Elections
The City of Hamilton has committed to doubling transit ridership by 2020. Do you support this goal? If so, how would you realize it?
Responses to the question: "The City of Hamilton has committed to doubling transit ridership by 2020. Do you support this goal? If so, how would you realize it?"
In This Page:
10 Candidate Responses (top)
| Ward 02 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Brief Response | Full Response |
| Caplan, Marvin | Yes | I support doubling the ridership on Transit. It can be done in several ways. If we become more efficient in other parts of our finances we can maintain prices which will also increase ridership. Expanding transit pass programs such as the ones at Mac & Mohawk. We should be assisting those on low incomes by reduced rate passes as well. Bus lanes and bus priorities will all help as well. |
| Casey, Paul | Yes | I absolutely support this, but we need to jump on it now. Efficient and inviting Mass Transit (I don't like the term Public Transit as it can infer it is only for citizens that do not have a choice but to use it, instead of describing a system that is built to effectively move people from where they are to where they want to go) is one of the cornerstones to the redensification of downtown, and will be the arteries of the city, particularly as gas prices rise and congestion gets worse.
I would motion for a pilot project to actually reduce transit fees by by 10% for 1 yr. Yes it would reduce revenue, however I believe that increased ridership would offset that and it would prove that people would return to an affordable transit system Cost is not the only thing however, we must push forward with LRT ASAP, increase the reach and frequency of service and make it scalable (more people at a transit stop than the bus/train can fit, another shows up within 10 minutes even if it is not scheduled for an hr) |
| Castle, John | Yes | Let's hope the light rail proposal (whatever that is) gets built. |
| Coleman, Shane | Yes | I support the goal to double transit ridership. As a society we need to expand our use of alternative transportation. I know through my downtown revitalization programs we will see a great increase in the number of people living downtown.
The trends are that many baby boomers are retiring, and they would like to live downtown if we could create a good environment. We have many international immigrants and students coming and they too prefer to live downtown. It is time we clean up our image and we will see Hamilton thrive once again.I will support the LRT program. It has proven very successful in Calgary. I however do not support the current councils idea of driving parking prices up to $20 so people will take public transit. That will just keep people away from the downtown. |
| Farr, Jason | Yes | Easy - gas will be through the roof in no time.. it's a welcome option - especially if we grow jobs and livability in the core. Also, the Green theme grows like corn in the summer of 2010, the youth are much wiser than we give them credit for - they are our future, and they are already respecting this planet at a level greater than any generation before |
| Geleynse, Martinus | Yes | Ridership of public transit should rise along with the much-needed increase in residential intensification in the downtown area. Implementation of the LRT is crucial, and would certainly go a long way in attracting both riders and increased investment in our public transit infrastructure. Furthermore, I would like to see a fare-free zone implemented in the downtown area - similar to the "Free Rail Zone" in Portland. This would allow riders to access public transit at no cost in certain areas, and subsequently encourage increased ridership. Finally, I would also like to see a decreased or eliminated fare option for people on OW and ODSP. By absorbing the semi-soft cost of increased ridership of people on OW and ODSP, we could encourage ridership while empowering people to break from the cycle of poverty through affordable/free access public transit. |
| Gentile, Matteo | Yes | I do support this goal. We need to get more people involved in mass transit to reduce emissions. We also need to get the HSR or LRT by then to be a self-sustaining entity. We cannot continue to fund its losses. Mass transit needs to be more affordable for seniors and students and needs to incent car owners to take it. We need to expand the grid making HSR more accessible to all areas of the city instead of the predominantly main corridors it now focuses on. |
| Ielasi, Pat | Yes | Yes I definitely support this initiative. To achieve this we must make public transit affordable, accessible, and timely....
First, Evaluate and assess the current Bus routes and schedules, rework those routes that are not self sufficient and relocate both personal and buses to other areas, including Ancaster, Stoney Creek, Flamborogh, and Dundas, and Binbrook so that every member of our community has access to public transit. Secondly, created a Public Transportation Hub the include the Go Train, the Bus Station, and City Busses, all stopping at a centralised location, This might elevate some of the almost 35,000 commuters that travel to the GTA Daily and greatly reduce the emissions from the congested QEW and 403 highways. If Public Transit is ACCESSIBLE, AFFORDABLE AND TIMELY, people will be more likely to take it. |
| Janjic, Ned | Yes | Of course, I support this goal. Right now our transit system is perceived as a 'last resort' means of transportation. People should not have to make excuses for taking public transit. We've got to change that mindset to reduce the number of vehicles on our roads and make our core more of a destination, as it is in many other cities. |
| Jelly, Matt | Yes | The first task is a rethink of our transit service and routes. This is best achieved by talking to the people who use transit - what are their needs? And we must talk to the people who don't use transit - why don't they use transit? Only then can we build a transit system that reflects people's actual needs and not their perceived needs. Consistent with the use of open source data, I believe we need to open the HSR run time information and routing to the community. Let the community program the apps to assist transit users and to look at routing choices. I favour LRT and its immediate implementation.
I believe we need to support key transit users such as seniors, OW, and ODSP recipients with transit passes at no cost. Our social safety net must include additional funding for transit for workers as well so that the transition from support to independence isn't chewed up financially by the cost of going to work. I also favour transit support through employers so that they can provide transit subsidies to their employees - this reduces their parking requirements at their job sites. Finally, we must have long term sustainability of our pass program for post secondary institutions. |
Response Summary (top)
| Brief Response | Count | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 10 | 100.0% |
| No | 0 | 0.0% |
| Maybe | 0 | 0.0% |
9 Candidates Have Not Responded (top)
| Ward 02 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chiarelli, Diane | ||
| Deans, Ian | ||
| Ferguson, Lloyd | ||
| Hess, Erik | ||
| Jones, Hoojung | ||
| Lescaudron, Dawn | ||
| Novak, James | ||
| Pipe, Charlie | ||
| Wright, Kevin | ||
