Recently Burlington taxes have been spent irresponsibly. In fact recklessly would be more accurate. Tax goers paid $210,000 for a pilot project to introduce a bike lane on either side of New Street between Guelph Line and Walker’s Line for one year, only to now, to reverse the decision.
Growing public disapproval was amidst the cause for the project’s fail. The City of Burlington website stated that they received approximately “1100 pieces of feedback from the public in the form of letters, emails, phone calls and social media. All of this feedback was taken into account when formulating the recommendation about the pilot project.” The lane was hardly ever used and is located next to a paved bike path. Why would another bike lane need to be introduced? An insider explained that the Board decided to go ahead with this pilot project because they felt there was too much traffic that was being directed down from the highway. This said traffic was making New Street congested. The problem is New St has a speed limit of 60km/hr. The problem with this thought process is that people travelling to and along the QEW are not trading up 100km/hr speed for 60km/hr speed limits. Why would anyone trade 100km/hr for 60km/hr to get home faster? If congestion was the reason behind this plan as the insider explained, then how would reducing lanes help this matter? It would only reduced alternatives to congestion already occurring all over the City during rush hour as the GTA is a commuter community.
Solutions to congestion: your $210,000 could have been better on the following ideas;
1) improving light rail – more efficient times (more often and later)
2) cheaper fares
For instance for The Georgetown/ Brampton through Halton ends around 5pm by train. Times should reflect current work schedules, with longer hours and schedules train schedules should continue later to help people ending work later.
A look into May 11th 2018 train schedule from Union Station to Burlington Station (Maple Ave & Fairview St) reveals the following from Go Transit website. Bus route mainly. Trains should be more easily accessible and affordable rates available. Trains allow for people to not feel like sardine as street cars and busses cannot offer. Making a public transit ride as enjoyable, affordable and efficient as possible is the solution to congestion. Please see below for the Burlington route on May 11th 2018 if you are interested the print screen option.
Making these alternatives more affordable reduces congestion and makes public transit enjoyable and most importantly efficient for people to use. The more efficient it is, the more it will be used. The bike lane didn’t work, because there wasn’t a need for it when one existed already in the near proximity. It also didn’t work because it created more congestion rather than solving congestion.
The stretch between Guelph Line and Walker’s Line lanes are to return to normal. Lanes will return to four lanes over an eight week period at no additional cost to the tax payer according to the City of Burlington.
Alexandra Bremner, Local Realtor- Burlington Office
Heritage Caledon Realty Inc.
