LETTER

Rethinking transit

 

It may have been a coincidence, but the Bulletin d’Aylmer (June 27, 2018)  had a front page article about the city looking at a light-rail system for Aylmer and then an editorial about free transit.

Free transit is a tool to reduce traffic tie-ups, not a gift to riders. Some cities are very specific about when the fares are free. In Italy, the city of Bologna has free fares before 9 am and between 4:30 and 6 pm. And Hong Kong actually turns a profit on its transit because the fares are either free or so low ($1) that many people use the buses, and they don’t have the room for highways, freeways – and parking lots.

By stimulating use of buses, the STO will earn more and require less tax money.  

We live in cities and cities require transit of some kind – either inefficient systems like one-person/one-car or mass transit. But you cannot have a city without transit. So let’s look at it as a public necessity and the best way to deliver that necessity in terms of cost, pollution, time efficiency, etc.

I am guessing that Councillor Mike Duggan would be open to these ideas. How about an article about other councillors’ views on transit improvement?  Thank you for raising these important issues. The Bulletin is putting them into the public spotlight.

M.J. Marat, Aylmer