sifting through shifting gears

View SHIFTING GEARS CYCLING PLAN in a larger map

opposition to transportation plan in Dundas

Group questioning transportation plan
Craig Campbell, Dundas Star News Staff, Published on Nov 20, 2009

A local transportation advocacy group is not happy with recommendations in the Downtown Dundas Transportation Master Plan, approved by the city’s public works committee last week

Randy Kay of Transportation for Liveable Communities said the group will make comments during a 60-day public review period.

“Having gone through the stakeholder process from the first meeting on this, it feels to me like it was put together by people who don’t walk or cycle in town,” Kay said.

In a letter submitted to the public works committee, Kay stated the group feels its comments contributed during the lengthy master plan process have not been properly addressed.

In a detailed, three-page summary originally submitted a year ago, Kay states “road widening, vague and non-committal talk of transit improvements, and further delays in implementing the long-overdue cycling improvements are the order of the day.

“This is not the emphasis we desire, nor expect.”

More specifically, the submission opposes the recommendation to widen Governor’s Road to four lanes, with no evaluation of TLC’s suggestion to close Ogilvie to cars at Governor’s Road. The group also opposes a recommendation to widen the Hatt Street/Memorial Square intersection, and questions several aspects of the master plan.

The recommendations include changes at nine different Dundas intersections.

Details on how the public can participate in the 60 day review of the Downtown Dundas Transportation Master Plan were not available by deadline.

The report still needs approval from Hamilton city council.

paradigm shift needed for transit

CATCH Articles:

Study says HSR should be expanded

Nov 09, 2009

A comprehensive operational review says the HSR needs to add ten to fifteen buses a year to achieve the city’s transit goals. It also suggests ways to improve Hamilton’s transit system and offers ideas on modifying existing bus routes and service frequencies.

The year long study by IBI Group was commissioned by the city and tracked ridership at all 2264 stops on the HSR’s 32 routes and compared the results to other communities. A summary was given verbally to councillors in a slide presentation on October 29, but the full document has not yet been made public.

The slides say that the HSR is “performing well … given financial and other constraints” but warn councillors that “there are no magic bullets to grow transit ridership without incurring increased costs”. The consultants argue strongly that more spending is what is required.

“A paradigm shift is needed in city thinking and decision making to make transit a priority,” said IBI presenter Brian Hollingsworth. “The HSR is at a crossroads. All policies and plans call for continued growth, but continued financial constraints are a barrier.”

Hollingsworth pointed to the Vision 2020 goal of 100 rides per person per annum by 2020, and the target of the city transportation master plan to reduce vehicle use by 20 percent by 2030. The provincial and federal governments are also supporting transit improvements with gas tax monies.

He noted that HSR ridership is currently at 45 rides per capita per year, down from 47 in 2008. To achieve the 100 target “would require a doubling of service hours and associated funding increases”.

“HSR should be adding 10-15 buses per year to meet this target by 2021,” says the summary, but notes that “concentrating future population and employment in existing transit corridors and other transit supportive policies can reduce the need for service expansion” in meeting city targets. These policies include promoting infill and higher density, reducing parking requirements, and “controlling sprawl of commercial (i.e. big-box) development”.

The study also contends there are good reasons to improve transit services including the “high cost of owning and operating private automobiles” and the fact that gas tax funding for the city “is tied to demonstrated progress on ridership growth.” It also notes that transit promotes economic development because “increasingly companies are seeking to locate in cities that have high levels of transit accessibility.”

While praising the overall efficiency of the HSR, IBI notes that average fares are low because of the large number of riders getting discounted or free trips. They calculate that “44 percent of all passengers have a discounted fare other than an adult monthly pass” and note that “free boardings for persons with personal mobility devices are potentially subject to abuse.”

Reducing this fare “leakage,” IBI suggests, could be an alternative to fare increases. And they urge “discounts for social programs should be treated as such and not funded entirely from the HSR budget.”

Other ideas for savings include “implementing transit priority in the King-Main corridor” which IBI calculates could significantly reduce the number of required buses – each of which costs the HSR $300,000 a year to operate.

Maps in the presentation show possible changes to bus routes and service frequencies as “for discussion”. At the request of city staff the IBI findings have been referred to the transit department for review and a future report to committee of the whole.

cycling staff

CATCH Articles:

Cycling job made permanent

Nov 16, 2009

Economic Development and Planning Committee REPORT 09-023 Tuesday, November 3, 2009 It’s taken nearly three years, and is still opposed by more than a third of city council, but Hamilton now has a permanent alternative transportation coordinator. The position has been temporary since June 2007 and serves to direct improvements to the city’s cycling infrastructure as well as pedestrian initiatives. Economic Development and Planning Committee REPORT 09-023 Tuesday, November 3, 2009

The city started allocating one percent of its road budget to cycling initiatives at the beginning of the decade, but didn’t hire anyone to oversee the spending. That led to the allocation being suspended in 2003 and again in 2007 by which time $772,000 had accumulated unspent.

