Orleans Weekly Journal
Published: Friday, January 23, 2009 

Transit-related questions for our councillors

On the bright side, our 90-minute to two-hour drive (both ways) most days has helped me learn where each and every business is located on St. Joseph Boulevard and which gas stations throughout our community – since I’ve taken every side street ever built – consistently post the lowest prices. As well, I’ve brushed up on my vacation Spanish with a listen and repeat CD. Next week for my carpool I think we will start a book club. And the week after that we might start a mobile karaoke party. Do you need a lift? 

Seriously though, since I have heaped my fair share of blame upon ATU members it’s only fair to turn the magnifying glass on the city with questions that should be answered by staff or, better yet, our councillors.

To start, are local councillors using their cars to help ward residents get into the city core each day? And what about the rest of their council colleagues on this same carpooling question?

Is each ward councillor also working with local community groups and resource agencies to help identify vulnerable and home-bound folks in our neighbourhoods who need lifts to the doctor, chemotherapy or just a hand to get some groceries for a few days?

And what about all this talk of added Para Transpo services? I’m sure there is a need but what about all those accessible taxi plates that have been added to the taxi fleet over the past three years? Are these cabs being fully deployed to help those most in need or are they just cruising our streets like any other Blue Line or Capital cab?

Indeed, a well-placed source tells me that there are some OC Transpo drivers who own accessible or full taxi plates. Not that this is illegal or unethical, but it would be interesting to know if this is an extremely rare phenomenon or something more?

Then we have the look-how-clean-we-are issue of our Transitway stations. While I appreciate that the Transitway must be kept in pristine condition during a snowstorm for safety reasons, why do the stations along the route need to be salted with staging areas plowed down to the bare concrete when the 174 and our local roads are still covered in slush and ice?

And what is the total cost for those cop cars that are idling along the Transitway portion of the 174 during each rush hour? I realize that only cops can enforce the Highway Traffic Act as opposed to OC Transpo special constables, but what is the added cost? Those are my questions.

Have you noticed some weird things on your agonizing commute that you believe city staff and/or our elected officials should address? I’d love to hear from you if you have questions and I will publish the best ones in a forthcoming column.

Now, I wonder if we will get some answers, and if so, when?  

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Comments can be sent to Walter Robinson at orleansouttakes@transcontinental.ca.