Raise the Hammer

Public transit is a vital resource to urban living and is not "for the poor" but for anyone wishing to travel through the city without having to have a car. The reason HSR is not making money is it has this unfair stigma attached as well as the car having a certain kind of success status.

Further investment has lagged behind in Hamilton and so service is not what it could be. A most recent example is the use of gas tax money. While most cities put into their transit system we did not. We increased fares and lowered services and spent the mmoeny elswhere. Consequence? less ridership, larger debt and less gas tax coming this year as it is based on ridership.

This I am certain will continue unless we make it an issue. So far Di Ianni and Eisenberger refuse to truly make it one preferring instead to tout LRT as the answer to our transit woes without realising we need improvement now as well as a fare freeze if not a lowering to stimulate ridership. I spoke to Mr. Eisenberger about this specifically and he refused to commit and was the person who pushed for a .20 increase which was higher than was finally approved. He also failed to have the gas tax invested in transit.

People need to look beyond dependence on the car and realise there are many quick easy ways to get around without the car. That is not to say it is not needed for many because it is in our current lifestyle especially with a family.

But not every errand requires a car and if more people got behind transit as a viable alternative instead of thinking of it as a form of charity for the poor who cannot afford a car, this city would be in better shape.

LRT fortunately does not have the same stigma but is still distant and bus transportation will remain. Regarding Bratina's statement of a north/south LRT, I do not think it is about shying away from the East/West issues but pointing to the need we have to also provide N/S transport especially as we exploit our remaining farmland and destroy greenspace to placate Airport interests. If jobs will in fact be there, there has to be a way of getting there beyond the car. Especially since most jobs will likely not be sustainable or enough to afford a vehicle.