Will Guelph soon have free transit for youth?
In this edition of On the Move we cover everything from the proposed free transit for kids and teens to who you really should be blaming for that late bus.
Welcome to Issue #2 of On the Move, a twice-a-month newsletter sharing transit news and views from Guelph and beyond presented by the Transit Action Alliance of Guelph. It arrives directly in your inbox on the 1st and 15th of each month.
Mayor Cam Guthrie recently delivered his annual State of the City address at the Chamber of Commerce. The Mayor proposed two plans that affect transit. The first is making transit free for anyone under the age of 18, and the second is making the downtown core car-free. Full Media coverage from Guelph Politico, CTV, Guelph Today, and Mercury Tribune.
Guelph Today also takes a look at how Kingston has successfully rolled out free transit for kids and teens increasing ridership.
The Transit Action Alliance of Guelph will be hosting a coffee and chat about ways we can champion free transit for youth on Saturday, February 22nd, 12:00 p.m. at the Planet Bean in Downtown Guelph.
As many people know, Guelph Transit is chartered by the Central Student Association to provide late night and Sunday night service. Over the past decade, regular transit users have also used these services alongside University students paying using cash or month pass. That is now no longer allowed according to Guelph Transit:
The new OnYourWay cards are now available. As with any new system, there have been a few glitches and hiccups. As mentioned in our last newsletter, the availability of the passes at the Library and other locations was delayed but not communicated very well to the public.
There was also a minor issue with the online payment system but that has been fixed. Also, don’t punch a hole in your card or it will not work and hold your card flat on the card reader.
From February 17th until the 20th, Guelph Transit fare media won’t be available at Recreation Centres.
Finally, elected officials sometimes get heat for not practising what they preach, so it is nice to see our MP riding the bus to connect with GO Transit this week.
A new report by Metrolinx shows that both Kitchener and Guelph GO Station are seeing an impressive increase in local ridership.
The report, which compares statistics from April 2019 to December 2019, says the Kitchener GO Station has seen a 40.2 per cent increase in the average number of daily riders while Guelph Central has seen a 20.2 per cent increase.
In Waterloo Region, over 5,500 GRT riders have been refunded so far after a strike shutdown the system for most of January.
A new bus run from Owen Sound to Guelph is already proving to be a popular service while Wellington County cuts back on its ride share service.
In Toronto, the TTC appears to be focusing on punishing riders with a new controversial fare enforcement campaign as it reports a vast majority of child passes are used fraudulently.
The City of Toronto and the Province of Ontario have signed off on a preliminary agreement that will pave the way for a nearly $30 billion transit expansion plan.
In Ottawa, the woes with the new LRT continue.
VIA Rail announced on February 13 that they would be shutting down all but a few services. This move is happening due to a request from CN Rail amid the ongoing protests against the construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline.
With Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley’s population growing, regional leaders there are calling for more transit funding ahead of Tuesday's B.C. Budget.
Did you know All Ridership Is Super Local?
Richmond’s Transit Evolution - How building a Frequent Transit Network has transformed this city with higher ridership and better service.
Transit Priority Love:
The City of Guelph has released a report detailing what they heard during Phase 2 of the Transportation Master Plan which you can read here.
When a bus is late, do you blame the city that decided not to have bus lanes or other transit priority, or do you just blame the transit agency?
What are the Essential Elements of Good Transit? Find out here!
Funded And Affordable: Should Public Transit Be Free? Listen to this NPR Podcast.
Steven Higashide is a transit expert, bus champion, and author of a new book called Better Buses Better Cities. And the central thesis of the book is that buses have the power to remake our cities for the better. But he says that if we want the bus to reach its potential, we’re going to have to make the experience riding one, a lot more pleasant.
The Transit Action Alliance of Guelph will be hosting a coffee and chat about ways we can champion free transit for youth on Saturday, February 22nd, 12:00 p.m. at the Planet Bean in Downtown Guelph.
Jennifer Keesmaat, Pamela Robinson and Guelph’s Chief Planner will be participating in a conversation about a growing city at the Delta Conference Centre, 50 Stone Road West. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the event runs from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Register for this free talk by Wednesday, February 26 to secure a seat. Route 99 Mainline is nearby as are Routes 15, 17, 18, and several U Routes. You can also complete surveys about future growth in Guelph by March 8th here.
The TAAG Transit Pub Night is coming at the end of March (Wednesday March 25th) Stay tuned for more information on our website.
The Transit Action Alliance of Guelph is looking for people to serve on our Board of Directors! The Board meets once per month for about 2 hours. Find out more by clicking this link here! Become a member here!
The next two TAAG Board of Directors meeting are on Wednesday, February 26th and Wednesday, March 11th starting at 6:45 p.m. at the Co-operators Headquarters in Downtown Guelph. Click here for instructions on how to access the building after hours. All TAGG Members and intersted members of the public, inlcuding community groups and non profits, are invited to attend. Find out about our membership options by clicking here. For more infornation about TAAG, check out this link.
A presentation about how to make transit function better in Guelph will be held on Thursday, March 26th at 7:00 p.m. and is open to the public to attend. Details will be posted on our website soon.