Over the past few weeks, I’ve asked several Certified Young People—thank you, Stephen Colbert—what might get them interested in voting.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve asked several Certified Young People—thank you, Stephen Colbert—what might get them interested in voting.
Every single one gave me the same answer: fix city transit.
Hardly a scientific survey, but it made me pay attention.
I don’t regularly take the bus, so I tried planning some everyday trips without my car. My trip to City Hall takes about 16 minutes driving a car. The transit options I found took between an hour and 13 minutes and an hour and a half, assuming I made every connection and the buses actually arrived.
That’s a substantial difference. And when a bus doesn’t arrive as expected, the consequences can be more than an inconvenience: a missed appointment, a late arrival at work, or a long wait outside in winter.
In March, Transit administration expected to have 79 available operators, but needed 84 for the regular summer schedule. It proposed temporarily running some buses less often to help deliver 99% of the published schedule. Without that change, administration warned that delivery could fall to 92%.
Council rejected the proposal 7–4, leaving riders with the increasingly poor status quo while proposing no alternatives at all.
There were fair concerns: longer waits would hurt riders, and reducing service would not fix the staffing problem. Several councillors asked administration and the union to find another way.
But frustration is not an operating plan.
I would have supported a temporary move toward a schedule Transit could reliably deliver, with clear reporting and a plan to restore frequency. Before extending it, I would want to hear whether riders were actually better served.
We also need to understand what is affecting operators’ working conditions, attendance, and retention. Riders and drivers both deserve a workable plan.
I won’t pretend to know more about Transit than the people who use and operate it. I will listen, ask direct questions, make decisions based on the evidence, and be willing to change course if the results fall short.
Transit needs more than promises to do better. It needs a schedule people can depend on.
Read full update
Over the past few weeks, I’ve asked several Certified Young People—thank you, Stephen Colbert—what might get them interested in voting.
Every single one gave me the same answer: fix city transit.
Hardly a scientific survey, but it made me pay attention.
I don’t regularly take the bus, so I tried planning some everyday trips without my car. My trip to City Hall takes about 16 minutes driving a car. The transit options I found took between an hour and 13 minutes and an hour and a half, assuming I made every connection and the buses actually arrived.
That’s a substantial difference. And when a bus doesn’t arrive as expected, the consequences can be more than an inconvenience: a missed appointment, a late arrival at work, or a long wait outside in winter.
In March, Transit administration expected to have 79 available operators, but needed 84 for the regular summer schedule. It proposed temporarily running some buses less often to help deliver 99% of the published schedule. Without that change, administration warned that delivery could fall to 92%.
Council rejected the proposal 7–4, leaving riders with the increasingly poor status quo while proposing no alternatives at all.
There were fair concerns: longer waits would hurt riders, and reducing service would not fix the staffing problem. Several councillors asked administration and the union to find another way.
But frustration is not an operating plan.
I would have supported a temporary move toward a schedule Transit could reliably deliver, with clear reporting and a plan to restore frequency. Before extending it, I would want to hear whether riders were actually better served.
We also need to understand what is affecting operators’ working conditions, attendance, and retention. Riders and drivers both deserve a workable plan.
I won’t pretend to know more about Transit than the people who use and operate it. I will listen, ask direct questions, make decisions based on the evidence, and be willing to change course if the results fall short.
Transit needs more than promises to do better. It needs a schedule people can depend on.
I believe engagement and discussion on complex issues is vital, and I also believe that we need to shine a light on the truly positive aspec
I believe engagement and discussion on complex issues is vital, and I also believe that we need to shine a light on the truly positive aspects of our city.
For example: the decision to develop and maintain the off leash area at Centennial Park is brilliant.
The trails are kept clear, benches have been installed for those wanting to rest and watch their pup play with friends, canine and human alike. Plus the ready access to clean water (and, to be fair, a fairly sloppy bog where my dog loves to wallow - see the final photo for evidence).
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I believe engagement and discussion on complex issues is vital, and I also believe that we need to shine a light on the truly positive aspects of our city.
For example: the decision to develop and maintain the off leash area at Centennial Park is brilliant.
The trails are kept clear, benches have been installed for those wanting to rest and watch their pup play with friends, canine and human alike. Plus the ready access to clean water (and, to be fair, a fairly sloppy bog where my dog loves to wallow - see the final photo for evidence).
When a business owner worries about an employee closing up safely, “support small business” has to mean more than grants and less paperwork.
When a business owner worries about an employee closing up safely, “support small business” has to mean more than grants and less paperwork.
This concern reaches well beyond a handful of shops. According to the Thunder Bay CEDC’s Economic Profile, 87% of business locations in the Thunder Bay area had fewer than 10 employees in December 2021. These businesses are part of our neighbourhoods, our downtowns, and our daily lives.
I know how hard it is to find time to speak up while running a small business. I joined the Chamber of Commerce Board to bring that perspective to the table. I can do it because I have an incredibly capable and supportive team.
Local business owners want what other residents want: safe streets, reliable services, thoughtful construction planning, and a city where people feel welcome. They also want people experiencing homelessness, addiction, and mental-health crises to receive effective, humane help.
Owners, employees, and customers feel the effects when those systems aren’t working. They can tell us where problems recur and whether a proposed fix actually helps. They deserve to be heard as partners, not left to manage these problems alone.
I won’t pretend there’s one quick solution. I will listen to the people dealing with these issues every day, press the City and its partners for action that goes beyond more meetings, and ask how we’ll know whether things are getting better.
People should be able to see and feel progress.
That work may be slow and frustrating. I’m up for it.
Better Decisions. Stronger City.
Read full update
When a business owner worries about an employee closing up safely, “support small business” has to mean more than grants and less paperwork.
This concern reaches well beyond a handful of shops. According to the Thunder Bay CEDC’s Economic Profile, 87% of business locations in the Thunder Bay area had fewer than 10 employees in December 2021. These businesses are part of our neighbourhoods, our downtowns, and our daily lives.
I know how hard it is to find time to speak up while running a small business. I joined the Chamber of Commerce Board to bring that perspective to the table. I can do it because I have an incredibly capable and supportive team.
Local business owners want what other residents want: safe streets, reliable services, thoughtful construction planning, and a city where people feel welcome. They also want people experiencing homelessness, addiction, and mental-health crises to receive effective, humane help.
Owners, employees, and customers feel the effects when those systems aren’t working. They can tell us where problems recur and whether a proposed fix actually helps. They deserve to be heard as partners, not left to manage these problems alone.
I won’t pretend there’s one quick solution. I will listen to the people dealing with these issues every day, press the City and its partners for action that goes beyond more meetings, and ask how we’ll know whether things are getting better.
People should be able to see and feel progress.
That work may be slow and frustrating. I’m up for it.
Better Decisions. Stronger City.