The 2007 funding cancellation was bitterly denounced by Brian McHattie and also led the volunteer Hamilton Cycling Committee to suspend its activities in protest. That led to the June 2007 decision to establish a temporary two-year position using some of the accumulated capital dollars.

Two years later, in June of this year, coordinator Daryl Bender unveiled a $51.5 million cycling master plan and senior staff proposed making his position permanent. Their report pointed to successful implementation of a number of cycling projects since Bender’s hiring as evidence of the “great value in having a cycling coordinator” position.

“Integral to delivering the plan is the requirement for a full-time staff member dedicated to delivering the program,” argued the staff report. “In order that the cycling infrastructure in the master plan is implemented, it is recommended that this position be made permanent.”

The master plan was approved, but only in principle without any funding commitment, and a decision on Bender’s position was deferred. The proposal returned to the committee on November 2 and was debated in camera and approved by a 5-1 vote.

That brought it to last week’s city council meeting where it was questioned by Brad Clark and Terry Whitehead. The latter pointed to “budget pressures” and moved to defer it again.

“I think this should be deferred to the budget process, quite frankly, so we can have a fulsome discussion and understand all the different pressures,” said Whitehead. His motion was backed by Clark, along with Chad Collins, Scott Duvall, Dave Mitchell and Robert Pasuta but it was defeated 10-6.

The same six councillors then voted against the decision to make the coordinator position permanent. A decision on funding for the cycling master plan may come next month when councillors debate next year’s capital budget.

http://www.hamiltoncatch.org/view_article.php?id=652

autostop

HSR buses equipped to call out the stops by year's end TheSpec.com - Local - HSR buses equipped to call out the stops by year's end

The Hamilton Spectator, (Nov 18, 2009)

Next stop: automated announcements on HSR buses.

The city is about to finish installing equipment that will call out stops on all buses. The technology should be up and running by year's end, says Carol Wildeman, senior project manager in the city's transit department.

HSR drivers will log into a computer system that will communicate their route with a GPS system. This will make sure the system only calls out the stops on the driver's particular route. The stop names will also be displayed on LED signs.

The next few weeks will be spent testing the announcements to make sure everything is in place.

http://thespec.com/News/Local/article/674726

GO to Niagara

GO studies rail expansion to Falls TheSpec.com - BreakingNews - GO studies rail expansion to Falls

John Burman, The Hamilton Spectator

GO Transit has eased the throttle open a notch on the prospect of commuter trains running into Niagara Falls.

An environmental assessment beginning this week will look at what infrastructure upgrades would be required to expand commuter rail service beyond Hamilton.

But GO Transit says a business case must still be made for the service.

The environmental assessment will be finished next summer, followed by a public review period and a business assessment.

The moves come after a highly successful weekend tourist service between Toronto and Niagara this summer. That service did not make stops in Hamilton.

"The potential service expansion along the Niagara corridor will depend on various factors such as fleet availability, capital and operating funds and supportive business partnerships with the railways," Gary McNeil, GO Transit’s managing director, said in a statement today.

The Niagara service expansion is part of GO Transit’s Strategic Plan: GO 2020.

GO introduced year-round weekday and weekend bus service to Niagara Falls on Sept. 5 between the Niagara Falls VIA Rail station and the Burlington GO Station with stops in Stoney Creek, Grimsby, and St. Catharines connecting to GO’s Lakeshore train service at Aldershot.

http://www.thespec.com/

Dundas Downtown Letdown

Dear Public Works Committee,

Regarding item 8.1 on the this morning's agenda, Transportation for Liveable Communities feels that our comments have not been properly addressed through the public process to date. There is enough at stake here regarding the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists, that TLC requests the committee postpone approval until our concerns are adequately dealt with.
I have attached our original reply to the recommendations of November 2008 to give a more detailed account of our objections.
Unfortunately we are unable to attend the committee meeting this morning to personally present our objections, but I hope this communication will reach you and emphasize the scope of our concerns,

Thanks,

for TLC

[TLC's Google Map of Cycling Projects for Dundas as listed by the DDTMP here]

Flawed Transit Funding Process

Letter to Council: Flawed Transit Funding Process Needs Public Input, Accountability

In the absence of any meaningful process of engagement, and given how information is kept secret until the last minute, we have a sure recipe to breed conflict, confrontation, and poor transit decisions.

