Quote:
Originally Posted by J.OT13
If the ORT (I will forever drop the "light") ever extends to the outer greenbelt, we should implement zones like Vancouver and many other cities; inside the greenbelt; outside the greenbelt. And no buses crossing the greenbelt so to not have that confusion. Price goes by location of the trip you start at (or if you buy a bus pass or "Presto" bus pass equivalent, where you live).
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I do not agree.
The idea is to get cars off the roads and have as many people as possible to leave their cars at home and use public transportation to get to where they need to go, whether it is for work, medical attention, education, church, visiting, shopping or entertainment. This includes those who live in distant suburbs and even outside the city limits.
There should be one and one only fare at low cost and with transfers for all residents of the City of Ottawa going in one direction, no matter what. Moreover, the ride should be reasonably frequent, comfortable, pleasant and safe. Not too long ago, I was criss-crossing across Barcelona for one euro a ride. A $2 ride in Ottawa is not unreasonable.
Use of the city streets are entirely subsidized by Ottawa taxpayers. Why not have tolls for use of publicly-owned streets?
With RFID technology (radio frequency identification), it would not be hard to impose use of such transmitters by cars traveling within the city limits. The city is in dire need of additional income simply for maintenance of its assets and going cap-in-hand to provincial and federal sources (still taxpayers’ money) is no longer an option. Cities as well as individuals have borrowed too much and our anticipated incomes are not enough to pay off our debts.
Moreover, Ottawa is a Capital City with government buildings and offices, elected and statutory officials, embassies and visiting dignitaries. World-wide events have made our city vulnerable to intimidation and terrorism. It is not impossible in the not too distant future that private and commercial vehicles traveling in the central core will be monitored more closely. Use of RFIDs in the city is a possibility.
Intensification downtown does not automatically mean that the new residents will walk to work. Work may be further away than a walking distance and a car would be necessary for school, shopping and entertainment. Intensification may actually worsen the downtown gridlock at certain hours.
We have to get out of this car mentality that has become a scourge for the past two generations. There is a financial and social limit to commuting in our cities. If we can barely afford to repair and maintain our infrastructures, what will it be in 10 and 20 years from now?
Suburbia has to be much better serviced with public transportation. Such transportation has to be timely, comfortable, safe and affordable by all. If municipalities are no longer able to provide such an amenity to its citizens, one and all, then they should find other sources of income to do so.
Use of public-private partnerships to generate revenues from the use of city streets by all vehicles is such a source of income. This income would help pay for the maintenance of these streets as well as providing a reasonable and acceptable public transportation service.