I know the Tribune covers most people’s concerns pretty well but then it goes away. That is what our officials want. I have noticed that our city officials, Michael Anders and Derek McCaughan in particular, keep issuing very arbitrary statements to you about how the transit system is working.
I don’t believe that the public has been given a fair voice to refute this. I think that you should do a story once a week at least questioning our officials as to why they really aren’t answering the big concerns – the northwest industrial area’s lack of service for one. I have spoken to a lot of transit users and I keep hearing how much they hate the new routes. They cite poor route design, lack of stops, too rushed because of 30 minute schedules, missed connections, and added transit time to their day. And, from everything I have heard, nobody likes the new hub either.
Anders told me that the majority of people like this system. They do not.
I have urged transit officials and council members to get out and talk to the people and to take an accurate poll of riders. They either ignored me or flat out refused. Business owners downtown have complained of loss of business due to the new hub, riders have complained about losing the ability to get a coffee, go to the store or bank machines between transfers. To run a few buses through the square does not fix this problem, it just causes an extra transfer and becomes a big waste of time for the riders.
I think you could do a great service to 25,000 riders a day if you continue to cover this. It is still a major story for us riders as we are enduring the problems every day.
Brian McMullen
Guelph
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I would like to point out to the T.A.C. that a lot of people who would and should have a say in that work nights and afternoon shift or have family and other obligations and don’t have time to be on this committee.
I believe that if the T.A.C. is in place to help iron out the issues the public is having then they should hear from everyone using the system, transit riders,business owners and anyone else who wants a say as this system is going to drive up our taxes and transit fares and it affects everyone in the city.
I have raised every concern that has been brought to my attention by disgruntled transit users as well as my own complaints to transit,council and the mayor.I would be happy to submit another list of all these concerns.
It has been brought to my attention that a poll was in fact taken.I think the T.A.C. should take a more accurate poll as we have now cost business owners a loss of business and transit users have been further inconvenienced with the move to the hub.
An accurate and in depth poll could be taken by simply putting a comment box on each bus with a flyer on the outside of the bus telling people that you want our comments and concerns about the move to the hub and the loss of stops due to the 30 minute system or any other issues they may be having.
If we simply revert back to the 20 minute system that would eliminate all of the problems brought on by this current system.We could be back to 20 min. within 30 to 40 day’s at no more cost to the city than what we already pay our transit employee’s and then with all the new buses we added they could create 2 or 3 new routes in the 20 min. system giving much better coverage to the city while putting back all of the stops that were removed.This should have been the plan all along.
The Northwest Ind. run has no service between 9am and 2pm and again after 5pm until 10pm or so.The nearest stop is a 30 to 40 minute walk up Woodlawn Rd.to Imperial.Derek McCaughan has questioned whether I am using the system properly
This should not be happening.I have told transit officials numerous times that they either need to put a bus per hour in the Industrial area during the dead period or bring a perimeter bus up Woodlawn to Minto Rd.We are paying full price for less than 50 percent of our former service and 50 percent less than the rest of the city.This is unfair.The fixes for this problem are extremely simple and should have been done in Jan. when it became apparent that people were very upset by this.
Everyone using the industrial buses should continue to complain until it is fixed.
I feel that our city officials are arbitrarily backing this system because so much time and money was wasted on it and they don’t want to admit that mistakes were made across the board.
It is our system,we pay for it with fares and taxes and we should be heard.
B.M.
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Unhappily I found the answer to the transit dilemma; I finally bought a used car. Not something I can really afford but the transit system seems to keep getting worse. I’ve only lived here two years but so many changes that get worse and worse. I see families pushing strollers for miles because it’s just easier, elderly citizens just not going out as often. Taxi fares are expensive and riding a bike in hilly Guelph is only possible during the good weather. Winter is coming. I may be picking people up from bus stops this winter. More and more people are relying on community ride shares and cabs. I know that when it comes time to vote I will be doing a lot of research into who is going to actually try to make a difference!
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