By Peter Hutton
Oct. 26, 2009

Commentary

To Mayor Fred Eisenberger and Members of Council

It is with great concern that we have followed the process that leads to the Committee of the Whole Meeting this week, which appears now to have been called simply to raise transit fares.

While we recognize the difficult financial times, it is not, we think, a situation that should surprise anyone. Little has been done to find solutions other than an increase that even your managers will tell you is in conflict with your strategic goals for building a transit system.

Our small effort has been to develop a Transit Vision survey independent from the HSR's work to get some ideas from the public about what to do. The interim results of that unscientific survey will hopefully be brought forward to council later this week.

While self-selected, it is the views of hundreds of Hamiltonians who care about transit, and represent the views of many more who are worried that our transit system, which is essential for the economic, environmental and social health of this city, is going downhill fast.

I write today to address process. Our group is deeply concerned that yet again, fares are going to be considered outside the context of the main budget.

An extra budget meeting to give Council some context has been set for Tuesday, which we noted only on the calendar this weekend. That was apparently announced after Thursday's meeting was first advertised.

In the absence of any meaningful process of engagement with riders and other Hamilton residents by the city in the past year and given how information is kept secret until the last minute, we have a sure recipe to breed conflict, confrontation, and poor, not broadly supported decisions.

TUG laments that the gas tax committee, for example, was never allowed the opportunity to morph into an ongoing advisory committee, thanks to staff inertia. It could have been a vehicle for mobilizing such public discussions.

It is our understanding that the HSR operational review, which has not yet been released, supports our view of the need for investment in transit beyond the status quo.

We see no need for delay for a staff report that further excludes the public. While the process of engagement on the review was hopelessly inadequate - two small focus groups - it was a start and we have to make a start in all of this somewhere. The status quo won't cut it for this or future budgets.

We recognize that a fare increase may be needed but it must be tied to a realistic plan to address the needs for service improvement in both quality and quantity.

We seem to be going nowhere fast. We call again on Council to develop some process of broader engagement and discussion to determine options for a consensus to move forward. Fare, taxes, service redeployment, different kinds of services, will all be a part of that community consensus.

Given that transit fares are considered to be a user fee; and given the fact that it seems Council has set aside three additional meetings to consider user fees; we call on council at a minimum to determine that no decision be made this Thursday, and that a final decision be made later in November after we take the month to have an open and honest debate around all transit issues.

http://www.raisethehammer.org/index.asp?id=968

Crowning Queensdale with Bicycle Lanes?

FYI :
1) The public meeting for the bike facility on Queensdale is TONIGHT. Residents are being shown a plan that proposes to consolidate all parking to one side of the street. The two area Councillors are hopefully going to attend as well.

Please share this info with others.

A community meeting (drop-in format) has been arranged to present more details and answer any questions. The meeting details are as follows:

Monday November 16, 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Eastmount Community Centre (on East 26th Street, just north of Queensdale, beside Eastmount Park Elementary School)

Should you have any questions regarding these plans, please contact Daryl Bender, Project Manager of Alternative Transportation (Daryl.Bender@hamilton.ca or 905.546.2424 x 2066


2) I understand the Alternative Transportation job position has been approved by Council.
The minutes from the meeting are not posted yet - only the agenda:
http://www.hamilton.ca/CityDepartments/CorporateServices/Clerks/AgendaMinutes/Council/2009/November11CouncilAgenda.htm

transit letter

Mohawk students should reconsider bus deal TheSpec.com - LettertotheEditor - Mohawk students should reconsider bus deal

Matthew Sweet, Hamilton
The Hamilton Spectator
(Nov 14, 2009)

Re: 'Mohawk student union turned down bus deal' (Letters, Nov. 9)

Discounted bus passes for full-time Mohawk College students has been a dead issue for 10 years. That was the last time it was put to the student body in a referendum.

Since then, Mohawk as a "commuter college" has been the refrain among student representatives. It seemed most were content to see streams of single- occupancy vehicles crowd the Fennell Campus parking lot, while students who took the bus paid regular adult fares. No wonder most choose to drive.

The cost of eight months' worth of adult fare passes is currently $632, while parking on campus is $225 per semester. If cost is the same, most will choose to drive.

Over the past month, students have collected signatures on a petition asking the student association to explore the possibility of a bus pass. The response has been overwhelming; 1,600 signatures have been collected.

Maybe the old label of "commuter college" can finally be expanded to include those who commute within Hamilton on public transit.