At the St. Thomas Transit Open House at City Hall on August 11, one of my recommendations was to give an incentive to transit riders by making a rule where if the bus is 15 minutes (or more) late for their stop, the ride is free.
Today, I had to take St. Thomas Transit for my journey to and from the St. Thomas Elgin-General Hospital.
The odds were quite good that the bus would be at least 15 minutes late, due to the detour on First Ave., and the detour on Fifth Ave.
Alas, had their been a "15 minutes or it's free" rule in effect today, I would not have received a free ride, for the bus was only 14 minutes late. Yes, I timed it.
14 minutes behind schedule is not a good thing, but considering the detours the Hospital bus had to make, it was understandable.
If my suggestion were to be implemented, just how many free rides would St. Thomas Transit have to give out?
Well, let's see. St. Thomas Transit operates from Monday to Saturday, which is six days a week. That's 312 days per year (I know, some are holidays, but this is just a rough estimate).
If St. Thomas Transit were to have a 99% on-time schedule, it would only be behind schedule for a total of 3.12 days per year.
Buses break down, accidents happen, which would probably account for about 3.12 days per year.
As St. Thomas Transit now has an extra bus available, if a bus on route were to have a break down or accident, that spare bus could be dispatched to the transfer point to keep the buses on schedule.
It will be interesting to see what is presented before Council in regards to the future of St. Thomas Transit. I am looking forward to continued improvements for St. Thomas Transit.
Joe
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
Transit Open House
I went to the Transit Open House at City Hall last evening (Thursday), where I discussed some issues with Mr. Edward Soldo, Manager of Operations and Compliance, Environmental Services.
I was very disappointed that a certain councilor, and other City staff, were so loud and obnoxious that Mr. Soldo, myself, and another transit rider, had to go out into the hall, just so that we could hear each other talk.
I left the meeting feeling positive about the future of St. Thomas Transit, although the painfully slow, bureaucratic process is very frustrating.
Joe
I was very disappointed that a certain councilor, and other City staff, were so loud and obnoxious that Mr. Soldo, myself, and another transit rider, had to go out into the hall, just so that we could hear each other talk.
I left the meeting feeling positive about the future of St. Thomas Transit, although the painfully slow, bureaucratic process is very frustrating.
Joe
First Ave. Railway Bridge
I took this video this evening of the First Ave. Railway Bridge, or the last parts of it, coming down.
The rails that brought prosperity to St. Thomas are gone, with not much of a trace of that prosperity remaining these days.
Joe
Monday, July 18, 2011
Changes To St. Thomas Public Transit
Raising the cost of a monthly bus pass to $65.00 will not pay the bills.
The City of St. Thomas obviously believes in charity. Either that, or they do not want a Public Transit System.
Costs continue to rise for the fuel, maintenance, registration and wages to operate this city’s Public Transit System.
Now, how can the cost of these increases be covered by increasing the monthly bus pass by only $5.00?
According to the CAA, the cost to operate a vehicle in Ontario is approx. $10,000 a year, depending on the vehicle you own, which translates to approx. $833 per month.
It costs about $115 a month just for insurance on your vehicle.
Thus, $65.00 a month for a bus pass is inappropriate. Realistically, an adult bus pass should be at least $90.00 per month. Individual cash fares should also increase to at least $3.75, and tickets to $3.00.
As a cost-cutting measure, eliminate Para-Transit. Since Para-Transit riders are now taking the Public Transit Buses, why do we even need the Para-Transit system any more?
Can everyone afford these increased fares? No, not everyone can afford these fare increases, but the bills have to be paid, and they will come out of our taxes regardless.
Many people can no longer afford to operate two vehicles. Asking a person for $90.00 per month for a reliable Public Transit System is still a bargain.
The City of St. Thomas obviously believes in charity. Either that, or they do not want a Public Transit System.
Costs continue to rise for the fuel, maintenance, registration and wages to operate this city’s Public Transit System.
Now, how can the cost of these increases be covered by increasing the monthly bus pass by only $5.00?
According to the CAA, the cost to operate a vehicle in Ontario is approx. $10,000 a year, depending on the vehicle you own, which translates to approx. $833 per month.
It costs about $115 a month just for insurance on your vehicle.
Thus, $65.00 a month for a bus pass is inappropriate. Realistically, an adult bus pass should be at least $90.00 per month. Individual cash fares should also increase to at least $3.75, and tickets to $3.00.
As a cost-cutting measure, eliminate Para-Transit. Since Para-Transit riders are now taking the Public Transit Buses, why do we even need the Para-Transit system any more?
Can everyone afford these increased fares? No, not everyone can afford these fare increases, but the bills have to be paid, and they will come out of our taxes regardless.
