Comments on: Critical Decision On Region-Wide Transit Is Looming

By: Angela Browne

Angela Browne — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 07:17:36 +0000

Of course, transit systems aren’t cheap, but neither is driving. Nobody ever mentions the amount of public subsidy going to the automobile … which by the way is five-fold compared to the size of a per rider subsidy going to transit. As a non-driver, until we get a proper, convenient and accessible transit service in Niagara, I should not be paying one iota towards the roads, highways, parking lots, traffic lights, parking enforcement, etc. until I have a way to get around for less than the current $3.25 a km I currently pay.

By: Harry Flood

Harry Flood — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 18:58:57 +0000

The recent introduction of the GO Transit service to the Niagara region was a welcome event to many residents and demonstrated to the rest of southern Ontario that our region had reached a new level of ” maturity” even though we are considered a historic part of the Province. Now with discussions re an inter regional transit system ongoing, we are taking another step up the ” maturity ladder” which ,if instituted will provide a great transportation benefit to all residents of the region. BUT what price is this new found maturity going to have?Much much research must be done and suveys conducted before any such proposal can be embarked upon. Transit systems are’nt cheap.

By: Pat Scholfield

Pat Scholfield — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:37:08 +0000

In Niagara we definitely need an inter-municipal transit system. It would be nice if we could think of ourselves as One Niagara as Mayor Badawey proposes…but if that was the case we should have located all government buildings and agencies in the geographic centre of the region; including the new hospital to allow equitable access for all Niagarans. Since that did not occur and many federal, provincial and regional buildings to serve the public are in or very close to St. Catharines….the kingsize share of the cost of the inter-municipal transit should be carried by the north, who have benefitted from close proximity of these facilities and the south should be subsidized to offset their disadvantage in time and cost to travel to the long list of public buildings. Some equalization ratio must be factored in if we are to ever consider Niagara as one region. Since the NHS refused to locate the new $1.56 billion hospital in the centre of Niagara; thereby cutting off the southern tier from timely and equitable access to health care, the animosity from south Niagara is toxic. Don’t come at us now with a transit system that says the south must ante up as they will use the system the most.