community Benefits” such as the future expansion of the Sackville Hill Seniors Centre. However, at the April 26/17 City Council meeting I supported the EA process continuing with a written submission I read into the record, with the proviso that I “reserved the right to withdraw my support” IF circumstances changed!! The 2007 RRR document always spoke of “building a case for a future LRT” by “increasing ridership on Conventional Transit first”!! Somehow we veered off of that prudently staged plan. However, with the insistence by the now former Provincial Liberal Government that the funding MUST be used for the LRT, I did not wish to lose that huge amount of largess for our City….hence my vote on April 26/17. The “O and M” is also disconcerting to me at a potential annual increase of potentially 1.5% in perpetuity. I also am not concerned about the approximate $100m. spent up to now. I was impressed with President Eric Tuck of ATU quoted as saying in an edition of The Bay Observer this Summer (I’m paraphrasing), that the approx. $100m. spent on a combination of property purchases and conceptual designs could be used for an alternative mode of transportation. The BLAST network ideally should be placed as the priority. |
| 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? |
No |
No, I’ve always believed in “choice” for any individual’s primary investment, that being their home. |
| Bonus question: If LRT goes ahead, what will you do to ensure Hamilton receives the maximum benefit? |
Maybe |
Well, whatever is done, and IF the LRT still goes ahead, let’s hope the campaign to promote the maximum benefits of this project “BEYOND THE CORE” is a heck of a lot better than the feeble, ineffective campaign over the last 3 years since the $1B. was announced to demonstrate the benefits of this LRT!! In my humble opinion, IF circumstances change and the LRT does not proceed, that MAY have been one of the regrets for the staunch pro-LRT advocates. |
| 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 |
Our Local Government has promoted an environmentally friendly City. Strong Citizen advocates in concert with City Council have successfully pushed for greater industry standards on pollution emissions and also many measures have been taken to transform the image of our City to a cleaner, greener, more attractive destination place. |
| 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 |
Yes we should be attracting more young people to live, work and start businesses here. We should continue to target both business retention along with new businesses to our City. Quality of Life is very important and our City has it!! But attracting good paying jobs with a decent availability to esthetically pleasing housing either rental or ownership is necessary too. |
| Do you support improved public transit in Hamilton? If so, what changes do you propose? If not, why not? |
Yes |
I do support improved public transit in our City. Better “running times” and expanded routes, such as has occurred the last few years along Stone Church and Rymal were things I fought for. I also met with the McMaster Student Union (MSU) and the new Leadership of the HSR during this term of City Council a couple of times to understand the “student” needs of getting young people to school from the East Mountain to their post-secondary institutions. |