Many people can no longer afford to operate two vehicles. Asking a person for $90.00 per month for a reliable Public Transit System is still a bargain.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Domestic violence advocacy bias
From http://www.nationalpost.com/todays-paper/Domestic+violence+advocacy+bias/4935081/story.html
Re: Women And Domestic Violence, letter to the editor, June 9.
This letter's writers (seven women who run women's shelters) are not being totally honest with your readers. More than one-third of partners injured in domestic disputes are men, and at least a quarter of partners who are murdered are men. Yet there are no shelters and victims' services for men.
These numbers would undoubtedly be closer to equality if the legal system treated male and female victims equally. Women who stalk men are rarely charged, and women who commit sexual assault are never charged -even if they admit kneeing or stabbing a man in the groin area. Women who kill men are usually found to have been justified, or not guilty by reason of a mental disorder.
Women fear violence more than men mainly because their fears are constantly being stoked by those whose livelihoods depend upon it. It is long past time to end the cycle of bias in domestic violence advocacy.
Grant A. Brown, Edmonton.
Re: Women And Domestic Violence, letter to the editor, June 9.
This letter's writers (seven women who run women's shelters) are not being totally honest with your readers. More than one-third of partners injured in domestic disputes are men, and at least a quarter of partners who are murdered are men. Yet there are no shelters and victims' services for men.
These numbers would undoubtedly be closer to equality if the legal system treated male and female victims equally. Women who stalk men are rarely charged, and women who commit sexual assault are never charged -even if they admit kneeing or stabbing a man in the groin area. Women who kill men are usually found to have been justified, or not guilty by reason of a mental disorder.
Women fear violence more than men mainly because their fears are constantly being stoked by those whose livelihoods depend upon it. It is long past time to end the cycle of bias in domestic violence advocacy.
Grant A. Brown, Edmonton.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
The high price of gasoline
The U.S. futures regulator on Tuesday sued two veteran oil traders and their employers, the Arcadia and Parnon Energy firms, charging they booked US$50-million in profits by manipulating oil prices in 2008. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission accused traders at Parnon Energy Inc and Arcadia Energy Suisse SA of carrying out a cross-market trading scheme between January and April of 2008 involving accumulation and sell-off of a substantial position in physical crude oil to manipulate futures prices. Parnon and Arcadia are owned by Norwegian shipping magnate John Fredriksen. The CFTC said James Dyer and Nick Wildgoose -former BP senior traders -directed the manipulative trading scheme. The complaint is among the agency's biggest charges of wrongdoing in energy markets.
From Page FP3 of the Wednesday, May 25, 2011 Financial Post
From Page FP3 of the Wednesday, May 25, 2011 Financial Post
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
St. Thomas Air Show
I told the person in charge of the St. Thomas Air Show today that I would not be attending, since they will not allow anyone to drive their vehicles to the air show this year.
Instead, they will have "shuttle buses" coming to and from the St. Thomas Airport.
It seems that "safety" trumps practicality. So be it.
Since "safety" seems to be the big thing, I think it best that they stop having an Air Show at the St. Thomas Airport, since Air Shows are potentially dangerous.
Instead, they will have "shuttle buses" coming to and from the St. Thomas Airport.
It seems that "safety" trumps practicality. So be it.
Since "safety" seems to be the big thing, I think it best that they stop having an Air Show at the St. Thomas Airport, since Air Shows are potentially dangerous.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
St. Thomas Transit
For the first time in many years, I have not purchased a monthly bus pass.
As St. Thomas Transit has become an unreliable method of transportation, it has been necessary for me to find an alternate, more reliable form of transportation.
This is not the fault of AboutTown transit, or employees of AboutTown, but it is the fault of the bureaucracy at City Hall.
Many people depend on St. Thomas Transit for transportation to and from work.
It has become physically impossible for some buses to complete their route in a 30 minute time period, due to traffic and “equality”.
My suggestions to improve service “will be considered” for the future.
While I hope to be around in the future, I am in the now, and require a reliable method of public transportation.
St. Thomas, at this time, does not have a reliable method of public transportation.
As St. Thomas Transit has become an unreliable method of transportation, it has been necessary for me to find an alternate, more reliable form of transportation.
This is not the fault of AboutTown transit, or employees of AboutTown, but it is the fault of the bureaucracy at City Hall.
Many people depend on St. Thomas Transit for transportation to and from work.
It has become physically impossible for some buses to complete their route in a 30 minute time period, due to traffic and “equality”.
My suggestions to improve service “will be considered” for the future.
While I hope to be around in the future, I am in the now, and require a reliable method of public transportation.
St. Thomas, at this time, does not have a reliable method of public transportation.
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